[Editorial] What Are a Café Owner and a Doctor Doing on the Honam Semiconductor Review Panel?

A project to invest 6 trillion won in public funds to develop infrastructure for the Honam Semiconductor Cluster is getting off to a shaky start. Most notably, semiconductor experts are conspicuously absent from the committee that will review the project. The government should reassess the committee’s composition. It plans to spend 1.5 trillion won annually from next year through 2030 on infrastructure development, support for tenant companies, and workforce training.
The Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Support Committee under the Office of the Prime Minister, which will review the project, has 35 members: 19 government officials and 16 private-sector members. Yet reportedly, among the three private-sector members representing industry are a dessert café owner and an orthopedic surgeon. Although the project concerns infrastructure rather than factories, they are ill-suited to reviewing a semiconductor project. Their appointment is enough to raise suspicions that political motives may have been at play. The National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts also raised the issue. The National Assembly Budget Office likewise said that measures to bolster expertise should be considered.
Semiconductors are a pillar of our economy. Buoyed by strong semiconductor exports, the current account surplus reached $60 billion in September. The semiconductor industry is also one in which markets fluctuate sharply depending on technology and business conditions. Without a grasp of technological and market trends, it is difficult for a review to ensure the project’s success.
A cluster cannot be completed simply by preparing the site. The government must assess whether the infrastructure will make companies want to move in, and whether the necessary workforce can be secured. The government’s holding of a second review meeting on integrated water supply for the Yongin semiconductor industrial complex on the 5th, reflects the fact that basic requirements such as water supply can determine a project’s success or failure. Such assessments are difficult to make without experts who understand manufacturing processes and supply chains.
Of course, local businesspeople and university representatives can take part in regional projects. Employment, education, and environmental issues are intertwined, so the views of people on the ground should also be heard. But broadening consultation and ensuring expertise in the core review body are separate matters.
Samsung’s entry into the semiconductor business offers lessons. From former chairman Lee Kun-hee’s acquisition of Korea Semiconductor in 1974 to founder Lee Byung-chul’s “Tokyo Declaration” in 1983 and the completion of the Giheung plant in 1984, the effort took a full 10 years of preparation. Before making the declaration, Lee reportedly spent about three years meeting experts at home and abroad and visiting semiconductor sites overseas to learn about the industry. The conviction built on expert advice enabled him to push ahead despite fierce opposition.
This is not an argument for slowing things down. Infrastructure such as electricity and water must be built quickly to match companies’ investment schedules. But the faster the pace, the more essential expertise is to set the right course. The government should strengthen the private-sector membership with people experienced in semiconductor research and production, as well as in industry-academia collaboration. Reviews by specialist institutions and external evaluations should also be made mandatory.
Budget allocations should be based on the likelihood of attracting companies, plans to secure workers, the utilization of infrastructure, and links to private investment. The 6 trillion won is not money to be spent solely in the name of balanced regional development. The National Assembly should examine the committee’s improvement plan during its budget review. The larger the budget, the more important it is to avoid political allocation and manage it by rigorous standards.