President Lee Jae-myung has directly refuted claims from the opposition, including the People Power Party (PPP), regarding the site selection for a large-scale semiconductor complex in the Honam region, which is set to be announced next week, stating that it was "already officially confirmed during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration."

On the night of June 27, President Lee wrote on his social media, "This was already officially confirmed in 2023 by the government of the People Power Party under President Yoon Suk Yeol," and added, "I ask that at least the lawmakers of the People Power Party refrain from making strange remarks regarding the semiconductor industry site in Honam."

He attached a news article detailing how Gwangju and South Jeolla Province received the highest grade from the working-level staff of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and an external private review panel during the 2023 competition for "National High-Tech Strategic Industry Specialized Complexes."

President Lee also quoted a passage from the article, which stated, "With abundant industrial water supply chains from nearby Jangseong Lake and Damyang Lake, as well as solar and wind power infrastructure in the Honam region, it was selected as the optimal location for realizing RE100, a mandatory requirement for global big tech companies."

This rebuttal is interpreted as a response to concerns raised by the People Power Party and conservative opposition figures, who have argued that the region is unsuitable for a large-scale semiconductor complex due to a "lack of industrial water in Honam."

Earlier on the morning of June 27, President Lee shared an article pointing out that stable water supply could be difficult if a large-scale semiconductor cluster is built in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, and countered by stating, "Honam has as much water as the Yeongnam or capital regions."

He also described the expected upcoming announcements of large-scale semiconductor facility investments in Honam by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix as a "historic achievement."

Regarding opposition criticism that excessive political considerations influenced the site selection, he struck back, saying, "To those who used to politicize national policies and twist the arms of companies, this might look that way," adding, "I hope they do not criticize or slander others by assuming they would act the same way based on their own past actions and experiences."

President Lee posted six times on social media on June 27 alone regarding the creation of the large-scale semiconductor complex, directly refuting the opposition's criticism.