Korean Lawmakers Criticize Government's Semiconductor Investment in Honam

People Power Party lawmakers representing Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam expressed their discontent on June 30 regarding the government's announcement of semiconductor investments in the Honam region, calling it "political maneuvering and populism."

During a press conference held at the National Assembly, they stated, "Politics should not interfere with the location of national strategic industries under the guise of balanced development."

They emphasized that "semiconductor factories are not built based on public sentiment, nor should they be influenced by a single statement from the president or the political agenda of the ruling party." They argued that once a location is established, it can reshape the national industrial landscape for decades, involving hundreds of trillions of won in corporate investments and substantial taxpayer contributions, necessitating a strict and fair selection process.

The lawmakers criticized the current investment process in the Honam semiconductor industry as lacking transparency, stating, "The announcement was made first, and then the rationale was adjusted later, which is not industrial policy but rather political planning and populism."

They urged the government to clarify why Honam was chosen, what criteria were used for the decision, and how it compared to other regions, including Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam. They warned against using the phrase "corporate autonomy" as a shield to conceal political interference.

Furthermore, they insisted that since national funds are being invested, the process must be subject to scrutiny by the National Assembly and the public. Ignoring such procedures would be reckless, amounting to administrative dictatorship and corporate coercion.

Highlighting the industrial competitiveness of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, they questioned their exclusion from consideration as a core semiconductor production hub. They asked, "Where else can you find a region with a stable power supply and advanced manufacturing capabilities, like the Kori, Shin-Kori, and Saeul nuclear power plants?"

They concluded that using Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam solely as power generation bases while excluding them from future industrial investments is not balanced development but rather regional discrimination. They stressed that the location of national strategic industries should be determined by regional capabilities and competitiveness, not by public sentiment.