According to Yonhap News,

The state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) said Tuesday it will spend an estimated 72.8 trillion won (US$53.1 billion) by 2038 to expand the power supply infrastructure for the semiconductor and other key industries, and improve the country's electric power transmission system.

Under the plan, KEPCO will build a substation at an envisioned industrial cluster in Yongin, about 40 kilometers south of Seoul, to supply massive power of 10 gigawatts or more to companies in the area, according to officials.

The Yongin semiconductor cluster aims to serve as a key production hub for artificial intelligence (AI) memory chips and other semiconductor products, housing manufacturing facilities of major semiconductor companies, such as Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc. The first semiconductor fab in the industrial park is expected to start operations in 2030.

KEPCO also plans to establish routes for the advanced high-voltage direct current (HVDC) system connecting the southwestern region and the greater Seoul area as part of efforts to improve the efficiency of the country's power management.

The HVDC is more economical than common alternating current for transmitting large amounts of power point-to-point over long distances. At long distances, the HVDC transmission scheme generally has lower losses than a typical transmission link.

The project is expected to generate an economic impact worth some 134 trillion won and create jobs for 480,000 people, according to a research institute affiliated with KEPCO.


nyway@yna.co.kr

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Source: Yonhap News (May 27, 2025)