President advances regional growth blueprint centered on AI, chips

President Lee Jae-myung is scheduled to unveil a national growth transformation strategy on June 29 at the former Blue House, according to The Korea Times and Seoul Economic Daily. The plan bundles artificial intelligence, advanced industry fostering, and balanced regional development into a single framework intended as the economic blueprint for the second year of Lee's administration.

Lee has been holding individual meetings with the heads of Samsung, SK Group, Hyundai Motor, and LG to finalize large-scale regional investment commitments ahead of the announcement, the Seoul Economic Daily reported. Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee is expected to meet President Lee this week to review Samsung's semiconductor investment in the Honam region, centered on Gwangju, according to the same outlet. SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won met Lee after his return from a European tour on June 19, with SK reviewing AI data center and semiconductor-focused regional investments, per Seoul Economic Daily.

The Korea Herald reported a specific semiconductor cluster design: a packaging hub in Gwangju, a power semiconductor hub in Busan, and a chip components manufacturing base in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, forming an industrial belt connecting the three cities.

In exchange for private-sector commitments, the government is preparing a support package covering fiscal, financial, tax, electricity, infrastructure, and talent development measures, according to the Seoul Economic Daily. Korea Times analysis of Lee's first year noted the country's AI investment budget more than tripled, from 3.3 trillion won in 2025 to 9.9 trillion won in 2026.

The June 29 event is a policy preview where actual investment commitments from Samsung, SK, Hyundai, and LG are expected to be announced. For AI and semiconductor practitioners, the signals to watch are the specific capacity expansion figures from Samsung and SK, the geographic scope of planned chip cluster buildouts, and the shape of the government support package - particularly electricity and infrastructure pledges that directly affect data center and fab feasibility.