The Presidential Office has established a dedicated system to swiftly advance three mega projects, with President Lee Jae-myung set to review progress every month.
"For the time being, we have decided to hold monthly public-private joint review meetings presided over by the president, like today's," Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said in a briefing at the Presidential Office Thursday. He added, "We have decided to review the progress of core tasks for the three regional mega projects one by one, not just the semiconductor cluster."
The remarks are interpreted as meaning that the office will carefully examine the entire process — from securing sites to building power and water infrastructure and administrative procedures — across the southwestern region as well as the Chungcheong and Yeongnam regions. In particular, the intent is for the president to personally step in to secure momentum so that large-scale investments can be executed at speed.
A figure to oversee the mega projects is also set to be appointed. "As President Lee has said he will place a dedicated body in the Presidential Office and handle it directly, we have agreed to appoint a heavyweight figure to oversee progress reviews by task and the coordination of differences between ministries across the mega projects," Kang said.
Earlier, President Lee had repeatedly emphasized that he would set up a directly supervised officer in the Presidential Office to support the smooth and swift advancement of the mega projects. The person appointed is expected to have a strong understanding of industry as a whole and the corporate ecosystem, as well as extensive administrative experience.
However, on whether the "heavyweight figure" would be recruited from outside, Kang said, "Personnel matters are in principle confidential," adding, "We will report once it is decided."
