Ulsan mayor Kim Sang-wook advances AI data‑center investment with SK Group and S‑Oil

Mayor Kim Sang-wook visited the headquarters of SK Group and S‑Oil on 15 May to discuss the rollout of a 1 GW artificial‑intelligence (AI) data centre in Ulsan, part of the national “mega‑project” plan announced by SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won. SK executives pledged cooperation on site selection, power supply and shared‑resource credits for local start‑ups, while S‑Oil’s CEO was asked to relocate the company’s head office to Ulsan and to continue safety oversight of the Shahin offshore project, which is slated for commercial operation early next year.

In parallel, the mayor met with the Ministry of Climate and Energy, HD Hyundai and Samsung SDI to seek regional electricity‑tariff reforms, request additional domestic‑produced low‑floor electric buses, and promote “industrial AI conversion” (AX) in shipbuilding and battery manufacturing. Proposals included new university programmes, open‑innovation hubs and joint R&D on AI‑driven ship‑design models. The coordinated outreach aims to attract further private investment, accelerate AI ecosystem development and reinforce Ulsan’s role as a hub for high‑tech manufacturing and clean‑energy projects.