Yoon Seok-yeol Studies 'Semiconductors' This Time... Visits Seoul National University Research Institute

On the 17th, a tour without aides for about 3 hours
Guided by Professor Jeong Deokgyun, Chair Professor of Electrical and Information Engineering at Seoul National University, and Professor Lee Jongho, Director of the Research Institute

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol visited the Seoul National University Semiconductor Joint Research Center on the 17th and took a commemorative photo in front of the bust of the late semiconductor physicist Dr. Kang Dae-won. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Bo-ryeong] Yoon Seok-yeol, the former Prosecutor General who is leading the opposition presidential candidates in approval ratings, reportedly visited the Seoul National University Semiconductor Joint Research Center on the 17th.

According to political circles, on the afternoon of the 17th, Yoon visited the Seoul National University Semiconductor Joint Research Center without any aides and toured the facilities for about three hours under the guidance of Jeong Deok-gyun, Chair Professor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University, and Lee Jong-ho, the director of the research center.

This is the first time since his resignation in March that he has engaged with major domestic industrial sectors. Previously, Yoon met with Kim Hyung-seok, Honorary Professor at Yonsei University; Jeong Seung-guk, Professor of Social Welfare at Central Buddhist University; Kim Sung-han, Professor at Korea University Graduate School of International Studies; and Kwon Soon-woo, Director of the Korea Self-Employment Research Institute, discussing topics related to labor, diplomacy and security, and the economy.

While touring the research center, Yoon reportedly asked several questions to Chair Professor Jeong Deok-gyun and Professor Lee Jong-ho. Most of his questions were related to semiconductor production technology, such as "How are silicon wafers and substrates different?" and "What does 'resistor' mean in photoresistor?"

Additionally, he requested a tour of the semiconductor production facility, the Fab, and spent over 30 minutes examining the equipment while wearing a cleanroom suit. At the Fab, he also inquired about the costs involved in replacing some equipment with newer models.

Yoon showed interest in semiconductor research workforce development as well. During conversations with the professors, he reportedly mentioned, "China's semiconductor workforce training is five times larger than ours." He asked the professors to inform him if there are any necessary policies.

Upon seeing wafers in the laboratory, he asked, "Is this what U.S. President Joe Biden showed at the White House semiconductor meeting?" According to research center officials, he showed great curiosity while taking photos in front of the bust of the late Dr. Kang Dae-won, a pioneer in semiconductor research.

Chair Professor Jeong Deok-gyun told Yonhap News in a phone interview, "Former Prosecutor General Yoon visited the research center to enhance his technical understanding of semiconductors," adding, "He is quite knowledgeable about natural sciences and learns quickly, which surprised me."

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol visited the Seoul National University Semiconductor Joint Research Center on the 17th and took a commemorative photo in front of the bust of the late semiconductor physicist Dr. Kang Dae-won. (Photo by Yonhap News)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.