The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) of the Republic of Korea announced that relevant companies and institutions, including Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), K-water, and Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), attended the agreement ceremony on establishing the infrastructure for the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster today at the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association (KSIA) with an aim to facilitate the smooth construction of power and water infrastructure.
The agreement is in line with the detailed plans under the comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem support measures announced in June. The Government, public institutions, companies, and other related institutions will be stepping up efforts going forward to enable smooth production operations of the Yongin semiconductor cluster, which is scheduled for commercial operation in 2027. Private investment is also anticipated to gain traction as the Yongin cluster is expecting over KRW 600 trillion in investments.
The Yongin High-Tech System Semiconductor National Industrial Complex (“National Industrial Complex”) and the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster General Industrial Complex (“General Industrial Complex”) require over 10 GW of electrical power supply by 2053, which is when all corporate investments will have arrived. Accordingly, the Government has been engaging in consultations with KEPCO and other companies through the task force (TF) formed in February to steer power supply measures and cost sharing.
As for water supply, the two complexes will require around 1.33 million metric tons of water per day. To address the issue, the Government and related parties have been working together to secure stable and alternative sources. The integrated water supply project included in today’s agreement ensures 1.07 million tons of water per day, which is equivalent to the amount of water used by Incheon Metropolitan City’s 3 million citizens.
The integrated water supply system saves roughly ₩330 billion compared to installing a double track tube for separate water supply facilities for each complex. The system also reinforces overall stability by providing better prevention of water shortage during emergencies.
In October, the integrated water supply project was granted an exemption from prefeasibility studies. The ministry plans to swiftly proceed with follow-up measures to commence timely water supply beginning in 2031.