Yongin City Delivers Petition Against Relocation of Yongin Semiconductor Cluster to Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Choi Ki-ho] On the afternoon of the 26th at the Government Sejong Building, Mayor Lee Sang-il of Yongin Special City delivered a petition from Yongin citizens to Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-deok expressing their position that the "Yongin Advanced System Semiconductor National Industrial Complex" and the "Yongin Semiconductor Cluster General Industrial Complex" should proceed as planned.

Mayor Lee stated, "As proposals to relocate the Yongin Semiconductor National Industrial Complex have emerged, Yongin citizens have shown a firm stance and signed this petition," and added, "Citizens requested that I deliver this petition to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, so I brought it here in boxes."

He continued, "In a short period of time, as many as 61,000 citizens signed, and I hope you will understand the will of Yongin citizens."

The petition delivered by Mayor Lee to Minister Kim contains signatures from 60,894 diverse Yongin citizens including small business owners, farmers, women's organizations, education-related groups, and apartment residents, who conducted the signature campaign from early January through the 25th of this year.

Mayor Lee handed over materials related to major issues of Yongin City along with the petition and requested the minister's assistance.

Mayor Lee emphasized smooth development of the "Yongin Advanced System Semiconductor National Industrial Complex" and requested that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport convene the "Pan-government Task Force Meeting on National Industrial Complexes," which has not been held during the current administration, at an early date.

During his meeting with Minister Kim, Mayor Lee stated, "Among the 15 national industrial complexes designated by the government in March 2023, Yongin Advanced System Semiconductor National Industrial Complex is the only one to have received government approval of its national industrial complex plan," and added, "Since other regional national industrial complexes are also important, I believe it is necessary to hold a pan-government task force meeting to examine the current status of these complexes, listen to the voices of the regions, and review how the government can provide support."

In materials related to the "Yongin Advanced System Semiconductor National Industrial Complex," Mayor Lee stated, "For semiconductors, timing is competitiveness itself, and time is as valuable as subsidies in this industry," and emphasized, "In a situation where competing nations are engaging in a national-level competition by mobilizing massive subsidies and tax and financial support, the construction of national cutting-edge strategic industries must be pursued without wavering according to the government's plan and roadmap."

Mayor Lee said, "The 'Yongin Advanced System Semiconductor National Industrial Complex' is a national-level critical project that enables South Korea to take the lead in the future semiconductor market and sustain economic growth," and stressed, "Toward the goal of operating the first production line (fab) by 2030, the central government, Yongin Special City, project operators, and Samsung Electronics must unite and pool efforts to ensure smooth and normal implementation, including compensation proceedings and swift issuance of industrial complex construction projects."

Mayor Lee has consistently stated, "Destabilizing the semiconductor projects that have been progressing well in Yongin Special City amounts to destroying both semiconductors and the nation," and emphasized, "Since the government designated Samsung Electronics' Advanced System Semiconductor National Industrial Complex in Idong and Namsa-eup in March 2023, and in July of the same year designated three locations—this site, Samsung Electronics' Giheung Campus, and SK Hynix's Wonsam-myeon Yongin Semiconductor Cluster General Industrial Complex—as government-designated National Cutting-edge Strategic Industry Specialized Complexes, the government has the responsibility to provide support according to plan."

Mayor Lee stated, "Since the government established a plan last year to supply electricity and water to Samsung Electronics' national industrial complex and SK Hynix's general industrial complex, we must execute that plan without disruption," and added, "Doing so is fulfilling the government's responsibility ethics," emphasizing this point repeatedly.