Lee Stresses "Speed" for Honam Semiconductor as Second Mega Project Public-Private Meeting Held Today

Review of Execution Plan: Gwangju Military Airport Relocation, 6.3 GW Power Supply, 650,000 Tons of Water

President Lee Likely to Reiterate, "Only Speed Matters"

Parallel Permitting and Appointment of Responsible Officials Under Spotlight

On August 10, President Lee Jae-myung will preside over the second public-private joint inspection meeting for the “Korea Grand Takeoff Three Major Mega Projects” at the Blue House. While the first meeting finalized the selection of Gwangju Military Airport as the site for the Honam Semiconductor Cluster, the focus of this session will likely be on creating a concrete implementation timetable for the massive investment plans. Difficult issues expected to shape the project's pace—such as relocating military facilities from Gwangju Military Airport, securing electricity and industrial water, establishing the industrial complex, and shortening approval processes—are expected to be addressed at the meeting.

President Lee Jae-myung, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won hold hands after announcing corporate investments at the three major mega projects national briefing held at the Blue House on June 29, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Blue House and related industries, President Lee will hold the second public-private joint inspection meeting for the mega projects this afternoon, attended by officials from relevant ministries and participating corporations. Ministries including the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy, as well as corporate representatives from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix—the main partners for the project—are expected to attend. Previously, President Lee announced plans to hold monthly public-private meetings to review progress on core regional issues one by one, to coordinate differing views among ministries, and to establish a dedicated taskforce within the Blue House to monitor the progress of each task.

A Blue House official explained that, regarding the second meeting, "We plan to review overall preparations and additionally listen to the requests of relevant companies," adding, "President Lee is expected to once again urge ministries to resolve administrative bottlenecks and expedite relevant tasks, as emphasized in the first meeting."

The main focal point of this meeting will be how swiftly the government can remove the administrative obstacles to the creation of the Honam Semiconductor Cluster. At the first public-private joint inspection meeting on July 6, the government designated the roughly 2.5 million pyeong (approximately 8.26 million square meters) site at Gwangju Military Airport for the Honam Semiconductor Cluster, where Samsung Electronics and SK hynix each plan to build two fabs. In just one month, the first administrative procedures have been taken; on July 29, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport designated the Gwangju Military Airport site as a candidate for the Honam National Semiconductor Industrial Complex.

The most challenging issue is how quickly the military airport can be vacated. It is reportedly estimated within the military that relocating the functions of the Air Force's 1st Fighter Wing at Gwangju Military Airport to other bases will require at least three years. In response, President Lee is likely to request that the Ministry of National Defense and related government bodies consider ways to move military facilities or disperse them in stages without creating security gaps, while simultaneously developing the industrial complex. At the first meeting, Kim Yongbeom, Blue House policy chief, explained that the government could work with the Air Force to gradually relocate the functions at the existing base and use the land without waiting for the construction of a new military airport to be fully completed.

Power and water supply are also key topics. The new Honam Semiconductor Industrial Complex, which will house a total of four fabs by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, is expected to require 6.3 gigawatts of power and 650,000 tons of industrial water per day in the long term. The government is reviewing plans to integrate existing generation facilities such as Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant with renewable energy sources in Honam, such as wind and solar. The key challenge will be not only producing such massive power, but also building the required power grid to deliver it to the fabs in a timely manner.

At the meeting, there is a high likelihood that specific discussions will be held on proceeding with various administrative procedures simultaneously. In the first session, President Lee noted that environmental impact assessments and other required permits and licenses are causing lengthy delays to project timelines. He also commented critically that, based on his standards, even the general industrial park in Yongin—which is often cited for its speed—did not progress as rapidly as it should have. To address these issues, the Blue House plans to set up a dedicated unit to efficiently coordinate the overlapping interests of multiple ministries and local governments.

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the joint public-private inspection meeting of mega projects held at the Blue House on July 6, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

Legislative support is also in focus. The ruling bloc is pursuing a tentatively titled “Special Act on the Designation and Operation of Mega Special Zones,” which would designate the Honam Semiconductor Complex, Advanced Industry in the Chungcheong region, and Physical Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Yeongnam as “mega special zones.” These areas would receive a comprehensive support package for finance, fiscal systems, taxation, regulation, technology, talent development, and industrial infrastructure. Measures to make work hours more flexible—including exemptions to the 52-hour work week for semiconductor R&D specialists—are also under review.

The meeting will also assess mega projects beyond the Honam Semiconductor Cluster, such as AI data centers and physical AI developments. The government, together with SK, GS, Naver, and others, plans to build 8.4 gigawatts worth of AI data centers in Ulsan, Donghae, and Sejong by 2029; for the Chungcheong region, the goal is to invest 81 trillion won to establish a high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and other advanced packaging hubs. In Yeongnam, the plan is to link advanced manufacturing—including physical AI for robotics and autonomous vehicles, as well as aerospace, defense, and small modular reactors (SMRs).

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