South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is set to leverage the booming semiconductor industry to promote balanced regional and generational development.
According to reports from the political and business sectors on June 23, President Lee is expected to meet with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong soon to discuss investment plans in key regions, including Honam.
In addition to Chairman Lee, President Lee is reportedly reaching out to other major corporate leaders, including SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, to exchange views on fostering the artificial intelligence (AI) industry and promoting regional balanced development.
A comprehensive blueprint for large-scale industrial investments centered on regional participation is anticipated to be announced in the near future.
During a press conference marking his first anniversary in office on June 8, President Lee stated, "We will soon unveil a large-scale investment project aimed at a significant shift in growth strategy to the public."
The Blue House is also focusing on intergenerational balanced growth. Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik emphasized during a senior aide meeting that the expected surplus from the semiconductor boom should be invested in projects for future generations.
Kang proposed a broad discussion on fiscal reform tasks aimed at future generations, warning that if pressing issues are not addressed due to social controversies, the burden on future generations could become unmanageable.
He stressed the need for both current and future generations to share the burden of national governance equitably and called for rational alternatives from the perspectives of national interest and future generations to secure investment resources.
Kang also urged that opportunities for future generations to participate directly in the policy-making process should be adequately ensured. Additionally, he addressed recent incidents, including the death of a reserve soldier during training last month and a food poisoning outbreak at a reserve training center in Seocho-gu, stating, "How do you think young people perceive the state, government, and military?" He strongly criticized relevant departments for these issues.
Kang remarked, "The places where young people go to dedicate their time and efforts for the nation and community should not be filled with distrust," and instructed the Office of the Minister of National Defense and related departments to thoroughly review not only food service and hygiene but also the entire reserve training system from the ground up.
Furthermore, regarding the recent arrest of employers involved in the abuse and confinement of workers at a salt farm in Jeonnam, Kang expressed his "deep shame and sorrow" that labor exploitation and human rights violations, similar to those in the 2014 and 2021 incidents involving salt farm workers in Sinan County, have reoccurred in 2026.
He called on the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the National Police Agency to investigate the employment conditions at salt farms nationwide to identify similar cases and develop effective measures to prevent recurrence.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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