en.Wedoany.com Reported - Kim Yong-beom, senior presidential secretary for policy, stated that discussions on building a semiconductor cluster outside the Seoul metropolitan area have entered the final stage, and an official announcement is expected after finalizing detailed plans with participating companies. This marks the first official confirmation by the presidential office that multiple regions, including the Honam area, are under consideration.
Speaking at the Kwanhun Club forum held at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on June 24, Kim Yong-beom addressed the possibility of semiconductor investments by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in regional areas, noting that companies, various ministries, and the government are in discussions regarding facility site selection.
Kim added that the discussions are now in their final phase, and once the plan is confirmed, arrangements will be made for companies and relevant ministries to brief the public. He dismissed speculation that the Yongin semiconductor cluster might be relocated to the Honam region, and stated that as the era of artificial intelligence (AI) drives rapid growth in memory chip demand, infrastructure in the Seoul metropolitan area is nearing its limits, prompting the government to proactively develop another cluster to meet future needs.
Kim emphasized that there is absolutely no plan to relocate facilities under development in the Yongin semiconductor cluster to the Honam region or to alter existing plans, and that waiting until Yongin is fully built before starting development on the next site would be too late, necessitating preparations starting now. Building a new semiconductor manufacturing plant typically takes seven to eight years, and the Yongin cluster is expected to approach capacity limits around 2034 to 2035.
Kim called on major chipmakers to accelerate their investment timelines, noting that SK hynix has moved its original 2044 plan forward to 2034, but progress should be further expedited, and Samsung Electronics should also advance its current plan, which extends to 2048, to around 2034 or 2035.
Industry sources anticipate that Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will unveil details of regional semiconductor investments at a government-private meeting on "National Spatial Transformation (Balanced Regional Development)" chaired by President Lee Jae-myung on June 29. Regions currently under consideration include Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, and parts of the Chungcheong region, with discussions covering advanced packaging facilities and front-end wafer fabrication plants.
The industry had previously expected a focus on back-end packaging investments, but reports indicate the plan has expanded to include front-end manufacturing facilities to maximize regional industrial clustering effects. Potential sites surveyed by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix include: Advanced Industrial Zone 3 covering Buk-gu, Gwangju and Jangseong County, South Jeolla Province; the Future Mobility National Industrial Complex; the Bitgreen Industrial Complex; and a plot in Gwangsan-gu currently used as an ammunition depot by the First Fighter Wing. According to industry sources, preliminary assessments of water and electricity supply, transportation infrastructure, and living conditions at these four sites have been completed.
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