Kim Kyung-hee, Icheon Mayoral Candidate: "Icheon Must Not Be Excluded from Semiconductor Cluster Support System"

[Suwon Ilbo=Um In-yong Reporter] Kim Kyung-hee, People Power Party mayoral candidate for Icheon, called for the withdrawal of a clause excluding the capital region when designating semiconductor clusters, in relation to the 'Enforcement Decree Draft for Special Act on Strengthening Semiconductor Industry Competitiveness and Support.'

In a statement issued on the 29th, Candidate Kim said, "Icheon is Korea's representative semiconductor city with an ecosystem of semiconductor production, technology, workforce, and partner companies centered on SK Hynix," and "The enforcement decree draft must be improved to ensure Icheon is not excluded from semiconductor cluster designation and government support systems."

Recently, concerns about the government's enforcement decree draft have spread at the civil society level in Icheon and southern Gyeonggi Province.

At the 1st 'Icheon Citizen Grand Rally to Protect Semiconductors' held on the 20th at Fountain Square intersection in Icheon city, citizens and civil society group officials participated to demand withdrawal of the capital region exclusion clause. On the 28th, the 2nd 'Gyeonggi Citizens' Coalition Semiconductor Protection Grand Rally' was held at Fountain Square intersection in Icheon, bringing together civil society groups from southern Gyeonggi Province including Icheon, Anseong, Yongin, and Pyeongtaek.

At the rally, citizens and civil society representatives demanded a review of the government's enforcement decree draft, with some civil society leaders even conducting head-shaving ceremonies to demonstrate strong opposition.

Candidate Kim emphasized, "The two rallies are not mere political events, but rather direct participation by Icheon and southern Gyeonggi Province citizens to protect the future of the semiconductor industry and the region's right to survive," and stated, "The government and related departments must take the voices from the field seriously."

The clause in question is Article 15 of the enforcement decree draft. The clause stipulates as an approval requirement for semiconductor cluster development plans that the location must be 'in a region outside the capital region.'

Regarding this, Candidate Kim pointed out, "This means that key semiconductor production bases in the capital region, including Icheon, could be fundamentally excluded from semiconductor cluster designation," and "The concerns about the exclusion of Icheon and Gyeonggi Province cannot be said to have disappeared with mere clarification from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy."

He continued, "The issue is not just about new large-scale manufacturing facilities, but whether Icheon can be included in the national semiconductor cluster and government support system," and "It is important to clearly reflect Icheon's position now, before the enforcement decree is finalized."

Candidate Kim expressed concern that if Icheon is excluded from the semiconductor cluster, disadvantages could arise across the entire semiconductor ecosystem, including infrastructure support, cultivation of small and medium component suppliers, R&D; support, and semiconductor workforce development.

In particular, he explained that since Icheon is a region that has been constrained in development and industrial advancement for over 40 years due to overlapping regulations such as natural preservation zones, designation as a semiconductor cluster is an important opportunity to secure regulatory exceptions and administrative and financial support.

Furthermore, he stated, "If designated as a semiconductor cluster, we can substantively implement R&D; research complexes, small and medium component supplier complexes, infrastructure expansion, and workforce development projects," and "The enforcement decree draft issue cannot be taken lightly for strengthening Icheon's future industrial competitiveness."

He also emphasized the need for linkage between the Icheon and Yongin Wonsam semiconductor clusters, stating, "Yongin is not an unrelated region separate from Icheon, but a partner for mutual prosperity linked around SK Hynix," and "The southern Gyeonggi semiconductor belt will be completed, and Korea's semiconductor competitiveness will be further strengthened, only when we develop both Icheon's existing production base and Yongin Wonsam's new expansion base together."

Finally, Candidate Kim stated, "The government must withdraw the clause stating 'a region outside the capital region' in Article 15 of the enforcement decree draft and establish supplementary provisions to ensure existing key semiconductor production bases in the capital region are not excluded from cluster designation and support," adding, "I will respond to the end to ensure Icheon is not excluded from the semiconductor cluster and government support system."