In the COVID Era, 'Super Eul' ASML Hires 6,000 Employees... 30,000th Employee is in Han

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Mr. Lee Han-jun of ASML, a Dutch semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, works as a customer support engineer ensuring that equipment operates without issues 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at Samsung Electronics' Giheung semiconductor plant. Having joined ASML in July, he earned the title of the '30,000th' employee at a company that significantly increased its workforce during the COVID-19 era.

According to ASML on the 30th, the company has hired more than 6,000 employees since early last year when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Considering the current workforce is about 30,000, this represents a 25% increase over two years. Although the global economy was expected to suffer a major blow at the start of the pandemic, the semiconductor industry experienced a boom due to increased demand for electronic devices, leading to continuous demand for manufacturing equipment. ASML explained that in the Netherlands, where its headquarters are located, it has hired an average of 300 employees per month since the pandemic.

Engineer Han-Jun Lee (right) of ASML is holding a congratulatory sign for the 30,000th employee and posing for a commemorative photo. Photo by ASML

This engineer was selected amid ASML’s expanding investment in Korea. Having grown up watching his father, a technician at a Japanese semiconductor company, he developed an early interest in the semiconductor industry and even formed a club with others interested in the field during university. He expressed satisfaction, saying, "It was a great opportunity to meet people interested in semiconductors, many of whom now work in the same industry," and that he is pleased to be working at a global company as he had hoped.

ASML produces extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment necessary for advanced semiconductor processes. Major semiconductor companies worldwide, including Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Taiwan’s TSMC, and the U.S.’s Intel, line up to secure its equipment, earning ASML the nickname ‘Super Eul.’ Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong also visited ASML’s headquarters in the Netherlands last October and met with executives.

ASML plans to invest 240 billion KRW by 2025 to establish an advanced cluster in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, featuring a training center and remanufacturing center for EUV and deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography equipment engineers. Peter Wennink, ASML’s CEO, visited Korea on the 18th and met with Moon Seung-wook, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, expressing gratitude for the Korean government’s proactive cooperation and hope to continue this relationship to contribute to the development of Korea’s semiconductor industry.