As the investment boost in South Korea's semiconductor industry is increasingly likely to expand to around ¥100 trillion, Samsung has unveiled plans to build a cluster of factories in an area regarded as an “industrial wasteland.”
South Korea's semiconductor industry is enjoying an unprecedented boom, with Samsung Electronics' net profit in 2026 expected to reach approximately ¥38 trillion, eight times the previous fiscal year's level. At the same time, Chinese companies are beginning to emerge in memory semiconductors.
On 29 June, the CEOs of the two companies vying for global leadership in memory semiconductors were reported to have appeared together at the South Korean presidential office, also known as the Blue House, revealing one aspect of the competition between nations over semiconductors.
This article is part of a serialized project based on a book depicting the battles among countries and companies over semiconductors. The project presents episodes from South Korea in a four-part series.
Related themes mentioned in the article include plans to build and expand semiconductor factories in response to geopolitical considerations, as well as the context of adjustments driven by semiconductor demand cycles and shortages.