South Korean Industry Minister: Will Integrate Three Major Super Projects to Build National Growth Platform, Aiming to Advance Semiconductor Plant Production by At Least Two Years

on Nov. 2, according to Yonhap News Agency, Kim Jong-kwan, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy of South Korea, stated at an open forum of the National Economic Advisory Council held in Seoul on Nov. 2 that the three major projects—semiconductors, AI data centers, and physical AI—will be coordinated to build a national growth platform. The total investment plan for the three projects amounts to approximately 1,600 trillion Korean won, equivalent to roughly 60% of South Korea's GDP in the year the projects are launched. The government will accelerate semiconductor factory production start times by at least two years through measures such as implementing a one-stop licensing approval system and enacting the "Ultra-Wide Special Zone Act." Kim Jong-kwan simultaneously proposed the “M·E·G·A” four-pillar advancement strategy, encompassing: mobilizing national resources, encouraging participation from all economic actors, fostering new growth momentum, and amplifying outcome impacts.