How should Korea’s chip sector respond to US push for memory fabs?

Korea's Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan disclosed on Thursday that ongoing discussions between Seoul and Washington center around U.S. semiconductor tariffs, with a consensus that Korea would not face any disadvantage relative to its competitors. Kim provided these insights at a press conference alongside an event announcing four U.S. companies' investment plans in Korea, following a comment by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Lutnick had stated that President Donald Trump's administration is striving to create a "targeted and thoughtful" tariff policy specifically for semiconductors. In October's tariff negotiations, the U.S. had already pledged to not disadvantage Korean semiconductors compared to its rivals, according to Lutnick. Kim expressed confidence that the two nations are maintaining these talks with mutual respect.

Furthermore, the Industry Minister highlighted the semiconductor section of a joint fact sheet released by Seoul and Washington in November, outlining bilateral agreements on trade, investment, and security. This fact sheet contained a U.S. commitment to maintain semiconductor tariff rates for Korea that are "no less favorable" than the terms previously offered.