President Lee Jae Myung announced that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will invest multi-trillion won into semiconductor and AI projects in South Korea [1].
This initiative is part of a broader growth strategy focused on chips, artificial intelligence, and robotics. By centering these developments in the central Chungcheong-do provinces, the administration seeks to create a concentrated high-tech hub to maintain the nation's global edge in hardware [1, 2].
The announcement came Thursday, June 29, during the ‘3 Major Megaprojects National Report Meeting’ [3]. The scale of the commitment varies across reports, with some sources citing a total investment of 392 trillion won from Samsung, SK Hynix, and Celltrion [1]. Other reports suggest a combined investment plan as high as 2,000 trillion won, or approximately $1.3 trillion [4].
Additional reports indicate a record pledge of $520 billion specifically for the construction of four new chip plants [5]. While the primary focus remains on the central region, the expansion may reach further south. Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, said, "We are planning Gwangju as a candidate site for the next semiconductor complex" [6].
These investments align with the president's three mega-projects intended to drive long-term economic growth [2]. The government is coordinating with private sector leaders to ensure the infrastructure supports the rapid evolution of AI and robotics [1, 2].
“"We are planning Gwangju as a candidate site for the next semiconductor complex."”
The disparity in reported investment figures, ranging from 392 trillion won to $1.3 trillion, suggests that while the strategic intent to dominate the AI and semiconductor supply chain is clear, the final financial commitments and specific site allocations are still being finalized. By expanding beyond the central region into Gwangju, the government is attempting to balance regional economic development with the technical necessity of clustering chip production.
