South Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy: Link the three mega-projects to build a national growth platform, aim

SEOUL — South Korea's Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan said on November 2 that the government will link three "super projects" — semiconductors, AI data centers, and physical AI — into a national growth platform, with a combined investment plan of roughly 1,600 trillion won, equivalent to about 60% of South Korea's GDP in the launch year. Speaking at a public forum of the National Economic Advisory Council in Seoul, Kim said the government will accelerate semiconductor fab construction timelines by at least two years through one-stop permitting and a planned "Super Wide-Area Special Zone Act." The initiative is paired with an "M·E·G·A" strategy: mobilizing national power, engaging all economic actors, creating new growth drivers, and expanding spillover effects. The plan signals state-backed coordination across Korea's chip, AI infrastructure, and robotics sectors at a scale rarely seen, potentially reshaping capex flows for domestic conglomerates and suppliers. Watch for details on funding allocation, the special zone legislation's progress through the National Assembly, and which fab operators commit to the accelerated timelines.