Interview with Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun
Development of Next-Generation Semiconductor Technology
Discussions with NTT and Mention of Industry Collaboration
Emphasis on the Vision of a Korea-Japan Single Economic Bloc
Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group and Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is continuing his active schedule between Japan and the United States. After mentioning for the first time in an interview with Japanese media the idea of jointly developing next-generation optical communication semiconductors between Korea and Japan, he visited the United States to finalize arrangements for visits to Korea by CEOs of major big tech companies. In particular, during his visit to Japan, Chairman Chey once again emphasized his long-held belief in a "Korea-Japan economic alliance," highlighting artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors as key drivers for future growth.
In an interview with Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun on the 22nd, Chairman Chey stated, "We are in discussions with Japan's NTT regarding semiconductor technology development," revealing that the development of a "new semiconductor" is underway through the IOWN (Innovative Optical & Wireless Network) project. Yomiuri Shimbun reported the interview across its second and fourth pages.
IOWN is a multinational next-generation communication project led by Japan's NTT, with participation from SK Telecom, Sony, Intel, and others. While conventional semiconductors transmit data electrically, IOWN aims to use light instead of electricity, enabling much faster communication networks with lower power consumption.
SK's role is to develop semiconductors that will support the optical network. SK hynix is recognized for its strengths in AI semiconductor fields such as high bandwidth memory (HBM), and if combined with Japan's optical communication technology, it is expected to create ultra-high-speed, low-power semiconductors for AI infrastructure.
Chairman Chey also mentioned the possibility of cooperation with Japanese semiconductor equipment companies such as Tokyo Electron, and discussed potential collaboration with Kioxia, the world's third-largest NAND flash manufacturer. SK hynix acquired approximately 4 trillion won worth of Kioxia shares in 2018, and the value of these shares is now estimated at over 5 trillion won following Kioxia’s recent public listing. This suggests that the Korea-Japan cooperation initiative, encompassing equipment, materials, and memory, could expand into a comprehensive semiconductor partnership.
He stated, "With the expansion of AI data centers, demand for AI semiconductors, including HBM, is increasing explosively," and predicted, "As AI evolves to perform tasks autonomously without human intervention, the demand for semiconductors will grow even further."
Chairman Chey also spoke about the vision of a single economic bloc through a Korea-Japan economic alliance. He said, "An economic alliance between Korea and Japan could form the world's fourth-largest economic bloc," and emphasized, "A fully integrated system similar to the European Union, surpassing the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), is necessary."
Following his visit to Japan, Chairman Chey traveled to the United States to engage in diplomatic support activities. On September 25 (local time), he is scheduled to attend the "Korea Investment Summit" in Manhattan, Wall Street, New York, where he will meet with key figures in the economic and financial sectors of both Korea and the United States. At this government-hosted summit, he plans to encourage global investment banks on Wall Street to invest in the Korean stock market.
In addition to the official event, it has been reported that Chairman Chey departed for the United States on the 22nd, ahead of President Lee Jaemyung, who is also visiting for unofficial engagements. The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry has begun final arrangements to invite high-profile figures to the APEC CEO Summit, an official side event of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting to be held in Gyeongju next month. During this U.S. trip, Chairman Chey is expected to finalize schedules with industry leaders such as Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, whom he has personally invited.
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