President Lee Jae-myung on the 10th ordered swift government support and streamlined administrative procedures for the "Korea three major mega projects" totaling 4,700 trillion won, saying, "We must go beyond a speed battle and wage a blitzkrieg." In particular, regarding the site of the Gwangju military airport where the "Honam semiconductor cluster" will be located, Lee directed that the work to transfer existing military airport functions be completed by mid-2028.
Lee presided over the "second public-private joint meeting on the three mega projects" at Cheong Wa Dae that day and said, "The Ministry of National Defense should temporarily deploy the Gwangju base functions to another military airport by mid-2028 so the Gwangju military airport site can be used early as a semiconductor industrial complex." Lee added, "Even before the temporary transfer, I hope you will do your best so that construction on the industrial complex near the military airport can begin early."
As the work to transfer the ammunition depot site within the Gwangju military airport is underway, it appears to mean building at least part of the semiconductor fab on the site first. Lee said, "At this stage, the site and infrastructure are more important than anything else," adding, "In the case of the Honam semiconductor cluster, I hope it will be carried out swiftly at a pace comparable to Kumamoto, Japan."
Lee said this mega project is "an achievement built by the capacity of the entire community," adding, "It would be good if each ministry takes care to ensure it is not focused only on specific corporations or specific regions." Lee continued, "The scope of national investment and support should not be limited to the corporations or industries targeted by the three mega projects," and said, "From the start of the projects, we need to consider ways to drive growth for everyone."
◇ They say wage a "blitzkrieg"… but conflicts between regions and ministries pile up
Lee held the second meeting on the mega projects about a month after the first on the 6th of last month. Corporations including Samsung Electronics and SK Group decided to spend 800 trillion won to build four semiconductor fabs in Gwangju, but tasks remain, including establishing a legal basis and resolving differences among relevant ministries and regions. To achieve the "completion within the term" targeted by Cheong Wa Dae, such conflict mediation is urgent.
An internal analysis suggests it will take at least three years to disperse the Air Force's 1st Fighter Wing base within the Gwangju military airport. Because it is tied to operational military functions, careful coordination is required. There are also differences among local governments. The South Jeolla–Gwangju Unified Metropolitan City and Muan County are discussing the "military airport transfer," and Muan County is said to be demanding, as a precondition for accepting the airport, the "integrated transfer of Gwangju Civil Airport to Muan International Airport." The conditions reportedly also include requiring the central government and the unified metropolitan city to provide 1 trillion won in incentives. The unified metropolitan city is expressing reluctance.
A special law to create a mega special zone is also a key issue. To support the three major mega projects, including the Honam semiconductor cluster, the state needs a legal basis. The government is pushing to enact a special law to bundle support for finance, financial services, taxation, infrastructure, workforce, and tech startups. The problem is the significant differences among ministries over "easing labor regulations" to be included in the bill. Led by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI), the government is reviewing an exception to the 52-hour weekly cap for research and development personnel working in the mega special zone, but the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) opposes it, citing the current special extended work system.