'Emergency Meeting on Establishing a Semiconductor Mega Cluster in the Central Region
Training 10,000 Semiconductor Specialists and Accelerating the Semiconductor Shared University Project'
After the government announced its plan to establish the 'Semiconductor Mega Cluster in the Seoul Metropolitan Area,' Gangwon Province and Wonju City have launched an all-out battle for the 'Extension of the Cluster Belt to Wonju.'
Following President Yoon Seok-yeol's visit to the Buron General Industrial Complex in Wonju City last May as a president-elect, where he stated, "It would be good for Wonju to be included in the Central Region Semiconductor Cluster and move forward together," Gangwon Province and Wonju City find themselves caught in a mix of anticipation and concern.
Gangwon Province Governor Kim Jin-tae held a meeting on semiconductor mega cluster development measures for the central region of Wonju at the Gangwon Provincial Office on the 16th. [Photo by Gangwon Province]
According to Gangwon Province on the 17th, the province and Wonju City held an emergency countermeasure meeting at the Gangwon Provincial Office on the 16th to discuss measures for establishing the 'Central Region Semiconductor Mega Cluster,' including Wonju.
The focus of the meeting was on extending the 'Seoul Metropolitan Area Semiconductor Mega Cluster' belt, which connects Yongin, Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, Giheung, and Icheon, to Wonju, which is within a 30-minute distance from Icheon.
This is interpreted as a response to concerns that, given the government's and Samsung's strong investment intentions in the metropolitan area, semiconductor-related companies might concentrate there, potentially putting Wonju's semiconductor cluster at a disadvantage in attracting businesses.
There are also calls for establishing a new strategy as the time approaches to attract around 1,000 semiconductor-related companies to Wonju.
The province and Wonju City have begun formulating strategies that highlight advantages such as plans for developing new sites for the semiconductor cluster, abundant water and electricity resources favorable for infrastructure supply, and direct connections via the Yeongdong Expressway and KTX railway.
In the next ten years, plans are expected to accelerate for building a semiconductor education center to train 10,000 semiconductor specialists and for a semiconductor shared university project involving seven universities within the province.
The amendment to the Gangwon Special Act includes regulatory improvements to enhance the competitiveness of industrial complexes and respond to corporate investment demands such as environmental factors, and preparations are underway to establish a testbed supporting technological innovation and market entry for semiconductor companies.
On May 4th last year, President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol visited the Buron Industrial Complex in Wonju, Gangwon Province, and spoke with attendees. Photo by Kim Hyun-min
The province plans to make every effort to expand the Seoul Metropolitan Area Semiconductor Mega Cluster into Gangwon Province through these advantages and systematic preparations.
Attendees at the meeting included Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon Province; Jeong Gwang-yeol, Deputy Governor for Economic Affairs; Yoon In-jae, Director of Gangwon Province Industry Bureau; Won Gang-su, Mayor of Wonju City; Lee Byung-chul, Director of Wonju City Economic Bureau; and Heo Jang-hyun, Director of Gangwon Technopark.
The province and Wonju City plan to convey the discussions from this meeting to the government and major companies.
Earlier, on the 15th, the government announced a plan through the '14th Emergency Economic and Livelihood Meeting' to attract private investment worth 300 trillion won to the Seoul Metropolitan Area centered on Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province, by 2042, establishing a 'Semiconductor Mega Cluster.'
The Yongin semiconductor cluster plans to build five advanced semiconductor manufacturing fabs and attract up to 150 companies, including excellent domestic and international materials, parts, and equipment (MPE) and fabless (semiconductor design) companies.
Resident companies in the cluster will receive benefits such as acquisition tax and property tax reductions and simplified permit procedures. Alongside the establishment of an advanced industrial complex, the plan aims to secure technological capabilities in advanced industries through research and development (R&D) support and talent cultivation.
Samsung, which announced the 300 trillion won investment plan in Yongin, intends to build manufacturing plants in the Yongin cluster and develop memory, foundry, and R&D facilities in the Hwaseong-Giheung belt, positioning Pyeongtaek and Yongin as core bases for advanced memory and foundry.
In addition, Samsung has announced plans to invest 60 trillion won in semiconductor industries outside the metropolitan area, including Busan, Cheonan, and Gwangju.
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