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
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
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

    Major webtoon platforms' fight against piracy

  • 3

    Seoul city council under fire for sexual conduct guidelines for teachers

  • 5

    Samsung unveils new Galaxy S23 smartphone

  • 7

    Retailers return to Myeong-dong as more foreign tourists visit

  • 9

    Japanese comic series 'Slam Dunk' enjoys resurgence on back of animated film

  • 11

    Is non-consensual sex not rape?

  • 13

    Pyongyang threatens eye-for-eye response as US B-1B bombers join drills in South Korea

  • 15

    President pledges support for Korean chipmakers to overcome crisis

  • 17

    Income gap widening among workers

  • 19

    Korean iPhone users lose 'batterygate' lawsuit

  • 2

    Garbage collector mistakes sex doll for corpse

  • 4

    Free subway rides for elderly emerge as headache for Seoul mayor

  • 6

    Korea seeks measures to better protect foreign workers

  • 8

    ENHYPEN-inspired webtoon 'Dark Moon: The Blood Altar' surpasses 100 million views

  • 10

    INTERVIEWA touch of authenticity in Korea's Mexican cuisine scene

  • 12

    4 South Korean activists arrested for executing orders from Pyongyang

  • 14

    Police to introduce new measures to better handle intoxicated people

  • 16

    $120,000 banana, praying Hitler: Infamous art world prankster Maurizio Cattelan's first Seoul outing

  • 18

    Korea's presidential couple celebrates recovery of Cambodian boy who received heart surgery

  • 20

    China imposes mandatory virus tests for arrivals from Korea only in latest protest over curbs

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
Fri, February 3, 2023 | 23:31
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
 
Top 10 Stories
1Seoul city council under fire for sexual conduct guidelines for teachers Seoul city council under fire for sexual conduct guidelines for teachers
2Samsung unveils new Galaxy S23 smartphone Samsung unveils new Galaxy S23 smartphone
3[INTERVIEW] A touch of authenticity in Korea's Mexican cuisine scene INTERVIEWA touch of authenticity in Korea's Mexican cuisine scene
4Pyongyang threatens eye-for-eye response as US B-1B bombers join drills in South Korea Pyongyang threatens eye-for-eye response as US B-1B bombers join drills in South Korea
5Police to introduce new measures to better handle intoxicated people Police to introduce new measures to better handle intoxicated people
6Gov't announces measures to cope with shortage of surgeons Gov't announces measures to cope with shortage of surgeons
7Teens feel peer pressure to buy luxury goods endorsed by K-pop stars Teens feel peer pressure to buy luxury goods endorsed by K-pop stars
8[INTERVIEW] 'Extended deterrence is best option to ensure peace on Korean Peninsula' INTERVIEW'Extended deterrence is best option to ensure peace on Korean Peninsula'
9[INTERVIEW] US-NK summit is unlikely in 2023: Korea Society INTERVIEWUS-NK summit is unlikely in 2023: Korea Society
10[INTERVIEW] IMF expects no recession for Korean economy INTERVIEWIMF expects no recession for Korean economy
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Major webtoon platforms' fight against piracy Major webtoon platforms' fight against piracy
2ENHYPEN-inspired webtoon 'Dark Moon: The Blood Altar' surpasses 100 million views ENHYPEN-inspired webtoon 'Dark Moon: The Blood Altar' surpasses 100 million views
3$120,000 banana, praying Hitler: Infamous art world prankster Maurizio Cattelan's first Seoul outing $120,000 banana, praying Hitler: Infamous art world prankster Maurizio Cattelan's first Seoul outing
4PULL UP: VIVIZ returns with new song about gossipers PULL UP: VIVIZ returns with new song about gossipers
5Park Hyung-sik to play crown prince in tvN series 'Our Blooming Youth' Park Hyung-sik to play crown prince in tvN series 'Our Blooming Youth'
DARKROOM
  • 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

  • World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

    World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

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