Jo Baesuk: "Semiconductor Investment Drives Honam Imbalance... North Jeolla Pushed to the Brink"

"North Jeolla’s Youth Will Be Drawn Into South Jeolla and Gwangju"

On July 3, the People Power Party Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Committee strongly criticized the Lee Jaemyung administration, stating, "While outwardly calling for balanced national development, in reality, it has caused severe imbalances within the Honam region, pushing North Jeolla Province to the brink of regional extinction. We cannot contain our anger at the administration's duplicitous actions."

Jo Baesook, Member of the National Assembly and Chairman of the People Power Party Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Committee

Jo Baesook, Member of the National Assembly and Chairman of the People Power Party Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Committee, held a press conference at the National Assembly’s communication center on this day. Regarding the government's plan to promote the semiconductor cluster in the Gwangju and South Jeolla regions, she stated, "If things continue as they are, the young talent and promising companies that North Jeolla Province has worked hard to nurture will be sucked into the South Jeolla and Gwangju areas, where massive capital investment is being made, as if into a black hole."

Assemblywoman Jo said, "While the government claims it is showing consideration for the Honam region, which has long been neglected, it has concentrated a 800 trillion won semiconductor production hub and core infrastructure in South Jeolla and Gwangju, yet not a single penny has been allocated to North Jeolla. Then, using empty rhetoric such as ‘Honam’ and ‘Southwest Region,’ they deceived and mocked the people of North Jeolla Province."

Assemblywoman Jo added, "The Lee Jaemyung administration has completely ignored the optimal location advantages that North Jeolla Province offers. This is an irresponsible policy decision that abandons rational economic logic and industrial feasibility in favor of a narrow-minded political calculation, thereby forfeiting the efficient allocation of national resources." She further commented, "It is nothing more than an attempt to secure votes ahead of the upcoming Democratic Party convention."

She continued, "The Democratic Party, which holds overwhelming power in North Jeolla Province, shamelessly praised the administration, saying they ‘welcome’ this disaster, even though not a single penny has been allocated to North Jeolla. Now, belatedly talking about the KTX transport network and begging for scraps from a feast that has ended for someone else is a truly deplorable sight."

Assemblywoman Jo demanded, "The government must immediately halt this baseless and unfair deception of excluding North Jeolla Province, and explain to the people of North Jeolla the irrational reasons behind their exclusion from the 800 trillion won investment." She went on to say, "Present practical and specific plans for advanced industry investment that will utilize North Jeolla’s infrastructure, along with follow-up measures to prevent regional extinction."

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