Yoon vows full support for Korea-Netherlands chip cooperation

President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, wearing an anti-dust garment, waves to workers as he tours a "cleanroom" manufacturing facility at the headquarters of Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML in Veldhoven, Netherlands, Dec. 12. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to provide full support for semiconductor cooperation between Korea and the Netherlands as he visited the headquarters of Dutch chipmaking equipment company ASML on Tuesday (local time).

Yoon traveled to the company headquarters in Veldhoven as part of his four-day state visit to the Netherlands, which he has said will lead to the establishment of a "semiconductor alliance" between the two countries.

"The Korean government will strengthen direct communication channels between the two governments for the success of our cooperation projects and provide all the necessary support," he said during a meeting at the company with business leaders, including ASML CEO Peter Wennink, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Chairman Chey Tae-won.

"I hope this occasion will serve as an opportunity to further solidify the semiconductor alliance between Korea and the Netherlands," he said.

Yoon was referring to a set of new projects agreed by the two sides on the occasion of his visit to the Netherlands.

ASML and Samsung Electronics signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) after the meeting on jointly investing one trillion won ($761 million) in establishing an R&D center in Korea to develop next-generation chipmaking technology.

ASML also signed an MOU with SK hynix to develop technology to recycle hydrogen used in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, which are crucial for the production of advanced chips, to reduce energy consumption and save costs.

Yoon was later given a tour of a "cleanroom" manufacturing facility, together with Dutch King Willem-Alexander, and viewed the production line for a new next-generation EUV lithography machine. (Yonhap)