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President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a briefing session with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Climate and Energy, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, and other agencies, held at the state guest house of the presidential office on the 4th. / Yonhap

President Lee Jae-myung called on the 4th for swift investment and policy execution to respond to the AI-centered industrial shift. In particular, he stressed that the success of the three mega-projects — semiconductors, physical AI, and AI data centers (AIDC) — hinges on the supply of electricity and water, and called for spreading industrial infrastructure from the greater Seoul area to the regions.

In his opening remarks at a briefing session held that afternoon at the state guest house of the presidential office with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Intellectual Property Office, the Ministry of Climate and Energy, the Korea Meteorological Administration, and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, President Lee said, "The world is currently undergoing a massive upheaval in which the entire industrial framework is being reshaped around artificial intelligence," adding, "In times like these, bold challenge, investment, and speed are essential."

He added, "In the end, the key is building 'irreplaceable Korea' — a competitiveness that is uniquely ours and cannot be substituted," saying that the role the times demand of government is to swiftly read the flow of change, design the future, and properly lay the groundwork for innovation.

President Lee also presented regional industrial development as a key task. He said, "We need to redraw the map of our leading industries with a regional focus, so that the axis of Korea's growth can expand from the greater Seoul area to the rest of the country," adding that each region should actively identify its own growth engine, drawing on its unique industrial strengths and connecting with other regions to grow together.

He also stressed that corporate investment must not be delayed by regulations, insufficient infrastructure, or workforce shortages, instructing officials, "Please ensure there are no disruptions to the stable supply of electricity and water, which is essential to the success of the three mega-projects announced recently." The three mega-projects refer to the government's national strategic industry initiative centered on semiconductors, physical AI, and AI data centers.

President Lee also raised the issue of overconcentration in the greater Seoul area, saying, "At the root of various problems, including housing prices in the greater Seoul area, lies the serious issue of overconcentration there," stressing that balanced regional development — particularly industrial and economic policy that favors the regions — is critical to overcoming this.

He also called for managing supply chains and energy security amid instability in the Middle East. While praising the government for having stably managed industrial supply chains and energy supply over the past six months despite the risk of war, President Lee said, "Tensions in the Middle East are rising again recently, so we must not let our guard down."

                                                                                                       Park Young-hoon