Yeoncheon County in Gyeonggi Province is launching an artificial intelligence (AI) pilot strategy tailored to border regions, in line with the central government's policy push to make Korea one of the world's top three AI powers. The plan aims to use AI technology to overcome the geopolitical constraints of a county where 95% of the area is designated as a military facility protection zone.
Yeoncheon County announced Tuesday that it is launching a research project titled "Regional Capacity Assessment and Strategy Development for AI Pilot Project Support." The study will run for approximately seven months, with a final report in November leading to the confirmation of the "Yeoncheon 2030 AI Strategy" and a phased roadmap.
The study focuses on analyzing AI pilot project trends at the central and provincial government levels to establish a framework for securing appropriately scaled pilot projects that match the county's fiscal conditions. The goal is to improve administrative efficiency and build a data-driven decision-making system by conducting AI demand surveys among residents and public officials.
Key review areas include green bio, disaster safety, and defense and security. The county plans to benchmark successful overseas cases in rural and border regions, and analyze local conditions such as population distribution, transportation networks, and land use to assess eligibility for grant programs.
The county intends to link this strategy with major policy agendas, including Opportunity Development Zones. Based on the study results, Yeoncheon also plans to strengthen its cooperation networks, including matching partner companies and operating an advisory committee, to proactively respond to government grant programs.
"This study will serve as a milestone for Yeoncheon to emerge as a leading region with its own pilot strategy in the AI transformation (AX) era," a Yeoncheon County official said. "We will develop practical policy models that residents can tangibly experience."
