Semiconductor industry in South Korea

In South Korea, the semiconductor industry has continued to develop since the 1980s with efforts from both public and private sectors in expanding semiconductor infrastructures and growth. South Korea held a 17.7 percent share in the global semiconductor market in 2022, and continued to be the second largest in the world for the 10th consecutive year since 2013.

The country accounted for 60.5% of the global memory semiconductor market, with a DRAM market share of 70.5% and a NAND market share of 52.6%. South Korea is continuously focusing on R&D (research and development) and investment to maintain its competitive advantage. In addition, South Korea is pushing to expand its foundry market share based on ultra-fine processing technology. The country accounts for 17.3% of the global foundry market.

Central to this ascent are industry giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which have established South Korea as a dominant force in memory chip production. As of Q1 2025, SK Hynix led the global DRAM market with a 36% share, surpassing Samsung's 34% for the first time.