A graphic outlines key infrastructure needs and planned regional industrial hubs for South Korea’s three mega-projects. The image shows the former Gwangju Military Airport site, selected as a candidate location for a semiconductor cluster in southwestern South Korea. Data by Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Gwangju City. Graphic by Asia Today and translated by UPI
July 7 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's proposed RE100 industrial complex has yet to pass a special bill or select a site more than a year after the Lee Jae Myung administration introduced it as a flagship industrial policy.
The delay contrasts with the government's new 800 trillion won, or about $525 billion, southwestern semiconductor mega-project, which is moving quickly enough to force revisions to national power and industrial water plans.
Industry officials and experts say large-scale industrial complexes require verified corporate investment demand and realistic infrastructure plans for electricity, water and transmission networks. They say the government's mega-project blueprint may be moving ahead before those conditions are fully tested.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the special bill for the RE100 industrial complex remains pending before a subcommittee of the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee.
