"Minister Must Take the Lead in Resolving Power Grid Issues"
On December 30, National Assembly members from the Yongin region of the Democratic Party of Korea criticized Kim Sung-hwan, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment, for his remarks regarding the potential relocation of the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster, stating that "there was a lack of prudence." Regarding the issue of establishing a power grid, they urged, "Please pay more attention to persuading local government heads to resolve the power grid issue."
Democratic Party lawmakers Lee Eonju, Lee Sangsik, Son Myungsoo, and Boo Seungchan held a press conference that day, pointing out, "Recently, Minister Kim Sung-hwan of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment made comments suggesting a possible relocation, reigniting controversy and causing confusion and concern among Yongin citizens, Gyeonggi Province residents, and the South Korean economy as a whole."
They emphasized, "The issue of relocating the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster is not simply a matter limited to Yongin, but a national agenda that will determine the fate of the entire national economy. Given the time-sensitive nature of the semiconductor industry, we are concerned about the significant damage that unnecessary and uneconomical controversy and resulting delays in the project could inflict on South Korea."
Regarding Minister Kim's remarks, they criticized, "It is a fundamental error for a minister, whose duty is to support industry, to undermine a national strategic industry on the grounds of renewable energy." They added, "If there are concerns about the power grid for the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster, there are other actions Minister Kim Sung-hwan should be taking. The delay in establishing the power grid is due to the mayor of Hanam not consenting to the installation of a substation. As the head of the ministry responsible for energy, rather than dividing the capital and non-capital regions into a zero-sum game and escalating conflict, we urge you to focus more on persuading local government heads to resolve the power grid issue."
The Yongin region lawmakers declared, "We firmly oppose any attempt to artificially relocate the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster," and "We strongly demand that the government take the necessary measures to dispel unnecessary controversy regarding the relocation of the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster."
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