Uijeongbu’s Bold Plan: 15,000 Jobs and 4 Trillion Won Economic Impact from New AI and Aerospace Clusters

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On the 17th, Kim Won-gi, the Democratic Party candidate for mayor of Uijeongbu, launched the first installment of his policy pledge relay by unveiling a vision and a concrete action plan to convert the Camp Red Cloud (CRC) and Camp Stanley sites into advanced-industry hubs that will drive the city’s future economy.

Kim’s pledge is notable because it breaks with the conventional practice of selling returned land primarily for residential complexes (apartments) or low-value commercial projects focused on short-term gains.

Instead of relying on one-time revenue from land sales, Kim aims to transform the city from a consumption-oriented municipality into a production-driven, self-sustaining city.

He proposes developing the CRC site not merely as a preserved historic area but as an “AI and energy future-enterprise development zone” that will generate measurable economic returns.

The plan designates the site as a testbed for the convergence of artificial intelligence and renewable energy industries to attract cutting-edge tech firms, using corporate and local tax revenues generated there to address the city’s chronic fiscal challenges.

For Camp Stanley, Kim put forward an ambitious blueprint to establish a “UAM (urban air mobility) and aerospace cluster.” His team estimates the project could produce between 2 trillion KRW and 4 trillion KRW (approximately $1.5 billion to $3.0 billion) and create between 15,000 and 30,000 jobs.

Leveraging Camp Stanley’s proximity to the Gosan and Millak districts, the proposal seeks to attract aerospace research complexes and testing infrastructure to position Uijeongbu as a northern Gyeonggi hub for advanced industries.

Kim also unveiled a clear three-step implementation plan.

▲ Step 1: Upon taking office, immediately establish a mayoral-level “Special Task Force for Early Return of Provided Land” to open a permanent three-way consultation channel with the Defense Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, and U.S. Forces Korea, remove legal obstacles, and accelerate land returns. ▲ Step 2: Pursue designation by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as a “Drone and UAM Special Deregulated Zone” to ease regulatory barriers. ▲ Step 3: Sign major investment agreements (MOUs) with domestic conglomerates and global aerospace firms to secure anchor tenants and jump-start development.

His funding strategy is diversified around three pillars: national funding, local government matching, and private capital. The city plans to secure land acquisition costs through national subsidies and long-term leases under the “Special Act on Support for Areas Around U.S. Forces Korea-Provided Sites,” and to minimize municipal fiscal burden by pursuing public development through the city’s urban corporation.

During the infrastructure build-out, the city will actively employ asset-backed securities (ABS) and private investment models (BTL/BTO) to safeguard fiscal sustainability.

Kim said, “If past development of provided land drifted due to lack of vision and financial limits, my plan offers a practical program backed by solid funding measures and an execution body. CRC and Camp Stanley are Uijeongbu’s most valuable assets. We will transform them into an innovative ecosystem that generates high-value jobs for young people and dramatically improves residents’ quality of life—not simply another real estate project.”

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