With the accelerated development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in recent years, the ranking of global semiconductor technology seems to have entered a reshuffle phase. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP) released its latest survey report on the 23rd, saying that most of South Korea's semiconductor technology has been surpassed by mainland China.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the "In-depth Analysis of Technology Levels in Three Key Fields" report of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Evaluation and Planning stated that the results of the questionnaire survey conducted by the institute on 39 South Korean experts showed that as of last year, South Korea's basic strength in all semiconductor fields lagged behind that of mainland China. If the level of the most technologically advanced countries is set at 100%, South Korea's level in the field of high-integration, low-impedance memory chip technology is 90.9%, lower than mainland China's 94.1%. In addition, in the field of high-performance, low-power artificial intelligence chips, South Korea is 84.1%, still lower than mainland China's 88.3%.

Power semiconductors

In terms of power semiconductors, South Korea is 67.5%, while mainland China is 79.8%. At the same time, in terms of the new generation of high-performance sensor technology, South Korea and mainland China are 81.3% and 83.9% respectively; as for semiconductor advanced packaging technology, both sides are 74.2%.

In addition, from a commercial perspective, South Korea is ahead of mainland China only in high-integration, low-impedance memory chips and advanced packaging technology. It is worth mentioning that in the previous 2022 survey, South Korea was rated ahead of China in the fields of memory, sensing and packaging, but it was surpassed or caught up in just two years.

The survey was conducted by selecting experts from semiconductor experts who participated in the KISTEP 2022 Technology Level Assessment. The assessment is conducted every two years and evaluates South Korea's core technologies in accordance with the Basic Law on Science and Technology. Semiconductor evaluators include university professors and researchers from industry-university-research institutions, as well as professionals from large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises in the fields of materials, parts and equipment.

South Korea's Advantages

Experts are increasingly concerned that South Korea will give up its main advantages in memory, sensing and packaging technologies to China. The report found that while South Korea still leads China in process and mass production technology within the life cycle of semiconductor technology, it lags behind China in basic research and design technology, and even ranks last among other major countries.

China's foray into South Korea's traditional main technologies is not limited to semiconductors. Last year, Chinese companies surpassed South Korea for the first time in global TV shipments, giving it a leading position in ultra-large-size products. In the high-end smartphone and display markets, Chinese companies also threaten the market share of Samsung and LG. KISTEP researcher Zheng Yizhen said: "It is crucial to ensure that core technology becomes a strategic card for South Korea in the global value chain. Measures are urgently needed to ensure talent, including providing incentives for the industry to cultivate technical talents and formulating immigration policies to attract overseas professionals."

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Evaluation and Planning also pointed out that although South Korea leads the mainland in manufacturing processes and mass production, it lags behind in basic technology and design. The rise of Japan and mainland China, as well as the sanctions of the United States and the growth of the Southeast Asian market, have brought uncertainty to related industries in South Korea. The outlook for the Korean semiconductor industry, which has a small scale of R&D investment, is not optimistic.

The Korean media Asian Economy pointed out that some experts believe that the problems facing South Korea's semiconductor technology level in the future mainly include the loss of core talents, artificial intelligence semiconductor technology, Sino-US competition, domestic priority policies, and localization of the supply chain. Among them, only artificial intelligence semiconductor technology may have a positive impact on South Korea's technology level.

At the same time, panel professional research organization Omdia released the latest data on the 23rd, showing that the combined shipments of mainland TV brands TCL, Hisense, and Xiaomi accounted for 31.3% of the global market last year, surpassing the 28.4% of South Korean brands Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics for the first time.

Mainland media previously quoted Kim Hyung-joong, a researcher at the Korea Trade Association, as saying that China is South Korea's most important partner country and a competitor trying to catch up quickly in the semiconductor field. South Korea must track and observe the technology fields that mainland China focuses on, and also needs to formulate R&D strategies to maintain upstream industry sovereignty.

Source: Content from United Daily News

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