Minister Lee Jong-ho: "The Entire Government Must Take the Lead in Semiconductor Talent Development"

Emphasis on Workforce Development in National Assembly Special Lecture
"Technology Level Inferior Without Memory"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] Following President Yoon Suk-yeol, Lee Jong-ho, Minister of Science and ICT (pictured), who gave a special lecture on semiconductors to members of the National Assembly, diagnosed the reality of South Korea's semiconductor industry as "technologically inferior except for memory." He emphasized that to secure system semiconductors, which will be the core of the future semiconductor industry, and next-generation semiconductor technologies, "the government as a whole must take the initiative to establish a system capable of nurturing outstanding talent."

On the 20th, Minister Lee Jong-ho explained in a special lecture at the National Assembly, "South Korea maintains technological superiority in memory semiconductor design and processes, but remains technologically inferior in other semiconductor sectors." According to the Korea Economic Research Institute's 'Semiconductor Expert Industry Competitiveness Diagnosis' report, Korea's memory semiconductor technology scores over 90 points, ranking among the world's best, but system semiconductors such as automotive strategic semiconductor design and AI semiconductor software design score only around 50 to 60 points. In particular, the system semiconductor design sector has extremely low competitiveness, indicating that Korea remains a 'memory-only powerhouse.' Minister Lee is a semiconductor expert who developed the industry's standard non-memory semiconductor technology, 'bulk FinFET,' for the first time in the world.

Minister Lee stressed that proper talent development is necessary to gain an advantage in the global system semiconductor market. He said, "There is a shortage of high-level personnel needed for system semiconductor development, and practical workforce is urgently needed," adding, "Increasing the number of semiconductor personnel is important, but nurturing outstanding talent is even more crucial." He continued, "Through this, we can create knowledge-based new technologies and new markets," and added, "Large corporations can take on a leading role by completing the super-gap, which can lead to venture startups and the creation of quality jobs."

Minister Lee likened semiconductors to "the rice of industry" and "the nails of 21st-century horseshoes," emphasizing, "The United States is reorganizing the dispersed semiconductor supply chain to be centered on its own country, fiercely competing with China for hegemony, and semiconductors have now become a core axis of security issues." He also noted, "Intel and TSMC have announced plans to build mass production plants in the U.S., and Samsung Electronics has responded in kind."

Minister Lee's special lecture is interpreted as a response to President Yoon Suk-yeol's emphasis on fostering the semiconductor industry. President Yoon stated, "Semiconductors are a national security asset and the foundation of our economy," emphasizing the "training of 100,000 talents." According to the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, the domestic semiconductor industry faces a shortage of about 3,000 personnel annually. The association expects the cumulative shortage over the next decade to reach 30,000. As President Yoon has called for regulatory reforms as part of advanced industry measures including semiconductors, the ruling party is expected to begin full-scale legislative support. Previously, the People Power Party proposed a bill to expand tax credit rates for facility investments necessary for the commercialization of national strategic technologies such as semiconductors. The Ministry of Education has officially announced plans to increase university quotas in advanced industries including semiconductors, and companies are also presenting various measures to nurture talent.

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