Koo Yun-cheol Pledges Full Government Support for Semiconductor Investment in Honam Region

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun-cheol stated on June 28, ahead of the announced semiconductor facility investments by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in the Honam region, that "the key to maintaining a 'super-gap' in competitiveness lies in the provinces, and the government will provide full-scale support."

Deputy Prime Minister Koo made the remarks in a post on X (formerly Twitter) titled, "We respect the companies' decisions to invest in the provinces, and the government will provide all-out support."

He noted, "We are in an era of global hegemony competition in high-tech industries where survival is at stake. To secure a super-gap, we must mobilize all national capabilities, including human resources, capital, and land."

He continued, "The core task is to move beyond the over-concentrated capital region-centric system and unleash the potential of the provinces," emphasizing that "ultimately, the decisive factor for the super-gap is the provinces."

He further pointed out, "Especially as we face a semiconductor super-cycle, to lead the future global semiconductor ecosystem, we must go beyond just seizing the opportunity; we need to build larger ships in various locations."

He stated, "Respecting the companies' decisions, we will expedite the creation of the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster as much as possible," adding, "We must also push forward with all our might to expand future semiconductor production bases in provinces where local energy production and consumption are possible."

Deputy Prime Minister Koo explained that if companies had not made these bold, large-scale investment decisions in the provinces based on active government support for site selection, power, and water supply, they would have inevitably been forced to turn their attention overseas.

He promised, "We will activate an all-government support system to provide full-scale assistance so that these provincial investments, which have been difficult to initiate, can quickly yield results."

Deputy Prime Minister Koo announced, "We need to secure a super-gap not only in semiconductors but also in various high-tech fields such as physical AI, AI data centers, and green energy," adding, "We will soon announce the '5-Pole, 3-Specialization Growth Engine' to maximize the unique characteristics and capabilities of each region and achieve a major transformation of our national territory."

He expressed his determination, saying, "By working together—the government, businesses, and the people—we will surely achieve an 'unrivaled Republic of Korea' and an 'irreplaceable Republic of Korea'."


Previously, President Lee Jae-myung posted six times on X the day before to refute criticism from the opposition party regarding the semiconductor facility investment in the Honam region.

On that day, he also stated, "Creating a semiconductor industrial ecosystem in Honam is not a special favor for a specific region," adding, "While we should engage in intense debate over the Honam location for semiconductors, I ask that you cooperate if there is a rational basis and refrain from dividing regions or inciting regional conflict for political purposes."

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