Leaving the Netherlands on the 11th and arriving on the 15th
Bright expression despite somewhat tired appearance
Expectations for strengthening ASML partnership
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong returned to Korea on the morning of the 15th through the Business Center at Gimpo Airport in Seoul after accompanying President Yoon Suk-yeol on his state visit to the Netherlands.
Chairman Lee arrived at the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center (SGBAC) at 7:03 a.m. on the 15th and told reporters about the results of his trip to the Netherlands, saying, "It was almost 90% about semiconductors." He left for the Netherlands on the 11th to align with President Yoon's schedule, visited semiconductor equipment maker ASML, and completed related schedules before returning home that day.
On his way out of the arrival hall, Chairman Lee greeted the reporters he encountered, saying, "You came out early this morning." He appeared somewhat tired, saying, "I just woke up," as he arrived early in the morning, but maintained a bright expression. He seemed to express satisfaction with this business trip.
In response to reporters' questions about the results of this trip, Chairman Lee patted the shoulder of Kyung Kye-hyun, President of Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) Division, who arrived with him several times, saying, "President Kyung will explain," showing a sense of trust.
After Chairman Lee left the arrival hall, President Kyung expressed high expectations, saying that the trip had significant achievements in strengthening the cooperative relationship with the Dutch semiconductor equipment company ASML.
President Kyung said, "Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) equipment is one of the most important pieces of equipment in the semiconductor business," adding, "From the perspective of the semiconductor supply chain, we have secured a very strong ally."
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong arrived at Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center (SGBAC) on the morning of the 15th after completing a business trip to the Netherlands and is answering questions from the press. Photo by Kim Pyeong-hwa
Samsung Electronics met with ASML in the Netherlands and signed an agreement to invest 1 trillion won to jointly operate an R&D center in Korea. Since this is the first case of ASML establishing a joint R&D center overseas, it attracted attention both inside and outside the semiconductor industry.
President Kyung said, "During the signing ceremony, we decided to build a joint research institute in Dongtan," adding, "We will bring in high NA EUV equipment there, and ASML engineers and Samsung engineers will work together to develop technology."
He also said, "Through this, Samsung will gain technological priority for high NA EUV," adding, "I think this will create an opportunity to effectively use high NA EUV in DRAM and logic in the long term."
In response to reporters' questions about whether cooperation with ASML would allow Samsung to bring in equipment faster than competitors, he explained, "Rather than focusing on bringing in equipment quickly, it is more important to establish a cooperative relationship where ASML engineers and Samsung engineers conduct joint research so that Samsung can better utilize high NA EUV."
Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics began its global strategy meetings on the 14th, starting with the entire company and the Mobile Experience (MX) Division. The Device Solutions (DS) Division meeting, which handles the semiconductor business, is scheduled for the 19th.
When asked by reporters if he had received any reports regarding the global strategy meetings, President Kyung said, "It will be held next Tuesday," and added, "We have to see then," withholding further comment.
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