Kim Dong-yeon, Following the Attraction of Four Major Semiconductor Equipment, Can He Lead Additional Investment from 'ASMI'?

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon (right) shakes hands with Paul Verhagen, CFO of ASM International, before their meeting at the governor's office in the Gwanggyo New Government Building in Suwon on the 11th.

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, rolled up his sleeves to attract additional investment from 'ASM International (ASMI),' which developed the world's first semiconductor atomic layer deposition equipment (PEALD) using plasma.

The company is reportedly considering Japan, the United States, and other countries as new investment destinations for the development of next-generation semiconductor equipment.

On the 11th, Governor Kim met with Paul Verhagen, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of ASM International, at the governor's office in the Gwanggyo New Government Building in Suwon and requested an expansion of investment in the province.

ASM International is ranked among the top 10 global manufacturers of semiconductor deposition equipment and is a leading Dutch global company. After signing an investment agreement with Gyeonggi Province in 2015, it built semiconductor deposition equipment research and manufacturing facilities in the Dongtan Advanced Industrial Complex in Hwaseong City in January 2019 with an investment of 87 billion KRW. Last year's sales amounted to 300 billion KRW.

In particular, the company was the first in Korea to develop plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition technology (PEALD) and succeeded in mass production.

During the meeting, Governor Kim said, "Gyeonggi Province is a hub for the semiconductor industry not only in Korea but also internationally," adding, "The province focuses on creating an ecosystem and environment for the semiconductor industry and has already attracted research centers of the world's top 1 to 4 semiconductor companies."

He continued, "We have ambitious plans regarding various regulations, infrastructure, and securing human resources. It would be beneficial for ASM to consider these when making investment decisions," emphasizing, "I am confident that today will mark the beginning of a good investment partnership, and we will spare no effort to cooperate to the fullest."

In response, Paul Verhagen, CFO, said, "Developing next-generation semiconductor deposition equipment requires an investment of about 1 trillion KRW by 2030," and added, "Gyeonggi Province is an attractive investment destination to supply stable and sustainable equipment to major customers."

Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province recently succeeded in attracting investment from Applied Materials (AMAT), a world-leading deposition equipment company, and has attracted all of the world's top 1 to 4 semiconductor companies, including ASML, Lam Research, and Tokyo Electron (TEL).

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