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Seoul Mayor Slams President's Remarks on Honam Semiconductor Plants as 'Amateurish Political Pressure'
🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Seoul Mayor Slams President's Remarks on Honam Semiconductor Plants as 'Amateurish Political Pressure'

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon criticized President Lee Jae-myung's remarks on potential semiconductor investments in the Honam region as "amateurish political maneuvering."
  • Oh argued that pressuring companies with regulatory power constitutes coercion and political blackmail, potentially damaging South Korea's global market reputation.
  • He stressed that the government's role should be to improve systems and regulations, allowing market forces and technological competition to drive the semiconductor industry.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has sharply criticized President Lee Jae-myung's recent comments regarding potential semiconductor investments by companies like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in the Honam region. Oh described the president's approach as "amateurish politics wearing a badge of authority and offering unsolicited advice."

When the power that holds the life-or-death power of permits and regulations sets a direction and applies pressure, it becomes coercion and political blackmail.

— Oh Se-hoonSeoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon criticizes the government's approach to influencing corporate investment decisions.

Oh expressed deep concern over what he termed the president's "coercive" tactic of applying pressure through regulatory power, only to later claim the company made the choice independently. He stated, "When the power that holds the life-or-death power of permits and regulations sets a direction and applies pressure, it becomes coercion and political blackmail."

If this kind of thing is repeated, South Korea will be branded as a country that operates on political logic, not market logic, in the global market.

— Oh Se-hoonOh Se-hoon warns about the potential negative international perception of South Korea's business environment.

The Seoul mayor warned that such actions could lead to South Korea being branded as a nation where market logic is superseded by political logic on the global stage. He emphasized that the government's primary function should be to refine systems and design policies that enable businesses to excel globally, rather than dictating investment directions.

The government should be an entity that refines systems and designs systems so that companies can become the best in the world.

— Oh Se-hoonSeoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon outlines his view on the government's role in supporting the semiconductor industry.

Oh concluded by asserting that leading-edge companies are driven by market dynamics, technological advancements, and global competition, not by government persuasion or administrative guidance. He underscored that adhering to these principles is non-negotiable for maintaining South Korea's top position in the global semiconductor industry.

Cutting-edge companies are led not by government persuasion or administrative guidance, but by the market, technology, and global competition.

— Oh Se-hoonOh Se-hoon emphasizes the importance of market forces and competition in the semiconductor sector.
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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