President Lee Rebuts Report on 'Water Shortage for Honam Semiconductors'… "Honam Has Enough Water, Just Like Yeongnam and the Capital Region"

President Lee Jae-myung has refuted a Chosun Ilbo report that raised concerns about water shortages for planned semiconductor complexes in the Honam region, stating, "Honam has as much water as the Yeongnam or capital regions."

On the morning of June 27, President Lee cited the Chosun Ilbo article titled "Does the Government Have a Plan for Semiconductor Water Shortages? Likely to Draw from Honam Agricultural Reservoirs" on his social media account X (formerly Twitter). He explained, "It has been reviewed that supplying 1 million tons of industrial water per day is possible if we establish a management system and properly allocate and manage water resources as needed for the development of high-tech cities."

Regarding water resources in Honam, President Lee pointed out, "For decades, for the political purpose of divide-and-rule, Honam was managed only as an agricultural city, and water resources were left neglected to the extent of merely meeting the needs of agricultural water supply."

He emphasized, "Global semiconductor leaders Samsung and SK Hynix, which compete for the top spots in the world, are not foolish enough to plan massive factory construction in regions lacking the water essential for semiconductor production without prior review," adding, "The government also does not encourage building factories in regions without water."

President Lee added, "Setting aside political stances, I ask for understanding and cooperation for balanced regional development and national coexistence policies, on which the fate of the Republic of Korea depends."

Kim Yong-beom, Chief of Staff for Policy at the Presidential Office, also wrote in a social media post this morning, "From surplus dam capacity and unused water allocated in excess for decades to large agricultural weirs, storage facilities, and recycled sewage water, the water resource pool in the southwest region is sufficient, though it is currently scattered."

Four minutes after his initial post, President Lee also wrote on social media, "To a Buddha, only Buddhas are visible, and to a pig, only pigs are visible," adding, "People often think others act and think the same way they do."

Interpretations suggest this post may be a rebuttal to criticisms from the People Power Party regarding the Honam semiconductor complex project, or a response to comments made by Rhyu Si-min on Kim Ou-joon's YouTube channel last night, where he said, "What people wanted was an 'extension,' but President Lee tried to do a 'reconstruction'."

A Presidential Office official explained, "The post uploaded by President Lee Jae-myung to social media contains principled content," adding, "It reflects his regret over the spread of speculation and false claims regarding corporate investment concentration in local regions."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.