Gangneung has begun its full-scale bid to host Tesla's second Asian factory.

On the 14th, Gangwon Province and Assemblyman Kwon Seong-dong's office held a 'Tesla Gigafactory Attraction Strategy Meeting' at the 6th meeting room of the National Assembly. Around 20 people, including Gangneung Mayor Kim Hong-gyu and Assemblyman Kwon Seong-dong, attended and introduced the strategy for attracting Tesla and had in-depth discussions.

Gangwon Province Governor Kim Jin-tae, Gangneung Mayor Kim Hong-gyu, and National Assemblyman Kwon Seong-dong entered into a "one-team" system to attract the "Asia Gigafactory 2nd Plant" to Gangwon Province immediately after the video conference between the President and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

An official attending the event said, “Although many local governments in Korea have jumped into the race to host Tesla’s Gigafactory, if the government, Gangwon Province, and Gangneung City actively present incentives and strengths to Tesla in line with the on-site inspection scheduled for the first half of next year, they will have a good chance of winning.”

Gangwon-do Province will be able to remove investment regulations as it will be changed to Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province from June 11, 2023.Gangneung, with its vast land and vast ocean, was claimed to be the optimal city for a domestic gigafactory.

Gangneung is advancing into a leading mobility city by successfully hosting the 2026 ITS World Congress, often called the Transport Olympics, providing transportation services to major tourist destinations via DRT buses, and introducing the Myve ultra-compact electric vehicle into smart city projects.

Additionally, Gangwon Province has reached an agreement with Tesla Korea to build charging stations equipped with Tesla-specific and universal charging facilities at 34 locations in 11 cities and counties in the province, and has announced that it will actively pursue attracting Tesla factories.

Additionally, the Wonju Buron General Industrial Complex is expected to attract small and medium-sized electric semiconductor companies and establish key infrastructure for the manned and unmanned drone industry, indicating a desire for air travel.

Additionally, Gangwon Province and the Future Mobility Forum are taking various steps, such as holding the '2022 Future Mobility Forum Conference' on the 8th with the theme of 'Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province's Future Mobility Development Direction.'

Meanwhile, Tesla's Gigafactory refers to a factory that produces electric vehicle motors, battery packs, and energy storage products, and currently has five locations: three in the United States (Nevada, New York, and Texas), Shanghai, China, and Berlin, Germany.

The construction of a domestic gigafactory is not set in stone.

On November 23, during a video conference between President Yoon Seok-yeol and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Musk's comment that "Korea is one of the top investment candidates" became a hot topic. However, the final decision lies with Tesla.