By Reporter Lee Jun Suk

The "National Alliance for the Restoration of Fairness and Common Sense" has been advo­cating for solidarity and action towards hope and change by raising discourse on democracy, the rule of law, and restoring fairness and common sense in South Korea. On May 2nd at 3 pm, the 54th forum was held at the Seoul Bar Association building, inviting lawmakers to discuss the theme of "Becoming a leading science and technolo­gy powerhouse as a prosperous democratic country,"

Jeong Yong-sang, the perma­nent representative of Justice and Common Sense,said in his opening remarks, "Repre­sentative Yang Hyang-ja, who has led a success story with an unwavering belief in the semi­conductor industry, which is the decisive foundation for Korea to become a top 10 economic power in the world, as well as the pioneer and witness of the Korean semiconductor indus­try and a true hero of this era who instills hope in young peo­ple, will not doubt that today's lecture will be a pan-national movement for desirable policy formulation to enhance the un­paralleled international com­petitiveness of the semiconduc­tor industry that will drive the Korean economy."

Representative Yang diag­nosed the crisis situation of the domestic semiconductor industry due to the U.S.-China technology war and the U.S.'s attempts to restructure its own semiconductor supply chain centered on its own country and presented policy solutions.

Representative Yang said that Korea's semiconductor indus­try has become the core of the country's industry, possessing over 200 semiconductor-related listed companies, the world's top memory market share of 71.5% by domestic companies as of 2021, and the world's sec­ond-largest foundry. She also explained that in the U.S.-Chi­na technology dominance com­petition, the two countries now recognize the semiconductor industry as a national security industry and plan to invest 76 trillion won in the U.S. and 66 trillion won in China in semi­conductor subsidies.

In partic­ular, while the United States is trying to attract Korean compa­nies through subsidies and tax incentives by seeking a semi­conductor chip four-party alli­ance, Korea's political circle has perceived support for the semi­conductor industry as a favorit­ism for certain large companies and has been parsimonious in fostering the semiconductor in­dustry.

Secondly, the biggest issue in South Korea's advanced tech­nology industry is securing technical talent. To cultivate advanced technology talent overflowing with creativity and a spirit of challenge and con­fidence, a shift in perception regarding the key factors of competitiveness is necessary, as demonstrated by Elon Musk, who has conquered satellite communications through en­try into the space industry.

To achieve this, we need to find ways to create a virtuous cycle of start-up solidarity, including a shift in education and R&D systems through fo­cused investment in "dominant technologies" and "inevitable industries," new immigration policies to utilize overseas per­sonnel of domestic companies, securing science and technology talent through the world's 7.5 million overseas compatriots, and building a structure of soli­darity for start-ups, such as the K-Diaspora (World Compatriot Unity) movement.

Thirdly, based on the prom­ises made during the previous presidential and local elections, local governments in Gangwon Province and other regions are focusing their efforts on attracting semiconductor com­panies. It is suggested that, just as Saudi Arabia is pur­suing transformation into an advanced industrial nation through the construction of Neom City, South Korea should not send its advanced com­panies overseas, but instead expand the semiconductor cluster in the capital region to make South Korea a platform country for the semiconductor advanced industrial cluster, thereby increasing the econom­ic and strategic value of South Korea. It is proposed that the national government support the establishment of a semicon­ductor cluster, "K-Neom City."

Finally, Representative Yang quoted a passage from the "Nanjung Ilgi," a diary of a Ko­rean scholar from the Joseon Dynasty, which states, "If one person guards the crossroads well, they can make a thou­sand people afraid." He empha­sized that if there is even one person who can break away from conventional thinking and familiar ways of doing things, South Korea can prog­ress and develop.