Kim Jungkwan Visits Southwest Region Semiconductor Mega Project Site: "Ensure Uninterrupted Power and Water Supply Infrastructure"

Kim Jeonggwan to Visit Regional Sites to Foster Growth Engines
Visits Southwest Region on October 12, Gangwon on October 14, and Daegu-Gyeongbuk on October 28
Discusses Support Tailored to Regional Industries, Including Semiconductors, Shipbuilding, Bio and Medical Devices, and Batteries

Kim Jeonggwan, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, will begin a series of visits to industrial sites on October 12, starting with the Southwest Region Semiconductor Mega Project, to promote the development of growth engines in each region. He is scheduled to visit the project site, a key initiative to develop the Southwest Region into a renewable energy-powered semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) cluster, and call for the timely provision of infrastructure for electricity and water.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Kim would begin his regional visits in the Southwest Region on October 12, followed by Gangwon on October 14 and the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region on October 28, as part of efforts to foster growth engines in each region.

Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeonggwan

A ministry official said, "This series of visits was organized to flesh out policy tasks needed to foster growth engines in each region, based on the 'Plan to Foster Growth Engines in Five Poles and Three Special Regions' announced last August." The official added, "Minister Kim will visit major investment and industrial sites in each region and discuss support measures with companies, local governments, and relevant organizations to ensure large-scale corporate investments are carried out promptly and to strengthen the competitiveness of regional industrial ecosystems."

In the Southwest Region, he will first review progress on infrastructure for the semiconductor mega project, including its site, electricity, and water. He will also promote the AI transformation of the shipbuilding industry and its expansion to small and midsize shipbuilders and equipment suppliers in the region through a strategy meeting on the AI transformation (M.AX) of shipbuilding manufacturing and visits to shipyards.

On October 12, Minister Kim will visit Gwangju Military Airport, a candidate site for a semiconductor industrial complex in the Southwest Region. The Southwest Region Semiconductor Mega Project, which will involve an investment of 800 trillion won, is a key initiative to develop the region into a renewable energy-powered semiconductor and AI cluster. Together with the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City, the Air Force, Korea Land and Housing Corporation, Korea Electric Power Corporation, Korea Water Resources Corporation, and other relevant organizations, he will review progress on the temporary relocation of the military airport, designation of the industrial complex and site development, and plans for electricity and water supply. They will also discuss potential obstacles to the project and possible responses.

Minister Kim said, "Please do everything necessary to ensure that companies can invest on schedule, including preparing the site, securing reliable electricity and water supply infrastructure, and building public acceptance." He added, "We will also develop specific support measures for semiconductor materials, parts and equipment, research and development (R&D), and talent development so that large-scale corporate investments in the Southwest Region help expand the region's industrial ecosystem."

Minister Kim then attended the Shipbuilding M.AX Alliance Strategy Meeting at Hotel Hyundai by Lahan Mokpo. The Shipbuilding M.AX Alliance expands and reorganizes the Autonomous Ships M.AX Alliance, launched last year, to cover the entire shipbuilding manufacturing process. It is one of the divisions of the M.AX Alliance, a public-private-academic-research partnership involving manufacturers, AI companies, universities, and research institutions. At the event, investment and business agreements were signed to successfully advance the project to establish an AI-powered autonomous shipyard lighthouse factory and to expand manufacturing AI transformation among regional small and midsize shipbuilders and marine equipment manufacturers. The "Three Shipbuilding M.AX Flagship Projects for Shared Growth" and the "First Basic Plan for Promoting the Development and Commercialization of Autonomous Ships (2026-2035)" were also announced.

On October 14, Minister Kim will visit Gangwon to attend a ceremony for an agreement to foster the bio industry. He will discuss support measures to underpin growth in the bio and medical device industries, from technology development to infrastructure, regulation, and exports. He is also scheduled to hear about investment-related difficulties at a meeting with companies investing in growth engines and at a meeting of the Hupyeong Bio Mini Alliance, and explore ways to apply AI in bio-manufacturing sites.

On October 28, he will visit the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region to attend the completion ceremony for a battery testing and demonstration center. At the Third M.AX Regional Expansion Conference, he will promote cooperation between manufacturers and AI companies and discuss ways to support the AI transformation of regional manufacturing industries.

The ministry will also chair the Fourth Chungcheong Region Mega Project Review Meeting later this month to hear about each company's investment progress and difficulties, review the status of permit processing by local governments, and discuss electricity and water supply plans with relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.

Minister Kim said, "For the semiconductor mega project, we will ensure that the foundations for investment, including the site, electricity, and water, are prepared without delay so that investments can proceed on schedule. For the shipbuilding industry, we will apply AI to design and production sites to dramatically improve shipyard productivity and workers' working conditions." He added, "I will carefully address the tasks identified on the ground so that large-scale corporate investments and innovation in key industries in the Southwest Region lead to regional economic growth."

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