President Lee denies 'mega projects' are political tools, cites long-term vision

President Lee Jae-myung directly addressed accusations that his administration's "3 major mega projects" are politically motivated, intended solely to inflate his approval ratings. He asserted that such large-scale initiatives, focusing on semiconductor clusters, AI data centers, and physical AI, would have been launched prior to the recent local elections if their primary purpose was political expediency.

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If it were a political means for managing approval ratings, it would have been done before the local elections.

Lee explained that his vision for transformative national development, involving significant land redevelopment, predates his presidency. He noted that efforts to secure substantial private investment for balanced regional development faced slow progress after his inauguration. However, recent alignment between the government's focus on future industries like AI and the semiconductor sector's structural, long-term potential has enabled these large-scale regional investments.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Lee emphasized that while public approval is important, "the most important thing is results and achievements that improve the lives of the people." He reiterated that the "heaven-and-earth-shattering transformation of the land" has been a long-held aspiration since before he took office.

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The heaven-and-earth-shattering transformation of the land is something I have dreamed of for a very long time, long before I took office.

The projects aim to foster growth in key future industries and promote balanced development across the country. Lee's remarks serve as a defense against criticism that the timing and scale of these projects are primarily driven by electoral considerations rather than genuine national development strategy.

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While approval ratings are important, the most important thing is results and achievements that improve the lives of the people.