President Lee Jae-myung said on the 25th that he would unveil a large-scale investment blueprint to foster advanced core industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors in the provinces to overcome the capital area's single-pole structure. Cheong Wa Dae will host the "Korea great leap three mega projects national briefing" on the 29th, where Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are expected to announce a 400 trillion won semiconductor investment plan in the Honam region and the government's support measures.
At a senior secretaries' meeting that afternoon, Lee said, "The astounding growth effects of some industries have not spread to the provinces, which account for 90% of the land, and in terms of balanced development, the gap in inequality could deepen much further," adding, "If we do not overcome the single-pole structure in which the capital area sucks in everything, the typhoon of positive change we are experiencing now could subside to a mere breeze in an instant and could turn into a storm of crisis that is hard to even imagine."
He went on, "To overcome the capital area's single-pole structure, a groundbreaking strategy to diversify strategic industries by expanding large-scale investment in advanced core industries to Yeongnam, Chungcheong, Gangwon, Jeju, and Honam is essential," adding, "We will further advance the core backbone infrastructure of the capital area as it is, and at the same time build new industrial and economic bases across the provinces to open an era in which the capital area and the provinces 'win-win.'"
He added, "We will soon report a concrete blueprint to the public," and said, "We will also expedite amendments to the law to provide more opportunities to provinces that have so far been left out, across finance, industry, and the building of economic infrastructure."
Earlier, on the 19th, after wrapping up a tour of Europe, Lee met Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group. SK Group is reviewing investment in AI data centers and the semiconductor sector, and discussions were held at the meeting from the perspective of balanced national development, according to accounts. Lee is also known to be scheduled to meet Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong on the 25th. A ruling-party official said, "I understand the meeting was arranged to conduct a final check ahead of next week's announcement of Samsung's large-scale investment project."