Civic groups in Gwangju are throwing their weight behind the 800-trillion-won southwestern semiconductor project.
The preparatory committee of the Honam Semiconductor National Movement Headquarters called the semiconductor cluster "a historic and national act of redress for Honam, a region that has faced discrimination for decades," and urged the project forward.
The committee, organized around the Jeonnam-Gwangju Candlelight Action group, held a press conference Wednesday at Jeonil Building 245 in Dong-gu, Gwangju, saying Honam had long suffered from exclusion and discrimination, pushing the region toward decline and the threat of depopulation.
The committee added that a Honam semiconductor industry would break the entrenched power structures concentrated in certain regions and correct the imbalance. It argued that attracting the semiconductor industry would create quality jobs and inject vitality into the local economy.
It also noted that Gwangju's military airfield site offers a large tract of land that can be secured at once, with leveling work already completed, which would shorten construction time.
The committee formally launched the national movement headquarters that day and said it plans to pursue a nationwide petition drive, public lectures and briefing sessions.
sij@heraldcorp.com
