Why Governor Kim Youngrok Sent a Letter to SK Group Chairman Chey Taewon

Request for 'Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City Semiconductor Fab'

Emphasis on RE100, Renewable Energy, and Talent Development

Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeollanam-do Province, has formally requested that SK Group establish a semiconductor plant (fab) in the region.

On May 6, Governor Kim sent a letter to SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, asking, "Please make the Unified Special Metropolitan City the new hub of the semiconductor industry." This request has drawn attention, as it coincides with SK Group's ongoing AI and semiconductor strategy.

Governor Kim referenced the "four bottlenecks of the AI industry (capital, energy, GPU, memory)" mentioned by Chairman Chey during a special lecture at the National Assembly in April, highlighting Chey's statement that "you have to go where there is electricity." Kim emphasized that the Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Special Metropolitan City could provide the solution.

He also positioned the region's renewable energy infrastructure as a core strength.

Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeonnam Province

Governor Kim explained, "The Unified Special Metropolitan City supplies about 20% of the nation's renewable energy and holds a massive potential capacity of 444 GW. The offshore wind and solar power complexes in Shinan, Yeonggwang, and Haenam are the optimal sites for achieving RE100, a key requirement for global corporations."

He also highlighted the region's talent pool and research foundation, particularly noting that local universities such as Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Korea Energy Engineering University, and Chonnam National University, along with the ARM School, can stably supply semiconductor R&D personnel.

In addition, Governor Kim stated that bold support is possible, including approximately 20 trillion won in balanced development funds resulting from the Jeonnam-Gwangju unification and the designation of a cluster under the "Semiconductor Special Act."

Governor Kim also mentioned the global trend of "fab decentralization" in the semiconductor industry.

Citing the cases of TSMC in Taiwan and the United States, he stressed that dispersing production bases is essential. He argued that expanding beyond the Seoul metropolitan area to the Unified Special Metropolitan City would enhance both corporate competitiveness and national balanced development.

Governor Kim declared, "SK's decision will be a turning point to overcome the crisis of regional extinction and reshape Korea's industrial landscape," adding, "The Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Special Metropolitan City will be the strongest partner in realizing this vision."

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