First Publicly-Led Korea Semiconductor Education Center in the Country
Framework Construction Begins in Hakseong-dong, Wonju
Advancing as a Demonstration Model for “Education + Medical Semiconductors”
The construction of the Korea Semiconductor Education Center, currently underway in the Hakseong-dong area of Wonju, Gangwon Province, is proceeding smoothly without any setbacks.
The project has a total budget of 45.9 billion won, including 31.7 billion won from national and provincial funds. Commissioned by Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and Wonju City, the construction is being carried out by Gangwon Development Corporation.
Ground was broken in April, followed by foundational work, and the first-floor wall framework is currently being constructed. As of mid-December, the construction progress rate stands at about 10 percent. However, since the foundational work-which is the most time-consuming part of the process-has been completed, the project is expected to be finished on schedule by the end of next year.
The Korea Semiconductor Education Center will be built on a site area of 2,860 square meters, with a total floor area of 2,768 square meters. It will feature a Class 100 cleanroom for semiconductor manufacturing, and will be equipped with 20 billion won worth of state-supported equipment necessary for front-end and back-end processing, as well as measurement and analysis.
Although construction is still underway, semiconductor education has already begun. Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and Wonju City have set up a temporary education center for the Korea Semiconductor Education Center at Sangji University in Usan-dong and have entrusted its operation to Gangwon Technopark. Since July last year, training courses in semiconductor measurement and analysis, design, and XR (extended reality) have been offered.
As the first publicly-led semiconductor education institution in the country, all courses are provided free of charge. The center is responding to a wide range of educational needs, from high school students and university students to job seekers and those already employed. Even after the center is completed and begins full operation, tuition fees are expected to remain very low due to its public nature.
In addition, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and Wonju City have outlined a vision to integrate the region’s specialized medical device industry with AI and semiconductors, using medical data from the National Health Insurance Service and the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. In particular, starting next year, they plan to establish a medical semiconductor hub by attracting the nationally funded “Medical Semiconductor Demonstration Platform” project.
If this is achieved, the Korea Semiconductor Education Center is expected to become more than just an educational institution, providing practical support to local small and medium-sized enterprises. It will be able to develop and produce prototypes of medical semiconductors, as well as handle packaging, thereby boosting the digital transformation of local medical device companies and enhancing the competitiveness of medical semiconductors.
Meanwhile, the establishment of a semiconductor testbed in Wonju is also progressing as planned. The “Future Vehicle Electronic Component System Semiconductor Reliability Verification Center,” with a total investment of 35 billion won (including 22.6 billion won in national and provincial funds and 4.8 billion won in private capital), broke ground at Buron Industrial Complex in October and is scheduled for completion in 2027. In addition, the “Semiconductor Consumables Demonstration Center,” with a total investment of 42.7 billion won (including 27.5 billion won in national and provincial funds), began construction at Buron Industrial Complex in November and is scheduled for completion in 2028.
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