Mayor Lee Sangil: "Speed Is Key to Maintaining Semiconductor Leadership... Yongin National Industrial Complex Must Move Quickly"

Special Lecture on "The Future of Yongin's Semiconductor Industry" at Yongin Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Seminar

All Four Global Semiconductor Equipment Giants—ASML, Applied Materials, Lam Research, and Tokyo Electron—Invest in Yongin

"Now, Speed Is the Key" as All Four Global Leaders Commit to Yongin

Semiconductor Materials, Components, and Equipment Companies Expanding Ecosystem as They Move into Yongin

Mayor Lee: "We Must Expedite Civil Engineering Work for the National Industrial Complex to Maintain Korea's Competitive Edge in Semiconductors"

"In order to maintain Korea's competitive edge in the semiconductor industry, we must expedite the civil engineering work for the Yongin Advanced System Semiconductor National Industrial Complex as much as possible."

On July 8, Mayor Sangil Lee of Yongin Special City emphasized at a breakfast seminar hosted by the Yongin Chamber of Commerce and Industry that the success or failure of the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster hinges on "speed." He stressed that, since Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have advanced their investment schedules, the development of the national industrial complex and the provision of essential infrastructure—such as power, water supply, and transportation—must also proceed rapidly to keep pace.

Mayor Sangil Lee is giving a special lecture at the Yongin Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the 8th. Provided by Yongin City

At the 165th Yongin Chamber of Commerce and Industry breakfast seminar held that day, Mayor Lee delivered a special lecture under the theme "Yongin Renaissance Season 2: Building the Future Together With Citizens." He stated, "We have successfully preserved the Yongin Advanced System Semiconductor National Industrial Complex, and now it is time to accelerate its development."

He reiterated, "Samsung Electronics has announced that it will complete the construction of six fabs in the national industrial complex by 2040, which is seven years ahead of its original schedule. SK hynix also plans to finish building four fabs at the Wonsam Semiconductor Cluster by 2033, which is 12 years earlier than initially planned. The key now is speed."

He continued, "The civil engineering work to prepare the national industrial complex site needs to be accelerated so that an LNG power plant can be built to supply electricity to the first and second fabs of Samsung Electronics. At the same time, we must also expedite the construction of the 46.9 km water pipeline connecting Paldang to the national industrial complex, the expansion of the National Road No. 45, the establishment of the rail network, and the development of a semiconductor-specialized new town."

Mayor Lee also highlighted the significance of resolving uncertainty regarding investment in the Seoul metropolitan area through the revision of the enforcement decree of the Special Act on Semiconductors.

He said, "Initially, the enforcement decree of the Special Act on Semiconductors included a provision excluding the Seoul metropolitan area, but strong opposition from myself and many citizens led to its removal. This is very fortunate for companies investing in semiconductors in Yongin and the southern Gyeonggi area."

He added, "The Yongin Advanced System Semiconductor National Industrial Complex, which covers approximately 7.78 million square meters in Idong and Namsa-eup, had been delayed by discussions of relocating to other regions. However, the uncertainty was eliminated when Samsung Electronics decided to accelerate its investment in Yongin."

He also emphasized that Yongin is establishing itself as a hub for global semiconductor equipment companies.

Mayor Sangil Lee is giving a special lecture at the Yongin Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the 8th. Provided by Yongin City

Mayor Lee said, "In 2024, after signing agreements with Tokyo Electron, Lam Research, and ASML, we also entered into an investment agreement with the Korean subsidiary of Applied Materials, one of the world's four leading semiconductor equipment companies, on July 6. As a result, all four global leaders are now present in Yongin. Additionally, as more companies in semiconductor materials, components, and equipment continue to move into Yongin, the semiconductor ecosystem is rapidly expanding."

He added, "With the revision of the enforcement decree of the Special Act on Semiconductors and the government's announcement, uncertainties regarding investments by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have essentially been eliminated. Related companies are expected to continue their investments as well."

He also expressed expectations regarding the scale of semiconductor investment and its economic impact.

He stated, "SK hynix initially planned to invest 12.2 trillion won, but is now investing 600 trillion won to build a three-story fab, with each fab spanning an area equivalent to 10 Lotte World Towers in Jamsil. Samsung Electronics will build six fabs in the Yongin National Industrial Complex, each even larger in scale. Samsung Electronics is investing 40 trillion won to construct two fabs in Gwangju, which means 20 trillion won per fab. If we apply the same calculation to the six fabs planned for Yongin, Samsung Electronics' investment in the Yongin National Industrial Complex will exceed 100 trillion won."

He continued, "As the semiconductor ecosystem expands, tax revenue will increase significantly. We need to research various ways to use this tax revenue for the benefit of citizens. We are planning to establish a fund named the 'Silicon Yongin Fund' to support startups by both middle-aged and young generations, and we intend to gradually scale up the fund depending on the growth in tax revenue."

He also introduced plans for fostering semiconductor professionals.

Mayor Lee said, "Since universities in Yongin are focusing on semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI), the city supported them last year in applying for the RISE (Regional Innovation System Education) project by forming four groups, and they were selected in a government competition. We are also creating a 'Citizen Semiconductor Academy' to offer citizens more opportunities to study semiconductors, and we are considering ways to connect those who complete advanced courses to employment at related companies."

Mayor Sang-il Lee is giving a special lecture at the Yongin Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the 8th. Courtesy of Yongin City

He added, "The Semiconductor High School passed the Ministry of Education's central investment review in April 2024, and will open at the closed Namgok branch school in Namsa-eup. The school was designated as a Meister High School this year and will open in March next year, then transition to a Meister High School in March 2028."

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