First field visit since taking office focuses on powering semiconductor cluster
Min Hyeong-bae, mayor of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City, visited Korea Electric Power headquarters on Wednesday — his first field visit since taking office — to review power supply and grid construction plans for the semiconductor cluster and strengthen cooperation on building the foundation for future advanced industries.
The briefing session was attended by Mayor Min, Korea Electric Power Executive Vice President for Power Systems Kim Jae-gun and other officials. They reviewed semiconductor power supply plans, transmission and substation expansion plans, and summer power supply and demand response systems, and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation.
Participants particularly agreed that stable power supply and preemptive grid expansion are paramount to building the semiconductor cluster on schedule. The two sides agreed to cooperate on establishing an energy foundation to support future advanced industries such as AI and semiconductors, drawing on the integrated special city's abundant renewable energy resources and strong power supply capacity.
Korea Electric Power shared its plans for stable power supply aligned with semiconductor production schedules, transmission and substation expansion plans, and the current status of power infrastructure development. The utility also briefed officials on power supply and demand management measures ahead of rising summer electricity demand and heat waves, safety inspections of transmission and substation facilities, and the status of emergency response systems.
"Samsung and SK Group plan to invest 800 trillion won ($515 billion) in the Honam region to build four semiconductor fabrication plants," Mayor Min said. "Alongside a strong push for speed, stable power supply from Korea Electric Power is the key challenge."
He added that "the integrated special city's top priority is making the semiconductor cluster a success," and pledged to "establish a working-level hotline with Korea Electric Power and, on the basis of a solid one-team cooperation framework, deliver visible results within the term of the Lee Jae-myung administration."
sij@heraldcorp.com
