South Korea Minister Addresses Water Supply Concerns for Semiconductor Hubs

Concerns over water supply for new semiconductor industrial complexes in South Korea's Gwangju and Jeonnam regions have prompted a direct response from Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Sung-hwan. Addressing reports that the government was considering repurposing agricultural reservoirs to meet industrial water demands, Kim clarified the situation via his X (formerly Twitter) account.

Kim stated that the government is not considering measures like diverting water from other regions or desalination, as suggested by some media. Instead, he explained that the Yeongsan and Seomjin river basins, despite their smaller area compared to the Han or Nakdong rivers, have seven dams capable of storing approximately 1.5 billion tons of water. These dams can supply a total of 3.37 million tons of water daily for various uses, including domestic, industrial, agricultural, and environmental flows.

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Some dams' water system adjustments and utilization of spare capacity can secure over 1 million tons of water per day.

Furthermore, the minister revealed that an additional 1 million tons of water per day could be secured through inter-dam water transfer adjustments and by utilizing spare storage capacity. This assurance aims to alleviate anxieties about potential water shortages for the crucial semiconductor industry, which requires stable water and electricity. President Lee Jae-myung also echoed these sentiments, stating that the Honam region has sufficient water resources and that managing them properly can ensure the supply of 1 million tons of industrial water daily. He urged understanding and cooperation for policies promoting balanced regional development.

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The Honam region has sufficient water, and it has been reviewed that supplying 1 million tons of industrial water daily is possible by properly allocating and managing water resources.