Lawmaker backs Honam region as top site for Samsung, SK Hynix semiconductor factories

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Gae-ho, who represents South Jeolla Province's Damyang, Hampyeong, Yeonggwang and Jangseong constituencies, on Wednesday welcomed media reports that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are pursuing plans to build semiconductor factories in the Honam region. He called the move "an extraordinary measure that fully reflects the Lee Jae-myung government's governing philosophy of balanced regional development," and said Cheomdan District 3, spanning Gwangju and Jangseong, is "the optimal site" for the production facilities.

In a statement released Wednesday, Lee said bringing semiconductor factories to Honam is "a sure card that simultaneously achieves three policy goals: breaking through power grid bottlenecks, advancing balanced national development, and expanding renewable energy acceptance." He added that Honam, with its abundant renewable energy resources, is "the only domestic alternative capable of realizing the principle of local production and local consumption and leading global companies to achieve RE100."

Lee cited location policies adopted by major economies as supporting evidence. He said the United States and Europe are already placing semiconductor factories and data centers near renewable energy production sites, and that TSMC's nationwide dispersal of production bases in Taiwan and Samsung Electronics' operation of a factory in Xi'an, China, align with the global trend toward balanced regional development.

He also argued that Cheomdan District 3 offers ideal conditions. "Cheomdan District 3 already has a stable power grid and abundant water resources," he said, adding that last year's ground-breaking of the Pine Data Center demonstrated the area's capacity to supply large-scale power and industrial water.

Lee said the zone could generate immediate synergies by combining with the dense semiconductor materials and components ecosystem and AI infrastructure already concentrated in the surrounding area.

"At a time when high-performance semiconductor packaging technology has emerged as a core competitive edge, the area also excels in talent supply," Lee said. He noted that Cheomdan District 3 is home to a strong research network — including the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Chonnam National University and Korea Electric Power Corporation University — alongside AI data center and mobility infrastructure, enabling a steady pipeline of highly skilled, field-ready professionals.