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🇰🇷 South Korea /Technology

Opposition questions Honam as semiconductor hub, citing water scarcity

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • South Korea's People Power Party criticizes the government's plan to build a semiconductor complex in the Honam region.
  • The party questions the availability of sufficient industrial water and renewable energy in the area.
  • Officials stated water and power would be secured, but critics point to past severe droughts and potential conflicts over water resources.

South Korea's main opposition party, the People Power Party, has sharply criticized the government's proposal to establish a major semiconductor production hub in the Honam region. The party questions the feasibility of the plan, particularly regarding the availability of essential resources like industrial water and renewable energy.

If you insist that Honam is the optimal location, will water spring up from nowhere and electricity overflow?

— Kim Tae-kyuQuestioning the government's claims about resource availability for a new semiconductor complex.

"If you insist that Honam is the optimal location, will water spring up from nowhere and electricity overflow?" asked Kim Tae-kyu, deputy spokesperson for the People Power Party, in a statement on Monday. He pointed to a severe drought in 2023 that strained water resources in the Honam region, forcing reliance on stored water and even water from the Four Major Rivers project. "That land, where even drinking water was scarce, is where they plan to build semiconductor plants requiring 1 million tons of water daily," he criticized.

That land, where even drinking water was scarce, is where they plan to build semiconductor plants requiring 1 million tons of water daily.

— Kim Tae-kyuHighlighting the contradiction between past water shortages and the proposed industrial water needs.

Kim further questioned the government's approach, noting that the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment is reportedly considering diverting water from agricultural reservoirs for industrial use. "If water is sufficient, why are you taking water from farmers?" he asked, arguing that conflicting statements within the government itself prove the water shortage.

If water is sufficient, why are you taking water from farmers?

— Kim Tae-kyuCriticizing the reported plan to divert water from agricultural reservoirs.

This criticism comes after President Lee Jae-myung stated that the southwestern coastal area, including Honam, has abundant water and renewable energy, making it an ideal location for the "3 Great Mega Projects." Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Sung-hwan also assured that the necessary 6.3 gigawatts of power and 650,000 tons of water daily would be supplied without disruption, with plans for even more. However, industry experts suggest that concrete plans for supply routes, water recycling, and pipeline infrastructure are needed, given persistent concerns about long-term water security amid increasing industrial demand and limited reservoir capacity.

Water and especially renewable energy are abundant in the southwestern coastal area. This is why our companies chose this region as the base for the 3 Great Mega Projects.

— President Lee Jae-myungJustifying the choice of the Honam region for major industrial projects.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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