LH named preliminary project operator for Honam semiconductor complex, launches survey design process immediately

The Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) announced Thursday that it launched procurement procedures for a survey design contract simultaneously with its designation as the preliminary project operator for the Honam advanced semiconductor national industrial complex.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport had earlier designated the Gwangju military airbase site as the candidate location for the complex, then named LH as the preliminary project operator.

LH moved immediately on Thursday, the day of its designation, to begin the bidding process for the survey design contract. The procurement schedule calls for a preliminary specification notice first, followed by a formal tender announcement in early August, a first-round review in mid-August, a second-round review for qualified bidders in early September, and a final contractor selection by late September. Full-scale design work is set to begin in the first week of October.

The complex is part of the government's "three mega-projects" core national policy initiative, and LH plans to compress the survey design bidding period from the standard roughly 107 days to 58 days to accelerate the timeline. The corporation will also hold parallel consultations with relevant agencies to speed up subsequent administrative procedures.

The Honam advanced semiconductor national industrial complex will be built on approximately 8.26 million square meters around the Gwangju military airbase site in Gwangsan-gu, part of the planned South Jeolla Province-Gwangju integrated special city. The complex is expected to attract large-scale investment from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, positioning it as a second major semiconductor production hub after the Greater Seoul area.

The Gwangju military airbase site is particularly well-suited for rapid development because most of the land is state-owned property held by the Ministry of National Defense, making it possible to secure the site quickly and accelerating compensation and other follow-on procedures.

LH is also pushing ahead with the Yongin semiconductor national industrial complex, aiming for early completion. The corporation finished awarding the priority contract for the first construction zone of the Yongin complex on July 16, and plans to run compensation procedures in parallel with prerequisite work — including cultural heritage surveys and legally protected species relocation services — to further accelerate the project.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport formally confirmed the Gwangju military airbase site as the candidate location on Wednesday after the Industrial Location Policy Review Committee approved the designation.