Cultivating Public Officials' Capabilities for Yongin's Development as 'Korea's Semiconductor Industry Hub City'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Choi Ki-ho] "To develop into 'Korea's semiconductor industry hub city,' public officials must first cultivate relevant capabilities."

Yongin Special City held 'Semiconductor Employee Training with UNIST' on the 11th at the 'UNIST-Yongin Special City Semiconductor Education and Industry-Academia Hub' on the first floor of City Hall to enhance public officials' understanding and competency regarding the semiconductor industry.

At today's training session, which featured expert presentations on general knowledge related to the semiconductor industry, industrial support policies of major production countries, and global semiconductor industry trends, Mayor Lee Sang-il personally attended, listened to approximately two hours and thirty minutes of lectures, and discussed Yongin City's role and development strategies.

Today's training consisted of three lectures in total. The first lecture was delivered by Kang Sung-chul, a professor of industry-academia cooperation at the Graduate School of Semiconductor Materials and Components at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), on the topic of 'Semiconductor Materials, Components, and Equipment Industry Ecosystem.' For approximately one hour, he explained the semiconductor industry's ecosystem and global support and focus areas for the semiconductor industry.

At this session, Mayor Lee Sang-il asked, "I would like to know what government support measures for increasing domestic localization rates in the semiconductor materials, components, and equipment industry should include and what gaps remain," and "The Advanced Science and Technology Center (ASTC) that the government is pursuing—Yongin City has optimal conditions to attract it, and I would like to ask what perspective we should have to attract it."

In response, Professor Kang Sung-chul explained, "Although there is high willingness from semiconductor materials, components, and equipment companies to relocate to Yongin City, where a large semiconductor cluster is being developed, there are land limitations. It would be necessary to cooperate with Anseong City, where specialized semiconductor materials, components, and equipment industrial complexes are being established, and to improve our image. In the rapidly changing semiconductor industry, timing is crucial, and the concentration of device companies and materials, components, and equipment companies is important, so Yongin City can effectively leverage this advantage."

The second lecture was delivered by Ahn Geun-ok, an executive vice president at SK Hynix (Head of NAND Flash Development Division), on the topic of 'Semiconductor Technology and Industry Trends.' For approximately one hour and thirty minutes, he presented the current state and future outlook of semiconductor industry technology.

Finally, Jung Soon-moon, a specially appointed professor at the Graduate School of Semiconductor Materials and Components at UNIST, delivered a lecture lasting approximately one hour on the topic of 'Semiconductor Manufacturing and Device Technology.'

Mayor Lee Sang-il and city officials who attended the session heard about Korea's current position in the semiconductor industry and held discussions and Q&A; sessions on how to develop as Korea's semiconductor industry hub city centered on the 'Idong-Namsa Advanced System Semiconductor National Industrial Complex' and the 'Yongin Semiconductor Cluster' in the future.

Meanwhile, Yongin City signed a 'Memorandum of Understanding for Establishing a Semiconductor Education and Industry-Academia Hub' with UNIST in November of last year and is currently carrying out semiconductor talent development projects together with UNIST.