Second Year of 'National Transformation'... Lee to Announce Regional Balanced Development Strategy with Samsung, SK, and Others on the 29th

CEOs of Major Companies Including Samsung, SK, and Hyundai Motor to Attend
Focus on Concrete Regional Investment Plans in AI, Semiconductors, and Advanced Industries
Blue House Coordinates in Advance with Chey Tae-won and Lee Jae-yong
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President Lee Jae-myung will invite the CEOs of major domestic companies to the Blue House on the 29th to announce a regional balanced development investment strategy in the format of a public report to the nation. This will be the first time that concrete implementation measures for spreading advanced industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors to regional areas are unveiled since President Lee declared a “national transformation” as the administration’s second-year policy direction.

President Lee Jae-myung shook hands with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong as he entered the business roundtable held at a hotel in Rome, Italy, on the 12th (local time). 2026.6.13 Yonhap News Agency

According to the Blue House and the business community on the 23rd, President Lee will hold a meeting with the CEOs of major conglomerates such as Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor, and LG on the 29th to discuss ways to expand regional investment. The companies are expected to present their domestic investment plans linked to each group’s core businesses, including AI semiconductors, data centers, future vehicles, batteries, and advanced materials. The government, in turn, will propose a package of support measures required for regional investments, such as tax incentives, regulatory easing, and the provision of electricity, water supply, and talent.

This meeting is not simply intended as communication with the business sector, but strongly takes the form of a nationwide report disclosing the Lee administration’s second-year strategy for balanced regional development. In his first anniversary press conference, President Lee had previously announced plans to soon “disclose to the public a large-scale investment project that will achieve a complete transformation of the country’s growth strategy.” While the first year of state affairs focused on restoring democracy and stabilizing people’s livelihoods, the plan for the second year is to deliver economic results by combining an industrial overhaul centered on AI and semiconductors with balanced regional development.

President Lee has long been considering ways to ease the concentration in the Seoul metropolitan area while simultaneously strengthening the country’s growth engines. Advanced industries have grown around the capital, where talent and infrastructure are concentrated; however, the administration believes that if this structure continues, it will be difficult to prevent the decline of regional areas and the outflow of young people. Accordingly, the government has been reviewing plans to create “mega-special zones” centered on major regional cities and industrial hubs, and to improve power grids, water supply, transportation, education, and living conditions in tandem, so that companies can actually decide to invest.

President Lee’s recent series of individual meetings with business leaders is also aligned with this trend. It is reported that immediately after returning from his European tour on the 19th, President Lee had a private meeting with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. SK Group has been considering regional investment plans centered on AI semiconductors and data centers. Both inside and outside the government, there is speculation that the expansion of SK hynix’s semiconductor ecosystem and AI infrastructure investments could become a key pillar of the regional balanced development strategy.

It is also known that President Lee is planning to hold a separate meeting with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong later this week. Samsung is also said to be adjusting its domestic investment strategy around semiconductors, AI, and advanced manufacturing infrastructure. Samsung has been reviewing potential semiconductor investments in the Honam region, centered on Gwangju. However, it is highly likely that the specific investment locations and amounts will continue to be adjusted until the announcement on the 29th.

The key to these investment plans will be their feasibility rather than the scale of investment by each company. While every previous administration has emphasized balanced development and corporate investment in regional areas, companies have hesitated to make large-scale regional investments, citing difficulties in securing talent, delays in permits, insufficient power grids, and underdeveloped partner company ecosystems. As a result, the success of this initiative will depend on how concretely the government can present administrative, financial, and infrastructure support necessary for investment decisions, rather than simply asking companies to invest.

The creation of jobs for young people is also expected to be a core message. President Lee has repeatedly emphasized that good jobs and a solid foundation of education and culture in regional areas are essential to easing the concentration in the capital and preventing young people from leaving. The Blue House believes that if investments in high value-added industries such as AI and semiconductors take root in regional hubs, it will be possible to create a new growth model that connects local universities, research institutes, partner companies, and startup ecosystems.

Politically, this announcement is also considered significant. President Lee currently faces the need to demonstrate achievements in his second year in office amid declining government approval ratings and simultaneous pressure on livelihood and reform agendas. An official from the ruling party said, “Regional balanced development is not simply a matter of welfare or redistribution, but a national survival strategy,” adding, “This announcement will likely focus on enabling both the government and companies to develop actionable strategies that allow investments in future industries, including AI and semiconductors, to spread from the capital region to other parts of the country.”

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