Hah Joon-kyung, senior presidential secretary for economic growth, defined the government's "three mega projects" as a "second industrialization" comparable to the industrialization of the Park Chung-hee era, stressing that it would mark a new turning point for national growth.
Appearing on "Jung Jun-hee's Saturday Debate," a YouTube program run by the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, on Saturday, Hah said, "If the industrialization of the old Park Chung-hee era is called the first industrialization, this is the second industrialization. I think it is on that scale." He added, "In the past it was imbalanced industrialization, but this time it is balanced industrialization," explaining that "in the past it was catch-up industrialization following advanced countries, but this time it is leader-type industrialization in which we lead the way."
He continued, "There will be many changes, and regions will also gain opportunities for growth," adding, "We aim to build it at the fastest possible speed." He also said, "Even in the process of building factories, a great many jobs will be created, and it will be a great help to the economy."
Hah also said, "The chairmen (of the large companies participating in the investment) are really grateful to the president." He said, "It became a good occasion to think about balanced development across the country, which they normally hadn't thought much about, and on reflection they came to think, 'We must do this,'" adding, "It had been a situation in which companies were agonizing over whether they had to go overseas, because it was not easy to find a place domestically where all the conditions were met."
Regarding the power supply issue in the Honam region, where a semiconductor cluster is to be built, he said, "It is certain that the renewable energy sector will become more active, but nuclear power may be needed for the parts that cannot all be covered." He added that the safety of nuclear power had improved greatly due to recent technological advances, saying, "The right approach is to overcome problems created by technology with technology."
On concerns that land prices in the investment areas would surge, he said, "There is an aspect in which I think it is good for local residents if land prices rise to some degree, but nevertheless, using rising land prices to make money or speculate must be prevented," noting that "when the project progresses further, there may be measures for that part as well."
Meanwhile, on the discussion of a "national dividend" that has been raised as a way to utilize the national wealth increased by the development of artificial intelligence (AI), Hah said, "It is not a situation of doing something radical, but of considering how best to use the given surplus tax revenue," adding, "The president's clear directive is to 'use it to raise the potential growth rate.'"
