SEOUL — President Lee Jae-myung has launched a direct counteroffensive against the People Power Party (PPP), which has characterized recent investment decisions by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in the Honam region as an act of “presidential pressure.” President Lee asserted that establishing a semiconductor industrial ecosystem in the Honam region is not a matter of special treatment for a specific area, but a strategic national imperative.
A Strategic Choice for Future Industry
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) spanning June 27 and 28, President Lee refuted allegations of abuse of power. He emphasized that the southwestern coastal region, long neglected in national development, paradoxically possesses the vast and stable land necessary for building massive, high-tech manufacturing plants.
"The region is an optimal location for global future industries, such as semiconductors and AI data centers, which require massive amounts of electricity," President Lee stated. "It offers not only sufficient industrial water but also abundant potential for renewable energy".
He further clarified that while the existing semiconductor cluster plans in the capital region, currently constrained by water and power shortages, should be accelerated, the nation must simultaneously develop a second large-scale integrated complex at high speed. President Lee framed this initiative as a realization of national goals: achieving balanced regional development and alleviating long-standing local prejudices and conflicts between the Yeongnam and Honam regions.
Refuting Allegations of "Pressure"
President Lee addressed several specific criticisms from opposition figures:
Abuse of Power Claims: Responding to Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo’s claim that requesting investment in a specific region constitutes an abuse of power, the President countered that the process was an exercise of "administrative guidance and constructive administration," not coercion or illegal directives.
Location Validity: Addressing former Rep. Yoo Seong-min’s inquiry regarding the choice of Honam, the President noted that beyond water, power—specifically renewable energy like solar and wind required for the RE100 initiative—is critical. He added that the underdeveloped Honam region offers the most stable and affordable land, free from seismic risks.
Precedents: President Lee pointed out that during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in 2023, the Gwangju-Jeonnam region received the highest scores in the government’s competition for semiconductor specialized complexes. He urged PPP members to refrain from groundless remarks, noting that the potential of this region was already officially recognized by the previous conservative government.
Government Alignment
The presidential office and relevant ministries have aligned with this stance. Kim Yong-beom, the Presidential Policy Chief, emphasized that large-scale semiconductor fabrication (fab) clusters outside the capital region are a "very powerful national strategy". Additionally, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-gwan highlighted the region's strong academic foundation, citing institutions like Chonnam National University, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH) as essential human resource bases.
Escalating Political Conflict
The controversy has sparked a fierce standoff in the National Assembly. The Democratic Party (DP) has moved to take legal action, with 원내대변인 Lee Ju-hee announcing plans to file a complaint against Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo for spreading false information, accusing the PPP of attempting to undermine regional growth and high-tech industrial development.
Conversely, the PPP continues to express deep skepticism. Choi Bo-yoon, the Chief Spokesperson for the PPP, criticized the President’s response, stating that the administration is "demeaning the public by dismissing reasonable suspicions—that corporate capital and national future engines are being turned into consumables for consolidating the ruling party's political base—as mere conjecture".
As the political divide widens, the core debate hinges on whether the push for a Honam semiconductor cluster represents a genuine leap toward balanced national development or, as the opposition fears, a politically motivated intervention in private corporate decision-making.
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