Korea's semiconductor industry welcomed the government's strategy to foster and support the semiconductor sector released on the 10th.
The Korea Semiconductor Industry Association said in a position statement released that day, "In a global environment where the race for AI supremacy is unfolding as an all-out contest among nations, it is meaningful that the vision and goals of Korea's semiconductor industry, as well as national-level response tasks, were systematically presented," and stated accordingly.
The association said, "The semiconductor industry has emphasized that structural changes in the industry's environment—such as the spread of AI technology, large-scale investment competition, and growing supply chain uncertainty—are underway in ways that are difficult to address through the efforts of corporations alone," and added, "In this situation, we highly evaluate this strategy as a comprehensive national response strategy that broadly reflects the needs of the industrial field."
It added that core tasks—such as securing leadership in semiconductor technology and production, concentrating capabilities to strengthen the system semiconductor ecosystem, bolstering capabilities in materials, parts, and equipment (small and mid-sized suppliers), cultivating high-level talent, and building a southern semiconductor innovation belt—will form the foundation to structurally enhance the competitiveness of Korea's semiconductor industry.
The association also emphasized, "Whether we respond appropriately in the AI era will determine the leap forward of the semiconductor industry," and said, "Competition within the semiconductor industry is intensifying, and uncertainty in the trade environment continues, so we request the government's attention and support to ensure that already planned investments and industrial complex development can proceed without delay."
It continued, "As this strategy is further fleshed out, the semiconductor industry is expected to play an even greater role in economic growth and job creation," and said, "The semiconductor industry will work closely with the government as the strategy moves forward."
The government released a joint plan with related ministries titled "Strategy to foster the semiconductor industry in the AI era," centered on building the world's largest and best cluster, with the goal of advancing to "the world's No. 2 in semiconductors."
At the strategy briefing presided over by President Lee Jae-myung, industry figures turned out in force, including Jun Young-hyun, vice chairman and head of the Device Solutions (DS) Division at Samsung Electronics, and Kwak Noh-jung, president and CEO of SK hynix.