Seoul to build ‘K-smart city’ in Clark Freeport Zone

MANILA – A smart city built by the Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) will soon rise in Clark Freeport Zone, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.

The government-owned Clark Development Corporation (CDC) and LH have already inked a smart city memorandum of understanding (MOU) on April 15 at Songdo Inernational Business District in Incheon province, some 30 kilometers southwest of Seoul.

The MOU states that LH will build a smart city that will be linked to the Clark International Airport, which will also become a logistics hub with infrastructure for tourism, recreation, and aviation maintenance.

The DFA said the future smart city will use artificial intelligence and big data to process real-time information collected through sensors and allow city operators to analyze data for future plans.

“The Smart City MOU is a leap forward in the Philippines’ shift to the 4th Industrial Revolution and a testament to the Philippines and Korea’s shared ideas on prosperity in the Asia Pacific and our increased economic cooperation,” the DFA said in a statement.

CDC president Manuel Gaerlan led the Philippine delegation at the signing ceremony which was witnessed by Philippine Embassy Economic Officer and Third Secretary Reisha Olavario and Commercial Counselor Jose Ma. Dinsay.

Philippine Ambassador to South Korea, Ma. Theresa de Vega, also met with CDC officials separately to discuss future Manila-Seoul cooperation projects and investment promotion for the Clark Freeport Zone.

Gaerlan said he looks forward to technology sharing through the MOU, especially the Korea communications network which will be used by LH Urban Development for the K-Smart City Development.

A smart city is characterized by the use of predominantly information and communication technologies.