"Honam Not Allowed?"... Gwangju and Jeonnam Politicians Hit Back at Controversy Over Semiconductor Investment

Kim Youngrok, Kang Gijung, Min Hyungbae, Lee Gaeho, and Ju Cheolhyeon Speak Out Together

"Stop Disparaging Honam, a Region Equipped with Water, Power, and Talent"

In response to claims of "water shortages" and a "lack of talent" surrounding the potential semiconductor investments by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in the Honam region—claims raised by conservative political circles and some media outlets—political figures from Gwangju and Jeonnam have voiced strong opposition. They are not only pushing back against the site selection debate, but are also raising issues of long-standing regional discrimination and the national agenda for balanced development, expressing sharp criticism.

A screenshot of Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeonnam Province's SNS.

On June 28, Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeonnam Province, addressed the recent "Honam semiconductor cluster water shortage" claims on his social media, categorizing them as "a clear distortion of the facts."

Governor Kim stated, "Currently, there is a sufficient amount of unused water in Jeonnam that is simply discharged into the sea," adding, "The combined storage capacity of the Yeongsan, Yeongam, and Geumho reservoirs is 631 million tons, and even during the dry season in January, 1.91 million tons per day is released into the sea, with that figure rising to 26.32 million tons per day in the rainy season in July."

He further argued, "The water required for four semiconductor fabs is estimated at 800,000 to 1.2 million tons per day, meaning that even a portion of the water currently being discarded would be sufficient to meet the demand."

He went on to emphasize, "The Jeonnam-Gwangju semiconductor cluster is not only a core pillar of the national survival strategy in this era of AI and energy transformation, but also a key task for balanced regional development. Groundless regional disparagement and wasteful controversies are killing local communities and blocking the future of Korea, and this must stop," he urged.

Kang Gijung, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, also used social media to criticize, "For decades, regionalism and reverse discrimination have been the real obstacles to Honam's development. Now, those opposing semiconductor investments in Honam are using water shortages as an excuse."

He refuted, "Gwangju has all the resources: water, land, electricity, and talent. No matter how hard you try to deceive the public with political distractions and false claims, it will not work."

Local National Assembly members have also joined in the criticism.

Assemblyman Lee Gaeho wrote on his social media, "South Korea is not foolish enough to build a semiconductor plant where there is no water. For South Korea to become a truly prosperous and advanced nation, a semiconductor complex must be established in Honam."

Assemblyman Ju Cheolhyeon, targeting Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon and Assemblymen Han Donghun and Ahn Cheolsoo, stated, "Seeing the absurd arguments against large-scale semiconductor investments in Honam, I cannot help but feel not only dismay but also anger."

He emphasized, "It is virtually impossible to supply the vast amount of renewable energy required by new semiconductor industrial complexes in the already saturated Seoul metropolitan area. Honam, with its abundant sunshine, offshore wind power, plentiful water resources, and ample land, is the optimal alternative."

Assemblyman Park Ji-won also declared via social media, "Do not use semiconductor investments in Honam as a tool for division and discord."

Min Hyungbae, the newly elected Mayor of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, also addressed some conservative-leaning media outlets on social media, stating, "They are spreading the logic that Honam lacks talent and therefore would not have the workforce even if semiconductor plants were built here. In fact, the reality is the exact opposite," he refuted.

Mayor-elect Min pointed out, "Chonnam National University, Chosun University, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, and Korea Institute of Energy Technology are all consistently producing science and engineering talent. The claim that Honam has no talent is a clear insult to the region," he said.

Meanwhile, the current push for "semiconductor investment in Honam" is escalating into a power struggle between progressive and conservative political forces regarding the direction of national balanced development and industrial restructuring, further fueling the controversy.

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