Plenty of promises

Semiconductor and AI pledges are flooding the campaign trail ahead of the June 3 local elections, as candidates from both the ruling and opposition parties promise massive investments to revive regional economies. Of the 54 candidates across all 16 provincial-level regions, 44 put forward pledges related to the semiconductor or AI industries. The combined projected investment disclosed by just 13 of them amounted to about 439 trillion won ($290 billion).  Yet many of these pledges remain vague, with little detail on funding, planning or feasibility. The promises are huge, but the plans remain thin. [PARK YONG-SEOK]