Yeohangu, Director General of Trade Negotiations, "Will continue efforts to attract foreign investment in core materials, parts, and equipment sectors"

On-site Visit to the Korean Branch of Dutch Semiconductor Equipment Company ASML

Yeohan Gu, Director General for Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. (File photo)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] Yeo Han-gu, head of the Trade Negotiation Headquarters at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, stated on the 31st, "The government will continue its efforts to attract foreign investment in core materials, parts, and equipment sectors through customized investment attraction activities and strengthening incentives for foreign investment in national strategic technologies."

On the same day, Yeo visited ASML Korea, the Korean branch of the Dutch semiconductor equipment company ASML, located in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, and said, "The government will spare no support necessary to ensure that ASML's contribution to strengthening the growth foundation of Korea's semiconductor industry bears fruit."

ASML is the only company in the world that supplies extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment. ASML Korea is responsible for remanufacturing and maintenance of equipment supplied to semiconductor manufacturers in Korea.

Since establishing ASML Korea in 1996, ASML has contributed to strengthening the global supply chain in the semiconductor field and the domestic economy by creating jobs with over 1,500 employees and fostering core technical personnel.

After touring ASML Korea's EUV and DUV (deep ultraviolet) remanufacturing centers and engineer training centers, Yeo held a meeting with company officials to review the status of Korea-Netherlands semiconductor supply chain cooperation.

Notably, Joanna Donbarth, the Dutch Ambassador to Korea, also attended this visit to reaffirm the stability and resilience of the global semiconductor supply chain cooperation connecting Korea's semiconductor production and the Netherlands' supply of core semiconductor equipment, and pledged more systematic cooperation in the future.

Yeo said, "The semiconductor and related materials, parts, and equipment sectors are key agendas that require a strategic and integrated approach to our industry, technology, investment, and trade in response to the global supply chain restructuring and technological hegemony competition. The combination of ASML's core semiconductor equipment and world-class technology with Korea's global semiconductor production capacity and innovation capability is a good win-win example that can greatly contribute to the global semiconductor supply chain."

He added, "We plan to strengthen cooperation with key technology partner countries that share our vision, such as the Netherlands," emphasizing, "The two countries will firmly establish various links of cooperation not only to enhance advanced technological competitiveness but also to secure technological security capabilities."

Meanwhile, the Trade Negotiation Headquarters of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is actively exploring trade support measures that can directly assess the impact of changes in the global trade paradigm on our core industry-specific supply chains and technologies and contribute to national wealth creation. To respond organically and swiftly to the paradigm shift in trade involving supply chain restructuring and the linkage and convergence of technology and trade, it plans to establish and operate a 'Supply Chain and Technology Trade Task Force (TF).'