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The
announcement, which also includes a separate 1.4 trillion won
fund to foster AI semiconductor firms, comes as South Korea
tries to keep abreast with countries like the United States,
China and Japan that are also giving massive policy support to
strengthen semiconductor supply chains on their own turf.
Semiconductors are a key foundation of South Korea's
export-driven economy. In March, chip exports reached their
highest in 21 months at $11.7 billion, or nearly a fifth of
total exports shipped by Asia's fourth-largest economy.
"Current competition in semiconductors is an industrial war and
an all-out war between nations," Yoon told a meeting of
policymakers and chip industry executives on Tuesday.
By earmarking investments and a fund, South Korea plans to
significantly expand research and development in AI chips such
as artificial neural processing units (NPUs) and next-generation
high-bandwidth memory chips, the government said in a statement.
South Korean authorities will also promote the development of
next-generation artificial general intelligence (AGI) and safety
technologies that go beyond existing models.
Yoon has set a target for South Korea to become one of the top
three countries in AI technology including chips, and take a 10%
or more share of the global system semiconductor market by 2030.
"Just as we have dominated the world with memory chips for the
past 30 years, we will write a new semiconductor myth with AI
chips in the next 30 years," Yoon said.
Yoon also noted that the impact of the recent earthquake in
Taiwan, a global leader in semiconductors, on South Korean
companies was limited as of now, but ordered thorough
preparation in the event of uncertainties.
($1 = 1,355.1200 won)
(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Ed Davies)
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