Ministers are visiting Gwangju to advance the Honam semiconductor mega project.
On October 14, Kang Shin-cheol, the Minister of National Defense, visited the Gwangju military airport and inspected the Air Force's 1st Fighter Wing.
He was briefed by military officials on the current situation at the site.
On October 15, the National Defense Committee is scheduled to conduct an on-site inspection of the 1st Fighter Wing as part of its audit, which is interpreted as a response to concerns raised by the People Power Party regarding security gaps due to the early relocation of the military airport and temporary dispersal of forces.
Earlier, on October 12, Kim Jeong-gwan, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, visited the planned relocation site for the military airport and ammunition depot.
Minister Kim examined the status of the military airport from the control tower and received updates from relevant agencies, including the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), Korea Electric Power Corporation, and Korea Water Resources Corporation, regarding plans for industrial land development and power and water supply.
He also inspected the site designated for the early construction of a semiconductor fab and discussed infrastructure development plans in line with corporate investment schedules.
Speaking to reporters, Kim stated, "As the President described it as a blitz operation, I and the entire Cabinet are working as fast as possible to meet corporate demands."
On October 15, Hong Ji-seon, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, is set to arrive in Gwangju.
She plans to arrive at the Gwangju military airport around 3 p.m. to inspect the planned semiconductor industrial complex site and assess the ammunition depot relocation site and safety zones.
The government's actions are noteworthy in light of the issues raised by the People Power Party.
Members of the People Power Party have been questioning the decisions made by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix regarding investments in the Honam region during audits of the Ministry of Environment, Climate, and Energy, which are key departments for the Honam semiconductor cluster.
Despite the opposition's political attacks, the government is accelerating efforts to secure power, water, and industrial land for the Honam semiconductor project.
On October 13, the Cabinet decided to establish a new director-level organization called the 'Semiconductor Innovation Growth Support Team' to oversee the semiconductor mega project and the implementation of the semiconductor special law.
Previously, President Lee Jae-myung directed on September 29 during a public-private joint inspection meeting for the mega project that the timeline for the temporary relocation of the Gwangju military airport by mid-2028 was too slow and instructed to expedite the schedule.
The government aims to establish four semiconductor fabs by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix on a 2.5 million pyeong site around the Gwangju military airport, with the first fab expected to be completed in 2029 and mass production targeted for 2030.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.