Power, water needs test South Korea's push to build AI chip hub beyond Seoul | The Asahi Shimbun

South Korea is pursuing a $540bn semiconductor hub in its southwest by 2030, but faces severe infrastructure constraints: four planned chip fabs would consume 70-80% of annual electricity in the region, and local opposition to new power lines, nuclear reactors, and water dam raises is blocking progress. Similar projects near Seoul have stalled for months due to power and water bottlenecks.

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