- Four semiconductor fabs in the southwest region? Approximately 650,000 tons of water needed
- No supply issues... 1.5 billion tons stored in Yeongsan and Seomjin Rivers
- Raising the height of Dongbok Dam to increase water storage capacity can add 300,000 tons
- Concerns over drought? Will consult with farmers and use water appropriately
- Electricity supply? It is also the reason for building semiconductor fabs in Honam
- Abundant renewable energy alongside Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant... already surplus electricity
- Additional nuclear power facilities? Will consider if it becomes a Yongin-scale cluster
- Understand residents' concerns, but new energy sources are needed for the climate crisis
- Lee administration's stance? Must mix renewable energy with nuclear power as base load
- Failure to comply with ESG may block sales... must meet RE100 regulations
- Introducing a regional electricity tariff system will enable production with much cheaper electricity
- Feasible within Lee's term? The nation's competence will be tested this time
- Environmental impact assessment? Will compress it appropriately to save time
 
■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5 MHz 7:00 – 9:00)
■ Date: July 2, 2026 (Thursday)
■ Host: Attorney Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Kim Sung-hwan, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] This past Monday, the government announced three mega-projects. It decided to build four memory semiconductor fabs worth 800 trillion won in the southwest region. The key is how to supply the substantial amount of water and electricity required. We will speak with Kim Sung-hwan, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment. Hello, Minister.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] Nice to meet you. Thank you for having me.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] It is an honor to have you, Minister. You must be very busy lately because of this. Since it's climate, energy, and environment, you have to worry about water and electricity.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] That is correct. Semiconductors, AI data centers, and physical AI—none of these can run without electricity. They cannot run without water either. Therefore, water and electricity have become absolutely essential in what we call South Korea's AI era.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] But first, the media keeps talking a lot about water and electricity. Samsung also seems to be saying that they need water and electricity. Looking just at these southwest fabs, how much water is needed?
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] Currently, four main semiconductor fabs are being discussed. I understand that approximately 650,000 tons of water are needed.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] 650,000 tons?
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] Yes.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] But recently, you personally visited the Dongbok Dam site in Hwasun and told people not to worry. What is the reason you are confident that there will be no supply issues using water from the Yeongsan River?
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] In Honam, there are the Yeongsan River and the Seomjin River. The Seomjin River basin is much larger than the Yeongsan River basin. Combined, there are seven dams, and even more if you include agricultural dams. The amount of water stored in those seven dams is about 1.5 billion tons. This can supply more than 3 million tons of water. After analyzing it closely, we found that there is some surplus water even now. So we can supply that. However, to make it more stable, additional dams or similar structures are needed, but building new dams inevitably leads to greater environmental destruction.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] That could be the case.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] During the previous Yoon Suk-yeol administration, there was a plan to build another dam called Dongbokcheon Dam between Dongbok Dam and Juam Dam, but there was strong opposition from residents at the time. However, I went to the site and reviewed raising the height of Dongbok Dam. Since it involves raising the height of an existing dam to increase water capacity, it minimizes environmental damage while increasing storage, so I found it highly feasible.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] By the way, Honam is also a granary region, so it requires a lot of agricultural water. Is the concern that agricultural water will run short due to supplying water to the semiconductor process just a groundless worry? I read an article saying that when TSMC built a complex below Kaohsiung, a drought hit, and the Taiwanese government cut off agricultural water to redirect it all to TSMC. If a drought occurs here, Honam originally needs a lot of water because it is an agricultural region.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] Last year, there was a drought in Gangneung, which caused a lot of concern. In this era of climate crisis, we never know when a drought will hit. This is not just an issue for farming, but for everyone. That is precisely why the government's task is to properly store and utilize water. Of course, we cannot stop farming just to supply water to semiconductor factories. If we were to use agricultural water, we would have to discuss alternatives with the affected farmers.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] Yes.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] These days, South Korean citizens have a strong sense of ownership, so they generally do not tolerate their rights being infringed upon. We have conducted comprehensive simulations and made an internal assessment that this is fully feasible.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] So you are considering and keeping in mind options like slightly expanding or raising the height of the dams?
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] That is correct. If we raise the height of Dongbok Dam, which previously supplied about 300,000 tons of drinking water per day to Gwangju citizens, we assessed that we could supply an additional 300,000 tons of drinking water while also supplying water to the semiconductor factories.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] Understood. Now, regarding electricity. Since water is resolved, let's look at electricity. How much electricity is needed? I heard it requires an enormous amount.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] This is actually the very reason why the semiconductor factories are going into Honam.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] Electricity?
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] Yes. In Honam, there are six nuclear reactors at the Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant, and renewable energy is constantly increasing. Since there aren't many places to use electricity in Honam, that electricity has been continuously sent up to the Seoul metropolitan area.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] Is there a surplus? Of renewable energy?
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] Yes, and the same goes for nuclear power. Combined, about 3 to 5 gigawatts of electricity, depending on the time, has been sent to the metropolitan area due to a lack of local demand. Some of that electricity was scheduled to go to the Yongin semiconductor cluster. However, the high-voltage transmission grid connecting them hit a bottleneck, so expanding it was a challenge. But fundamentally, if new demand is created right where the surplus electricity is generated, the load on the high-voltage transmission grid will be significantly reduced. That is the advantage.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] Yes.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] With its six Hanbit nuclear reactors and abundant renewable energy, Honam is richer in carbon-free energy sources—rather than coal-fired power—than other regions. If we add just a little more, we can meet the currently required 6.3 gigawatts, and since the region already had a surplus of 3 to 5 gigawatts of power, it has that advantage.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] By the way, according to recent reports, Samsung is requesting additional nuclear power plants or additional nuclear facilities. Is that report accurate?
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] It is something we need to look into more closely, but the currently required 6.3 gigawatts is an amount we can meet by slightly supplementing our current power sources. However, if we build large-scale AI data centers in addition to the four fabs, or if South Korea's semiconductor industry performs even better and we decide to build more, semiconductor fabs and AI data centers have a baseload-like nature. Since they use electricity 24 hours a day, if we build more in the future, that is an area we will have to consider.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] So, as many semiconductor complexes enter Honam and require electricity, we cannot rule out the possibility of adding nuclear power plants there?
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] If we need to build more to the scale of Yongin, rather than just four fabs, then we would have to consider it.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] There is some resident opposition to building nuclear power plants, so would that be an area where the government needs to persuade them?
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] Yes. While nuclear power is an expensive energy source in other countries, it is a relatively cheap energy source for South Korea. However, many people still worry because it is dangerous if an accident occurs. On the other hand, the climate crisis is approaching rapidly, and the climate crisis is caused by coal and gas energy. So, if we don't use coal, gas, or nuclear power, we would have to rely solely on renewable energy. But it is somewhat difficult to run electricity 24 hours a day with renewable energy alone. Considering this, South Korea must transition to a new energy mix system where we use nuclear power as a sort of baseload power—under the premise of managing it safely despite some risks—combine it with renewable energy, and adjust flexibility through systems like ESS (Energy Storage Systems) to respond to the climate crisis and utilize decarbonized energy sources. I believe this is an important time to scientifically explain this to our citizens and transition to a new energy system.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] So, the basic energy policy of the Lee Jae-myung administration is not about phasing out nuclear power?
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] That is correct.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] And it's not about abandoning the nuclear phase-out either. So, an energy mix?
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] We must go forward by properly mixing renewable energy and nuclear power.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] In any case, let's use less coal energy.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] That way, the Earth survives, and humanity survives.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] Understood. And among the various reasons for focusing on Honam when planning the semiconductor industrial complex, some say it is because of RE100 (Renewable Electricity 100%). What is the correlation between RE100 and semiconductors?
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] Naturally, global companies like Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor have all joined global campaigns to meet their annual energy consumption with renewable energy due to the climate crisis. In that sense, using more renewable energy is essential for the companies' ESG initiatives. In fact, many global companies are saying they will not purchase products unless they are manufactured using renewable energy. So, using more renewable energy is necessary, even from the perspective of social responsibility.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] Yes.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] But whether they must go to Honam to use it is another matter. Since Honam is relatively rich in nuclear power and renewable energy—while it is true that the Seoul metropolitan area lacks power—it is better to do it where power is abundant. Furthermore, although it hasn't been announced yet, if a regional electricity tariff system is introduced, they can manufacture products with much cheaper electricity than in the metropolitan area, making it far more advantageous.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] But Minister, those are very good points, but you are saying that if what we have now is insufficient, we could also review building new nuclear power plants in the Honam region.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] We would have to gather the opinions of the local residents for that.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] Exactly. There could be pushback from environmental groups. Because whenever there is talk of building a nuclear plant, local residents' opposition has always been an issue.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] Didn't we go through such a process when building the new nuclear power plant in Yeongdeok? Yeongdeok and Ulju competed, and taking resident acceptance and other factors into account, if the local residents say no, how can the government force it? However, overall, everything in South Korea is becoming electrified—electric vehicles are increasing, heat pumps are increasing, and on top of that, the semiconductor boom, AI data centers built with semiconductors, and AI robots are drastically increasing electricity demand. I believe this is a time when we need a serious public discussion with our citizens on how we will handle this growing demand for electricity.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] The more I listen, the heavier your shoulders seem to get. It feels like you are carrying a very heavy burden, both with electricity and water.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] Yes.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] Because the President clearly has the determination to achieve results within his four-year term, saying he will personally lead as the head of the task force. However, listening to Chairman Chey Tae-won and Chairman Lee Jae-yong, they haven't specified a timeline. They use expressions like 'once the system is in place' or 'once conditions are met.' It makes me think they might be saying, 'Government, please quickly resolve the water and electricity issues within the President's term. If it takes as long as Yongin did, we can't do it.' Because it took a long time before the first shovel was put in the ground in Yongin.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] Wasn't that a concept from the so-called '50,000-won Samsung Electronics' era before the semiconductor boom arrived? The situation is different now. However, it is true that there are some bottlenecks. Water and electricity supply plans were typically drawn up to match demand when it arose. But even when new demand arises, it usually takes about 7 to 8 years, or even 10 years, to build a dam. For large-scale power supply, we need to connect high-voltage transmission lines of 345 kilovolts or more, which also used to take about 7 to 10 years in the past.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] Yes.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] But now, they are asking us to resolve it within two to three years, or within five years. This could indeed be a testing point for the nation's competence. Fortunately, for the current four semiconductor fabs, it is possible with just a little adjustment using Honam's existing surplus power and surplus water.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] Yes.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] However, because even more power and water might be needed, we want to prepare in advance. If we start only when they expand the semiconductor factories or build more AI data centers, it will be too late. That is why we are trying to prepare beforehand.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] In any case, the Yongin complex took a long time, and people always compare it to TSMC building a semiconductor complex in Japan, where there are many reports that the time was significantly shortened. Is it correct that, like them, we will reduce regulations this time, make it a speed battle, and have the government provide concentrated support so that we can break ground quickly?
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] Hasn't that already been promised?
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] So, in reality as well?
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] Of course. SK has said it will pull the schedule forward by 12 years, and Samsung has pulled it forward even more. Both companies have accelerated the speed of building fabs during this semiconductor boom by more than 10 years. Since there was also a bold decision on the corporate side, isn't it the state's responsibility and duty to take charge of supplying water and electricity for Yongin?
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] Then, Minister, regarding the environmental impact assessment. To shorten the time for this project, are you willing to simplify the procedures? Since environmental impact assessments also take a long time.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] We cannot skip it entirely, but we will have to focus and compress the process.
 
[Kim Tae-hyun] Understood. Minister, we will wrap up our conversation here today. This has been Kim Sung-hwan, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment. Thank you.
 
[Kim Sung-hwan] Thank you.

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