South Korea to unveil chip, AI, and data center mega-projects amid political criticism

South Korea is set to unveil three ambitious "mega-projects" on Monday, targeting advancements in semiconductors, physical artificial intelligence (AI), and data centers. The initiative aims to propel the nation's technological future, with significant investments anticipated from industry giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

The official launch event, scheduled for 2:00 PM local time in Seoul, will be presided over by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. Key figures expected to attend include Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Chey Tae-won, the head of SK Group, the parent company of SK hynix. Their presence underscores the importance of these projects for the country's economic and technological landscape.

Details are expected to emerge regarding a second semiconductor cluster planned outside the capital region, with substantial investment commitments from Samsung, the world's largest memory chip producer, and SK hynix, a crucial supplier of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) to NVIDIA. This follows the ongoing construction of a first megacluster in Yongin, south of Seoul.

However, the government's plan has drawn criticism from the conservative opposition. Reports suggest that investments may heavily favor the southwestern Honam region, which largely supported President Lee in the presidential election. Opposition figures have labeled the initiative a politically motivated maneuver, designed to garner electoral support. Conversely, the news agency Yonhap has indicated that central Chungcheong and southeastern Gyeongsang provinces might also host projects, aligning with Lee's policy of balanced regional development.

“

The announcement of the three mega-projects for the "great leap" of South Korea will be presided over by the South Korean president, Lee Jae-myung.