Local elections reignite debate on $680 bil. chip cluster's location

Politicians running in the June 3 local elections are adding uncertainty over a semiconductor cluster under construction in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, with a combined 1,000 trillion won ($680 billion) investment from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. With the government remaining ambiguous about the debate over the chip cluster's location, candidates have pledged to attract semiconductor plants to their regions, raising concerns about potential setbacks in the mega project. Gumi Mayor Kim Jang-ho, who is seeking reelection as a candidate from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), vowed to bring a semiconductor fab to an industrial complex in his city in North Gyeongsang Province. "Dispersing semiconductor facilities is a global trend, considering TSMC's dispersion of facilities to four production bases and Japan's construction of chip clusters in both Hokkaido and Kyushu," he said April 14. "Part of the Yongin cluster should be moved to other regions, as the city lacks enough electricity and needs over 2 trillion won for water supply." Gangwon Province Gov. Kim Jin-tae, who is al

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