Citizens' committee for successful development of Honam semiconductor cluster gets underway

[Financial News, Jeonnam-Gwangju = Reporter Hwang Tae-jong] A citizens' committee to help successfully build the Honam semiconductor cluster is now officially launching.
According to the Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the 24th, the launch ceremony for the Citizens’ Committee for the Successful Development of the Honam Semiconductor Cluster was held that day in the chamber's seventh-floor conference room.
The committee will work to build broad public consensus and secure strong support across the region for corporate investment and the creation of an industrial ecosystem needed for the successful development of the Honam semiconductor cluster, which is being promoted jointly by the government and companies. It is expected to expand into a co-chair system involving figures from business, industry, education, labor and civil society, evolving into a citizens-led framework that the entire region can drive together.
The ceremony was attended by about 200 people from across the region, including Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Han Sang-won, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Mayor Min Hyung-bae, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City Council Speaker Song Hyung-gon, local lawmakers, and representatives from business, labor, administration, the assembly, education, research, the media, civil society and finance.
In his opening remarks, Han said, "We must break the vicious cycle in which young people from our region leave for the Seoul metropolitan area in search of jobs," adding, "We must make this precious opportunity of the semiconductor cluster a success so that our beloved children can pursue their dreams and hopes in their hometown, and the local community must join forces to make Jeonnam-Gwangju a business-friendly region and a center of future industries."
In a congratulatory speech, Min said, "I deeply appreciate the launch of the citizens' committee to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will awaken the spirit of Jeolla's thousand-year history," and added, "Jeonnam-Gwangju's administration will provide full support so that it does not lag behind the pace of corporate investment, and I will do everything I can to ensure that this great turning point leads to successful results."
After Han declared the committee launched, the main event featured eight representatives from across the region taking the stage to read a joint declaration for the successful development of the Honam semiconductor cluster. The declaration included eight key action tasks: expanding public consensus, nurturing talent, promoting labor-management coexistence, building infrastructure, increasing investment, creating jobs, strengthening regional cooperation and making a leap toward the future.
At the joint signing ceremony that followed, eight representatives from across the region, including Han, Special Mayor Min, Speaker Song, Yoon Jong-hae, chairman of the Gwangju regional headquarters of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, and Lee Jong-wook, head of the Gwangju regional headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, took the stage and joined the signing.
Immediately after the signing, representatives of the two major labor federations said in on-site remarks that labor will also actively cooperate to ensure the success of the Honam semiconductor cluster, the creation of an industrial ecosystem based on labor-management coexistence, and the creation of quality jobs.
A success-pledging performance was also held, with 10 participants representing the National Assembly, the media, finance, business, religion, education, civil society and youth.
The chamber plans to gather regional views and respond jointly to major issues raised during the cluster-building process, including improving conditions for corporate investment, expanding local companies' participation in the semiconductor industry, nurturing talent, creating jobs and expanding infrastructure.
It also plans to maintain ongoing communication with the government, the National Assembly, companies and related institutions, while actively proposing necessary policies. At the same time, it will continue to unite regional capabilities so that the Honam semiconductor cluster can establish itself as a new growth engine for the region and a new pillar of growth for South Korea's semiconductor industry.
Meanwhile, Chung Eui-seung, chairman of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Semiconductor Strategy Committee and a former CTO of Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions Division, delivered a special lecture on "The Semiconductor Industry and the Vision for the Honam Semiconductor Cluster." Chung emphasized Honam's infrastructure in power, water and talent, saying, "We must build a 'semiconductor triangle' that combines production, energy and materials, parts and equipment to create large-scale investment and direct employment, and develop Honam into a new growth axis."
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