Biden becomes first US president to visit Samsung chip plant

U.S. President Joe Biden and President Yoon Suk-yeol take a look around Samsung Electronics' semiconductor factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, under the guidance of Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, third from left, Friday. Yonhap

'Semiconductors are engines of the modern world': Samsung chief

By Baek Byung-yeul

U.S. President Joe Biden let the world know that Samsung Electronics is playing a huge role in the global chip industry as he became the first U.S. president to visit the world's No. 1 memory chip maker's plant in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, as soon as he stepped on Korean soil, Friday.

The U.S. president arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek at 5:23 p.m. to start his three-day official visit to Korea. The first place he visited was Samsung's Pyeongtaek plant, the world's largest semiconductor factory.

Biden arrived at the factory at 6:10 p.m. and President Yoon greeted the U.S. president at the main gate.

The two leaders talked to each other for about a minute and took a photo together. While having a conversation, Biden expressed his friendliness tapping Yoon's shoulder and Yoon also put his hand on Biden's back. Both leaders wore masks and showed their smiled with their eyes.

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After being escorted to the plant, Biden and Yoon signed a guest book. What is noteworthy was that they wrote on a semiconductor wafer as the guest book, not on a notebook. A wafer is used in the semiconductor manufacturing process as a substrate for chips.

Another notable point is the wafer signed by the two leaders is the kind used in the world's first 3-nanometer process that Samsung is attempting. The company is on course to mass-produce ultra-thin and low-power consumption chips using the 3-nanometer process technology within the first half of 2022, which is a half-year faster than TSMC, a Taiwanese chip manufacturing company.

Biden and Yoon then inspected the plant under the guidance of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong. The two leaders made a tour inspection of the factory for about 30 minutes. Suh Byung-hoon, executive vice president of Samsung, explained the technology of the chip-making process.

At 7:40 p.m. more than an hour and a half after their arrival, the two leaders gave a joint press conference at the plant.

Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, speaks before President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden give their speeches at the company's plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. Yonhap

Before the speeches of Yoon and Biden, the Samsung leader took the podium. "Good evening. It is a great honor to welcome President Biden, President Yoon and many distinguished guests to our Pyeongtaek semiconductor campus today, the largest and the most advanced fabrication site in the world," he said in English.

"Semiconductors are engines of the modern world, driving growth and opportunity for all. They enable people around the globe to have an accruable access to the internet and its vast database of knowledge and they advance business productivity on all fronts. This innovation is possible with your devotion so thank you team Samsung in South Korea, the U.S., and around the world."

President Yoon said, "Semiconductors are national security assets that will take responsibility for our future." He also said, "We will spare no bold incentives and necessary support."

President Biden congratulated Yoon for becoming the new president of Korea and expressed his gratitude to Lee for investing $17 billion to build a new semiconductor fabrication plant in Texas.

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