South Korea opposition pushes for transparency on Honam chip plan

Opposition leader Lee Jun-seok and People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker Yoo Ui-dong criticised the government’s announcement of a new semiconductor cluster in the Honam region, saying the timing was linked to the ruling party’s election schedule. They called for the Yongin semiconductor industrial park to proceed without delay and demanded that the criteria used to select the Honam site be disclosed, along with power and water‑supply plans.

PPP legislators from the Busan‑Ulsan‑Gyeongnam (PK) area held a joint press conference, denouncing the Honam project as “populism driven by a single presidential remark.” They urged the administration to release the site‑evaluation table immediately, stating “반도체는 표심으로 짓는 공장이 아니다” (Semiconductors are not factories built on vote‑seeking). The lawmakers also called for a parliamentary investigation, arguing that the project unfairly favoured the Honam region over the historically industrialised PK area.

Both camps highlighted concerns that the $1 trillion‑scale investment could be influenced by political considerations rather than industrial realities, and they pressed for greater transparency before any further commitments are made.