Demand the Ministry of Defense to Release Gwangju Base! Lee Jae-myung Launches 'Blitzkrieg': Pushing Forward a Mega Semiconductor Cluster Project to Dominate Korea's AI Industry Landscape

The second review meeting of Korea's large-scale national semiconductor and AI industry investment initiative, the Mega Project, was held today (10th), with President Lee Jae-myung stressing the need for a 'blitzkrieg' and directing the Ministry of Defense to relocate the functions of the Gwangju military airfield—planned as a semiconductor cluster—by mid-2028.

The second public-private joint review meeting of the Mega Project was held at the Presidential Office under President Lee Jae-myung's leadership. The Mega Project is a large-scale national industrial investment initiative by the South Korean government aimed at expanding the deployment of cutting-edge industries such as semiconductors and AI from the capital region to the Honam, Chungcheong, and Yeongnam regions.

According to press materials from the Presidential Office, President Lee stated that the ultimate goal of the Mega Project is to expand growth axes across the entire nation and rewrite the industrial map with local regions at the center.

President Lee emphasized that relevant procedures must now be advanced simultaneously and in parallel to drastically shorten timelines. 'We are no longer just fighting a speed war—we must wage a blitzkrieg,' he said. He highlighted that the most critical factors at this stage are land acquisition and infrastructure development, centered on the three regions of Honam, Yeongnam, and Chungcheong. 'For the Honam semiconductor cluster in particular, I hope we can move forward with a speed comparable to Kumamoto in Japan,' he added.

The previous Mega Project meeting had already decided to designate the Gwangju military airfield site as a semiconductor cluster. President Lee instructed the Ministry of Defense to take measures to temporarily relocate the functions of the Gwangju base to another military airfield by mid-2028, enabling the site to be used earlier as a semiconductor industrial complex. He also demanded thorough preparation for power and water supply plans.

Additionally, President Lee stressed the need to pre-emptively establish measures to prevent 'K-shaped growth'—a polarization of economic development—during the implementation of the Mega Project. 'I hope all relevant ministries thoroughly prepare in advance to ensure that the results created through collective effort do not concentrate solely on specific companies or regions,' he said.

Therefore, President Lee pointed out that national investment and support should not be limited only to the three Mega Project target companies or industries. Comprehensive support schemes for the entire industrial ecosystem—including components and equipment—must be developed. He also emphasized that the advancement of Physical AI should drive AI transformation in manufacturing and expand its impact nationwide.