Lee Sangil: "Deleting the 'Metropolitan Area Exclusion' from the Semiconductor Act Is Only Right... The Government Must Reflect on Its Destructive Thinking"

Sangil Lee, Mayor of Yongin, Blasts Government Over Withdrawal of "Toxic Semiconductor Clause"
Lee: "A Victory for the People in Removing the Harmful Provision from the Semiconductor Act"
"Semiconductors and AI Must Advance Together... Yongin National Industrial Complex Development Will Accelerate"
"Samsung’s Six Fabs to Proceed as Planned, Administrative Procedures Must Be Expedited"

Sangil Lee, Mayor of Yongin Special City, delivered a strong criticism regarding reports that the “Metropolitan Area Exclusion Clause,” which was included in the draft of the government’s Special Act Enforcement Decree for Semiconductor Support, will be removed. He stated, “For the future of the semiconductor industry, which is the backbone of our national economy, this is the right decision. The government, which had caused public concern with this unnecessary provision, must deeply reflect on its actions.”

Lee Sang-il, Mayor of Yongin Special City. Provided by Yongin City

On June 24, Mayor Lee added, “The controversial clause was a ‘nationally destructive toxic provision’ that hindered semiconductor investment in southern Gyeonggi regions such as Yongin, which have developed global competitiveness. It was undermining the country’s competitiveness.” According to reports, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has recently decided to remove wording that would exclude the metropolitan area from the designation of semiconductor clusters, ahead of the official legislative notice.

Mayor Lee described this shift in government policy as “a victory for the people.”

He said, “The Ministry revised the enforcement decree likely due to fierce criticism from experts concerned about the future of semiconductors, as well as from the citizens of Yongin and the broader public. I am deeply grateful to the citizens who raised their voices together with me.”

He further analyzed, “The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s decision not to exclude the metropolitan area from semiconductor cluster designations seems to be linked to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix’s plans for large-scale investments in semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and data centers in the Honam, Chungcheong, and Yeongnam regions. In a situation where mega-investments are now being made outside the metropolitan area, imposing strict restrictions on the metropolitan area would likely provoke a backlash that the government would find hard to withstand. These factors were probably taken into consideration.”

He went on to call for the smooth development of the Yongin National Advanced System Semiconductor Industrial Complex.

Mayor Lee emphasized, “Semiconductors and AI are industries that must go hand in hand, so the government should actively foster and support them regardless of region. As Samsung Electronics has expressed its commitment to establish six semiconductor production lines (fabs) in the Yongin National Advanced System Semiconductor Industrial Complex as originally planned, in addition to large-scale investments in Honam, Chungcheong, and Yeongnam, the government should expedite the necessary administrative procedures and ensure that planned support for the Yongin complex is carried out without delay.”

Previously, as soon as Mayor Lee learned of the metropolitan area exclusion clause in the Ministry’s draft enforcement decree, he had strongly called for its immediate withdrawal, saying, “The problematic enforcement decree would undermine the country’s core semiconductor industry and provide an opportunity to competitors such as China and Japan, who are rapidly chasing Korea in this field. This is a destructive move for the nation.”

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