The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Suspect in grisly Busan murder sent to prosecutors for further probe

  • 3

    Roland Garros 2023

  • 5

    'HyeMiLeeYeChaePa' producer Lee Tae-kyung hopeful of second season

  • 7

    Seoul imposes sanctions on North Korean hacking group for role in space launch

  • 9

    KAERI distances itself from Oxford professor's claim on Fukushima water

  • 11

    More banks offer daily interest payments on deposits

  • 13

    HMM tasked with preventing sale of Hyundai LNG to foreign firm

  • 15

    Hyundai Elevator launches AI, IoT-powered maintenance service

  • 17

    B.I puts drug conviction behind him as he makes fresh start

  • 19

    Yoon receives flak for saying social welfare spending needs greater scrutiny

  • 2

    Stray Kids drops 3rd LP with 'unique, enjoyable' lead track

  • 4

    Airlines fiercely compete to acquire additional aircraft

  • 6

    Luxury brands continue hiking prices in Korea

  • 8

    How artist Michael Rakowitz resurrects lost past of Iraq through food packaging

  • 10

    LG Chem joins Korean firms strengthening ties with Japan

  • 12

    POSCO, GM expand joint EV battery materials investment in North America

  • 14

    Indo-Pacific region highlighted as important for Korean economy's future

  • 16

    Korean stocks feared to lose steam on prolonged trade deficit, real estate doldrums

  • 18

    TREND REPORTCheckerboard print newest trend among stars

  • 20

    US deepens trilateral cooperation with S. Korea, Japan against N. Korean threats: Biden

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
Sun, June 4, 2023 | 02:06
Tech
Samsung, SK hynix rush to find new suppliers
Posted : 2019-07-04 17:21
Updated : 2019-07-04 18:38
Baek Byung-yeul
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
Samsung Electronics employees check semiconductor fabrication equipment at the company's Hwaseong plant in Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics employees check semiconductor fabrication equipment at the company's Hwaseong plant in Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

By Baek Byung-yeul

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have been scrambling to find new supply sources for materials critical to manufacturing chips in response to Japan's export restrictions, industry officials said Thursday.

The Japanese government started to impose tougher restrictions on exports of three items ― photoresist and hydrogen fluoride, also known as etching gas, and fluorinated polyimide ― essential materials for producing semiconductors and displays, beginning Thursday.

Among the three items, photoresist and etching gas are essential for producing semiconductors and Samsung and SK hynix, which account for more than 70 percent of the global DRAM market and 40 percent of the NAND flash memory chip market, are trying to find new supply sources for them.

"The Korean chipmakers are trying to diversify their supply chains for photoresist and etching gas whose world market is controlled to the tune of about 90 percent by the Japanese companies," said a company official from one of the country's two largest semiconductor makers.

"It is almost impossible to find other supply chains for photoresist, which is completely dependent on Japanese makers, but for etching gas, some other companies in Belgium and Korea can replace Japanese players."

Korea says Japan violates WTO rules
Korea says Japan violates WTO rules
2019-07-04 18:00  |  Politics

The official added especially Korean firms such as Soulbrain and Ram Technology are improving their production capabilities for etching gas.

However, Lee Jong-hwan, a professor at the Department of System Semiconductor Engineering at Sangmyung University, said it will be difficult for the chipmakers to diversify their supply chains due to their high dependency on Japanese firms.

"Korean chipmakers are estimated to have about two months of inventories though the period can be different depending on the situation of each company. As chances are high that the Japanese government keeps its restrictions on export of high-tech materials to them, it is natural that the chipmakers are trying to diversify their supply chain," he said.

"But it is not easy for the chipmakers to find alternative supply sources because the current supply chain between the Japanese firms and the Korean chipmakers has been built after a long period of cooperation. If Samsung and SK hynix are running their factories at full capacity, their stock of the chip-making materials will run out faster."

Industry analysts presumed the export restrictions will have a negative impact not only on Korean firms but also Japanese firms.

"Korean companies are the main customers of such materials and are also the key global suppliers of memory chips and display panels," according to Moody's. "The immediate impact of the export controls on the rated Japanese companies, such as Fujifilm and Shin-Etsu Chemical, will be immaterial, because Moody's estimates that their sales of the affected materials to Korea are insignificant relative to their total revenue."

Tokyo's move is seen as retaliation against Seoul's Supreme Court ruling ordering Japanese firms to compensate colonial-era victims of forced labor.

In response, Seoul vowed to take a hard-line approach as its finance minister warned of direct countermeasures against Tokyo if it continues to restrict exports of chip- and display-making materials to its companies.

"We believe the Japanese move is a clear act of economic retaliation," Hong Nam-ki, the minister of economy and finance, said on a radio broadcast. "If the problem is not settled, surely Korea needs to ask the World Trade Organization (WTO) to make a judgment. But as it takes time for the WTO to deliver a verdict, it cannot be the only solution."



Emailbaekby@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
wooribank
Top 10 Stories
1Roland Garros 2023 Roland Garros 2023
2Airlines fiercely compete to acquire additional aircraft Airlines fiercely compete to acquire additional aircraft
3Luxury brands continue hiking prices in Korea Luxury brands continue hiking prices in Korea
4Seoul imposes sanctions on North Korean hacking group for role in space launch Seoul imposes sanctions on North Korean hacking group for role in space launch
5KAERI distances itself from Oxford professor's claim on Fukushima water KAERI distances itself from Oxford professor's claim on Fukushima water
6LG Chem joins Korean firms strengthening ties with Japan LG Chem joins Korean firms strengthening ties with Japan
7More banks offer daily interest payments on deposits More banks offer daily interest payments on deposits
8POSCO, GM expand joint EV battery materials investment in North America POSCO, GM expand joint EV battery materials investment in North America
9HMM tasked with preventing sale of Hyundai LNG to foreign firm HMM tasked with preventing sale of Hyundai LNG to foreign firm
10Indo-Pacific region highlighted as important for Korean economy's future Indo-Pacific region highlighted as important for Korean economy's future
Top 5 Entertainment News
1[INTERVIEW] 'One Day Off' star Lee Na-young, director on creating subtle, feel-good series INTERVIEW'One Day Off' star Lee Na-young, director on creating subtle, feel-good series
2'HyeMiLeeYeChaePa' producer Lee Tae-kyung hopeful of second season 'HyeMiLeeYeChaePa' producer Lee Tae-kyung hopeful of second season
3How artist Michael Rakowitz resurrects lost past of Iraq through food packaging How artist Michael Rakowitz resurrects lost past of Iraq through food packaging
4From hardcore action to heart-throbbing romance, series to hit in June From hardcore action to heart-throbbing romance, series to hit in June
5[INTERVIEW] Lee Jun-hyuk unrecognizable in 'The Roundup: No Way Out' INTERVIEWLee Jun-hyuk unrecognizable in 'The Roundup: No Way Out'
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group