- Three major mega-projects? Expansion needed due to growing semiconductor demand
- Honam semiconductor investment: Viewing it as a regional issue misses the essence
- Investment in Yongin to continue... Plans outside Honam will also increase
- Why Honam is the optimal site? Ample land and surplus power
- Water shortage? Review already completed... Yeongsan River and Seomjin River are sufficient
- Arm-twisting companies? It's a decades-long project, would they go by government coercion?
- Lee meeting Moon? Discussion on national issues and integration of the democratic camp
- Intra-party conflict must be eased... Transitioning from "mockery political strife" to competition
- Abolishing supplementary investigation rights? Lee tried to keep them to minimize side effects, but
- Respecting the approach of abolishing first and then supplementing, as requested by political circles
- More effective for the National Assembly to create supplementary measures through deliberation
- Lee's approval rating falling? Not swayed by ups and downs... Intra-party conflict also had an impact
- Rhyu Si-min's reconstruction theory? Whether to redevelop is for the public to decide
 
■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5 MHz 7:00 – 9:00 AM)
■ Date: Monday, June 29, 2026
■ Host: Attorney Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Hong Ik-pyo, Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: As announced, for today's Part 1 interview, we have Hong Ik-pyo, the Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs, to discuss various issues. Hello, Secretary.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Nice to meet you. Hello.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: This is your first appearance since taking office, Secretary. Congratulations, albeit a bit late.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Thank you.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Since you have taken on such an important role.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Quite some time has passed already.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: How is working at the Blue House compared to when you were a lawmaker?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: It is much harder, of course.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: It is heavy work, isn't it?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Yes, it is. Even as a lawmaker, there was a lot of work, but basically, schedule management revolved around oneself. In the case of the Blue House, of course, all schedules are structured around the president, and we have to act as the control tower for overall state affairs. That is why the moment people enter the Blue House, within about a week, everyone experiences a brief moment of wondering, "Why did I come here?"
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: That shows just how important the position is. It is reported that the Blue House will hold the "National Report Meeting on the Three Major Mega-Projects for South Korea's Great Leap Forward" at 2:00 PM today, and Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Chairman Chey Tae-won are also expected to attend. What kind of details will be announced today?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: As you well know, the three major mega-projects will be announced today. The three major mega-projects are semiconductors, physical AI, and AI data centers. As you know, the world is currently in a war of science and technology, the core of which is semiconductors, with even the term "chip war" being used. In that sense, as global competition surrounding semiconductors intensifies, large-scale additional investments are needed. Since this cannot be done by corporations alone, the government, businesses, and various social energies must come together to invest. In this regard, the relevant companies and the government will jointly hold the National Report Meeting on the Three Major Mega-Projects.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: According to reports, semiconductors will go to Honam, physical AI to Yeongnam, and data centers to Chungcheong and Gangwon. The investment amount was initially reported to be 1,000 trillion won, but now there are even talks of 2,000 trillion won. Will the specific figures also be released today?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Rough figures will likely be announced at the report meeting at 2:00 PM.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Will it really reach 2,000 trillion won?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Well, that is not something I can disclose here. I believe the chairmen of the relevant companies will announce it at the event. I understand there will be announcements on the scale of investment from SK and Samsung Electronics, respectively.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: However, it seems the People Power Party and conservative media are taking issue with Samsung and SK Hynix investing in Honam. The president posted seven messages on social media over the weekend alone regarding this. What is the reason for responding so actively?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: I think he feels somewhat frustrated. As I mentioned earlier, this is a national project and, in a sense, about global competitiveness. If we narrow our perspective and approach this as an issue between Yeongnam and Honam, or between the metropolitan area and the provinces, we miss the essence. Currently, countries all over the world are focusing on semiconductor investment. This is because the demand for semiconductors is growing exponentially. This is not just a temporary phenomenon; semiconductor competition has been structurally ongoing for quite a long time. To secure this demand for semiconductors, South Korea must also build large-scale clusters. This is not about scattered investments. Large-scale projects are already underway or planned in places like Eindhoven in Europe and Phoenix in the United States. Since we have to compete with these, we cannot look at this issue simply as Yeongnam versus Honam, or the metropolitan area versus the provinces.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Some people are asking, "Then what happens to Yongin?"
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yongin and Pyeongtaek.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Investments in Yongin and other areas in Gyeonggi Province will continue as planned. However, since that alone cannot keep up with the demand, we aim to maintain our global competitiveness by meeting the additional expected demand through large-scale investments in the Honam and southwestern regions.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: So, you are not taking away what is in Yongin, but rather keeping Yongin as is, and making additional investments in Honam because it is not enough. Is that what you mean?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: That is correct. And this is merely the first phase of the large-scale investment plan. Of course, the subsequent plans may not be executed within the Lee Jae-myung administration, but as far as I know, Samsung and SK are continuously preparing additional large-scale investment plans. Therefore, it is not a matter of other regions asking, "What about us?" just because investments are being made in the southwestern region centered on Honam this time. Instead, we need a process of preparing together so that large-scale investments can be made in other regions in the future.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: What is the reason for determining that Honam is the optimal site?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Recently, the most important factor is, first of all, land. There must be available sites. While having land is not unique to Honam, as many other regions also have land, the additional requirements are power supply, water, and most importantly, research institutions and human talent. All of these must come together for a location to be suitable for investment. I already mentioned the land issue.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Secondly, regarding power, the power supply in the Honam region is actually very abundant. Currently, Honam as a whole has more than a 130% surplus of power, and Gwangju alone has about a 170% surplus. A particular advantage for the Honam region is that due to RE100 in the future, while semiconductor manufacturing processes consume a lot of power, it is more important to meet this demand with renewable energy. The southwestern region has significant competitiveness regarding renewable energy. As for water, although there are concerns, reviews have shown that a sufficient water supply can be secured through the Yeongsan River and the Seomjin River.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Furthermore, the Honam region already has the infrastructure of research institutions and talent capable of providing specialized personnel, such as the Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), and Chonnam National University.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: You also mentioned that there are concerns about water shortages. Looking at the reports this morning, some point out that the Yeongsan River itself lacks water, so water is sometimes drawn from the Seomjin River, and there are worries about whether the water quality is clean enough, as semiconductor manufacturing requires a large amount of clean water. Will it be okay?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: It will be fine. We have thoroughly reviewed this. Since power and water issues are fundamental for companies, thorough reviews have been conducted and alternatives have been prepared for this matter.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: However, the opposition People Power Party is raising issues, asking if the government pressured Samsung and SK Hynix, twisting the arms of Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Chairman Chey Tae-won. They are using expressions like "arm-twisting," "abuse of authority," and "ammunition for the Myeong-Cheong battle."
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: I think that is an overly excessive political interpretation. These days, global conglomerates do not just go anywhere because their arms are twisted. There is no economic benefit to doing so just because of arm-twisting, and investments in fabs or semiconductor clusters are made with a outlook of decades, not just 10 or 20 years. From the perspective of a global conglomerate, with four years remaining in the Lee Jae-myung administration, would they make such a move just because a four-year government twisted their arms? That is an excessive interpretation. There are sufficient economic benefits, and their own corporate business decisions come first. However, what is needed is the effort of how much the central and local governments support and collaborate on this.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: You can look at it this way. Globally, the semiconductor industry is no longer something companies do entirely on their own. Didn't even our government and parliament step forward to support it when we passed the Special Act on Semiconductors?
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes, government support is necessary.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Since this is happening not just in our country but globally, it is a combination of corporate business decisions and the full support of the central and local governments. It is inappropriate to say that the government did this by twisting arms. I believe what politicians in those regions should do is seriously contemplate how to prepare for the future of the Yeongnam region or other areas that were excluded this time.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Understood. Let's move on to political affairs. It has been reported that President Lee Jae-myung will meet with former President Moon Jae-in. However, reports say that the meeting has been in the works since right after the president's inauguration. Why did it take over a year to finally happen?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Meetings with prominent politicians, especially a former president, can easily get pushed back if scheduling adjustments fail once. Before I took office, Woo Sang-ho was the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs who initially handled this, and I heard from him that such efforts were made. After I took office, I also immediately made contact and we made various efforts to arrange the meeting. So, it cannot be seen as a sudden, makeshift arrangement prompted by recent situations. Of course, for politicians, there is always a sense of timing or occasion. It is true that meetings are held when needed for specific issues. Along with that timing, former President Moon Jae-in is a great elder of the Democratic Party and one of the few politicians in our political arena who can offer experience and wisdom to President Lee Jae-myung as a former president.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Indeed.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: In that sense, I would like to say that we have prepared and planned the meeting between the two on multiple occasions.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Coincidentally, it is happening now. Meeting a former president is certainly a good thing and something that should naturally be done. However, ahead of the national convention, there is so much talk about the "Myeong-Cheong battle" or conflicts between the pro-Moon, pro-Roh, and "New Lee Jae-myung" factions. Is it safe to assume that this was also kept in mind?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: National issues are the top priority. As I mentioned earlier, South Korea has moved toward normalization and recovery by overcoming internal turmoil. Now, moving beyond that, this is a time of challenge and leap forward to make South Korea irreplaceable. In that sense, sharing wisdom with the former president is the primary goal.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Secondly, social integration and, if necessary, political integration within our democratic camp are also very important tasks. In fact, the president said during a press conference not long ago that comrades should be careful with the language they use. He questioned why people try to wage war instead of competing, using language of mockery and insult as if they would never see each other again, and emphasized the need to recognize the other party's existence.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: In that regard, unnecessary mockery and derogatory terms directed at former President Moon Jae-in and others in the past are wrong. Conversely, other terms are being created as well. In the past, President Lee Jae-myung himself was the target of such mockery and contempt. I can hardly bring myself to say those words on this broadcast.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: In that sense, since both presidents are politicians who have shared the experience of such mockery and contempt, I believe they share the view that this should not be repeated or escalated.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: In any case, ahead of the national convention, although "both camps" is a strange expression, this meeting could serve as a mechanism to ease internal conflicts.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: It should be. What I am saying is that there is always competition and sometimes fighting in politics. However, I hope that fight is forward-looking and for the sake of the people, becoming a healthy competition.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: By the way, how does the president view the current situation, given that the conflict in this national convention seems to be intensifying too much?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: As I mentioned earlier, the president believes that competition in politics is something that has always existed and is not necessarily bad. However, he hopes it is a competition for what and for whom—namely, a competition that prepares for the country, the people, and our future.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Regarding the abolition of supplementary investigation rights, the president recently stated twice that keeping them to some extent is his personal belief, but he would leave the deliberation process to the National Assembly.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: However, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok recently stated that the government's position is to abolish supplementary investigation rights. This seems to differ somewhat from the president's thoughts. Was there some level of communication with the Blue House, or was this Prime Minister Kim acting on his own?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: That was, of course, discussed and deliberated with us to some extent. This is because...
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Because it seemed a bit different from what the president said.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: The president had three basic principles from beginning to end. First, the separation of investigation and prosecution is the fundamental principle. Second, the side effects of abolishing supplementary investigation rights must be minimized. Third, the core of this entire process is that there should be no violation of public human rights or damage. Regarding the issue of supplementary investigation rights, there are two approaches. One is to leave some supplementary investigation rights to minimize the side effects of the prosecution's abuse of investigative power.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: The other approach is: if the prosecution's supplementary investigation rights are abolished, there could be delays in investigations or damage to the public. How do we supplement that? The president actually thought the former approach might be more helpful to the public, but he said that if there is backlash and concern in political circles, the latter approach is also acceptable. This time, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok finalized the government's position using the latter approach and asked the National Assembly to complete the legislative process based on it.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: But then, wouldn't it have been fine to submit a government proposal if the government's position was finalized? Why was the ball passed to the National Assembly? Was it because of the deliberation process?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: I believe so. If the government submits a proposal, there would be further debate over it. Since the legislative power originally belongs to the National Assembly—it is not that we "gave" them the power, but that it resides with them—we judged that it would be more effective and lead to faster legislation if the National Assembly prepares supplementary measures through deliberation and creates plans to minimize side effects while abolishing supplementary investigation rights.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Understood. Recently, Secretary, the president's approval rating, which had been riding high, has dipped slightly. There are differences in figures depending on the survey method and polling agency, but the graph shows a decline. Where does the Blue House see the cause?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: There is a standard answer in politics whenever this happens: "We will not be swayed by ups and downs in approval ratings."
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: That's true.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: While we cannot completely ignore it, we also should not be overly sensitive to it. I think both aspects exist.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: First, approval ratings are a phenomenon that appears within a certain flow. If we react too sensitively to them, we might miss long-term plans or truly important matters. While we take changes in approval ratings seriously and need to observe the trend, we believe policies should not fluctuate too much based on them. When we consider the changes in approval ratings, there are several reasons. Recently, there were shortcomings regarding the local elections, and second, a more direct impact came from the National Election Commission (NEC) incident.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Furthermore, there is the recent intra-party conflict. Looking at political parties, whenever intra-party conflict arises, approval ratings inevitably drop.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Indeed.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: I think these three factors are intertwined.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: It ultimately comes down to intra-party conflict. Kim Eo-jun says it is because the core support base has drifted away and is currently watching with folded arms. Author Rhyu Si-min recently appeared on Kim Eo-jun's YouTube channel and said that perhaps the president was overly confident. He said the supporters wanted an expansion, but the president is doing a reconstruction, which requires demolishing everything existing, and that demolition services have been deployed. How does the Blue House view this remark by Rhyu Si-min?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Well, although Author Rhyu's remarks carry significant influence, it is difficult for us to respond to every single statement made by one individual. But looking at it, I feel this way. Since professional terms like "expansion" and "reconstruction" have suddenly come up, I think we could even talk about "redevelopment." However, that depends on the situation at any given time. When we do urban development, if it is an issue of an individual house, we do expansion, redevelopment, or reconstruction. If the entire area is the issue, we do urban regeneration or redevelopment.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: I believe that deciding on this is also up to the public, not the political circles. As the president always says, politics seems to be done by politicians, but it is actually done by the people. We need a process of listening to the public's opinions rather than debating among ourselves, considering what the public desires and what is needed to open up South Korea's future.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: What Kim Eo-jun said about the core support base turning away or watching with folded arms is partially correct. This is because approval ratings do not drop from just one direction. They drop among moderates, and in the case of the core support base, there are times when they simply do not respond—meaning they do not participate in polls. Since it is dropping on both sides, we should not view this phenomenon as solely an issue of the core support base or the moderates. It appears to be a phenomenon occurring simultaneously as the three factors I mentioned earlier work together.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: From your perspective, is there even a small part of Author Rhyu Si-min's reconstruction theory that you sympathize with, or do you disagree entirely?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: If I react to that here, it will turn into another fight. In any case, there will be various arguments, and I hope those arguments lead to healthy discussions. Rather than belittling, mocking, or attacking a specific person, we should discuss what the future of South Korea is, and what choices, changes, and decisions the Democratic Party should make in the process of South Korea's advancement. Depending on that, whether we expand, reconstruct, or even redevelop as I mentioned earlier, are choices to be judged within such discussions.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Understood. Secretary, this is the last question, and we have about 30 seconds left. After returning from Europe, the president had dinner with Representative Song Young-gil that evening. Some say the president told Representative Song, "Brother, I am having such a hard and lonely time these days." Is the president having a lot of worries lately?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: That report is not true.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Really?
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Yes, that report is highly speculative. In any case, the president has recently been meeting with various people in different formats to listen to their opinions.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Understood. We will wrap up here. That was Hong Ik-pyo, the Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs. Thank you.
 
[Hong Ik-pyo]: Thank you.

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