President Lee Jae Myung has called for the rapid advancement of South Korea’s government-led semiconductor cluster and artificial intelligence (AI) investment initiatives, stressing the need to speed up administrative processes. At a meeting with senior officials and executives from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, he highlighted the importance of eliminating bureaucratic delays to maintain the nation’s competitive edge in emerging technologies.
The government recently announced the “three mega projects,” focusing on expansive investments in semiconductors, physical AI, and AI data centers. A key element of this strategy involves creating a semiconductor production cluster in the southwestern Honam region, with Samsung and SK committing a combined investment of 800 trillion won (approximately US$522 billion).
Lee emphasized that accelerating these projects is critical amid heated global competition and the fast-evolving AI landscape. He urged that all mandatory administrative reviews, including environmental impact assessments, be streamlined and conducted in parallel rather than sequentially to prevent investment delays. Additionally, he called for immediate action to secure essential utilities such as electricity and water, ensuring the infrastructure keeps pace with the project timeline.
The president also tasked government and corporate officials with quickly finalizing site selections for the investment projects to avoid unnecessary hold-ups. This proactive approach aims to allow companies to focus entirely on investments and operations without administrative bottlenecks.