The National Assembly’s Industry, Trade, SMEs and Startups Committee is pursuing a hearing on the Honam semiconductor cluster and mega-special zone, drawing attention to the possibility that Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won may appear as witnesses. However, what has been confirmed so far is only the committee’s announcement that it is pursuing a hearing; the actual hearing, witness appointments, and attendance have not yet been decided.

Key Facts Confirmed So Far

Kim Seong-won, chair of the National Assembly’s Industry Committee, said on August 28, 2026, that he would pursue a hearing to call Lee Jae-yong and Chey Tae-won as witnesses. The People Power Party argued that it was necessary to determine whether there had been government pressure or so-called “arm-twisting” of companies during the selection of the Honam semiconductor cluster site.

This is a political allegation and a matter subject to verification. It cannot be stated as an established fact that the government forced companies to invest.

Pursuing a hearing, holding the hearing, and witness attendance are separate procedures.

How Much of the Honam Semiconductor Plan Has Been Officialized?

On June 29, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy officially announced a plan to build four semiconductor fabs and an ecosystem of suppliers and talent in the southwestern region, with a total projected investment of 800 trillion won. On July 6, the Office of the President announced that it had decided to establish a Honam semiconductor industrial complex at the Gwangju military airport site and would begin follow-up procedures for selecting a candidate site and developing the industrial complex.

Therefore, the government-level plan and the site decision are confirmed by official materials. However, the materials reviewed for this article do not confirm that final investment agreements, groundbreaking dates, or production start dates for individual companies such as Samsung Electronics or SK hynix have been finalized.

Chey Tae-won’s April Remarks and What Followed

At a National Assembly policy seminar on April 28, Chey Tae-won was asked whether a semiconductor plant would be established in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province. He responded, in substance, that power availability and business efficiency were being considered, and that he was not sure it would necessarily be semiconductors.

The government’s southwestern-region semiconductor plan was announced in June, followed by the July decision concerning the Gwangju military airport site. In August, the National Assembly’s Industry Committee announced that it was pursuing a hearing. However, this sequence alone should not be interpreted as confirming Chey Tae-won’s or any specific company’s investment in Honam semiconductors.

Procedures Remaining as of August 29

  1. Confirm whether the National Assembly’s Industry Committee will hold the hearing and set a date
  2. Determine whether the final witnesses will be appointed
  3. Check the possible schedules for Lee Jae-yong and Chey Tae-won to attend
  4. Consider whether to appoint them as witnesses for the parliamentary audit if the hearing is canceled
  5. Separately verify final investment agreements and construction or production schedules for each company

The distinction readers need to make is clear. The government plan for a Honam semiconductor cluster and the site decision have been officialized, but the hearing and the two chairmen’s attendance remain at the proposal stage. In addition, whether there was government pressure is not an established fact; it is an issue the National Assembly has announced it will investigate.

Sources and Verification Date

  • Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, “National Report on the Three Mega Projects for Korea’s Great Leap Forward”: https://www.motir.go.kr/kor/article/ATCL3f49a5a8c/171974/view
  • Office of the President of the Republic of Korea, briefing on the results of the public-private joint inspection meeting on mega projects: https://www.president.go.kr/briefings/HIttYgN9
  • YTN, “National Assembly Industry Committee Pursues Hearing with Lee Jae-yong and Chey Tae-won on Mega Special Zone”: https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0101_202608281339018765
  • Hankyoreh, “PPP’s Kim Seong-won: ‘Pursuing Hearing with Lee Jae-yong and Chey Tae-won… Will Ask About Pressure over Honam Semiconductors’”: https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/politics/politics_general/1275125.html
  • MoneyToday, “PPP Plays Hearing Card to Call Lee Jae-yong and Chey Tae-won”: https://www.mt.co.kr/amp/politics/2026/08/28/2026082814504013281
  • ChosunBiz, “Chey Tae-won’s Response to Question About a Semiconductor Plant in Gwangju and South Jeolla”: https://biz.chosun.com/policy/politics/assembly/2026/04/28/AZO5SHLJLFA6HI2VNPHFJ7E5LA/?outputType=amp

All materials were checked as of the search date of August 29, 2026.