Tight timeline puts southwestern chip cluster plan at risk
As the Korean government pushes to complete a new 800 trillion won ($532 billion) semiconductor cluster in the country's southwestern region and begin mass production there by 2030 — within President Lee Jae Myung's single five-year term — concerns are growing that the tight timeline could put the entire project at risk. The government stresses that the target is achievable by rolling out measures to address concerns raised by experts over securing sufficient industrial water, power supply, workforce and land, but industry officials argue the timeline is based on the optimistic assumption that every step will proceed without delays. Given that the downside risks are as significant as the scale of the investment, they say the government should allow for greater flexibility rather than becoming overly fixated on its political timetable. According to government officials, the central government is accelerating plans to relocate facilities at Gwangju Military Air Base, the site selected for the semiconductor cluster, to nearby Muan County, South Jeolla Province. It aims to begin the rel
7/13/2026 12:37:03 AM