Site finalized, Korea Electric Power Corporation pledges cooperation

'Positive discussions' possible on additional capacity once grid infrastructure is in place

Okgye-myeon in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, is a flat lowland area bordered by the sea to the east and mountains to the west, south and north. The area, which once had coal mines, is considered to have the conditions for a coastal industrial complex, tourism zone or trade port.
Okgye-myeon in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, is a flat lowland area bordered by the sea to the east and mountains to the west, south and north. The area, which once had coal mines, is considered to have the conditions for a coastal industrial complex, tourism zone or trade port.

The Okgye Industrial Complex in Okgye-myeon, at the southernmost tip of Gangneung, has been confirmed as the site for the city's AI data center, ending a period of delays caused by power grid shortages.

Officials from Gangwon Province and Gangneung said Friday that after considering many candidate sites, they had decided to build the AI data center in Okgye-myeon, citing its existing power supply network and basic industrial complex infrastructure.

Okgye-myeon was formerly part of the southern area of Myeongju County and, after Gangneung and Myeongju County were merged into Gangneung, found itself at the city's southern edge — largely bypassed by development. The area borders Balhan and Mangsang-dong in Donghae, where a separate AI data center project is already advancing rapidly.

SK Group had originally planned to build a data center with a capacity of 1 GW (1,000 MW) in Gangneung.

Gangwon Province and Gangneung determined that supporting the full capacity would require building out power grid infrastructure, which would take time. They decided to proceed first with a 400 MW facility in Okgye and to consider additional construction once power and other conditions are met.

With the site now confirmed and Korea Electric Power Corporation agreeing to actively cooperate with Gangwon Province and Gangneung, the project is expected to move forward more quickly.

Gangwon Province Governor Woo Sang-ho, during a recent visit to Gangneung, said he had met with SK Group before Chuseok and proposed starting with a first-phase AI data center of around 400 MW, scaled to available substation capacity. "I came back having heard that if the big tech company agrees, they would be open to positive discussions later," he said, referring to the possibility of building additional capacity for the remaining 600 MW. Woo added that adjustments were still being made in the process of meeting the company's requirements.


abc@heraldcorp.com