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The South Korean government has selected a military airport in the southwestern city of Gwangju as the site for a government-led project to create a semiconductor production cluster, according to a presidential official. The decision was announced Monday after a meeting between government officials and top executives of Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc., the country's leading chipmakers, to discuss follow-up measures for the investment initiative.
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The announcement was reported by Yonhap News Agency, which provided details from a press briefing by presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik. According to the report, the selection was made during the meeting, and Kang outlined the next steps, including prompt administrative designation of the candidate site and regular presidential oversight.
Two versions of the article were published by Yonhap, with one including additional information on the site's characteristics and the establishment of a dedicated oversight body within Cheong Wa Dae.
Key claims
The chip production cluster is part of the government's "three megaprojects" initiative, which focuses on large-scale investments in semiconductors, physical artificial intelligence (AI), and AI data centers in regional areas.
Under the cluster project, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have pledged to invest a combined 800 trillion won (US$522 billion), which Yonhap described as the single-largest investment plan to date in the Gwangju and Honam area.
Kang said the government would promptly finalize the administrative process of designating the candidate site through consultations with related ministries.
The presidential official noted that the companies proposed the military site for the production complex, describing it as an 8.3 million-square-meter tract of already leveled land that would save preparation time. Its proximity to the city's downtown and railway station was cited as facilitating easy access for workers and the transportation of goods.
Kang also said the president has decided to hold monthly meetings to review the progress of the projects and to establish a dedicated body within Cheong Wa Dae to oversee them.