"Military Airfield to Be Temporarily Relocated by Mid-2028"... Semiconductor Blitz

[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung has instructed that the operations of the Gwangju Military Airfield, designated as the site for the Honam semiconductor complex, be temporarily relocated to another military airfield by mid-2028. This move goes beyond a swift pace, calling for a lightning operation to ensure the site can be utilized as a semiconductor industrial complex at the earliest possible date.

[Reporter]

Presiding over a public-private joint inspection meeting on the "three major mega-projects" today (August 10), President Lee Jae-myung declared a lightning offensive for the creation of the semiconductor cluster's site and infrastructure.

[President Lee Jae-myung: We must dramatically reduce the required time by pursuing related procedures simultaneously and continuously improving regulations to ensure the fastest possible execution.]

Regarding the 800 trillion won "Honam Semiconductor Cluster," he urged swift execution, citing the example of Taiwanese semiconductor giant TSMC, which built a plant in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, in just 22 months.

In particular, concerning the relocation of the Gwangju Military Airfield designated as the cluster site, he issued specific instructions to the Ministry of National Defense.

[President Lee Jae-myung: I hope you will take measures to temporarily relocate the operations of the Gwangju base to another military airfield by mid-2028 so that the Gwangju Military Airfield site can be utilized early as a semiconductor industrial complex.]

Because the Gwangju Military Airfield is a South Korea-U.S. combined operations base known as "COB," consultations with U.S. Forces Korea are also essential to accelerate the creation of the Honam semiconductor cluster.

A high-ranking Cheong Wa Dae official stated, "The U.S. side is also responding positively to the discussions," adding, "We will complete the relocation of military facilities and temporary decentralized deployment by the second half of 2028."

Cheong Wa Dae also stated that it plans to push for the enactment of the "Mega Special Zone Special Act" within this year to shorten various licensing procedures and rapidly secure infrastructure such as electricity and water. Regarding investment plans for Chungcheong and Yeongnam, which are part of the three major mega-projects, it announced that SK hynix and Samsung Electronics are scheduled to begin construction or facility expansion within this year.

(Video by Jeong Sang-bo and Yoon Hyung | Video Editing by Wi Won-yang | Design by Lee Ga-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.