South Korea's Jeju province announced plans for a major AI and science technology campus, targeting 2027+ launch.
Woo Seong-gon, 58, governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, announced plans to transform Jeju into an island of future industries through two major initiatives: building an AI data center and establishing a joint campus for the country's four major science and technology institutes. Woo was elected in June's local elections with 63.11% of the vote as the Democratic Party of Korea's Jeju governor candidate. A former Jeju National University student council president, he previously served three terms as a provincial council member and three terms as a member of the National Assembly.
The joint campus initiative, announced by President Lee Jae-myung during a March visit to Jeju, aims to unite KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), UNIST (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology), GIST (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology), and DGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology) on the island by 2030. Jeju National University and KAIST will jointly operate graduate programs. According to Woo, the campus will serve as the foundation for cultivating future industries in climate, energy, biotechnology, marine sciences, and tourism—sectors where Jeju already possesses competitive advantages. The long-term vision includes establishing the Jeju Institute of Science and Technology (JIST), creating an ecosystem where global talent conducts research and develops startups.
The proposed 40 MW AI data center will anchor this ecosystem. Woo plans to source power through offshore wind energy, leveraging Jeju's natural wind resources and current power surplus. Revenue from excess power sales will be shared with residents. Seventy-two percent of Jeju's exports already come from semiconductors, Woo noted, emphasizing that advanced industries have become essential to the region's future. "The era of exporting flatfish, tangerines, and agricultural, livestock, and fishery products is over," he said.
Regarding the contentious second airport construction, which has generated conflict since its 2015 announcement, Woo committed to transparency: once environmental impact assessment results are released, they will be publicly disclosed and residents' opinions gathered. "We will reach a conclusion as early as the first half of next year through a fair process that residents can accept."
On inter-Korean relations, Woo expressed openness to civilian exchange. Following former Governor Oh Young-hoon's recent shipment of medical equipment and Hallabong seedlings to North Korea, Woo drew on historical precedent: Jeju led a campaign to send tangerines to North Korea in 1998, shipping 48,000 tons over ten years. "We take pride in leading the era of inter-Korean reconciliation and peace," Woo said. He is promoting a table tennis tournament involving South Korea, North Korea, China, and Japan, and plans to open channels of trust through non-political initiatives.
To increase Jeju's prominence in national mega-projects, Woo is advancing a "Honam-Jeju super-mega city" concept in collaboration with the governors of Jeollabuk-do and Gangwon-do. The proposal would integrate Jeollanam-do, Gwangju, Jeollabuk-do, and Jeju into a single super-mega living zone connected by an "offshore energy highway"—a transmission network linking Honam and Jeju. This infrastructure would allow Jeju's renewable energy to supply not only the Jeollanam-do-Gwangju semiconductor cluster but the entire nation.
Woo is also pursuing public institution relocations. Priority targets include moving the headquarters of Korea Racing Authority—which operates horse racing tracks—to Jeju, establishing a "horse industry cluster" by linking it with tourism and education. Additional recruitment efforts aim to attract Korea Airports Corporation, a climate science institute, a greenhouse gas reduction center, and a greenhouse gas reduction certification agency.