Yongin Semiconductor Cluster: Securing Power and Water Is the Biggest Hurdle

As the completion date for the Yongin semiconductor cluster is moved up, securing the electricity and industrial water essential for factory operations has emerged as the biggest challenge.

The issue of securing industrial water, essential for the semiconductor industry, has been a national task since the Four Major Rivers Project in 2009. Critics have argued that stable water resource management must precede the creation of large-scale clusters.

Over the past 15 years, similar feasibility studies and economic analyses have been repeatedly conducted during the regime-specific policy transitions regarding the Four Major Rivers weirs and their dismantling and restoration processes, resulting in additional costs. As the government designs water resource strategies for the three major mega projects, the uncertainty and massive costs caused by frequent past policy changes remain important lessons for the formulation of future industrial water and power supply plans.