'China has caught up 60% of the way — early adoption of advanced tech is the only path forward'

Interview with Jung Eun-seung, Samsung Electronics adviser

Keynote speaker at Herald Business Forum 2026

Led Samsung's semiconductor technology development and commercialization

Co-chairs South Jeolla Province-Gwangju semiconductor strategy committee

'Semiconductor Creed' drives his spirit of challenge and innovation

"K-semiconductors must develop advanced technology and invest at the right time"

"Build a second semiconductor valley in the Honam region"

Jung Eun-seung, adviser at Samsung Electronics. [Herald DB]

"We need to build a second semiconductor valley in the Honam region by nurturing semiconductor talent and improving residential conditions. All the necessary administrative support is being prepared under the direction of the mayor of the South Jeolla Province-Gwangju integrated special city."

When the South Jeolla Province-Gwangju integrated special city — merging South Jeolla Province and Gwangju Metropolitan City into a single administrative unit — was established in July, a semiconductor strategy committee was also officially launched to oversee semiconductor investment and support across the Honam region.

With the Gwangju military airfield selected as the site for the Honam semiconductor cluster — where Samsung Electronics and SK hynix plan to invest a combined 800 trillion won ($598 billion) — the strategy committee has pledged to mobilize the city's full administrative capacity to support both companies.

Jung Eun-seung, an adviser at Samsung Electronics, was appointed co-chair of the committee alongside South Jeolla Province-Gwangju Mayor Min Hyeong-bae.

In an interview Monday, Jung said one-stop solution support aligned with both government and corporate strategies is "essential" for the Honam semiconductor cluster to succeed.

Jung joined Samsung Electronics in 1985 and spent roughly 40 years there, serving as head of Samsung's semiconductor research institute, the inaugural head of the foundry division, and chief technology officer of the Device Solutions division.

He also witnessed firsthand the transformation of Giheung, Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province — once little more than rice paddies and low hills — into a global hub of the semiconductor industry, driven by Samsung's investment.

Jung Eun-seung (left), chairman of the South Jeolla Province-Gwangju Great Transformation Planning Committee, speaks at a press conference on the "Three Major Mega Projects National Briefing" held at the committee's main conference room in Naju, South Jeolla Province, in June. [Yonhap]

Jung is now working to build a second semiconductor valley in the South Jeolla Province-Gwangju integrated special city. As co-chair of the semiconductor strategy committee, he spends most of his time there.

The government has set a target of breaking ground on a fab in 2028 and producing the first semiconductors in June 2030. If that timeline holds, the city has just over four years before it begins producing its first chips — making speed a top priority.

Jung said the effort must go beyond building semiconductor factories to include creating the residential environment that will allow industry workers to put down roots in the region.

On securing talent — one of the key conditions for the cluster's success — he said it is necessary to "define the ideal profile of a core semiconductor talent and ensure all educational institutions strategically build up their education infrastructure," adding that "this work is already under way."

He identified the qualities future semiconductor professionals must have, citing academic excellence in their major field as well as foreign language proficiency. "You have to study hard enough to be at the top of your major. English is a must," he said.

He also advised aspiring professionals to cultivate five qualities: a positive attitude, passion, capability, creativity and integrity.

A physics graduate of Seoul National University, Jung led the development of 14-nanometer and 10-nanometer FinFET, EUV and gate-all-around technology at Samsung Electronics, as well as the commercialization of advanced DRAM and V-NAND.

Jung credited the "Semiconductor Creed" as the driving force behind Samsung Electronics reaching the top of the global industry in the half-century since it entered the semiconductor business in 1974.

Established in 1983, the Semiconductor Creed comprises 10 principles, including: abandon the notion that something cannot be done; set ambitious goals; once you start a task, see it through to the end; read books, dig into data and keep records; and quantify everything in numbers.

"We continuously sought and created inflection points in business and technology," Jung recalled. He advised that for K-semiconductors to maintain their lead, the industry must "keep developing advanced technology, invest in production facilities at the right time and secure the highest possible yields."

On China's rapidly advancing semiconductor industry, he said, "I think they have caught up about 60 percent of the way. For us, the only way to maintain the gap is to develop advanced technology early and move quickly to mass production."

He added that "the miniaturization process in semiconductors has already hit its limits. We need to move forward through innovation in packaging. Innovation in materials, components and equipment is also the way to survive."

Jung is set to deliver a keynote address at the Herald Business Forum 2026, to be held at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Sept. 29, on the theme of "The DNA of Challenge in the History and Future of Semiconductors." Registration is available on the Herald Business Forum website.

joze@heraldcorp.com