President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting and emergency economic review session held at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap) President Lee Jae Myung will meet with the heads of South Korea's largest conglomerates next week to unveil a regional investment strategy centered on artificial intelligence, semiconductors and other advanced industries, sources said Tuesday.The meeting, reportedly set for early next week, comes as his administration seeks to spread growth beyond the Seoul metropolitan area and make balanced national development a key agenda in its second year in office.According to political and industry sources, Lee is scheduled to host executives from Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor and LG at the presidential office on June 29 in what is expected to take the form of a public briefing on major corporate investment plans and government support measures.In the run-up to the event, Lee has met with business leaders and is expected to continue consultations on prospective investment projects. According to sources, the president is scheduled to meet Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong on Thursday after separately holding talks with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won last week.The government, next week, is expected to announce a package of incentives, including tax benefits, regulatory easing and support for electricity, water and talent supply, while companies present investment plans linked to their core businesses, including AI semiconductors, data centers, future mobility, batteries and advanced materials.The event comes after Lee Jae Myung pledged during a news conference marking the first anniversary of his inauguration to soon unveil "a large-scale investment project that will bring about a major transformation in the nation's growth strategy."The June 29 gathering is expected to serve as a centerpiece of the administration's broader "national transformation" agenda, which seeks to combine industrial restructuring with regional development amid concerns over population decline and economic concentration in the capital.Industry observers say any potential semiconductor investments outside the Seoul area are more likely to focus on advanced packaging facilities than wafer fabrication plants, given the significant infrastructure demands of front-end chip production and the concentration of existing semiconductor ecosystems in the capital region.Semiconductor manufacturing is broadly divided into front-end fabrication, where integrated circuits are formed on silicon wafers, and back-end packaging and testing, which typically requires less power and water infrastructure.Lee Jae Myung has repeatedly argued that South Korea must strengthen growth engines while reducing excessive concentration in the capital area. The administration has been exploring plans to create large industrial clusters in regional cities while improving supporting infrastructure, including power grids, transportation networks, educational institutions and residential conditions.Officials believe that attracting AI and semiconductor investments to regional hubs could help foster new ecosystems linking local universities, research institutes, suppliers and startups, while creating quality jobs that slow the outflow of young people to the capital region.The success of the initiative, however, is likely to depend on execution, according to observers. While previous administrations have promoted balanced regional development and encouraged companies to invest outside the Seoul metropolitan area, businesses have often cited difficulties securing skilled workers, delays in permitting, inadequate infrastructure and underdeveloped supplier networks as obstacles to large-scale regional investment.Observers add the government's ability to provide concrete administrative, financial and infrastructure support will be critical in determining whether the latest push results in meaningful investment commitments.