Samyang Group said on the 3rd that it is accelerating efforts to improve profitability, focusing on Chemical Group 2, which runs specialty businesses.
Samyang Group said Samyang NC Chem, which makes semiconductor materials, and Samyang KCI (KCI), which produces personal care materials, operate in different business areas but are emerging as core affiliates based on a strategy to expand their specialty business portfolios and enter global markets.
Samyang NC Chem is Samyang Group's chemical affiliate that produces polymer and photo acid generator (PAG), which are photoresist (PR) materials for semiconductors. In 2015, it localized key PR materials that Japanese corporations had monopolized in the semiconductor and advanced packaging sectors using its own technology, contributing to Korea's self-reliance in semiconductor materials.
Since being incorporated into Samyang Group in 2021, the company has expanded its annual production capacity through preemptive investment and facility expansion. Annual production capacity stands at 240 tons (t) of PR polymers and 20 tons of photo acid generators, the largest in Korea. The facilities can handle about 200 billion won annually.
Samyang NC Chem is also enhancing its technological competitiveness by expanding its product portfolio that it can produce in-house through continuous research and development, diversifying its lineup beyond krypton fluoride (KrF) materials to include argon fluoride (ArF), a next-generation semiconductor key material, and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) materials.
Large-scale production facility construction, the expansion of high value-added products, and quality control capabilities are reflected in results. Samyang NC Chem posted cumulative sales of 89.8 billion won in the third quarter of this year, up 11% from a year earlier. Operating profit and net profit were 12.8 billion won and 10.9 billion won, respectively, up 60% and 73%, marking the highest cumulative third-quarter results on record.
Samyang KCI, a specialized affiliate for cosmetics and personal care materials, posted cumulative third-quarter sales of 89 billion won and operating profit of 8.8 billion won this year. At this pace, annual sales this year are expected to surpass last year's 110 billion won to set a record high.
Samyang KCI supplies more than 70 types of cosmetics and personal care materials to more than 120 consumer goods companies in over 40 countries worldwide, including L'Oréal and P&G. Its main products are cationic surfactants such as the naturally derived polymer hair-care conditioner PQ-10 and guar derivatives, and the moisturizer polyquaternium-51, which enhances skin affinity. Recently, it has been strengthening its competitiveness in naturally derived eco-friendly products and is accelerating entry into new markets.
Of the 89 billion won in cumulative third-quarter sales this year, overseas exports were 74.2 billion won, with exports accounting for about 83%. Samyang Group noted that as the personal care industry is growing rapidly worldwide and new emerging markets are appearing, the share of overseas sales is expected to increase further.
Samyang KCI has moved to pioneer new markets by developing MPC (2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) and MPC derivatives that mimic phosphatidylcholine, the main component of human cell membranes. MPC is a biocompatible material currently used in contact lenses, and the company is conducting research with various institutions at home and abroad for applications in medical supplies. MPC derivatives were newly selected as a "2025 World Class Product" in a program led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Recognized for its excellent materials technology, Samyang KCI was the only Korean cosmetics raw material supplier invited to L'Oréal's "Suppliers Day" held in Paris, France, in September.