[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung stated that expanding large-scale investments in cutting-edge core industries to local regions is essential to overcoming the concentration of resources in the Seoul metropolitan area. He reaffirmed plans to build a second semiconductor complex in regions including Honam, and is scheduled to hold a public briefing next week. The political sphere has been stirred by this issue.

Reporter Park Yerim has the story.

[Reporter]

Presiding over a meeting of senior secretaries at the Blue House yesterday (June 25) afternoon, President Lee Jae-myung emphasized that to usher in an era of "growth for all," where the capital region and local areas thrive together, it is necessary to spread investments in cutting-edge core industries to local regions.

[President Lee Jae-myung: A groundbreaking strategy for the multipolarization of industries, expanding large-scale investments to Yeongnam, Chungcheong, Gangwon, Jeju, and Honam, is essential.]

Following the statement by Kim Yong-beom, Chief of Staff for Policy at the Blue House, two days ago that discussions on creating a second semiconductor complex in local regions such as Honam are in the final stages, President Lee reiterated the importance of "building an industrial and economic foundation in local regions" yesterday, citing the need to "overcome the unipolar system where the capital region absorbs everything and to promote balanced national development." He added that he would also expedite institutional support for this purpose.

[President Lee Jae-myung: We will also hasten legal amendments to provide more opportunities to local regions that have been marginalized until now, across finance, industry, the economy, and infrastructure construction.]

President Lee announced that he would soon present a concrete blueprint to the public. It is expected that the government will finalize plans for large-scale local investments in the semiconductor industry, including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, at a public-private joint meeting on regional balanced development on the 29th of next week. The following day, on the 30th, he is expected to hold a public briefing on new industrial investments in the southwestern region, including Honam and Chungcheong, to explain the details.

President Lee, who met with SK Chairman Chey Tae-won on the 19th, held a private meeting with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong yesterday. It is believed that they discussed the local investment plans, including the creation of the semiconductor complex, which will be unveiled next week.

(Video coverage: Jung Sang-bo, Ha Ryung | Video editing: Choi Jin-hwa)