Kwak Noh-jung, the CEO of SK hynix, mentioned the responsibility of the South Korean semiconductor industry regarding the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence (AI). Kwak currently serves as the chairman of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association.
On the 20th, Kwak wrote on his social networking service (SNS), "Looking back on the time spent at SEMICON Korea 2025, I am reminded again of the significant responsibility that the semiconductor industry bears," adding that "it is clear that as AI continues to evolve, the responsibility has grown more than ever."
On the afternoon of the 19th, Kwak participated in the 'SEMICON Korea 2025 Leadership Dinner' held at the Grand InterContinental Parnas Hotel in Gangnam, Seoul, where he delivered a speech on the role and importance of semiconductors in the global economy and national security.
The leadership dinner is an event held together with SEMICON Korea 2025, the largest semiconductor exhibition in the country. About 500 global semiconductor leaders and executives gathered to share the current state of the semiconductor industry.
After the leadership dinner, Kwak met with reporters, saying, "We have experienced an unprecedented downturn, and now, with the advent of AI, we are in a situation where a big wave is coming. I believe we (South Korea) will ride it well. As a member of the industry, I will continue to support it," reflecting on his role as chairman of the association.
Meanwhile, Kwak met with Luc Van den hove, president and CEO of imec, Minister Dirk Belitser of the Netherlands, and former ASML CEO Peter Beningk at the event. Kwak also posted photos with them on his SNS.
Max Murgoli, vice president of global strategic partnerships at imec, also met with Kwak and later said on SNS, "What SK hynix has achieved with innovative technology is truly remarkable," noting, "Just looking at the super chips from NVIDIA and AMD shows this. You can see the role that SK hynix's high bandwidth memory (HBM) innovation has played in how they (NVIDIA, AMD) design and operate massive technology."