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| President Yoon Suk-yeol, center, and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, second from left, participate in a meeting with the heads of key high-tech companies of both countries at the presidential office in Seoul, Thursday. From left are ASML CEO Peter Wennink, Rutte, Yoon, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. Courtesy of presidential office |
By Park Jae-hyuk
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won accompanied President Yoon Suk-yeol for tea at the presidential office with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and ASML CEO Peter Wennink on Thursday. Their meeting took place an hour before the leaders of the two countries held a summit.
According to the presidential office, Yoon asked ASML to make additional investments in Korea.
"If ASML builds a manufacturing plant or an R&D center here, as it decided to build a repair center and engineer training center, both countries will be able to better cope with the reorganization of the global semiconductor supply chain," the Korean president was quoted as saying by the presidential office.
Wennink reportedly expressed his gratitude for the Korean government's support, indicating his company's intention to boost ties with its Korean clients. He also said ASML is considering additional investments in Korea, according to the presidential office.
ASML is a Dutch semiconductor equipment firm known as the world's sole producer of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines. Wennink came to Korea earlier this week to participate in Wednesday's groundbreaking for ASML's 240 billion won ($180 million) semiconductor cluster in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.
The Dutch firm's repair and engineer training centers are now under construction in the city south of Seoul that is home to Samsung Electronics' semiconductor manufacturing plants.
Once construction is finished, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are expected to enhance their competitiveness in the global market by lowering their reliance on parts shipped from the Netherlands for the repair and maintenance of chip manufacturing equipment.
The Korean chipmakers, both of which have used ASML's EUV machines, have sought to boost their ties with the Dutch firm, in order to cope with the fierce rivalry with Taiwan's TSMC. In June, the Samsung chairman visited ASML's headquarters in the Netherlands to meet with its CEO.
The ASML CEO also emphasized the importance of the Korean market during Tuesday's press conference in Seoul, saying that building a Korean supply base is a significant opportunity for his company to grow further. ASML also seeks to increase R&D in Korea in the future, with the aim of hiring an additional 1,400 employees here over the next 10 years.
But on the day of the ASML CEO's meeting with the Korean president and the conglomerate leaders, Taiwanese news outlets reported that the Dutch firm announced a plan to make its largest-ever investment in Taiwan next year amounting to 30 billion Taiwanese dollars ($964 million).
During his meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday, ASML Chief Operating Officer Frederic Schneider-Maunoury unveiled his company's plan to start building a manufacturing facility in northern Taiwan from July, according to the reports.
ASML remains uncertain about opening a manufacturing facility in Korea.
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