[경기도 National Audit] "Yoon Seok-yeol: Japan Favoritism, Lee Jae-myung: Employment Activation?"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is responding to lawmakers' questions during the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee's audit of Gyeonggi Province on the 17th.

On the 17th, during the Gyeonggi Province national audit, differing perspectives between the ruling and opposition parties regarding the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's efforts to attract Japanese semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment companies last March drew attention.

Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party representing Seoul Songpa-gu Gap, stated, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration announced on March 21 the establishment of a semiconductor supply chain linking Korean manufacturing technology with Japanese materials, parts, and equipment (SoBuJang)." He added, "In response, the next day, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized it as a Japan handout, and a few days later, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon also expressed a differing view regarding the attraction of Japanese SoBuJang industries."

He further remarked, "Former Governor Lee Jae-myung sent the second deputy governor to the headquarters in 2018 to sign an MOU with Japan's Ajinomoto," and questioned, "If Yoon Seok-yeol attracts Japanese companies, it's considered a Japan handout, but if Lee Jae-myung attracts them, does that mean Korea's employment and economy are revitalized?"

He also pointed out, "Governor Kim Dong-yeon attracted the global vacuum technology company ALVAC in April 2023, and in the Pyeongtaek Poseung district, he attracted Tokyo Ohka Kogyo, a semiconductor photoresist (PR) company."

In response, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon said, "I welcome Japanese companies entering the semiconductor cluster," adding, "However, I do not agree with the idea of a handout. The investment is coming from their side. We will attract investment in a practical and beneficial manner."

On the other hand, independent lawmaker Lee Seong-man (Bupyeong-gu Gap) criticized, "After experiencing Japan's SoBuJang export restrictions in 2019 and the resulting economic invasion, our government has been focusing on nurturing the SoBuJang industry," and added, "However, under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has reduced support for SoBuJang and is accepting Japanese companies. It seems the lessons of the past have been forgotten."

He further stated, "The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy providing benefits to Japanese companies related to SoBuJang and local governments attracting Japanese companies are completely different issues."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.