Kim Sung-hwan, the Minister of Climate Energy and Environment, stated on August 11 that efforts will be made to ensure timely power supply for semiconductor plants in Yongin and Honam.
During a meeting of the National Assembly's Climate Energy Environment Labor Committee, Minister Kim responded to a question from lawmaker Kim So-hee of the People Power Party regarding the status of the Yongin semiconductor cluster. He assured, "Whether in Yongin or Honam, we will take responsibility to ensure that power supply delays do not hinder semiconductor fab construction."
He added, "Land development is still not progressing smoothly," explaining that SK Hynix is currently constructing its first fab in an industrial complex, while Samsung Electronics is in the land acquisition phase for a national industrial complex.
The power supply for SK Hynix in Yongin is being implemented in three phases. Minister Kim noted, "The power supply issue for SK Hynix is being pursued in three phases, and agreements are mostly finalized. The first phase involves closing a coal power plant in Chungnam and relocating a liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant to Yongin, while phases two and three will provide separate power supplies."
He emphasized, "The delay in establishing the semiconductor cluster is due to the land development process rather than power supply issues," and added that he expects agreements regarding the power supply for phases two and three in Yongin to be finalized soon.
The meeting also saw a debate over nuclear power policy. When lawmaker Kim Wi-sang asked if the minister acknowledged the failures of energy policies, including the cancellation of nuclear power plant construction during the Moon Jae-in administration, Minister Kim countered, "The first person to initiate the nuclear phase-out was not former President Moon Jae-in, but former President Park Geun-hye."
He continued, "Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, concerns about nuclear power grew in the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam regions, leading the Park Geun-hye administration to legally decide to decommission the Kori Unit 1, which had its lifespan extended. The policies of the Moon Jae-in administration also reflected the public's concerns about nuclear power at that time."
However, he expressed the need to consider the complementary use of nuclear power in future energy composition. Minister Kim stated, "As the climate crisis intensifies and the world hastens to phase out coal, relying solely on renewable energy presents challenges. We must consider the global energy system that necessitates the complementary use of nuclear power."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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