Gwangju City News

Reprinted with permission from Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall

Gwangju’s Response to COVID-19

Gwangju City Goes All Out to Save Small Businesses from COVID-19

Gwangju City is carrying out various policies to support and save small business owners who are struggling due to the spread of COVID-19. Th is support comes in the form of providing low-interest loans through the COVID-19 Special Small Business Guarantee, visiting disinfected facilities to provide guidance, and executing a customized support policy through the “Bitgoeul Small Business Owner” program. Moreover, Gwangju City is presenting supportive projects of all types. Th ese include (a) Supporting Small Business Financing for Victims of COVID-19, (b) SME Structure Improvement Financing Support, (c) Special Guarantee Fund for Neighborhood Businesses, (d) Selecting the Gwangju Win-Win Card for Local Currency, (e) Bitgoeul Small Business Owner Support, (f) Small Loan Support for the Financially Marginalized, (g) Yellow Umbrella Subsidy Incentives, and (h) Support for Reopening of Small Businesses Closed Due to Visits of COVID-19 Cases.

Gwangju City Prepares for “With Corona” Policy by Sectors and Time Period

With the realization that a long-term presence of COVID-19 is unavoidable, it has been reported that Gwangju City is developing short-term, mid-term, and long-term response plans for the various sectors in preparation for living “With Corona.” Th e plans include instituting health regulation alternatives with higher durability in the short-term; and in the midterm, preparing systematic management plans for multi-purpose, medical, and high-rise facilities, as well as compensating for shortcomings in epidemiological investigation for improvements, mainly targeting those over 70. Lastly, for the long-term, the plan includes acceleration of the pace of establishing a municipal medical center for infectious diseases with a 100-billion won allocation, as well as a Honam region infectious disease specialized hospital as part of the Chosun University Medical Center for medical capability expansion to prevent widespread infection such as that of an epidemic.

Gwangju City News

Gwangju-Tailored AI – Normalization of a Green New Deal: “Energy Independent Gwangju,” a First for Korea

Gwangju City Mayor Lee Yong Seob announced the vision of “Global Leading City of the Post-COVID Zero Era” at the Kim Daejung Convention Center and presented the Th ree-Part New Deal Policy for Gwangju, including an AI-based “Digital New Deal,” the “Net-Zero Green New Deal,” and the “Human New Deal for Safety.” As its main goal, Gwangju aims to achieve 100% energy independence by 2045 by achieving self-suffi ciency in electricity required by companies in Gwangju by 2030 with eco-friendly renewable energy, designated “2030 Enterprise RE100”; and then by achieving self-suffi ciency in all electricity used in Gwangju by 2035, designated “2035 Gwangju RE100.” Subsequently, as the third and fi nal stage, the plan is to achieve a “Carbon-Neutral Energy-Independent Gwangju” by not receiving any energy power from outside the city from 2045.

Accelerated Artifi cial Intelligence Company to Gwangju

Nationwide artifi cial intelligence companies are heading to Gwangju. Th e creation of one of the world’s top-10 largest data centers and artifi cial intelligence complexes for business is in the making to form the Gwangju AI business ecosystem. In addition, Autonomous A.G., Albiotech Co., and SAP Korea, Ltd. have decided to actively cooperate in creating the Gwangju artifi cial intelligence ecosystem. Following this initial move, many other enterprises are expected to be Gwangju-bound

Gwangju City and San Antonio (Texas) Continue Friendship Th rough Baseball

Gwangju City and its sister city in the U.S., San Antonio, have demonstrated their friendship once again through baseball in July. Th e video of San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg throwing the ball at the Gwangju Pavilion in Denman Park, donated by Gwangju City in 2010, and Mayor Lee Yong Seob receiving the ball at Gwangju City Hall will be played on the screen at Gwangju Kia Champions Field. Th e baseball game is expected to be broadcasted across the United States through ESPN.

“With Corona”: Employing Cutting-Edge Conference Technology

Th e 10th World Human Rights Cities Forum, which is planning to present new methods in forum management by employing the most advanced conference technology, has recently been selected in the “Meeting Technology Competition” by the Korea Tourism Organization. Major participants will be introduced using hologram clips, live VTC with worldwide offi cials will be available using high-tech headsets, and human rights-related experimental VR programs will be presented. Th is hybrid mode online-offl ine conference will be hosted at the Kim Daejung Convention Center in Gwangju for four days, October 7–10, 2020.

2020 Online/Offl ine ACE Fair Opening

Th e Asia Content and Entertainment Fair in Gwangju (ACE Fair 2020) will be simultaneously hosted online and offl ine, adjusting to changes of the world caused by COVID-19. Online business counseling sessions will be available from September 17 to 30, and for domestic exhibition enterprises and international enterprises that have affi liations or branches in Korea, offl ine (inperson) convention participation will be possible from September 17 to 20 at the Kim Daejung Convention Center in Gwangju. Seller and buyer applications will be available until August 30 for online business meetings and match-ups.

COVID-19 Aft er-Eff ect: Gwangju Biennale Postponed to February 2021

Due to COVID-19, the September 2020 Gwangju Biennale has been postponed to February 2021. Th e 13th Gwangju Biennale is dedicated to presenting their high-quality on-location exhibitions with a great number of invited artists active around the world for the 73-day event from February 26 to May 9. Meanwhile, with the postponement of the event, the online journal Rising Mind, the home for art discussions and communication, has been publishing essays on colonialism, gender, May 18th, and diverse women-related academia and research essays published in July, including Ana Prvack’s secondary video work.

Simultaneous Selection by Gwangju Cultural Foundation of “5G Field-Testing Experience Center” and “KT Real Cube”

Th e Gwangju Cultural Foundation was recently selected as its core facility the Korea Communications Agency’s “5G Field-Testing Experience Center” and the GwangjuJeonnam region’s most recent “KT Real Cube” to deliver new authentic contents demonstrating 5G technology. KT Real Cube’s content also refl ects new trends in convergence technology, education, and healthcare as KT’s fl agship for new technology. Th is content will be available on the UNESCO Media Art “Creative City Gwangju” platform.