[Report] "The Atmosphere of Anseong Will Change Once the Semiconductor Complex Is Established"

Visiting the Planned Site of the Specialized Materials and Components Complex 'Dongsin Industrial Complex'
Despite Being 1.5 km from City Hall, Most of the Area Is Farmland

'515-2, Dongsin-ri, Bogae-myeon, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do.' This is the representative lot number of the Anseong Dongsin Industrial Complex, which was designated last month as a specialized complex for semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment (SoBuJang).

When the reporter visited the area on the afternoon of the 21st, wide fields and paddies stretched out on both sides of the two-lane road. Only about 20 rural houses and a few small factories along the roadside were visible, with no sign of human footsteps. There was not a single banner, which is usually found in development sites. However, this place is scheduled to be transformed into a representative semiconductor SoBuJang belt specialized complex in the southern metropolitan area by 2030.

From fields to SoBuJang specialized complex... "The urban atmosphere will change"

A panoramic view of Dongsin-ri, Bogae-myeon, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi, where the Dongsin Industrial Complex is being established. Apart from small settlements and factories, most of the area consists of vast rice paddies and fields. Photo by Jeong Duhwan

Although it is only about 1.5 km from Anseong City Hall, the area around the planned industrial complex has not yet been touched by development. Most of it is designated as an agricultural promotion area. The total planned area is 1.57 million square meters. The Korea Industrial Complex Corporation under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will be responsible for the project implementation.

With the designation of Dongsin Industrial Complex as a semiconductor SoBuJang specialized complex, the government will support infrastructure costs such as water and electricity, and the approval procedures will be simplified by lifting the agricultural promotion area designation, enabling rapid project progress.

Residents' expectations are high. Resident A said, "There are five industrial complexes, but they are far from advanced industries," adding, "If a semiconductor-related industrial complex is established, the atmosphere will change, won't it?"

Weak transportation network... Will the complex development of Anseong Station change the map?

A visitor at a real estate agency near the planned site of Dongsin Industrial Complex in Anseong City is looking at a map of the development area.
[Anseong=Photo by Jeong Duhwan]

To the northwest of Dongsin Industrial Complex is the Yongin Idong-Namsa System Semiconductor National Industrial Complex, recently selected as an advanced national industrial specialized complex, and to the north is the Wonsam-myeon Yongin Semiconductor Cluster. Both are about 30 km away.

However, the transportation network is weak. Although it is an urgent local government, it is strongly perceived as an agricultural city, and with a population of only 189,400 (as of July), the infrastructure is relatively weak. It connects to the Gyeongbu Expressway via the Nam Anseong IC on the Pyeongtaek-Jecheon Expressway, but severe bottlenecks occur during commuting hours, and National Road No. 38 is the only major arterial road.

Notably, it is the only local government in the metropolitan area without a railway station. Because of this, there is great anticipation for the opening of 'Anseong Station.' Anseong Station is the junction of the Hwaseong Dongtan-Cheongju Airport railway and the Pyeongtaek-Icheon Bubal railway. Mayor Kim Bora of Anseong proposed during last year's local elections a plan to develop 4 million square meters around Anseong Station into a complex station area. The semiconductor SoBuJang specialized complex in Dongsin Industrial Complex is also part of the complex development plan around Anseong Station.

Land prices doubled in one year, transactions halved

Although the industrial complex development has been confirmed, the surrounding real estate offices appeared quiet. Many offices were firmly closed even during the day. A representative of C Real Estate Office in the area said, "There are about 450 real estate offices in Anseong city, but about half are practically closed."

Land transaction statistics also show a clear contraction this year. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's real transaction disclosure system, the average monthly land transactions in Bogae-myeon were 66.2 last year, but dropped to 36.2 this year, nearly halving.

However, land prices are rising due to expectations for the SoBuJang specialized complex development. Jo Se-yeon, head of New Anseong Real Estate Office, said, "Land prices have nearly doubled in one year," adding, "Around the planned industrial complex, rice paddies go for about 1 million KRW per 3.3 square meters, and fields for about 2 million KRW." He also added, "Because the conditions for purchasing farmland are very strict and much of the land is designated as a land transaction permission zone, transactions are almost nonexistent."