[Manbo Jeongdam] Godeungjin, People Power Party Lawmaker: "Direct Subsidy Support Needed for Korean Version of TSMC"

The 'Galaxy Myth' Truly Committed to Korean Semiconductors and Youth Development
"The Government Must Gradually Establish a 5-Year Semiconductor Plan"
"My Goal on Samsung's First Day Was President... My Political Goal Is the Future of Youth"
Experience Managing Galaxy Note7 Fires... "Electric Vehicle Battery Companies Must Guarantee Safety"

People Power Party lawmaker Go Dong-jin is walking inside the National Assembly grounds. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

Go Dong-jin, a member of the National Assembly from the People Power Party, still finds the role of a legislator unfamiliar even after nearly 100 days since taking office. Having spent his entire career at Samsung Electronics, rising from an entry-level employee to CEO, he transformed into a politician to serve the people and the youth, but he seems to be more concerned about the future of the Korean economy and industry than political strife.

The numerous books on semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) on Go’s office desk are evidence of this. Go is a bestselling author of “What Work Is,” which shares know-how for success in the workplace based on his own experience. After reading Go’s book, Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, invited him to join politics, making the book a compass that pointed him toward a new path. That is why Go never lets go of his books.

Go introduced his first bill, the “Special Act to Strengthen the Competitiveness of the Semiconductor Industry.” The bill mainly proposes establishing a “Special Committee to Strengthen Semiconductor Industry Competitiveness” directly under the president. Later, he led the integration of semiconductor support bills within the ruling party into a unified bill.

Although Go described himself as naturally healthy in his book “What Work Is,” health is not eternal. During his time at Samsung Electronics, he often walked around the Suwon plant. However, after becoming CEO, he gave up walking because he felt sorry to receive greetings. Now, he mainly rides an indoor bicycle. Go said that when the temperature drops in autumn, he wants to take frequent walks around the new workplace, the National Assembly grounds.

Go’s walking routes changed with his entry into politics. Before running for the general election, he mostly walked around Namsan near his home, but now he meets voters and young people by walking the alleys of his constituency in Gangnam-gu, including Samseong-dong, Dogok-dong, and Daechi-dong every weekend.

People Power Party lawmaker Go Dong-jin is walking inside the National Assembly grounds. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

The following is a Q&A with Assemblyman Go.

- You advocated for direct subsidies to semiconductor companies. Is this based on your experience in corporate management?

△ Government direct subsidies are necessary for the semiconductor industry due to cost competitiveness. Companies receiving subsidies have a significant cost advantage over those receiving only tax benefits. The starting line is different. Subsidies are also needed to shorten the construction period of semiconductor lines. Reducing construction time positively affects cost competitiveness. Construction companies strive to shorten the schedule to reduce costs. The same principle applies to the semiconductor industry.

The semiconductor bill I proposed this time also includes provisions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), not just large corporations. SMEs find it difficult to purchase expensive new semiconductor equipment. Benefits should also be provided for purchasing used equipment. The government should not ignore the semiconductor industry by treating it as a business only for large corporations. Around 2015, the gap between Taiwan’s TSMC and Samsung was not as large as it is now. Currently, Samsung’s market share is only 11%. Should the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Science and ICT just let large corporations be? That should not happen.

Like the past five-year economic plans, the government needs to lead the semiconductor industry systematically. It is time for us to actively respond to the opportunity AI has given us, such as the memory foundry model, which is a customer-customized format. Although we are behind in system semiconductors and foundry sectors, if the government sets five-year plans and reviews performance annually, we can definitely create companies like TSMC. Thanks to TSMC, many millionaires have emerged in Taiwan. We can do it too. I have many concerns, so I wake up every dawn to read books.

- Do you have connections who advise you on fostering the semiconductor industry?

△ I appointed Professor Wi Gu-yeon, an electrical engineering and computer science professor at Harvard University, as a special advisor in diplomacy and policy. I have various overseas connections. When Broadcom’s Hock Tan attended the KAIST honorary doctorate ceremony, he dined at my home. After becoming a legislator, I planned to meet people from Qualcomm and Google in the U.S., but I couldn’t because of the filibuster. I also have a good relationship with Qualcomm.

- You were appointed chair of the People Power Party’s talent recruitment committee. Isn’t this a big responsibility for a first-term lawmaker?

△ When Han Dong-hoon first invited me to join the People Power Party, we discussed the future of youth. The future of youth is the future of Korea, and semiconductors are also about people’s livelihoods and youth’s future. After the general election, I met with Leader Han and emphasized, “We must overcome the Seoul and Gyeonggi metropolitan areas. Instead of recruiting talent just before elections to target the centrist voters, we should operate a permanent organization.” Then Leader Han said, “It would be great if Assemblyman Go could do it.” When I said, “How can a first-term lawmaker take a position usually held by senior members?” he replied, “It seems that young people would like it if CEO Go does it,” so I accepted.

- What kind of people are you trying to recruit?

△ I will recruit talents for the future of Korea and the youth. I will go anywhere nationwide. The People Power Party should not be confined to Yeongnam or Busan.

People Power Party lawmaker Go Dong-jin is being interviewed by Asia Economy in his office at the National Assembly Members' Office Building. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

- What is your view on AI? There are many opinions on the ground that the government is focusing only on semiconductor investment and neglecting AI investment.

△ People are important. Can our education system nurture software talents suitable for the AI era? How many talents abroad have started businesses after graduating from regular universities? Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates both dropped out of college. We still have a rigid culture. To foster AI, multifaceted efforts are needed. To strengthen national software competitiveness, we need to reconsider the current education system and structure. Samsung Electronics’ software talent training program, the “Samsung Youth SW Academy,” will allow high school graduates to enroll starting next year. Rather, companies are changing.

Jeffrey Hinton, a leading scholar in AI, originally researched in the UK but moved to Canada, where government funding continued, after national funding was cut off. This made Canada a center for AI research. This is an example of the importance of government support. Companies also need to cooperate. While emphasizing data sovereignty between countries, shouldn’t companies cooperate first?

- You wrote in your book that you set a goal to become CEO from your first day at Samsung Electronics. What goals have you set as a politician?

△ When I leave politics, I want to be evaluated as “That person truly worked for the future of youth, and that is what he created.” I am also thinking about what I can do for the metropolitan area and centrist voters. Since I ran in Gangnam, I currently have no plans for re-election. Unless local residents insist that no one else but me can do it (laughs). I have no intention of joining the cabinet. It probably doesn’t suit my temperament.

- Recently, the electric vehicle fire incidents have brought renewed attention to the Galaxy Note 7 battery fire incident during your Samsung days.

△ Really? Batteries are not simple. They involve various elements such as physics, electricity, chemistry, and engineering. After that incident, I took many measures for battery safety. I can say now that we tested all more than 300,000 batteries in stock at the time. Thanks to that, we could identify every tiny issue with the batteries. We gathered experts worldwide to obtain objective opinions. It was important to find the exact cause. We couldn’t leave problematic business to our juniors. I was prepared to be fired.

Eventually, after six months, it was concluded that the problem was with the batteries. It was not a problem with the phone itself, but we recalled all units. It was a decision for the safety of the company and consumers. At the time, I reported to Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong that about 6.5 trillion won would be converted into investment costs, and he readily approved it. Later, Vice Chairman Lee even gave bonuses to our division (laughs).

- What do you think about recent electric vehicle fire accidents?

△ This is the first time I’m saying this here: since the Galaxy Note 7 incident, Samsung has had no battery accidents. Even if there are no battery accidents now, Hyundai Motor and Kia should form a task force (TF) to establish battery safety regulations. Batteries must be tested objectively. Battery suppliers should do this before automakers. Battery companies must guarantee safety. Above all, moving to solid-state batteries will prevent accidents.

- Aren’t there issues with cost and efficiency for solid-state batteries?

△ Even if solid-state batteries are less efficient, safety is non-negotiable. It’s a matter of life and death.

◆ Assemblyman Go Dong-jin of the People Power Party

△ Born in Seoul in 1961 △ Kyungseong High School △ Sungkyunkwan University, Department of Industrial Engineering △ Master’s in Technology Policy, University of Sussex, UK △ Head of European Research Institute, Samsung Electronics Information and Communication Division △ Head of Wireless Development, Samsung Electronics △ Head of Wireless Business Division, Samsung Electronics △ Head of IM Division, Samsung Electronics △ CEO of Samsung Electronics △ Member of the National Assembly, People Power Party