Daegu University professor Kim Kyung-ki argued on May 9 that South Korea's southwestern semiconductor cluster project requires power infrastructure verification before site selection. Kim, who serves as senior vice president of the semiconductor engineering society, presented technical analysis at a National Assembly seminar showing the planned four memory semiconductor fabs would require 6.3 gigawatts of continuous uninterruptible power — equivalent to 4.5 large 1.4GW nuclear reactors. The seminar, hosted by Rep. Joo Ho-young's office and the People Power Party's semiconductor and artificial intelligence special committee, addressed whether the 800 trillion won national project had undergone sufficient engineering validation of power, water, and workforce infrastructure. Government representative Ahn Hong-sang, director of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's semiconductor division, responded that the southwestern region would serve as a second production hub in a nationwide ecosystem strategy.
Professor Kim Argues Power Verification Must Precede Site Selection
Kim Kyung-ki stated at the seminar titled "No Semiconductor Without Power" that his presentation aimed not to oppose the southwestern semiconductor cluster but to examine whether the site had been properly verified from an engineering perspective. "Location should be determined based on objective indicators such as power, water, and workforce, not political judgment," Kim said. He identified power, water, and workforce as essential conditions for semiconductor cluster site selection, emphasizing that power must be verified first. Semiconductor fabs operate on the premise of 24-hour uninterruptible power, making power supply capacity core infrastructure difficult to supplement after the fact, according to Kim's explanation. He stated that actual power demand would grow significantly larger when including the Yongin semiconductor cluster, partner companies, and materials-components-equipment firms beyond just the southwestern cluster. "Pursuing a project on the premise of supply within a presidential term requires realistic review," Kim said.
Technical Analysis Shows 6.3GW Power Requirement and Renewable Energy Limitations
Kim presented calculations that stable operation of the four memory semiconductor fabs announced by the government would require 6.3GW of continuous uninterruptible power. He acknowledged the solar and offshore wind potential of the Honam region but stated that "abundant renewable energy does not directly mean stable power supply." Kim emphasized that "solar and offshore wind have high output variability, so securing the continuous uninterruptible power needed for semiconductor factories requires a comprehensive power supply system including nuclear power, liquefied natural gas, and transmission network expansion." He added that "semiconductor factories must not stop even under worst-case conditions, not just average situations," and that "national projects of 800 trillion won scale must conduct engineering verification before pursuing policy."
Hongik University professor Kim Hyung-tak stated in the comprehensive discussion session: "We are not opposing the southwestern semiconductor cluster but must secure procedural legitimacy. What is more important than speed is verification. The industry can be convinced only if the site selection process transparently discloses whether other alternatives were sufficiently reviewed and how much corporate opinion was reflected." Kim Jong-won, director of the Korea Electric Power Corporation's grid planning division, explained that power supply for the semiconductor industry must consider the entire national power grid rather than generation capacity in a specific region. "Our country's power grid operates as a single network connecting the entire nation," Kim said. "Stable transmission networks and grid operation are more important than which region has power plants."
Government Outlines Nationwide Semiconductor Ecosystem Strategy
Ahn Hong-sang, representing the government at the discussion, emphasized that the southwestern semiconductor mega-project constitutes a nationwide semiconductor ecosystem construction strategy rather than specific regional development. "We plan to cultivate Yongin as the first production hub and the southwestern region as the second production hub, while concentrating support for backend and packaging in the Chungcheong region and materials-components-equipment and next-generation semiconductors in the Daegyeong and southeastern regions to spread the semiconductor ecosystem nationwide," Ahn stated. He added: "We will supply infrastructure such as power and water to semiconductor clusters including the southwestern region in a timely manner, and provide comprehensive support for infrastructure, workforce training, and residential conditions through cluster designation, special accounts, and special zone systems."
FAQ
What power requirement did Professor Kim present for the southwestern semiconductor cluster on May 9?
Professor Kim Kyung-ki stated that the four planned memory semiconductor fabs would require 6.3 gigawatts of continuous uninterruptible power, equivalent to 4.5 large 1.4GW nuclear reactors.
Why did Professor Kim argue power verification must precede site selection?
Kim emphasized that semiconductor fabs operate on 24-hour uninterruptible power, making power supply capacity core infrastructure difficult to supplement after site selection. He stated that location should be determined based on objective indicators such as power availability rather than political judgment.
