President Lee Jae-myung on the 6th ordered accelerated site selection and administrative streamlining for South Korea's mega-project initiatives during a public-private joint inspection meeting at the Blue House. The directive emphasizes simultaneous processing of land acquisition procedures and preemptive infrastructure development to maintain competitive speed in global artificial intelligence development. Lee stated the projects represent a historical turning point for balanced national territorial development, instructing all government agencies to eliminate procedural bottlenecks that delay corporate investment.
President Orders Parallel Administrative Procedures
President Lee instructed officials to begin negotiated acquisition and compulsory expropriation procedures simultaneously for land compensation. He stated, "Start the negotiated acquisition and compulsory expropriation procedures at the same time. That is the original intent of the law." The directive aims to prevent time delays caused by sequential administrative processes. Lee criticized the current practice of completing procedures in strict sequential order, saying, "If it's work that must be done anyway, let's pursue all procedures in parallel as long as it's not illegal."
The president cited the Yongin general industrial complex as an example, noting it took six years from site confirmation to groundbreaking despite being considered relatively fast. He questioned the necessity of repeating environmental impact assessments for the same region, instructing officials to either utilize existing assessment results or drastically shorten new assessment periods.
Government to Establish Preemptive Power and Water Infrastructure
Lee ordered preemptive construction of power and water infrastructure without waiting for other procedural completions. He stated, "Secure power and water proactively on the premise that approval will naturally occur, rather than waiting until all other procedures are finished." The president specifically addressed corporate concerns about base power supply, instructing officials to resolve worries about base power sources despite abundant renewable energy availability.
Lee announced the Blue House will form a dedicated team to oversee mega-project implementation. He stated, "As previously mentioned, we will promptly establish a team within the Blue House dedicated to this mega-project."
Blue House Forms Dedicated Mega-Project Team
The president emphasized local government roles in project success, noting substantial infrastructure costs and local governments' control over significant portions of administrative licensing procedures. Lee praised the Gwangju-Jeonnam integrated special city council for enacting a semiconductor investment enterprise support ordinance as their first ordinance, calling the action "very well done" and expressing gratitude. He requested local governments ensure administrative procedures are not delayed by regional authorities.
Lee directly refuted critics questioning project feasibility, stating, "Some people protest asking why only one side benefits and why they were excluded, assuming this is a possible real situation. Then with the same mouth, they claim it's a scam, impossible work, just an event." He challenged critics to maintain consistency, saying, "Do just one thing. Either criticize on the premise it's impossible, or point out imbalance on the premise it's possible. Please do just one of the two."
FAQ
What administrative changes did President Lee order on the 6th for mega-projects?
President Lee ordered simultaneous processing of negotiated land acquisition and compulsory expropriation procedures, parallel execution of all administrative steps instead of sequential completion, and preemptive construction of power and water infrastructure without waiting for other procedural approvals.
Why did President Lee emphasize speed in mega-project implementation?
Lee stated global competition centered on artificial intelligence represents a total national fate competition, and outcomes depend on who preemptively secures advantages faster. He cited the six-year timeline from site confirmation to groundbreaking for the Yongin industrial complex as insufficiently fast by his standards.
