President Lee to Directly Oversee Southwestern Semiconductor Project

President Lee Jae-myung announced on Tuesday a significant initiative to directly manage three major national projects, including a large-scale semiconductor business in the southwestern region of South Korea. To ensure swift progress, he will establish a dedicated liaison within the presidential office to oversee these endeavors personally.

Speaking at the 'National Report on Korea's Leap Forward: 3 Mega Projects' briefing, President Lee stressed the critical nature of the global artificial intelligence race. He stated, "The recent global AI war is an all-out war and also an international conflict." He elaborated on the expanding national competitive front, encompassing semiconductors for computation and inference, AI data centers handling vast amounts of data, physical AI implementation, and essential infrastructure like power and water. "Only speed is the way to survive," he declared.

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The recent global AI war is an all-out war and also an international conflict. The national competitive front is expanding infinitely, encompassing semiconductors for computation and inference, AI data centers that occupy large-scale data, physical AI that implements AI, and basic infrastructure such as power and water. Only speed is the way to survive.

The President noted that existing semiconductor sites, particularly around Yongin and Pyeongtaek, are reaching their capacity limits, especially concerning power and water supply. Therefore, he emphasized the need to not only complete planned sites rapidly but also to accelerate their development significantly. "The sites that have reached their limits, such as power and water, must be completed quickly and their speed must be greatly accelerated," he stated.

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The sites that have reached their limits, such as power and water, must be completed quickly and their speed must be greatly accelerated.

President Lee highlighted the southwestern region's potential for development, noting its historical neglect has created opportunities. He pointed to the abundant water and renewable energy resources in the southwestern coastal areas as key advantages. "Therefore, we must develop new sites in areas rich in power and water, and with stable land availability," he explained, adding that this is why companies have chosen this region for the three major projects.

The government is expected to announce substantial corporate investments in a semiconductor cluster in the Honam region (southwestern provinces) as part of this initiative. This strategic move aims to bolster South Korea's semiconductor industry and address the limitations of current infrastructure by developing new, resource-rich locations.

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Therefore, we must develop new sites in areas rich in power and water, and with stable land availability. This is also why our companies have chosen the region for the three major projects.