About the OECD #ResilientPlaces blog series
In an era of unprecedented economic, environmental and geopolitical changes, local and regional leaders are uniquely placed to turn these changes into opportunities to improve the well-being of all citizens, strengthen resilience and boost competitiveness. Following the OECD Regional Development Policy Ministerial Committee meeting in Warsaw, Poland (19–20 May 2025), the OECD Champion Mayors, local and regional leaders, as well as stakeholders, continue to share innovative solutions to reinforce local and regional resilience in this blog series.
By 2030, AI is expected to have a cumulative global economic impact of USD 19.9 trillion and drive 3.5% of global GDP. AI is not only poised to be a game changer for the global economy, but also in how we manage our cities.
In Busan, Korea’s 2nd-largest city, this transformation is already underway. With a bold AI master plan and a strong tech ecosystem, it’s moving fast to ensure AI enhances public services, drives economic growth, and improves quality of life.
Building on strength: Busan’s AI foundations
Busan enters the AI era with solid momentum. At CES 2025 (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, local Busan companies took home seven Innovation Awards, showcasing cutting-edge technologies in sectors from health to logistics. Winners included a recyclable waste-sorting robot (ROBOne), a pain-relief device for jaw muscles (PTBRO), and a foldable mobile guitar (ZIM) – all testaments to the city’s diverse innovation landscape.
Behind these products is a wider industrial shift: Busan has been helping manufacturers across the value chain integrate AI, boosting productivity and workplace safety.
These efforts have laid the groundwork for a city-wide transformation.
 |  |  |
| ROBOne(ROBin), 2 categories | PTBRO(Acheless) | ZIM(Mogabi) |
| Recyclable waste classification robot | Pain relief homecare device for muscles around the temporomandibular joints | Foldable mobile travel guitar |
Busan’s AI master plan: Tech with a human touch
We are now keen to take the next step. In March 2025, Busan Metropolitan City unveiled its comprehensive AI master plan, outlining 4 key initiatives to harness AI to help address complex urban challenges:
- Busan, a city transitioning to AI: Offering targeted support for three core industries – manufacturing, logistics and healthcare – to adopt AI, while exploring emerging technologies such as on-device AI.
- Busan, a livable city with AI: Providing AI-driven services to ensure a safer, healthier and more enjoyable life for citizens.
- Busan, a smart AI user: Leveraging advanced technologies such as AI, digital twins and big data in the pursuit of scientific, data-driven policymaking.
- Busan, a learner of AI: Nurturing AI talent at all levels (basic, intermediate, advanced) and providing training for workers.
Sharing the lessons
No city can go it alone. The AI era is evolving rapidly, and we will all be stronger if we learn from each other and the millions of AI experiments that are now being undertaken in cities worldwide. That’s why Busan is not just implementing AI – it is calling for collaboration.
By working with other cities and sharing lessons, we can ensure AI is a force for good: helping communities thrive, not fragment; and expanding opportunity, not inequality.
AI may be the game changer of our time. But how cities use it – together – will determine the kind of future we build.
OECD support for exploring AI’s role in shaping urban life
The OECD offers critical frameworks for how cities can harness AI, in support of urban planning, inclusion, and governance. Relevant outputs include Governing with Artificial Intelligence, OECD’s Smart City Data Governance, and the Urban Analytics initiative within the OECD Geospatial Lab, together offering policy guidance on public‑sector AI use, data ethics, and AI‑driven urban analytics.
Heong-joon Park has served as Mayor of Busan since April 2021 and was re-elected in June 2022. In 2024, he also served as President of the Governors Association of the Republic of Korea. He began his career as a journalist at JoongAng Ilbo after earning an M.A. in Sociology from Korea University.
He has been active in civil society and led local branches of both the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice and the Devolution Movement. Park spent nearly two decades as a professor of global studies at Dong-A University and has held various public roles, including Senior Secretary to the President for Political Affairs and Special Advisor to the President for Social Affairs.