Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has sharply criticized the Lee Jae-myung administration's plan for a large-scale semiconductor investment in the Honam region, labeling it a "political rush solely for a strong support base."
On June 26, Oh posted on his Facebook page, titled "The political rush solely for a strong support base, the cost of which will be borne by the people," stating that "the large-scale semiconductor investment in Honam, led by the Blue House, is a privatization of government operations that twists the arms of large companies and infringes on their freedom to operate."
He emphasized that "the irresponsible intervention aimed solely at rallying electoral support ignores the essential conditions for industry survival, such as power, water, and talent acquisition, undermining national competitiveness." The strong support base he referred to appears to be a veiled reference to the Jeolla region.
This criticism comes amid growing backlash from the Yeongnam region and existing semiconductor industry hubs as the government pushes for significant investments from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in Honam.
Previously, lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party in Daegu and Gyeongbuk demanded a reassessment of the project, citing "regional discrimination against Yeongnam," while concerns about an overconcentration of resources in Gwangju have also emerged within the ruling party, escalating regional tensions.
Oh did not limit his criticism to semiconductor investments; he also targeted the government's judicial reform policies.
He stated, "The more serious issue is that the strong support base's animosity toward the prosecution is damaging the nation's judicial system," adding that "if the proposed weakening of supplementary investigative powers, which even the government's advisory committee has expressed concern about, is enforced, it will lead to unchecked poor investigations and increased corruption, with the public bearing the consequences."
He further criticized, "Both the semiconductor industry, a future growth engine, and the judicial justice that protects the people have been reduced to tools for maintaining power, tailored to the tastes of a strong support base."
Oh urged President Lee Jae-myung to "correctly read the public sentiment from the last election," asserting that "what the people are waiting for is not arrogant power games that cater only to a select support base, but fair and capable politics that safeguard the lives of all citizens."
He warned, "If the political rush that harms the public does not stop immediately, the only thing awaiting is a severe reckoning."
Meanwhile, the government's semiconductor investment plan for Honam has sparked simultaneous evaluations as a strategy for national balanced development and criticisms of regional bias within the political arena.
Industry experts argue that decisions regarding the semiconductor industry's location should comprehensively consider factors such as power supply, water resources, talent acquisition, and supply chains.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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