Mayor-Elect Choo Kyung-ho of Daegu: "Give Daegu and North Gyeongsang a Chance in Semiconductor Investment"... No Political Interference in Corporate Decisions

Choo Kyung-ho, Mayor-Elect of Daegu, stated on June 11, "Recently, in discussions regarding investments in semiconductor hubs, there have been concerns raised about regional favoritism and the possibility of political considerations. Regardless of whether these concerns are true, it is not desirable for investment decisions in national strategic industries to become mired in political controversy," appealing, "Please grant Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province a fair opportunity as well."

On this day, Mayor-Elect Choo wrote on Facebook, "The semiconductor industry is a representative strategic sector in which countries around the world are mobilizing their national capabilities to compete. Especially in the era of AI, semiconductors have established themselves as a core industry that determines a country's industrial competitiveness. Therefore, companies' investment decisions should be made based on objective conditions for attracting businesses, such as market judgment and competitiveness, industrial ecosystem, talent pool, power and water supply, and industrial sites."

Daegu Mayor-elect Chu Kyung-ho

Choo continued, "The moment political considerations intervene or act as pressure on a company's pure investment decisions, national competitiveness is bound to be damaged. National balanced development should not be about compensation or allocation for specific regions but should start with providing fair opportunities to all regions," emphasizing, "Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province are not asking for special favors. We are simply demanding a fair opportunity."

He added, "Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, which were at the center of Korea's industrialization, remain a key hub for advanced industries, equipped with semiconductor materials and components industries, manufacturing capabilities, and research and development infrastructure. In particular, we have established the largest system for training semiconductor professionals outside the capital region, producing 1,750 specialists annually, and we are prepared to supply large-scale exclusive sites for semiconductor fab construction, including in Gunwi County, under competitive conditions. It is impossible to draw the future industrial map of Korea without including Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province."

Choo also stated, "Concerns are growing in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province that, following discussions about administrative integration, even investments in advanced industries might bypass our region. The Lee Jaemyung administration must not take these concerns from the local community lightly," adding, "We must create conditions where every region can be evaluated and compete fairly based on its own strengths. Our semiconductor companies should select the optimal locations to maintain and enhance their global competitiveness, and must not make choices that would undermine both corporate and national competitiveness for political reasons."

He continued, "I will focus all my efforts on ensuring that Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province can take their place at the center of advanced industry strategies. I will maintain ongoing communication with top expert groups, and I will personally visit and persuade both the government and companies, anytime and anywhere, to foster cooperation," pledging, "I will do my utmost to ensure that we are properly evaluated and receive fair opportunities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.