Vice Minister of Industry Moon Sinhak Says "Government Will Be a Strong Pillar for the Semiconductor Industry" as "SEMICON Korea 2026" Opens

550 Companies and 2,409 Booths Gather at COEX
Highlighting Competitiveness of the Semiconductor Ecosystem, Including Materials, Parts, and Equipment, amid the Spread of AI

"The government will serve as the strongest possible pillar of support so that people in the semiconductor industry can conduct research without wavering and invest boldly."

Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Moon Sinhak emphasized the government's full commitment to supporting the semiconductor industry in his congratulatory remarks at the opening ceremony of "SEMICON Korea 2026," which kicked off on the 11th. Vice Minister Moon said, "Through the recently enacted 'Special Act on Semiconductors,' we will provide incentives that meet global standards," pledging policy support to strengthen industrial competitiveness.

"SEMICON Korea 2026," the largest semiconductor industry exhibition in Korea, will be held for three days from today at the entire COEX venue in Seoul. The event is organized by SEMI, a global association representing the advanced electronics industry, and brings together around 550 semiconductor companies from Korea and abroad, operating a total of 2,409 booths. Companies spanning the entire semiconductor value chain, including design, manufacturing, packaging, equipment, and materials, have gathered in one place.

A variety of side events have also been prepared alongside the exhibition booths. More than 30 detailed programs will run in parallel, including an AI Summit co-hosted by SEMI and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), a U.S. Investment Forum in partnership with SelectUSA, a Korea–Netherlands Technology Cooperation Seminar, and a mentoring program for university students.

Buoyed by the spread of AI, the global semiconductor market is expected in 2026 to enter, for the first time in history, the 1 trillion dollar era. In line with this, the semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment markets are also forecast to grow together. According to SEMI, as of 2025 the semiconductor equipment market is projected to reach 139.4 billion dollars, up 14.7% from the previous year, while the materials market is expected to grow 8.8% to 49.2 billion dollars.

Industry observers analyze that competition in semiconductors is shifting from performance contests between individual companies to "ecosystem competition" encompassing design, manufacturing, packaging, and materials, parts, and equipment. In this context, the exhibition is expected to serve as a venue to survey the present and future of the semiconductor industry ecosystem and to explore opportunities for inter-company collaboration. In particular, Korean materials, parts, and equipment companies in the semiconductor sector are expected to gain opportunities to explore overseas expansion through networking and business matching with global companies.

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