Chuncheon, in Gangwon Province, announced Tuesday that it plans to embed AI technology across all areas of civic life, local industry and public administration. The city has also enacted a related ordinance.
The city laid out four strategic pillars — AI for all residents, AI for industrial growth, AI for administrative innovation and AI for sustainability — along with 12 implementation strategies.
The "AI for all residents" pillar focuses on building residents' capacity to use AI and creating the infrastructure for people to access AI-powered services in their daily lives without being left behind digitally.
"AI for industrial growth" covers support for the AI transformation of locally specialized industries and businesses, as well as expansion of startup and demonstration platforms.
"AI for administrative innovation" encompasses strengthening city officials' AI capabilities, improving work processes and establishing a framework for using administrative data.
"AI for sustainability" aims to develop an AI ethics and trust framework while reinforcing performance management of policies and the foundation for domestic and international cooperation.
The city recently convened the second session of the 2026 Chuncheon AI Strategy Committee, where officials shared updates on this year's AI policy progress and discussed an interim draft of a research project on establishing a master AI plan for Chuncheon, being conducted by the Korea Research Institute for Local Administration.
The master plan is the first comprehensive AI blueprint drawn up under the Chuncheon AI Framework Ordinance.
Researchers analyzed AI policy trends at the national and local government levels, as well as Chuncheon's industrial composition, demographics and digital environment. They also surveyed 1,018 residents and 984 city officials on their AI usage and policy needs, and incorporated findings from 16 experts into the interim draft.
Strategy committee members — including Mayor Yuk Dong-han, Hallym University President Choi Yang-hee and researchers from the Korea Research Institute for Local Administration — reviewed policy directions reflecting Chuncheon's conditions and strengths, the priorities among implementation strategies and the feasibility of specific tasks.
"Becoming an AI-leading city is not achieved by declaration alone — it is built step by step on the basis of residents' needs, local strengths, data and on-the-ground execution," Mayor Yuk said. "Drawing on the advice of the strategy committee members, we will present specific projects and action plans that residents can tangibly feel by October."
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