Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains, Key to National Security... Must Establish a 'Korean-Style Shield' Through Technological Superiority

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Son Seon-hee] In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, as trade barriers between countries have risen and technological protectionism has intensified, securing a "stable semiconductor supply chain" has emerged as a core issue of national security, according to an analysis. To achieve this, it is suggested that a "Korean-style semiconductor shield" is necessary to secure negotiating power through overwhelming competitive advantage.

Yoon Jeong-hyun, Associate Research Fellow at the National Security Strategy Institute, attended the "3rd Future Strategy Forum" held on the 12th at the Sejong National Research Complex, hosted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and organized by the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI), where he presented on the topic of "Security Strategy in the Era of Technological Geopolitics."

Yoon stated, "The strengthening of trade barriers and the rise of technological protectionism caused by the prolonged pandemic are dismantling the global division of labor in semiconductor production. In particular, since last year's semiconductor supply crisis, securing a stable semiconductor supply chain has emerged as a key national security issue."

Until now, the semiconductor industry operated under a "global division of labor" involving exports and imports in over 120 countries to ensure efficiency, but protectionism has intensified since the COVID-19 pandemic, ushering in a new phase.

Yoon emphasized, "The competition for semiconductor technological supremacy is intensifying with the U.S.'s 'Semiconductor Resurgence' and China's 'Semiconductor Rise.' To strengthen technological sovereignty and semiconductor security, it is necessary to secure a 'Korean-style semiconductor shield' to maintain competitiveness in the technology sector, and for vulnerable areas where independent pursuit is difficult (such as fabless and materials, parts, and equipment capabilities), stable supply should be ensured through strengthened external cooperation." The "Korean-style semiconductor shield" means maintaining a competitive advantage in items where domestic companies hold an overwhelming market share, such as memory semiconductors.

Following this, Professor Kim Yang-hee of Daegu University, who presented on "Korean-style Economic Security Strategy and Response Direction for Global Supply Chain Restructuring," said, "Economic security measures such as the Semiconductor Support Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the launch of China's Rare Earth Group will continue to occur in the future." She suggested, "Rather than responding fragmentarily and on a one-off basis to individual issues, it is necessary to establish a Korean-style economic security strategy for principled and consistent responses." She added, "The Korean-style economic security strategy should pursue the linkage between economy and security with the goal of maximizing national interests and reorganize supply chains in a multidimensional manner by item (such as semiconductors and minerals)."

The government plans to refer to the discussions from this forum when establishing mid- to long-term strategies in the future.

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