[News] China Reportedly Overtakes South Korea in Semiconductor Tech, Dominating Even Memory Sector

According to Chosun Biz, citing a report published by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP), as of last year, China has surpassed South Korea in foundational capabilities across all technology sectors, with the exception of advanced packaging.

Even in the memory technology sector, which had traditionally been led by South Korea, China has now outpaced South Korea in foundational capabilities, as the report highlights.

As noted by KISTEP, in 2022, South Korea held the second spot after the U.S. in the memory and advanced packaging technology sectors among five semiconductor technology fields. Meanwhile, in areas such as AI semiconductors, power semiconductors, and sensors, South Korea ranked 4th and 5th, among countries such as China, Japan, the EU, and the U.S

However, the report states that in a further evaluation conducted in 2024, with 100% representing the highest level, South Korea’s high-density resistive memory technology scored 90.9%, trailing behind China’s 94.1%.

Notably, as indicated by KISTEP, Taiwan ranks first in semiconductor advanced packaging technology commercialization, while the U.S. leads in all other technology sectors from both the foundational capabilities and commercialization perspectives.

Also, in the area of high-performance and low-power AI semiconductor technology, China scored 88.3%, leading South Korea’s 84.1%. In power semiconductors, China scored 79.8%, significantly surpassing South Korea’s 67.5%. Regarding next-generation high-performance sensing technology, China scored 83.9%, while South Korea scored 81.3%. Only in the foundational capabilities of advanced packaging technology are both countries evenly matched, with each scoring 74.2%, as noted by the report.

Furthermore, as highlighted by the report, a survey evaluating the technological life cycle of the semiconductor sector reveals that South Korea led in process and mass production, while China continued to maintain an advantage in foundational capabilities and design.

The report points out that South Korea’s foundational capabilities and design technology levels ranked the lowest among the evaluated countries, indicating that this area is the weakest link in South Korea’s semiconductor life cycle.

As stated by the report,  issues such as the exodus of core talent, AI semiconductor technology, US-China competition, South Korea’s domestic-focused policies, and rapid shifts in the supply chain will continue to impact South Korea’s semiconductor industry.

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(Photo credit: Samsung)