Hong Jun-pyo likens Honam semiconductor opposition to past Gyeongbu Expressway protests

Former Daegu mayor Hong Jun-pyo used his social‑media accounts to criticize politicians who oppose the government’s plan to build a semiconductor cluster in South Korea’s Honam region. He argued that concerns over water and power shortages could be resolved by building water‑supply infrastructure and small‑modular reactors, and said that blocking the project is no different from the opposition the ruling party faced when the Gyeongbu Expressway was constructed.

Hong cited historic examples – Ulsan’s rise as a chemical hub, Pohang’s steel industry, and Changwon’s heavy‑industry growth – as results of state‑led infrastructure investment. He warned that using the Honam project as a political weapon would hurt regional development and expressed disappointment that Daegu was excluded from the investment. In a separate post, he blamed local legislators for Daegu’s economic decline, accusing them of inaction and “head‑empty” politics.

His remarks reflect broader partisan tensions over the 800‑trillion‑won national plan to create a second semiconductor manufacturing belt in the country’s southwest.