Yeongsan River flows through Naju, South Jeolla Province, in this Aug. 13, 2024 file photo. Yonhap
This is the first in a two-part series on challenges facing the planned semiconductor cluster to be built in the southwestern part of the country with a massive investment from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, and government support for necessary infrastructure. — ED.
The government has come up with a plan to supply industrial water to semiconductor plants that Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have committed to build in Korea's southwestern region, but questions remain over the lack of clear principles on how water should be prioritized in the event of shortages during droughts.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced on Tuesday the plan to supply 650,000 tons of industrial water per day to the proposed chip cluster by adjusting water allocations from nearby dams.
The plan came in response to concerns raised by semiconductor companies and opposition parties that the region is vulnerable to water shortages. Citing this risk, the opposition bloc has argued that the government-led 800 trillion-won chip cluster plan is seeking to attract new semiconductor plants to an unsuitable area.
