Yisang-il, Mayor of Yongin, "Power and Transportation Networks Must Be Expanded for Yongin Semiconductor Industry"

Attendance at the Joint Meeting of the People Power Party's Energy and AI Semiconductor Special Committees

Lee Sang-il, Mayor of Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province, requested ruling party lawmakers to expand power and transportation networks to ensure the smooth establishment of the semiconductor industrial complex in the Yongin area.

On the 18th, Mayor Lee made this statement while attending a joint meeting of the People Power Party's Energy and AI Semiconductor Special Committee held at the 'Yongin Semiconductor Cluster' site in Wonsam-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin. The Yongin Semiconductor Cluster is home to about 50 semiconductor material, component, and equipment companies centered around SK Hynix.

Yisang-il, Mayor of Yongin City, is requesting support from the ruling party at the joint meeting of the People Power Party's Energy and AI Semiconductor Special Committee held on the 18th at the 'Yongin Semiconductor Cluster' site in Wonsam-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin City.
[Photo by Yongin City]

The meeting was attended by Mayor Lee, Choi Nam-ho, 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Seo Cheol-su, Vice President of Power Systems at Korea Electric Power Corporation. From the People Power Party, Kim Seong-won, Chairman of the Energy Special Committee, Lee In-seon, Secretary, assembly members Koo Ja-geun, Park Hyung-soo, Choi Hyung-doo, Kim So-hee, Kim Jong-yang, Go Dong-jin, Chairman of the AI and Semiconductor Special Committee, and assembly members Song Seok-jun and Lee Seong-gwon participated. Kim Dong-seop, President of SK Hynix, Son Seok-woo, Vice President, and Bang Seong-jong, CEO of Yongin General Industrial Complex, the industrial complex developer, were also present.

At the meeting, Mayor Lee expressed his opinion that "for Yongin City to leap forward as the central city of South Korea's semiconductor industry, various supports for industrial complex development and timely expansion of power grids and transportation infrastructure must be carried out." He emphasized, "To establish the 'Yongin Semiconductor Cluster' and the 'Yongin Idong-Namsa Advanced System Semiconductor Cluster National Industrial Complex,' which will be the core bases of South Korea's semiconductor industry, the power grid, especially the transmission and distribution network, must be laid out as planned without any setbacks. Since building transportation infrastructure is also very important, I ask for the special attention and support of the ruling party lawmakers."

Mayor Lee also stated, "At the public discussion held in Yongin City last March, President Yoon Seok-yeol promised the extension of the Gyeonggang Line, along with the establishment of a semiconductor expressway and the expansion of Local Road No. 57, which are necessary for building the semiconductor industry ecosystem. Although the expansion of National Road No. 17 to six lanes is planned only from Yangji IC to Jisan Resort, if this is extended to Bogeowonsam-ro, it will solve traffic congestion that disrupts logistics and workforce movement," he added.

The assembly members attending the meeting also agreed on the importance of the 'Yongin Semiconductor Cluster,' which will become the central axis of South Korea's semiconductor industry, and promised support and interest at the National Assembly level. To this end, they emphasized the importance of power supply, which is the most urgent issue to be resolved for the growth of the semiconductor industry, and discussed future measures.

Chairman Kim Seong-won said, "Regarding the most important infrastructure of the 'Yongin Semiconductor Cluster,' power supply, we will reflect the opinions from the field and prepare practical measures to provide assistance." Chairman Go Dong-jin also said, "I hope this will be an opportunity to understand what is needed and to prepare measures for full support from the government, National Assembly, and party levels."

Meanwhile, SK Hynix Vice President Jeong Sang-rok said, "Major countries such as the United States and Japan are providing unprecedented subsidies to attract companies in order to enhance their semiconductor industry competitiveness. We ask the National Assembly and government to help South Korea respond to these major competitors."