Japan's Fujifilm Completes Korea's First Color Registry Pyeongtaek Factory

Supply to Domestic Semiconductor Factory for Image Sensors...

Samsung Electronics 12MP Dual Pixel Mobile Image Sensor

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 14th that Korea Fujifilm Electronic Materials, a subsidiary of Japan's Fujifilm Group, has completed the construction of the first domestic color resist (photosensitive material) factory for image sensors in Pyeongtaek. The factory was built in the Oseong Foreign Investment Zone in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.

The Fujifilm Group produces color resists necessary for manufacturing color filters used in image sensors in Japan and Taiwan and supplies them worldwide. It holds more than 80% of the global market share. An image sensor is a type of semiconductor that converts light entering a camera lens into digital signals. It is used in electronic devices such as digital cameras, smartphones, robots, and drones.

The Pyeongtaek factory is the first domestic color resist factory built to manufacture and supply color resists in Korea, which were previously imported from Japan and supplied to domestic semiconductor companies. The color resists produced here are expected to be supplied to domestic image sensor manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, as of 2022, Samsung Electronics holds 29% of the smartphone image sensor market share, ranking second globally after Sony (54%).

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy expects that the volume produced at this factory will be fully supplied to domestic semiconductor companies, significantly contributing to stabilizing the supply chain of Korea's advanced industries. The ministry explained that, with the cooperation of Pyeongtaek City, it resolved difficulties encountered during the factory establishment process, including a 75% reduction in acquisition tax for Fujifilm's factory building.

At the completion ceremony, Park Deok-yeol, Director of Investment Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, said, "The Fujifilm Pyeongtaek factory is a representative case demonstrating the government's full-cycle foreign investment support, from the decision of foreign-invested companies to invest domestically to post-management." He added, "The government will strengthen on-site communication with foreign-invested companies and continue to provide close support."

The factory completion ceremony was attended by Teiichi Goto, President of Fujifilm Holdings; Tetsuya Iwasaki, Head of Fujifilm Electronic Materials Division; Shigeki Kobayashi, President of Korea Fujifilm Electronic Materials; Jae-seok Lee, Vice President (CTO) of Samsung Electronics System LSI Business Division; Jang-seon Jeong, Mayor of Pyeongtaek; and Byung-jin Lee, Member of the National Assembly.