TYM CEO Kim So-won attends a field consultation session of the Mega Growth Special Committee at the Saemangeum Energy Convergence Complex General Support Center in North Jeolla Province on Thursday. [TYM]
TYM CEO Kim So-won attends a field consultation session of the Mega Growth Special Committee at the Saemangeum Energy Convergence Complex General Support Center in North Jeolla Province on Thursday. [TYM]

TYM CEO attends Saemangeum field session of Mega Growth Special Committee

Proposes physical AI development and commercialization with regional SMEs

Suggests using public sports facilities for robot testing and early demand

Agricultural machinery maker TYM has proposed building a physical AI industry centered on Saemangeum in North Jeolla Province, covering autonomous farming equipment, unmanned work machinery and sports field management robots. The plan envisions an industrial ecosystem in which TYM collaborates with local small and medium-sized enterprises from technology development through commercialization, field testing and entry into overseas markets.

TYM said Monday that CEO Kim So-won presented the proposal at a field consultation session of the Mega Growth Special Committee, held Thursday at the General Support Center of the Saemangeum Energy Convergence Complex in North Jeolla Province.

The session was organized to share the direction of the Saemangeum Mega Growth Project and gather on-the-ground views on regional industrial development and corporate growth. Attendees included Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok, Senior Vice Chairman Lee Gwang-jae, North Jeolla Province Governor Lee Won-taek, Saemangeum Development Agency Commissioner Moon Seong-yo, and representatives from Hyundai Motor Group and Hyundai Engineering & Construction.

Founded in 1951, TYM is a comprehensive agricultural machinery company that produces tractors, combine harvesters and rice transplanters. The company operates a production factory and central research institute in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, and conducts business in overseas markets including North America, Europe and Southeast Asia.

TYM is expanding beyond agriculture into various outdoor work sectors by combining its existing manufacturing capabilities with autonomous driving and AI technology. The company is developing systems — including autonomous tractors and autonomous mowers — that can perceive their surroundings and make independent judgments and control decisions based on working conditions.

At the session, TYM proposed policy support for physical AI technology development in agriculture and outdoor work, as well as consortium projects linking systems integration firms with regional small and medium-sized enterprises. The company also suggested using public sports facilities and military fitness centers as robot testing grounds to secure early-stage demand.

TYM said policy support is needed to jointly develop autonomous farming equipment and unmanned work machinery by connecting North Jeolla Province's manufacturing base with technology companies in the region, and to help those products enter domestic and overseas markets after field validation.

"The Saemangeum physical AI project is an important opportunity to turn agricultural and outdoor work technology into real products and bring them to market," Kim said. "We will work to ensure that North Jeolla Province's technology leads to new jobs and regional industrial development through collaboration with local companies."


hong@heraldcorp.com