The government is moving ahead with planning a regional AI transition (AX) project that applies AI to Gangwon’s healthcare and wellness industry.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said Deputy Prime Minister and MSIT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon (배경훈) attended the “Gangwon AX Transformation Launch Briefing” held at The Plaza Hotel in Seoul on Wednesday.

The Gangwon AX transformation is the Gangwon project under the government’s “5 poles, 3 specials” regional AX initiative. The government plans to complete planning by the end of this year and then proceed in sequence with a 2027 pilot project and a 2028 full project.

The project will integrate AI, medical data, digital twin and physical AI technologies into Gangwon’s healthcare and medical services industrial base. The goal is to build an ecosystem linking technology development through testing, approvals and commercialization in the medical field.

Gangwon has a concentration of public institutions including advanced general hospitals, the National Health Insurance Service and the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, as well as medical and healthcare device manufacturers. Wonju, in particular, is expected to serve as a key hub for the project because it has a cluster of medical institutions, universities and research bodies centered on the medical device industry.

Attendees at the briefing included Song Ki-heon (송기헌), chair of the National Assembly Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, Lee Kwang-jae (이광재), chair of the National Assembly Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, local officials including the mayors of Wonju and Chuncheon, and industry, academia and research experts. They discussed the project’s implementation framework, core strategy and execution plans for turning it into a national project.

Bae said, “Competition going forward goes beyond who develops better AI to who applies AI well to create a new growth system.” He added, “I hope Gangwon, based on its regional strengths, becomes a leading success case for the healthcare and wellness AX transformation.”

Song said, “Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province is the optimal region to realize the national medical strategy, and Wonju is at its center.” He added, “We will work closely with the government, the National Assembly and local communities so that necessary policies, systems and budgets can be stably supported.”