President Lee: "97% of Global Companies' Investment Going to the Regions... We'll Build 'Growth for All'"

As seven global companies reported plans to invest a total of $2 billion (about 2.7 trillion won) in South Korea, President Lee Jae-myung on Nov. 5 highlighted that 97% of the investment would be concentrated outside the Seoul metropolitan area, expressing hopes that it would revitalize regional economies and create jobs for young people.

President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a meeting with senior secretaries and aides at Cheong Wa Dae on Nov. 5, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) that day titled "Global Companies Are Also Directing Their Investments to Regions," President Lee said, "I understand that seven global companies plan to invest a total of $2 billion, or about 2.7 trillion won, in our country."

"It is particularly noteworthy that 97% of the total investment will be concentrated outside the Seoul metropolitan area," he said. "I hope this investment will enhance the competitiveness of advanced industries in the regions and create quality jobs, opening up more opportunities for young people there."

President Lee said, "We will work to build 'growth for all,' with more investment and jobs in the regions and opportunities for growth available everywhere in South Korea."

The investment reports were filed at the Invest Korea Summit (IKS) 2026, held in Seoul on Nov. 4 by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA). The total reported investment was the largest ever associated with the event.

The seven participating companies are the UK's Nscale, France's Air Liquide, US-based Amkor Technology, Singapore's Gurin Energy, Norway's Deepwind Offshore, Japan's Tokyo Electron and Germany's Henkel. Their investments are in areas including artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, semiconductor materials and equipment, advanced packaging, and renewable energy, and are expected to help strengthen the regions' foundations in advanced industries.

The investment reports have drawn particular attention because they align with the government's balanced growth strategy, known as "5 Mega-Regions and 3 Special Self-Governing Provinces." The government plans to distribute industries and jobs concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area across the regions and foster regional strategic industries to establish new growth hubs.

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