President Lee Jae-myung said South Korea will simultaneously pursue the development of semiconductor clusters in Yongin and the southwest region.
This dual-track expansion aims to secure the nation's technological edge in artificial intelligence and chip manufacturing. By committing to both regions at once, the administration seeks to accelerate the infrastructure necessary to support the global demands of the semiconductor industry.
Speaking at the "Southwest Advanced Industry Vision Public Report" in Gwangju, Lee said the government would ensure clear responsibility for the parallel development of these hubs. He said that he would take final responsibility for the success of the projects [1].
The announcement aligns with a broader national strategy to integrate AI and semiconductor investment. This initiative references a plan involving three mega projects [2] announced by industry giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix [2]. These projects are centered in the Honam region, providing a strategic counterbalance to the existing industrial concentrations in other parts of the country.
The simultaneous pursuit of the Yongin and southwest clusters represents a significant scaling of the state's industrial ambitions. While Yongin has long been a focal point for chip production, the addition of the southwest cluster in the Gwangju region is designed to distribute technological growth, and create a more resilient supply chain across the peninsula.
Lee said the government's role is to provide the necessary stability and oversight to ensure these massive investments translate into economic growth. The coordination between the public sector and private entities like Samsung and SK Hynix is central to the "3-mega-project" strategy [2].
“President Lee Jae-myung said South Korea will simultaneously pursue the development of semiconductor clusters in Yongin and the southwest region.”
The decision to develop two major semiconductor clusters simultaneously indicates a high-risk, high-reward strategy to maintain South Korea's global competitiveness. By expanding into the southwest region while maintaining the Yongin hub, the government is attempting to decentralize its industrial base and accelerate the deployment of AI-ready hardware. This move signals a shift toward more aggressive state intervention to ensure that private sector investments from Samsung and SK Hynix are supported by rapid infrastructure development.
