[속보] 청와대 “연내 메가특구 특별법 추진…인허가 등 단축”

President Lee's Office Secretary General Kang Hyun-suk announced on the 10th that the formulation of a "mega special law for mega projects" would be pursued throughout the year to expedite various permits, environmental impact assessments and other related procedures. At a briefing following the 'Second Inter-Ministerial Joint Inspection Meeting of the Mega Project' held by President Yoon Suk-yeol at the Blue House, Kang stated, "The Mega Project should be a pioneering force for unprecedented regulatory reforms and breaking down bureaucratic barriers."

He added, "To achieve this, we will meticulously review all obstacles obstructing regional investment and set up a regulatory innovation list, which we will tackle one by one." To facilitate this, a dedicated "Mega Project Coordination Organization" is being established within the Blue House, with the Ministry of Procurement providing cross-departmental support.

However, a government official said that the "52-hour special provision" is a contentious issue in the mega special law, which can only be addressed through joint discussions with the local community and consent of the residents. The official added that this is not a matter to be decided unilaterally by the president or the Blue House.

To address the issue of the K-type polarization, the organization will actively pursue a collaborative approach to ensure that the investment returns of mega projects are distributed across the entire industrial ecosystem, from large corporates to SMEs. For example, the government plans to launch a "Together We Grow" project, investing 1 trillion won over the next 10 years in the semiconductor industry, from research and development to large-scale production, with the aim of alleviating the financial constraints of export-oriented SMEs.

The official also revealed plans to create a 5 trillion won new fund for investing in promising SMEs in the semiconductor sector and securing additional land for the new airport in Gwangju, in addition to supplying more electricity and water by the end of the year.