Lee Sang-il, mayor of Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, said on the 24th regarding recent reports that Samsung Electronics will carry out large-scale semiconductor investments in regions such as Honam and Chungcheong, "I confirmed from the top ranks in the decision-making line of the Samsung Electronics semiconductor institutional sector that there will never be a transfer of any part of the production lines (fabs) of the Yongin advanced system semiconductor national industrial complex to the provinces."
On this day, the mayor said, "Residents in Yongin and the southern Gyeonggi region, including Pyeongtaek, Hwaseong, and Anseong, are worried," adding the above.
The mayor also said, "Investment decisions are made by corporations, and Samsung Electronics knows well the fact that Yongin citizens, together with the mayor, have waged a heated struggle to protect the Yongin national industrial complex, so there will be no disappointing the citizens of Yongin."
The mayor added, "Samsung Electronics is well aware that Yongin citizens, together with me, have responded strongly to the continued attempts by those in power to shake things up, such as proposals to transfer part of the Samsung Electronics fab in the Yongin national industrial complex to Honam," and said, "Samsung Electronics has made it clear that there will be no occurrence of disappointing such Yongin citizens."
He went on, "An announcement that Samsung Electronics, together with SK hynix, will make large-scale investments in other provinces will come before long," adding, "As long as the semiconductor national industrial complex already underway in Yongin is not downsized nor its investment plan reduced, Yongin has no reason to oppose new investments in other provinces, so I ask Yongin citizens to watch the investment plan to be announced soon with a calm mind." Because it is an investment proceeding separately from the Yongin area, it is also separate from the semiconductor national industrial complex.
The mayor again emphasized that Samsung's provincial investment is a group-level investment decision. He said, "Samsung is expected to express its position that it will make large-scale investments in the Honam, Chungcheong, and Yeongnam regions, which is a group-level investment decision," and added, "When such investments are announced, I hope the president and the government will state their position so that no further attempts are made to shake the Yongin semiconductor national industrial complex."
The mayor also said that, with large-scale investments by semiconductor corporations in the region foreseen, administrative support should be expedited. He said, "The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) should speed up site preparation work for the Samsung Electronics Yongin national industrial complex," and added, "The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment needs to show movement to implement the phase-two power supply plan for the national industrial complex."