Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Budget Park Hong-keun rejected claims that the government pressured companies into supporting a semiconductor cluster in the Honam region, saying the investment timing had aligned. The official plan calls for four fabrication plants, which he said are advancing quickly, while further expansion is under consideration if semiconductor market conditions hold. Park said the government aims to begin production during the current administration’s term and must quickly provide the water and electricity required by the complex. He cited estimates that memory-chip capacity needs to quadruple, with about double that capacity potentially covered around Yongin, leaving a need for a southwestern industrial complex. Park pledged support for three mega-projects and Honam infrastructure including railways and highways, while the government also considers a regional medical school important to narrowing the area’s health-care gap. Discussing next year’s 820.9 trillion-won ($587.6 billion) spending proposal, he backed expansionary fiscal policy and growth-driven fiscal soundness through bold investment and a broader revenue base. Park criticized the Yoon Suk-yeol government’s tax cuts and austerity approach, and said rebuilding trust with civil society and progressive forces could help restore support for President Lee Jae-myung’s government.