3,000 semiconductor professionals to be trained

Korea aims to nurture over 3,000 semiconductor professionals by 2027 to maintain its competitive edge in the global market that has faced a severe chip shortage in recent years, according to the science ministry Monday.

Science Minister Lee Jong-ho laid out the vision in a meeting with executives from key domestic semiconductor companies, including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, at KAIST in Daejeon, the ministry said.

Korea is home to Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest memory chip maker, and SK hynix, the world’s second-largest DRAM supplier.

The government plans to open new departments of semiconductor studies at four advanced research institutions — KAIST, the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, and the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology — and produce more than 200 new professionals in the field every year.

It also plans to bolster academic-industrial cooperation programs in masters and doctorate courses at KAIST and UNIST to nurture chip engineers, and expand exchange programs with overseas schools, institutes and tech companies.

Yonhap