Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday emphasized the necessity of broadening investment in advanced industries beyond the capital region, announcing plans to disclose a related investment strategy soon. Lee's comments came during a regular meeting with his senior advisors, as the government is reportedly formulating a plan to establish semiconductor clusters in regional areas, aligning with his administration's objective for balanced regional development.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the president asserted the need for a significant diversification of strategic industries by enhancing large-scale investments in core advanced sectors. He identified the eastern province of Gangwon, the southern island of Jeju, and the southern Yeongnam and Honam regions as potential areas for this expansion, with the goal of addressing the country's over-reliance on the capital region.

The creation of semiconductor clusters in these regions is expected to transform them into crucial production centers for major semiconductor companies like Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc. President Lee emphasized the importance of advancing the capital region's core infrastructure while simultaneously establishing industrial bases across regional areas to initiate a new era of growth nationwide.

Lee indicated his intention to present a detailed plan on this initiative to the public shortly. He cautioned that without addressing the imbalance in development, the recent positive changes in the nation's industries might dissipate or escalate into an unforeseen crisis. The president highlighted that the remarkable growth in certain industries could exacerbate disparities in balanced territorial development if the benefits do not extend to regional areas, which comprise 90 percent of the nation's territory.