Semiconductor facilities drive gains
Public sector: 21.3 trillion won; private sector: 59.6 trillion won
![Samsung Electronics and SK hynix announced plans to build semiconductor production bases in South Jeolla Province and Gwangju at a national briefing on three major mega-projects held at Cheong Wa Dae on Aug. 29. Pictured is an aerial view of Gwangju Cheomdan 3 District, one of the sites under consideration. [Gwangju Maeil Sinmun]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/09/28/news-p.v1.20260630.1402236757924fb4a0819941fd85903e_P1.jpg)
Construction contract values in the second quarter surged more than 27 percent from a year earlier, driven by large-scale investment in semiconductor production facilities and natural gas infrastructure, reaching 97 percent of the record high set in the same period of 2022.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Monday that nationwide construction contracts in the second quarter totaled 80.9 trillion won ($59.5 billion), up 27.3 percent from the same period last year. That figure represents 97.8 percent of the 82.8 trillion won recorded in the second quarter of 2022, the highest for any second quarter in the past decade.
The public sector posted 21.3 trillion won, a 22.4 percent increase, boosted by natural gas facility construction, energy power plant projects and public housing. The private sector rose 29.1 percent to 59.6 trillion won, driven by semiconductor production facilities, housing and commercial construction.
By construction type, civil engineering works — including industrial facilities and landscaping — jumped 57.5 percent year-on-year to 25.5 trillion won, while building construction rose 17.0 percent to 55.3 trillion won.
Within civil engineering, core civil works reached 12.6 trillion won, up 26.6 percent from a year earlier, while industrial facilities surged 128.4 percent to 12.1 trillion won, recording the sharpest gain. Landscaping fell 14.9 percent to 800 billion won.
By company size, the top 50 firms posted 44.7 trillion won, up 58.0 percent, while firms ranked 51st to 100th saw contracts fall 18.0 percent to 4.5 trillion won. Companies ranked 101st to 300th rose 3.5 percent to 4.9 trillion won, those ranked 301st to 1,000th gained 4.7 percent to 5.7 trillion won, and all other firms grew 8.2 percent to 21.1 trillion won — highlighting a sharp divergence between the largest contractors and the rest.
By project location, the Greater Seoul area accounted for 43.6 trillion won, up 27.8 percent year-on-year, while non-metropolitan regions rose 26.7 percent to 37.2 trillion won. By company headquarters location, firms based in the Greater Seoul area recorded 50.1 trillion won, up 25.9 percent, and those outside the metropolitan area posted 30.7 trillion won, up 30.3 percent.
hss@heraldcorp.com
