On the 21st, banners reading "resolute opposition to the transfer of the semiconductor cluster" and "strongly demand seamless promotion of the semiconductor cluster" were seen all over the streets around Yongin City Hall and Myongji University.
Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is like the heart of Korea's semiconductor industry. Semiconductor clusters for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are also being built in Yongin. But as talk recently emerged in the ruling party about a transfer of the semiconductor cluster to Saemangeum, local sentiment appeared on edge. Voters were weighing whether to elect Lee Sang-il, a former mayor from the People Power Party, or the ruling party's candidate Hyun Geun-taek, debating which choice would benefit the local economy.
Poll results are still neck and neck. In a survey of 503 Yongin residents aged 18 and older conducted on the 17th-18th by polling firm Daily Research commissioned by Joongbu Ilbo, Hyun Geun-taek polled at 46.7% and Lee Sang-il at 43.7%. The gap between the two is 3.0 percentage points, a dead heat within the margin of error (±4.4 percentage points).
Kim, a 63-year-old woman who runs a rice cake shop at Yongin Traditional Market, said, "Once the semiconductor plant starts running, Yongin's local commercial district will revive like Icheon." Tax revenue for Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, where SK hynix has its headquarters, is 618.2 billion won for 2025, about double 2024's 311.1 billion won. Kim said, "We need to finish the infrastructure work and get the plant operating as soon as possible so the transfer rumors will disappear."
Lee, a 75-year-old woman who runs a side dish shop in the market, also said, "People keep saying the semiconductor plant should be transferred to Jeolla and Saemangeum," adding, "Yongin residents must protect the semiconductor plant." She went on, "Over the past four years, Mayor Lee Sang-il not only handled the semiconductor plant but also paid off Yongin Light Rail's debt," and said, "I want to give the hard-working candidate Lee Sang-il one more chance."
By contrast, citizens encountered at Giheung Station nodded at Democratic Party candidate Hyun Geun-taek's strategy of a "powerful ruling-party mayor." Gu, a 50-year-old man who runs a restaurant in front of Giheung Station, said, "As President Lee Jae-myung's term passes the one-year mark, full-fledged policies will begin," adding, "Hyun is the president's closest aide and could receive strong support."
It also helps that Hyun was the attorney who handled the long-standing Yongin Light Rail residents' lawsuit. Park, a 41-year-old woman met in a shopping area in front of Myongji University, said, "Some people are trying to frame this as a contest between a Yongin native and a Jeju native," adding, "It was Hyun Geun-taek who led the residents' lawsuit over the Yongin Light Rail for more than 10 years and brought victory."
Beyond evaluations of the individual candidates, some said the Lee Jae-myung administration needs a brake. Jeon, a 40-year-old man met in front of Yongin University, said, "Whichever candidate wins, the semiconductor cluster will be protected for the next election." But Jeon added, "If the Democratic Party also wins these local elections, there will be no brake if the Lee Jae-myung administration goes off the rails, which is unsettling."
The poll cited in the article was conducted using 100% wireless telephone automated response (ARS). The response rate was 4.6%, with a margin of sampling error of ±4.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. For details, see the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.