Lee vows to turn Chungcheong region into center of AI-led innovation

• President Lee Jae Myung aims to establish the Chungcheong region as a global center for AI-led innovation.
• The government is promoting a plan to support large-scale facility investment in the region.
• Samsung Group and SK hynix plan to invest 392 trillion won (US$252.5 billion) in the Chungcheong provinces.
• Investments will focus on constructing high bandwidth memory fabs, packaging facilities, and other AI-related sites.
• Lee identified semiconductors, displays, secondary batteries, and bio as critical strategic industries for South Korea's AI era.

President Lee Jae Myung has pledged to transform the central Chungcheong provinces into a global center for artificial intelligence (AI)-led innovation. This commitment was made during a public briefing in Asan, following the government's announcement of a major project aimed at attracting substantial investment in semiconductors, physical AI, and AI data centers.

Lee emphasized the region's potential, stating that with business investment and government support, Chungcheong can become a leading global innovation hub and a center for South Korea's advanced industries in the AI era. He highlighted the convergence of key strategic industries—semiconductors, displays, secondary batteries, and bio—within Chungcheong as crucial for the nation's future.

Ahead of the President's remarks, major companies like Samsung Group and SK hynix revealed plans to invest a combined 392 trillion won (US$252.5 billion) in the region. These investments are earmarked for constructing facilities such as high bandwidth memory (HBM) fabs and packaging sites. President Lee expressed confidence in the leadership of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, drawing parallels to his grandfather's role in establishing South Korea as a semiconductor powerhouse.