People Power Party TK Lawmakers Oppose: "Semiconductor Cluster Should Be Decided by Market Principles"

"The Government's Role Is to Support Corporate Decision-Making"

People Power Party lawmakers from the TK (Daegu and Gyeongbuk) region stated that the government's plan to push forward the second national semiconductor cluster in the Gwangju and Jeonnam region should not be driven by political logic. They strongly urged, "National industrial policy must be pursued based on fairness, competitiveness, and market principles."

People Power Party lawmakers from Daegu and Gyeongbuk, including Lee In-sun, are holding a press conference on the 25th at the National Assembly Communication Center regarding the plan to establish the 2nd national semiconductor cluster in the Gwangju and Jeonnam region. Photo by Yonhap News

On the morning of the 25th, People Power Party lawmakers from the TK region held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center, declaring, "The future of Korea’s semiconductor industry should be determined by its competitiveness, not by politics." They added, "The moment the government uses national strategic industries as a political tool, the competitiveness of Korea’s industry will inevitably be undermined." Lawmakers present at the event included Lee In-sun, Yoon Jae-ok, Lee Man-hee, Kim Seung-soo, Lee Sang-hwi, Lim Jong-deuk, Kim Ki-woong, Choi Eun-seok, and Lee Jin-sook.

The lawmakers explained, "According to media reports, the government is considering a large-scale industrial package in the Gwangju and Jeonnam region as part of the '5 Major Regions, 3 Special Zones' national balanced development policy, incorporating an artificial intelligence (AI) data center, advanced packaging, and semiconductor production facilities." They further noted, "It is also reported that large-scale investments by private companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are being discussed."

The lawmakers stated, "Balanced national development is absolutely necessary," and emphasized that "bridging regional disparities and fostering new growth hubs are national tasks for Korea’s sustainable growth." However, they stressed, "Industrial policy must not be swayed by political logic under the pretext of balanced national development," and added, "In particular, the semiconductor industry is a national strategic sector that is crucial for Korea’s future."

The lawmakers pointed out, "The competitiveness of the semiconductor industry should be determined by rigorous economic and industrial logic, not by political considerations, including factors such as workforce, power supply, water resources, research and development capability, supply chains, logistics systems, and the business ecosystem." They further stated, "The role of the government is not to select a specific region, but to create a fair environment in which companies can make the most competitive choices."

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