[Anchor]

Political debate continues to intensify over the establishment of a semiconductor base in the Honam region. The People Power Party has been attacking the project daily, calling it a "shoddy, political semiconductor project" that lacks a timeline for implementation. In response, the Democratic Party of Korea has pledged to support the project's success through the enactment of special legislation and the allocation of additional budget.

Reporter Kim Bo-mi has the story.

[Reporter]

The People Power Party argued again today (June 30) that the government's "three mega projects," including the construction of a semiconductor production base in Honam, are a form of "mega power abuse" that lacks feasibility and fairness.

In particular, they dismissed the plan as a "political semiconductor show full of numbers," noting that it lacks concrete investment plans, such as a timeline for when the project will be completed.

[Jeong Jeom-sik / Floor Leader of the People Power Party: A hasty push is not beneficial to the Honam region, nor is it beneficial to the Republic of Korea as a whole. The opposition party has no choice but to seriously consider a parliamentary investigation.]

They also claimed that if the project was the result of coercing companies, criminal punishment would be inevitable.

Lawmakers from the People Power Party representing the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam regions also demanded the immediate disclosure of the "site selection evaluation table," asking why Honam was chosen and what criteria were used.

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On the other hand, the Democratic Party of Korea pledged to support the success of the projects, stating that the "three mega projects" will serve as a new milestone for balanced regional development, as investments will be made across the country, including in Chungcheong, Yeongnam, and Gangwon, not just Honam.

[Han Byung-do / Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea: Projects with clear potential should be accelerated, even if it means enacting special legislation. For projects that need a catalyst, we will ensure there are no obstacles by allocating additional budget.]

In particular, Democratic Party lawmakers countered the People Power Party's offensive against the Honam semiconductor complex, stating, "They are openly revealing their belief that it must be Yeongnam or nothing," and added, "They are once again pushing Honam to be an object of exclusion."

(Reported by Lee Seung-hwan and Shin Dong-hwan | Video by Jeon Min-gyu)