TSMC Founder: "US Semiconductor Investment Plans Affect Korea and Taiwan"

The founder of TSMC, the world's largest foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) company, predicted that the U.S. semiconductor investment plan would have an impact on South Korea and Taiwan, according to Taiwanese foreign media reports on the 19th.

Founder of Taiwan's TSMC, Former Chairman Morris Chang (Jang Jung-mou) [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to foreign media reports, TSMC founder Chang Jung-mou made these remarks at a press conference held on the 17th (local time) after completing his schedule related to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in San Francisco, USA.

When asked whether the U.S. government's 2030 domestic semiconductor industry plan would affect South Korea and Taiwan, Founder Chang said, "Regardless of the business, especially in semiconductors, the emergence of new competition is inevitable." He added that both South Korea and Taiwan have reached their current status through much competition, and competition is a common occurrence.

Earlier, the U.S. Department of Commerce in September announced the application procedures for subsidies under the CHIPS Act, which provides financial support to companies investing in semiconductor manufacturing facilities, semiconductor materials and equipment manufacturing facilities, and research and development facilities in the United States.

The Department of Commerce added companies investing in semiconductor materials and equipment manufacturing facilities to the list of eligible recipients and disclosed plans in June to support materials and equipment companies with investments exceeding $300 million (approximately 388.9 billion KRW).

Meanwhile, Founder Chang responded to a question about the speculation that the U.S. would actively work to stabilize the Taiwan Strait only if semiconductor industry research and development (R&D) centers are located in Taiwan by saying, "That is full of conjecture." He further stated that it is impossible to establish new production facilities like TSMC in the U.S. in the short term and declined to comment further on the matter.

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