Mayor Min Hyungbae Emphasizes "Speed Race" for Semiconductor Cluster... Targeting Mass Production by 2030

First Executive Meeting at the Eastern Office
Emphasis on Responsible Management for Land, Power, Water Supply, and Residential Conditions
Full-Scale Competition to Secure 13.66 Trillion Won in National Funding
Construction of Honam Semiconductor Cluster Expected to Begin by Year-End

Min Hyungbae, Mayor of Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City, has been consistently emphasizing the need for a "speed race" regarding the establishment of the Honam Semiconductor Cluster.

At the city's first executive meeting held at the eastern office in Suncheon on July 8, Mayor Min stated, "If the goal is to begin mass production at the semiconductor cluster by 2030, we need to plan every step in reverse from now," adding, "We should list all foreseeable risks and address them one by one to reach our target on time."

He continued, "We must designate responsible managers for each sector, including land, power, water supply, talent development, and residential conditions, and manage them accordingly." He also stressed, "Administrative procedures must be equipped with a detailed roadmap and timeline to ensure speed, and we should seek ways to bring the schedule forward wherever possible."

This is seen as a follow-up response to Chief Presidential Secretary Kang Hoonshik's statement on June 29, declaring, "We will take on the challenge of completing this within the term of this administration." Considering that President Lee Jaemyung's term ends in June 2030, the speed race to establish mass production capabilities by 2030 has effectively begun in earnest.

In fact, there are even projections in some quarters that construction on the Honam Semiconductor Cluster could begin as early as the end of this year.

Hyungbae Min, Former Mayor of Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City. Provided by Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City.

Mayor Min particularly emphasized, "The establishment of the Integrated Special City itself was made possible through an intense speed race," adding, "Now, with the government showing strong commitment, is the golden time."

Regarding semiconductor supply infrastructure, it was reported that the basic conditions necessary for initial operations are already in place.

At the meeting, Son Dooyoung, Director of the Artificial Intelligence Industry Bureau, explained, "It is estimated that each semiconductor fab will require 230,000 to 250,000 pyeong of land, 1 GW of electricity, and about 100,000 tons of water. Currently, we already have enough supply conditions to operate two initial fabs."

He further reported, "The Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment has also pledged timely supply of 6.3 GW of electricity and 650,000 tons of water."

Mayor Min evaluated, "The creation of the semiconductor cluster is not simply about regional allocation or special favors," adding, "It is a national balanced development strategy and a fair reward to correct the accumulated regional imbalances and distortions from the industrialization process."

Meanwhile, the meeting also discussed strategies to secure next year's government budget.

The Integrated Special City has currently identified 1,676 projects worth 13.664 trillion won for the 2027 national budget. Of these, 1,450 projects totaling 12.19 trillion won have been included in the respective ministries' budget proposals, achieving an inclusion rate of 89.2%. Strategies are being developed to secure funding for the remaining 226 projects, totaling 1.474 trillion won, which have not yet been reflected.

In particular, the city plans to classify future strategic industry projects, such as the establishment of mega-project AI data center infrastructure and a pilot domestic NPU demonstration center, as core tasks for focused management.

Mayor Min stated, "We must ensure that all truly necessary projects for the Integrated Special City are thoroughly managed, but we should decisively cut projects with low impact or feasibility," emphasizing, "Administrative resources should be focused on discovering outcome-driven, future-oriented national budget projects."

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