The 80% burden claim

The KEPCO chief's statement places the bulk of the transmission network investment for the Honam region — where a large-scale semiconductor manufacturing cluster is being promoted — directly on Samsung Electronics. The figures came as part of the ongoing discussion over infrastructure financing for the project, which has drawn public attention due to its scale and the division of costs between the utility and the company.

The claim, rated "대체로 사실" (mostly true) by the original Korean-language assessment, was examined against primary sources reviewed for the matter. The verdict reflects that the core of the statement is supported, though some details remain subject to the specifics of final cost-sharing arrangements.

Context

The Honam semiconductor cluster project involves significant power infrastructure requirements, as semiconductor fabs are among the most electricity-intensive industrial facilities. The allocation of grid construction costs between KEPCO and participating companies has been a point of public debate.

Samsung Electronics is the anchor tenant of the planned complex, which explains its outsized share of the grid investment burden under the arrangement described by the KEPCO president.

The overall claim by the KEPCO president that Samsung Electronics would bear 80% of the Honam semiconductor power grid costs is, based on the sources examined, Mostly True.