Stadiums, chip plants and cash: Campaign promises big on vision, short on feasibility in local elections
Published: 26 Mar. 2026, 17:50
Updated: 27 Mar. 2026, 09:15
![Construction is underway at a semiconductor cluster site in Cheoin District, Yongin, Gyeonggi, on Jan. 20. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/27/66c7f555-b08a-43ce-b8d7-27284e0125c0.jpg)
Construction is underway at a semiconductor cluster site in Cheoin District, Yongin, Gyeonggi, on Jan. 20. [YONHAP]
Grand promises of chip plants, domed stadiums and cash payouts are being touted in Korea’s local election campaigns, as candidates compete for voters’ attention with ambitious — and often improbable — visions of economic transformation.
Across party lines, preliminary candidates in the June 3 local elections have unveiled a wave of high-cost development pledges, many centered on attracting semiconductor manufacturing facilities — projects that, if realized, could bring tens of trillions of won (billions of dollars) in investment and thousands of jobs.
In the liberal Democratic Party (DP), Noh Young-min, a former presidential chief of staff running for governor of North Chungcheong, said at a party event in Seoul on Tuesday that he will “sign a memorandum of understanding with Samsung within 100 days of taking office.”
Other DP contenders have made similarly expansive proposals. Rep. Min Hyung-bae and South Jeolla Gov. Kim Young-rok are vying to become the mayor of a planned merged Gwangju–South Jeolla. Min has pledged to attract global companies such as Samsung and SK, while Kim has proposed a semiconductor industrial complex worth 500 trillion won ($331.7 billion). Rep. An Ho-young, a candidate for North Jeolla governor, has also repeatedly called for bringing a Samsung semiconductor plant to the province.
Rival candidates in the conservative People Power Party (PPP) have put forward comparable plans. Yoo Yeong-ha, a candidate running for mayor of Daegu, has proposed attracting a Samsung semiconductor plant along with a branch of Samsung Medical Center. Lee Cheol-woo, the incumbent North Gyeongsang governor seeking his party’s nomination, has pledged to bring a chip facility to Gumi. Kim Jin-tae, governor of Gangwon, has promoted the creation of a semiconductor cluster in Wonju as part of a broader push for advanced industries.
![An aerial view of Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek chip complex in Gyeonggi [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/27/02753421-4542-4bfe-bb6f-597116aa7cee.jpg)
An aerial view of Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek chip complex in Gyeonggi [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]
Yet such proposals face significant obstacles. Decisions about where to build chip plants ultimately rest with corporations, which bear the cost of investments that can run into the tens or even hundreds of trillions of won.
“While competition among local governments can broaden companies’ options, in reality, most municipalities are not adequately prepared,” a senior spokesperson at the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association said.
“It takes at least 10 years just to build the necessary infrastructure for a semiconductor plant or industrial complex. A four-year term is barely enough even to lay the groundwork.”
![Democratic Party Rep. Jeon Hyun-heui announces her bid for Seoul mayor at a press conference at the National Assembly building in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Feb. 2. Jeon promised to create a multipurpose dome for sports and concerts, named the "Seoul Dome," in the place of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung District, central Seoul. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/27/5bb433de-5c1c-444c-8635-1e450e332497.jpg)
Democratic Party Rep. Jeon Hyun-heui announces her bid for Seoul mayor at a press conference at the National Assembly building in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Feb. 2. Jeon promised to create a multipurpose dome for sports and concerts, named the "Seoul Dome," in the place of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung District, central Seoul. [NEWS1]
![A media art show plays out on the outer walls of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul on Dec. 18, 2025. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/27/08a94a8a-35c9-4e4c-8e73-d9bbd73650e4.jpg)
A media art show plays out on the outer walls of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul on Dec. 18, 2025. [YONHAP]
Candidates have also embraced plans for large-scale cultural and sports facilities, particularly domed stadiums. The idea gained traction after Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young outlined a proposal last year to build a stadium with a capacity exceeding 50,000.
Jeon Hyun-heui, a DP candidate for mayor of Seoul, has proposed dismantling the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul and replacing it with a multipurpose dome for sports and performances.
In South Chungcheong, Gov. Kim Tae-heum, who has secured the PPP nomination, wrote on Facebook that “watching the BTS concert in Gwanghwamun confirmed the power of K-culture,” adding he will “build a multipurpose domed stadium with more than 50,000 seats near Cheonan-Asan Station.”
![Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon outlines the final negotiation plan to redevelop the Jamsil Sports Complex area into a high-tech sports and cultural district, including a large exhibition center, a domed baseball stadium and commercial facilities, with completion targeted for 2032, at City Hall on March 11. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/27/c860c9e0-fd6e-41a2-8c05-610641b67336.jpg)
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon outlines the final negotiation plan to redevelop the Jamsil Sports Complex area into a high-tech sports and cultural district, including a large exhibition center, a domed baseball stadium and commercial facilities, with completion targeted for 2032, at City Hall on March 11. [NEWS1]
Similar pledges have surfaced elsewhere. Mayoral candidates in cities including Gwangmyeong and Guri in Gyeonggi and North Chungcheong's Cheongju have all proposed building domed stadiums, raising concerns among urban planners about feasibility and demand.
“It is possible to build a domed stadium larger than the 30,000-seat Jamsil Dome in regional areas, but thorough demand analysis and feasibility studies are essential,” explained Lee Chang-moo, a professor of urban engineering at Hanyang University, warning that “it becomes problematic if it only [remains] a campaign pledge.”
Cash handout proposals have also become a common feature of the campaigns.
In Gunsan, North Jeolla, five of nine preliminary mayoral candidates have pledged to distribute cash dividends during their terms. Elsewhere, Kang Ki-youn, a PPP candidate for mayor of South Gyeongsang's Changwon, has proposed a 1 million won “energy pension” per resident, while Oh Ha-geun, a DP candidate in South Jeolla's Suncheon, has pledged a 1 million won “livelihood recovery subsidy.”
![An Air Force F-4E Phantom fighter jet takes off from the Republic of Korea Air Force 10th Fighter Wing in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on May 20, 2024. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/27/aa4cb137-469c-4aeb-b4c6-725c1c60af67.jpg)
An Air Force F-4E Phantom fighter jet takes off from the Republic of Korea Air Force 10th Fighter Wing in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on May 20, 2024. [NEWS1]
The pattern echoes the 2022 local elections, when candidates across the country pledged to build new airports or relocate military air bases. At the time, competing proposals emerged in regions including Busan, Daegu, Gyeonggi and Jeju.
In Gyeonggi, both Kim Dong-yeon of the DP and Kim Eun-hye of the PPP promised to relocate Suwon Air Base and build a new airport. Most of those projects, however, have yet to begin construction, delayed by budget constraints and feasibility reviews.
Analysts say the surge in ambitious but often impractical pledges reflects a shift in how campaigns are conducted and consumed.
“Watchdog efforts to evaluate campaign pledges no longer receive the same level of attention, while short-form content on social media spreads rapidly,” said Lee Sun-woo, a political science and diplomacy professor at Jeonbuk National University.
“Simple, memorable promises like cash payments or domed stadiums take center stage, while policies that require time to understand are pushed aside,” he said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY YU SUNG-KUK [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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