Honam semiconductor national industrial complex in fast-track push; Minister Hong Ji-seon inspects Gwangju military airport

[Financial News] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is pulling out all the stops to deliver on time the advanced national industrial complex for semiconductors in the Honam region, planned for the area around Gwangju military airport, in line with companies’ investment schedules.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 15th, Minister Hong Ji-seon visited Gwangju military airport in Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City that day, went up to the control tower and inspected the airport’s facilities and the site as a whole. He then moved to the site earmarked for the relocation of an ammunition depot, which has been cited as a priority development area, and checked conditions there firsthand.
Before that, Minister Hong visited the Air Force’s 1st Fighter Wing, stationed at the military airport, and encouraged its personnel. He urged them, saying, “I am deeply grateful to the Air Force for taking part in this national project by relocating its unit. As the government is making a whole-of-government effort to move the project forward swiftly, the Air Force’s active cooperation is needed.”
The visit was arranged so he could personally oversee this complex, the central pillar of the semiconductor sector among the three mega-projects. It reflects the government’s determination to speed up development of the complex to support the corporate investment plan for semiconductor fabs, worth 800 trillion won, unveiled at the public briefing on June 29.
The project got its start in late July with the designation of a candidate site for a national industrial complex and a preliminary project operator. At the time, following review by the Industrial Location Policy Deliberation Committee, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport first designated about 2.5 million pyeong around Gwangju military airport as a candidate site. The designation followed a request from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, based on demand from Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and SK hynix. Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), selected as the preliminary project operator, had set a goal of cutting the bidding period for the survey and design service—which typically takes around 107 days—to 58 days, and had scheduled design work to begin in the first week of October.
Discussions over the size of the site are also continuing. At the public briefing in June, the government announced plans to build four memory fabs in the southwest region and develop it into a “second semiconductor production base.” Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and SK hynix are reportedly each planning to build two fabs on the military airport site. Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City believes the site could accommodate as many as 8–10 fabs, and at the second public-private joint review meeting on mega-projects, held in August, the government also decided to seek additional sites outside the military airport.
After touring the site, Minister Hong stressed, “The key is to develop the industrial complex site at an unprecedented pace in line with companies’ investment schedules and provide it in time. We plan to secure sufficient land by actively reflecting companies’ needs as we draw up the industrial complex plan.” He continued, “We will also press ahead without disruption with projects to expand connecting transport links and improve living conditions, so that corporate investment can lead to real growth in the region. Relevant agencies are doing their utmost to ensure the timely provision of key infrastructure, including power and water, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will actively cooperate.”

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