Korean Media: [Editorial] Semiconductor Cluster "To Be Completed Within This Administration's Term" – First Relax the 52-Hour Workweek Rule
Kim Hoon-jik, Chief of the Presidential Secretariat, stated regarding the South Korea’s Honam semiconductor cluster project: “We will challenge to complete it within this administration’s term,” and “We will emulate Japan’s Kumamoto case, finishing basic construction within two years.” The TSMC Kumamoto plant in Japan received extraordinary subsidies and one-stop administrative support, reducing its construction timeline from five years to just 28 months, becoming a symbol of ultra-fast completion. It is commendable that the government is taking a leading role in the national competition for semiconductors, which will shape the country’s future. However, we hope that the government first completes the ongoing Yonje–Pyeongtaek cluster before accelerating the Honam cluster project.
Initially, the Yonje–Pyeongtaek industrial belt—integrating Samsung Electronics’ 30 trillion won (approximately 1.3 billion RMB) national-scale industrial park, SK Hynix’s 12 trillion won (about 520 million RMB) general industrial park, and the already operational and expanding Samsung Pyeongtaek facility—was envisioned as the world’s largest ecosystem for memory and system semiconductors, aiming to secure dominance in the semiconductor industry. However, overlapping obstacles such as complex land coordination procedures, resident opposition over land compensation, and inter-municipal disputes over industrial water access along the Namhan River delayed actual ground-breaking by a full six years. As Kim Hoon-jik noted, to achieve completion within the current administration’s term, the government must swiftly remove barriers obstructing the progress of the Yonje–Pyeongtaek cluster.
In particular, SK Hynix’s Yonje general industrial park was excluded from infrastructure funding and special legal benefits because it is not classified as a national industrial park. Existing projects being constrained by regulatory gaps and lack of support, while only pushing forward new blueprints, clearly reflects inconsistent administrative policy.
Moreover, the cases of TSMC’s Kumamoto plant in Japan and Kaohsiung plant in Taiwan, often cited by the government as models for rapid deployment, were not miracles achieved solely through government slogans. Both Kumamoto and Kaohsiung are regions with abundant electricity and water resources. Local governments provided top-tier customized education facilities—including renowned international schools and bilingual national experimental high schools—as well as comprehensive living conditions, enabling them to attract core talent to settle down.
The most crucial driver behind early semiconductor factory completion remains labor flexibility: round-the-clock, three-shift construction is essential to break conventional timelines. Yet Korea still adheres rigidly to its 52-hour workweek framework. If the government truly intends to wage a speed-focused campaign, it should boldly exempt semiconductor construction sites and core research and development personnel from the 52-hour workweek rule. Without the political courage to relax regulations hindering the Yonje–Pyeongtaek project and reform labor regulations, an ambitious pledge of 80 trillion won (approximately 3.5 billion RMB) would merely become hollow political rhetoric.
Source: Chosun Ilbo
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1869483223680203/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author