Gwangju Special Metropolitan City Council Calls for Legislation to Support Development of Honam Region Semiconductor Cluster

First mass production targeted for June 2030
"Allow the former military airfield site to be used first"
Calls for easing site transfer requirements and support for electricity and water supply

The Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special Metropolitan City Council has called for a law to be amended so that the former Gwangju military airfield site can be put to use early, in line with the Honam Region Semiconductor Cluster’s target of beginning mass production in June 2030. The aim is to bring forward construction of the industrial complex and production facilities by allowing the former site to be transferred once certain requirements are met, even before the replacement military airfield facilities are donated to the state.

The Gwangju Special Metropolitan City Council adopted a resolution urging government support for the swift development of the Honam Region Semiconductor Cluster at the sixth plenary session of its fourth extraordinary session on the 23rd. The resolution was proposed by the standing special committee supporting the development of the semiconductor cluster, with committee chair Kim Seong-il as its lead sponsor.

Gwangju Special Metropolitan City Council adopted a resolution urging national support for the swift development of a semiconductor cluster in the Honam region during the sixth plenary session of its fourth extraordinary session on the 23rd. Provided by the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Council.

The first issue the council called on the government to address is the process for securing the military airfield site.

Under the current “donation-for-transfer” arrangement, replacement military airfield facilities must first be donated to the state before the existing site is transferred. The council believes this process constrains efforts to expedite construction of the national industrial complex and semiconductor production facilities.

It therefore urged the National Assembly to promptly pass a partial amendment to the Special Act on the Relocation of Gwangju Military Airfield and Development of the Former Site, which would allow the former site to be transferred before the replacement facilities are donated, subject to certain requirements.

Alongside securing the site, the council also called for separate legislation to support the development of essential infrastructure. It said a special act is needed to resolve individual permitting requirements and overlapping regulations in one go, and to provide integrated support for infrastructure such as electricity and water supply.

The resolution also included requests concerning the government’s semiconductor industry development plans and financial support.

It called for the government to include a mid- to long-term development strategy for the Honam Region cluster in its Basic Plan for Strengthening the Competitiveness of the Semiconductor Industry, which is being prepared for finalization by the end of the year, and to expand state financial support for essential infrastructure, including electricity and water supply.

The special committee on semiconductors plans to review follow-up legislative and budgetary support measures after discussions in each sector.

To that end, on October 15 it formed three subcommittees covering electricity, water and mutually beneficial development; site selection and business attraction; and residential conditions and talent development.

The Gwangju Special Metropolitan City Council plans to gather input from the field by reviewing issues in each subcommittee and holding policy discussions and seminars, and to identify policy tasks needed to develop the cluster.

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