As questions were raised about a potential water shortage tied to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix's semiconductor investments in the Honam region, President Lee Jae-myung pushed back, saying, "Honam has as much water as Yeongnam or the greater Seoul area."
On the 27th, President Lee Jae-myung cited a related article on X (formerly Twitter) and said, "If we put in place the management systems needed for advanced urban development and properly allocate and manage water resources, it has been reviewed as feasible to supply 1 million tons per day of industrial water."
Lee then said about Honam's water resources, "For decades, Honam was managed at the level of an agricultural city for political purposes, leaving water resources unattended," adding, "Samsung and Hynix are not foolish enough to draw up plans for mega-sized plants without review in areas short of the essential water needed for semiconductor production."
Finally, Lee wrote, "Setting aside political positions, I ask for understanding and cooperation on policies for balanced regional development and nationwide mutual growth and coexistence, on which the nation's fate depends."
Meanwhile, five minutes after posting, Lee put up another message on X, saying, "A Buddha's eyes see a Buddha, and a pig's eyes see a pig," and noting, "People often think others will think and act the way they do."
It is seen as a rebuttal to criticism from the opposition, including the People Power Party, that the government is forcing through the construction of semiconductor plants in Honam for political reasons.
A presidential office official said of Lee's post that it was "a matter-of-principle remark."