On the reclaimed coastline of South Jeolla Province, an ambitious experiment in urban design is quietly taking shape.
The corporate city of Solasido — a blend of solar, sea, and do (province) — is emerging as South Korea’s latest bid to merge renewable energy with artificial intelligence, drawing interest from global tech and investment firms.
Officials confirmed this week that Solasido, spanning 33.8 square kilometers across Haenam and Yeongam counties, has been selected as a candidate site for the national AI Computing Center, a flagship infrastructure project led by a Samsung SDS–backed consortium that includes KT, Naver Cloud, and Kakao. The proposal was formally submitted to the Ministry of Science and ICT on Monday.
The city’s appeal lies in its relatively low electricity costs and abundant renewable energy. Established under the Special Act on Corporate Cities in 2005, Solasido has evolved from a tourism-oriented plan into what provincial officials now call an “energy smart city.”
Developed by Seonamhaean Corporate City Development, a joint venture between BS Group, Jeonnam Province, and its development agency, the project carries a total price tag of 2.1 trillion won and runs through 2030.
A 98-megawatt solar power plant was completed in 2019, followed by the opening of a botanical garden and golf course in 2021. Upcoming infrastructure, including expressways linking Gwangju to Yeongam and Wando by 2027, will further enhance accessibility to the southwestern region.
The city’s ambitions are intertwined with Korea’s RE100 drive, aiming to operate entirely on renewable energy. Solasido is connected to a 5.4-gigawatt solar complex on the Yeongsan River estuary, enabling low-cost power supply to future data centers.
Once Korea’s RE100 Special Act passes later this year, electricity rates are expected to drop further, improving its competitiveness in attracting multinational investors.
In February, the province signed an MOU with U.S.-based investment firm Fir Hills to build a “supercluster hub” — a massive AI and data infrastructure complex worth 15 trillion won by 2030. The deal, however, stalled after the investor failed to secure funds, though the contract deadline was extended by six months.
Despite such uncertainties, Solasido continues to court major players. OpenAI and SK Group have reportedly chosen the region for an upcoming AI data center, and officials are lobbying for participation from global asset giant BlackRock, which recently signaled interest in Korea’s AI sector.
Provincial officials see Solasido as a test case for Korea’s next-generation industrial geography — where artificial intelligence, data infrastructure, and renewable energy intersect.
But for the project to succeed, they acknowledge, investment alone will not suffice. The region’s weak education, healthcare, and housing infrastructure must also catch up.
“Haenam’s abundant sunlight and renewable potential give Solasido a competitive edge,” said Jang Young-chul, Jeonnam’s corporate city director. “Our goal is to turn it into a fully fledged energy city — powered by AI, sustained by clean energy, and open to the world.”
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Autor(en)/Author(s): M. H. Lee
Dieser Artikel ist neu veröffentlicht von / This article is republished from: The Korea Bizwire, 22.10.2025
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