South Korea: Semiconductor Cluster in Southwest Region Set to Be Located at Gwangju Military Airbase
President Yoon Suk-yeol: Speed Race Is Crucial — Site Selection to Be Announced After Civil-Military Joint Meeting; Advantages Include Already-Graded Land, Shortening Construction Timeframe; Electricity and Water Supply Details to Be Revealed in Next Meeting
On the 6th, regarding the core project of the "Three Super Projects" — the construction of a semiconductor cluster in the Honam region (Southwest Korea — editor’s note) — the Blue House announced: "The decision has been made to build a semiconductor industrial park on the land previously occupied by Gwangju Military Airbase." Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will jointly invest 80 trillion KRW (approximately 3.6 trillion RMB), constructing four semiconductor factories on the former military airbase site.
Following a civil-military joint assessment meeting chaired by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, the Blue House disclosed the selected location. In a briefing, Presidential Secretary Director Kang Hoon-jik stated: "The Gwangju Military Airbase area offers approximately 2.5 million pyeong of land. Its key advantage lies in the fact that the airport's nature has already resulted in complete grading, allowing for maximum reduction in construction timeframes for land preparation." He also emphasized that the site was chosen due to its central location within Gwangju City, proximity to KTX railway stations, and superior logistics connectivity via highways, airports, and ports.
However, relocating the Gwangju Military Airbase is a prerequisite before building semiconductor factories there. Currently, efforts are underway to integrate and relocate the military airbase to Muan Civil Airport, but this requires approval from Muan County. The government's stance is to complete the semiconductor factory construction during President Yoon Suk-yeol’s term in office. However, the Ministry of Defense stated: "The relocation of the military airbase is expected to be completed in the mid-to-late 2030s." Mayor Min Hyung-pyeo of Jeollanam-do Special City Gwangju said: "The government will propose a plan to simultaneously advance both factory construction and the military airbase relocation." The Blue House added that, within the limits of minimizing security gaps, they are comprehensively reviewing all possible options for accelerating the military airbase’s early relocation.
The Blue House stated that infrastructure plans essential for semiconductor manufacturing — including electricity and water supply — will be revealed after the next meeting. A government party official remarked: "Clearing the military airbase can partially resolve land issues, but challenges related to water and power remain unresolved."
Originally, semiconductor companies had planned to begin construction of the Honam factory only after completing the Icheon semiconductor cluster. However, President Yoon Suk-yeol personally persuaded Chairman Lee Jae-yong of Samsung Electronics and Chairman Choe Tae-won of SK Group, securing their commitment to proceed with construction in Icheon and Honam simultaneously. On the same day, Kang Hoon-jik stated: "For the Icheon project, we will accelerate everything from land compensation to power and water supply according to the companies' requests, ensuring rapid implementation of the original plan to build ten factories." President Yoon Suk-yeol added: "The outcome hinges on who moves faster. It can be said that speed is absolutely critical. The government will do everything within its capability."
Source: Chosun Ilbo
Original Article: toutiao.com/article/1870044970744907/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author