HWASEONG — Hwaseong is stepping up its push to become a hub for the aerospace industry.
The city said on the 21st that it will hold a launch ceremony for its Aerospace Industry Task Force and a SPACE AI Forum on Nov. 3 at COEX in Seoul during MARS 2026, a global AI expo.
The launch ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. on the opening day of the event in the third-floor auditorium at COEX. Attendees will include Hwaseong Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, Seoul National University Professor Emeritus Kim Seung-jo, KT SAT CEO Choi Kyoung-il, former Korea Aerospace Industries Association Vice Chairman Kim Min-seok, Korea University Professor Kang Chung-gu, Korea Aerospace Research Institute Director Kang Wang-gu, National Space Committee member Kim Seon-woo and Oh Seong-tak of the National Information Society Agency.
The city plans to use the ceremony to present its vision for an aerospace industry tailored to Hwaseong. It will also formally launch the Aerospace Industry Task Force, which will serve as the focal point for developing the sector, and issue appointment letters to the participating experts.
The SPACE AI Forum, to be held after the ceremony, will focus on strategies for combining aerospace and artificial intelligence. Experts from industry, academia, research institutes and public agencies will examine the outlook for key fields including space AI, space semiconductors, AI drones and advanced air mobility (AAM).
KT SAT CEO Choi Kyoung-il will deliver the keynote address. Speaking on "Space AI and Hwaseong's Opportunity," Choi will discuss changes in the space industry and the city's potential. Sejong University Professor Kim Dong-soon will follow with a presentation on the outlook for the aerospace semiconductor market and Hwaseong's strategy.
Kang Wang-gu, a director at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, will present on strategies for building an AI drone ecosystem in Hwaseong. Kim Min-seok, former vice chairman of the Korea Aerospace Industries Association, will outline trends in the future aviation sector and ways to link them to local industry in a presentation on changes in the industry and an AAM strategy for Hwaseong.
Sejong University Professor Kim Seon-woo will moderate a general discussion following the presentations, on strategies for an aerospace industry cluster in Hwaseong. Participants will discuss practical steps for connecting space data, satellite networks and AI drone technology to the city's manufacturing and semiconductor base.
Hwaseong has been preparing to develop the sector for some time. The city set up an aerospace industry task force during the eighth popularly elected local government and has since held expert advisory meetings, subcommittee sessions and expert task force meetings under the ninth. Officials have visited aerospace companies and institutions and attended related events to assess the potential for developing the industry.
The city has also held a series of recent meetings with experts and business leaders. The expert session reviewed the potential to specialize in aerospace based on the competitiveness of local industry, while the business session gathered input on difficulties on the ground and demand for policy support, along with discussion of corporate support measures.
Hwaseong plans to commission a research study in 2027 to draw up a comprehensive plan for developing the aerospace industry. The study is intended to set out specialized fields, corporate support measures, strategies for attracting companies and phased action items.
"The launch of the Aerospace Industry Task Force is the first step in preparing Hwaseong's economic foundation for the next 100 years," Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun said. "By adding artificial intelligence and aerospace on top of our base in advanced manufacturing, semiconductors and future mobility, we will become a forward base for opening Korea's space era."
Jeong added: "The name Hwaseong — which means Mars in Korean — will now become a symbol of the challenge of reaching into space. At MARS 2026, we will present both the vision and the implementation direction for an aerospace industry tailored to Hwaseong."