Strengthening supply chain stability through an industrial ecosystem linking Saemangeum, Iksan, and Wanju Full-scale reinforcement of material industry competitiveness from testbeds to workforce training

Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province announced on the 17th that it has been finally selected as a "Semiconductor Materials & Chemical Specialized Complex" in the 3rd Materials, Parts, and Equipment (MPE) Specialized Complex public contest announced and designated by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE).

The MPE specialized complex is a project designated by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy based on Article 45 and Enforcement Decrees 67 and 68 of the "Special Act on Strengthening Competitiveness and Stabilizing Supply Chains for Materials, Parts, and Equipment Industries." It provides wide-ranging support for industrial sites where anchor companies, partner firms, research institutes, and support organizations are clustered, including support for industrial infrastructure and joint R&D infrastructure construction costs, joint technology development among companies, universities, and research institutes, expansion of demonstration facilities, specialized technical workforce training, site preparation and rental fee reductions, and regulatory exceptions.

For this contest, Jeonbuk proposed a total area of 26.256 million square meters encompassing the Saemangeum National Industrial Complex, Iksan Industrial Complex 3 & National Industrial Complex, and Wanju General Industrial Complex. The project period runs for 5 years from 2027 to 2031, with a total budget of 64.2 billion won, including 45 billion won from national funds, 2.5 billion won from local funds, and 16.7 billion won from private capital. Anchor companies participating include Dongwoo Fine-Chem, PKC, Hansol Chemical, and OCI.

The province established its promotion strategy with the vision of "The Heart of the K-Semiconductor Supply Chain, Jeonbuk Materials & Chemical Specialized Complex." First, it will expand corporate support research infrastructure by building a joint semiconductor research institute and establishing equipment to support demonstration, reliability, and commercialization. Subsequently, it will form industry-academia-education councils to foster on-site talent and operate specialized semiconductor material and chemical graduate schools, thereby establishing a demand-tailored workforce supply system.

In addition, it will establish a technology roadmap linked to the "5 Poles and 3 Special Engines" growth engine and secure leading technologies in cleaning, deposition, and etching processes through joint research with anchor companies. It plans to strengthen ultra-regional cooperation not only with internal industries such as secondary batteries, carbon, and renewable energy in the province, but also with semiconductor ecosystems in the metropolitan area and southern regions. To support this, the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Semiconductor MPE Specialized Complex Promotion Unit will be placed at the center as an integrated governance structure to promote ordinance enactment, dedicated organization operation, and licensing support.

Jeonbuk highlighted its strengths as an optimal location linked with the capabilities of material and chemical companies possessing world-class ultra-high purity refining technology, over 1 trillion won in ongoing expansion investments, research and infrastructure training based on Chonbuk National University's joint semiconductor research institute, large-scale industrial land in Saemangeum, and existing industrial infrastructure in Iksan and Wanju. While domestic semiconductor supply chains have previously been formed mainly around memory semiconductor fabs, the materials and chemical sectors—which serve as the raw foundation for manufacturing semiconductors—have been relatively vulnerable to external factors such as export regulations. Therefore, this designation is evaluated as a turning point for supply chain self-reliance.

The province has refined its business plan through expert advisory meetings, research services, a working group composed of the province, cities/counties, Jeonbuk Technopark, and Chonbuk National University, and individual interviews with anchor companies. During this process, Democratic Party Floor Leader Han Byeong-do attended a meeting with semiconductor MPE companies at Iksan City Hall to lead petition activities, and the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Provincial Council also lent its support. Local lawmakers, including Democratic Party Supreme Council Member Lee Sung-yoon, Jeonbuk Provincial Party Chairman Yoon Jun-byeong, and lawmakers Jeong Dong-young, Kim Yun-deok, An Ho-young, Kim Eui-kyeom, Park Hee-seung, Park Jie-won, and Lee Chun-seok, also joined in petitioning the government.

Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Governor Kim Kwan-young (Note: referred to as Governor Lee Won-taek in the text context) stated, "With this specialized complex designation, Jeonbuk will rapidly emerge as a core hub responsible for the material sovereignty of South Korea's semiconductor industry," adding, "We will establish the semiconductor industry ecosystem without a hitch and accelerate the strengthening of national semiconductor supply chain competitiveness."

In this specialized complex contest, a total of 16 applications across 6 fields were submitted by 11 metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide. In the semiconductor field, 5 local governments—Jeonbuk, Gyeonggi, Chungnam, Gwangju, and Gangwon—applied, and Jeonbuk Province was selected after fierce competition.