Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il: "Transportation Infrastructure Expansion Including Gyeonggang Line Extension Needed to Strengthen Semiconductor Competitiveness"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Choi Ki-ho] Yongin Special City Mayor Lee Sang-il attended the third 'Civil Life Forum with the People' held on the 15th at the Semiconductor Hall of Sungkyunkwan University's Suwon Campus under the chairmanship of President Yoon Suk-yeol and requested Park Chun-seop, Chief Economic Officer of the Presidential Office, to promptly establish transportation infrastructure to strengthen the competitiveness of the semiconductor industry.

Mayor Lee delivered materials to Park that included opinions that national support is needed for the expansion of transportation infrastructure and the creation of linked industrial complexes to accommodate semiconductor material, component, and equipment companies hoping to establish operations in Yongin, which will house large-scale industrial complexes including the 'Advanced System Semiconductor National Industrial Complex' in Idong and Namsa-eup (with 360 trillion won in investment) and the 'Yongin Semiconductor Cluster' in Wonsam-myeon (with 122 trillion won in investment) to establish Yongin's semiconductor ecosystem.

The materials provided by Mayor Lee contained three agenda items: △Request to reflect the Gyeonggang Line extension as a new project in the Fifth National Railroad Network Construction Plan △Prompt advancement of the Semiconductor Expressway private investment project △Transfer of review authority for local industrial complex plans.

Mayor Lee stated, "The government, with firm determination to maintain the ultra-gap advantage in the semiconductor industry and strengthen competitiveness in the foundry sector, will nurture the world's largest 'semiconductor mega cluster' during President Yoon's term," and emphasized, "As the government has laid out a 'speed-focused' policy direction, multi-faceted government support including transportation infrastructure expansion is necessary."

Mayor Lee continued, "The Gyeonggang Line extension is a regional promise of President Yoon and is an essential line that complements the GTX (A-F) routes, which are national policy projects," and stated, "A railroad network passing through Yongin's Idong and Namsa advanced system semiconductor national industrial complex is necessary for the smooth establishment of a 'semiconductor-specialized new city' to be created adjacent to the national industrial complex, so it must be reflected in the Fifth National Railroad Network Construction Plan."

Mayor Lee said, "The Semiconductor Expressway connecting Yangam-myeon in Hwaseong City, Namsa and Idong-eup in Yongin City, and Iljuk-myeon in Anseong City not only serves to connect the eastern and western parts of the city and the southeastern metropolitan region, but must be pursued expeditiously as it functions to organically connect semiconductor hub cities and is necessary from the perspective of balanced regional development."

Mayor Lee explained that the creation of small-scale industrial complexes to accommodate semiconductor material, component, and equipment companies wishing to establish operations in Yongin Special City is urgent alongside the establishment of the advanced system semiconductor national industrial complex, but since review authority is held by Gyeonggi Province, prompt administrative processing is difficult, and argued that the authority for Gyeonggi Province's local industrial complex plan review should be transferred to the city.

Chief Economic Officer Park Chun-seop told Mayor Lee, "I will review the content carefully."

The Civil Life Forum held on this day was organized under the theme of 'Semiconductor Industry Nourishing People's Livelihoods' to present future strategies for the semiconductor industry to lead Korea's economy and discuss sustainable growth measures with private sector, academic, and research experts.

The forum was attended by Lee Gwan-seop, Chief Presidential Secretary, Sung Tae-yoon, Policy Director, and Park Chun-seop, Chief Economic Officer from the Presidential Office; Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun and Minister of Science and Technology Information and Communications Lee Jong-ho from the government; Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il and Icheon Mayor Kim Kyung-hee from local governments; and 110 participants including semiconductor-related company representatives and research institute experts from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, semiconductor-related department students, and local residents.