▲ President Lee Jae-myung speaks at the National Report Meeting on the Three Mega-Projects held at the Blue House on the 29th.
The government announced a plan to create 'Corporate-Friendly High-Tech Cities' to serve as the spatial foundation for global cutting-edge industries, while reporting on investment plans for three major mega-projects (semiconductors, physical AI, and AI data centers) today (the 29th).
In the past, the supplier-oriented approach of 'development first, sales later' had limitations in meeting specific corporate needs. As a result, regional industrial complexes were relegated to simple production functions, failing to resolve the concentration of professional talent in the Seoul metropolitan area.
To prevent these issues from recurring, the plan for Corporate-Friendly High-Tech Cities is designed to connect advanced industrial complexes, urban convergence special zones, and new cities with high-speed transportation infrastructure. This aims to secure top-tier talent and translate regional investment into local growth.
To achieve this, site supply will be tailored to corporate needs from the outset.
Sites with corporate demand will be supplied proactively through deregulation, and companies will be allowed to participate directly in implementation and development if they wish, increasing autonomy in the layout of high-tech facilities.
Regulations will be significantly eased to allow for innovative architecture and urban design, and the designation of industrial complexes dedicated to public-supported long-term leasing will be reviewed to ensure stability.
To create cities where top talent can actually reside and focus on research and development, rather than simple production bases that empty out at night, the government will build complex towns that integrate housing, culture, education, and healthcare.
The government will promote the supply of high-quality housing, such as customized rental homes that consider regional and industrial characteristics, and will also consider joint development with public housing districts if large-scale demand arises.
Partnerships will be strengthened by utilizing campus innovation parks so that companies can cooperate closely with local national universities and research institutions.
High-speed transportation infrastructure will also be built to foster these high-tech cities as regional growth hubs.
The plan includes connecting cities to major transportation networks such as roads and railways, and reinforcing arterial networks—including road expansions where necessary—to create an environment where one can travel from industrial complexes to residential areas within 30 minutes, and to logistics hubs like airports and ports within one hour.
Public transportation services such as Demand Responsive Transport (DRT), Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and autonomous transit modes will be enhanced. Furthermore, high-tech logistics infrastructure linked to airports, ports, and railways will be established to support the import of equipment and materials and the export of products.
To gain a competitive edge in the speed-driven global high-tech industry, the government will minimize development time through integrated procedures and fast-track licensing, ensuring that sites can be supplied when companies need them.
To this end, the government will pursue institutional improvements that allow for the parallel processing of licensing, compensation, and design, as well as shortening the licensing period through the exemption of preliminary feasibility studies for public project implementers and pre-consulting on impact assessments.
At the national report meeting held today, business leaders also voiced requests for the shortening of administrative procedures for rapid investment and the creation of living conditions to help workers in high-tech industrial complexes settle down.
Jeon Young-hyun, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, stated, "We need rapid, one-stop administrative support that can dramatically increase the speed of investment," adding, "If a dedicated department, including for the Yongin National Industrial Complex, could handle these procedures quickly in one place, it would be a great help for companies to invest faster and enhance business competitiveness."
Kwak Noh-jung, CEO of SK Hynix, said, "When moving to regional areas, many partner companies and young talent will follow, and the biggest concern is education," adding, "If there are excellent high schools, elementary schools, and middle schools, they can receive a great education without having to go to the metropolitan area, which would be a huge help for early settlement."
Meanwhile, it is observed that the impact of this mega-project investment on the local real estate market will not be significant in the immediate future.
There is a possibility that the government will proactively designate land transaction permit zones to block land speculation targeting development gains.
Park Hap-soo, an adjunct professor at Konkuk University's Graduate School of Real Estate, said, "While it may have some impact, such as rising land prices, I don't believe it will be enough to significantly stimulate land values because expectations in regional areas are not as high as in the capital region," adding, "There is actually a concern that if workers do not move with their families to the newly created high-tech cities, we may see the problem of weekend commercial districts becoming hollowed out."
Nam Hyuk-woo, a researcher at Woori Bank's Real Estate Research Institute, also diagnosed, "Generally, investment or speculative demand appears in areas where transportation and living infrastructure are already somewhat established," adding, "Demand will only actually shift when living infrastructure such as commercial facilities, educational environments, and medical facilities, along with long-accumulated human networks, are all in place."
(Photo: Blue House Press Corps, Yonhap News)
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