Lee Sang-il, mayor of Yongin, Gyeonggi, said on the 25th that "the president, the government and the Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) are responsible" for the Samsung Electronics Yongin semiconductor national industrial complex site development project falling behind schedule.
Issuing a statement that day, the mayor said, "The project to develop the national industrial complex site has been delayed far beyond the original plan since the launch of the current administration."
According to the mayor, the Yongin national industrial complex site development project was originally planned to go out for bid early this year and begin site development around June. But as of the end of this month, even the bid notice has not been issued.
On this, the mayor said, "The responsibility for dragging its feet lies with the president and the government, which have stood by without promptly resolving the wavering over the Yongin national industrial complex, and with LH, which, while making the excuse that there is no president of the corporation, has not once properly raised its voice to ask the president to appoint a president quickly."
He added, "The president should promptly appoint the LH president, the project implementer, so that LH can quickly issue the bid notice to start the development of zones 1 and 2 of the national industrial complex site."
The mayor also said, "The Yongin semiconductor national industrial complex, into which Samsung Electronics plans to invest 360 trillion won, is the result of citizens striving with all their might to protect it," adding, "Since December last year, attempts by some in the ruling bloc to obstruct the creation of the Yongin advanced system semiconductor national industrial complex were thwarted by the strong opposition fight of citizens alongside the mayor." The driving force behind Samsung Electronics investing in the Yongin national industrial complex as originally planned, he said, is thanks to the efforts of local citizens.
A day earlier, on the 24th, the mayor said he had confirmed with a top-level official at Samsung Electronics that "there will be no local relocation of the Yongin national industrial complex."
The mayor said, "I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who has worked to make citizens' voices heard in various ways, including holding candlelight rallies in the dead of winter and organizing signature campaigns, to protect the Yongin national industrial complex."
He continued, "Since taking office in the eighth popularly elected term, we have worked hard to advance the Yongin national industrial complex, and having it fully developed as planned is desirable not only for the semiconductor industry, the backbone of the national economy, but also for the future of the country and Yongin," adding, "Now relevant agencies and others must pool their strength so this project can pick up speed."