Lee Jung-hyun, former candidate for the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special Mayor from the People Power Party, said on the 27th, "I agree with verifying the Honam semiconductor plan, but it should not head in a direction that discourages the start of verification itself." Lee is a conservative politician from Honam who lost in the June 3 local elections.
On the day, the former candidate posted a note on social media (SNS) titled "An appeal to Na Kyung-won, Lee Jun-seok, Jang Dong-hyeok, and Han Dong-hoon," saying, "Verification should not head in a direction that discourages the start of verification itself. Honam has waited too long."
In conservative political circles, concerns have been raised over the possibility of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix investing in semiconductors in Honam, citing issues such as "state-controlled economy" and "political pressure." The conservative figures the former candidate pointed to have done the same.
The former candidate said, "You four expressed concerns and cautious views on feasibility, the announcement process, the official stance of corporations, and regional balance," adding, "I also believe verification is absolutely necessary."
He went on, "For nearly 60 years since industrialization and almost 40 years since democratization, Korea's large-scale private investment has been concentrated in the capital area, the Chungcheong region, and Yeongnam," adding, "Local residents had hopes, but they did not feel results that matched their expectations."
The former candidate also said, "The question politics in Korea should be asking now is not why Honam," adding, "What politics should do is create conditions for investment, not fuel suspicion."
He continued, "Now we should also cheer for Honam's growth," arguing, "When the regional economy revives, corporations come in, and young people get jobs, politics will become competitive, and that will be an opportunity for conservatives and help for Korea's democracy."
The former candidate said, "Honam has waited long enough for the past 60 years," adding, "Let conservatives be the first to welcome corporate investment in Honam, the first to support youth jobs in Honam, and the first to help build Honam's industrialization together."