South Korea and Netherlands Formalize 'Semiconductor Alliance'... Immediate Response to Supply Chain Crisis (Update)

'Semiconductor Alliance' Mentioned in Joint Statement Marks First Official Use by Both Governments
Intense Negotiations Between Governments Before State Visit with the Netherlands

The 'semiconductor alliance' between South Korea and the Netherlands will be officially documented through an agreement between the two heads of state. This signifies a commitment not just to general economic cooperation, but to immediate and efficient response and support in the event of supply chain crises. This is the first time that either South Korea or the Netherlands has explicitly named a semiconductor alliance with a specific country in a joint government statement.

Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, held a briefing on the 12th (local time) at the press center set up in Amsterdam, stating, "After close consultations, the term 'semiconductor alliance' was directly included in the joint statement between the two countries." The joint statement to be announced by President Yoon Seok-yeol and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will include phrases such as "establishing a semiconductor alliance" and "enhancing intergovernmental knowledge and information exchange to strengthen supply chain resilience for critical items."

President Yoon Suk-yeol, on a state visit to the Netherlands, visited the ASML headquarters in Veldhoven on the 12th (local time) and left his signature on a wafer.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Deputy Director Kim analyzed the 'semiconductor alliance' between the two countries by saying, "It is possible because South Korea and the Netherlands are value-norm sharing countries that uphold the same values and ideologies." Since the two countries are pursuing deep security and diplomatic cooperation as value-based partners across areas such as cyber and military defense, a foundation has been laid to conduct in-depth consultations with trust in the semiconductor sector, where advanced technology and economic security interests are sharply involved.

He particularly explained that the term 'alliance' included in the joint statement means "that in all industrial sectors, especially in semiconductors which determine the core interests of future economic security, the two countries maintain technological gaps and jointly overcome supply chain crises." He added, "In the semiconductor sector, the two countries foster special cooperation during peacetime and, in the event of a crisis, jointly execute and implement immediate and efficient semiconductor supply chain crisis response scenarios."

He also revealed the efforts made so far to include 'semiconductor alliance' in the joint statement. A presidential office official elaborated, "Even before this state visit, our National Security Office engaged in intense direct negotiations with the Dutch side regarding the joint statement draft, and after deep consideration, the Netherlands also decided to officially include the semiconductor alliance."

Earlier, President Yoon had also foreshadowed the visit to the global semiconductor equipment company ASML headquarters by saying, "The ASML visit will be an important turning point in the 'Korea-Netherlands semiconductor alliance' relationship." Coinciding with President Yoon's state visit, ASML and Samsung Electronics decided to invest 1 trillion won to build a 'Next-Generation Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology R&D Center' in South Korea, and SK Hynix agreed to cooperate with ASML on developing 'hydrogen gas recycling technology for EUV.' This reflects the fact that semiconductor 'cooperation' between the two countries has effectively been elevated to the level of an 'alliance.'

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