China overtakes South Korea in semiconductor race amid US sanctions

In a surprising turn of events, China has surpassed South Korea in the semiconductor sector, despite ongoing US sanctions aimed at curbing its technological advancements. 

Wccftech features in a fresh article that the trade sanctions imposed by the US on China appear to have had an unintended effect, with the country overcoming significant obstacles to outperform its competitors in the semiconductor sector. 

Recent expert surveys show that China is now leading South Korea in every category of chip production, signaling the need for South Korea to adopt more advanced manufacturing techniques to stay competitive.

Previous assessments indicated that South Korea had the upper hand over China in the semiconductor industry, but a lot has changed in recent years. A survey conducted by the Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning, featuring insights from 39 local experts, found that South Korea is now trailing China in several key areas. In high-intensity and resistance-based memory technology, South Korea ranked second with a score of 90.9 percent, slightly behind China, which scored 94.1 percent.

The survey also revealed China's dominance in high-performance and efficient AI semiconductors, where it earned a score of 88.3 percent compared to South Korea's 84.1 percent. In the power semiconductor category, South Korea lagged with a score of 67.5 percent, while China outperformed its competitor with a score of 79.8 percent.

However, in next-generation high-performance sensor technology, South Korea managed to close the gap, achieving a score of 81.3 percent. Despite this, China remained ahead with a score of 83.9 percent. The only area where the two countries were tied was in advanced semiconductor packaging technology, with both scoring 74.2 percent. The landscape has dramatically shifted from 2022, with China now surpassing South Korea in most categories.

This change could signal a turning point for South Korea’s position in the semiconductor industry. Recently, Park Yong-in, head of Samsung’s semiconductor division, urged employees within the System LSI division to take on the responsibility of developing flagship products in order to gain a competitive edge. As South Korea works to close the gap, the results of the country's semiconductor efforts will become clearer in the coming months. This survey is expected to act as a wake-up call for local institutions to accelerate their innovations and improve their standing in the global semiconductor race.

By Naila Huseynova