![Prime Minister Han Seong-sook exchanges views on AI and balanced regional growth with the National Territory Transformation advisory panel at an open brunch held Sunday at the prime minister's official residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. [Yonhap]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/07/26/rcv.YNA.20260726.PYH2026072608190001300_P1.jpg)
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Sunday she would work with related ministries to develop plans for nurturing regional hub universities and linking artificial intelligence with industrial and settlement policies.
Han made the remarks at the second "Open Brunch" she hosted Sunday at the prime minister's official residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, gathering experts from various fields to discuss AI and balanced regional growth.
The brunch was organized to discuss a national industrial strategy for responding to global AI competition and the "5 Poles, 3 Special Zones" balanced growth strategy, which aims to spread the benefits of that competition to regional development. Ten experts from the fields of industry, land use, education, talent development and entrepreneurship attended.
Ma Gang-rae, a professor at Chung-Ang University, presented on "Why the 5 Poles, 3 Special Zones strategy is a national survival strategy," while Lee Jun, head of the Strategic Industries Research Center at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade, spoke on "Global AI strategic competition and three mega-projects."
During open discussion, participants raised the need to connect AI and the three mega-projects to regional industry, jobs and living environments, and called for broader public deliberation in selecting hub locations and stronger cooperation among regions, the Prime Minister's Office said.
The government plans to continue identifying policy priorities needed at the regional level through expert discussions and on-site visits to each zone, and to develop them into concrete policies.
ehkim@heraldcorp.com
