SEOUL, Korea — January 26, 2016 — SEMICON Korea 2016 at COEX in Seoul opens tomorrow with more than 540 exhibiting companies and an expected 40,000 attendees. TodayÂ’s  SEMICON Korea press conference expressed a positive lookout, for both 2016 and for longer-term growth drivers, like the Internet of Things (IoT).

Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI, reported at the Press Conference that even with slightly decreased annual spending, Korea is expected to remain the second largest equipment market for the second year in a row. In 2014, the materials market in Korea surpassed Japan to become the second largest materials market after Taiwan. This year, we expect Korea to represent about a $7.3 billion market, representing 16 percent of the world materials market.

Much of the semiconductor manufacturing capacity in Korea is targeted towards both advanced NAND Flash and DRAM. Korea represents the largest region of installed 300mm fab capacity in the world. Korean semiconductor manufacturers represent about 60 percent of the worldwide Memory output, and is the market leader for installed Memory fab capacity.  According to the SEMI World Fab Forecast, memory was a significant driver for semiconductor equipment spending in 2015 and is expected to remain the largest spending segment 2016, driven mainly by investments for 3D NAND. The primary driver for the Memory market continues to be mobility, keeping the pressure on scaling and added functionality.

Korea fab equipment spending (front-end) in 2016 is forecast to be US$ 8.1 billion. The combined equipment and materials spending outlook for Korea in 2016 will likely top $15.3 billion. The semiconductor, semiconductor equipment, and materials supply chain in Korea is increasingly deep and broad and filling out as a complete ecosystem.

In addition, the LED market will experience strong double-digit growth in lighting applications over the next several years. Overall LED fab capacity continues to expand, and many manufacturers are transitioning to manufacturing with 4-inch diameter sapphire wafers. Korean manufacturers are prominently positioned in the global LED rankings.

Tomorrow’s keynotes at SEMICON Korea will be presented by AUDI, Synopsys, and Texas Instruments. Highlights include: Semiconductor Technology Symposium which addresses the global trends and new technologies of the semiconductor manufacturing process; Market Seminar; Supplier Search Program; OEM Supplier Search Meeting; Presidents Reception; and International Standards meetings.

SEMICON Korea 2016 is the leading semiconductor technology event for market trends and breaking technology developments, featuring deep technical forums, business programs and standards activities.

Sponsors of SEMICON Korea 2016 include: Special sponsors Samsung, SK Hynix, and Dongbu HiTek; Platinum sponsors Lam Research, Applied Materials, Wonik, Exicon, ASE Group, Advantest, EO Technics, and TEL; and Gold sponsors Hitachi High-Tech and PSK.

The event is co-located with LED Korea 2016.  For more information on the events, visit SEMICON Korea:  www.semiconkorea.org/en/  and LED Korea:  www.led-korea.org/en/.

About SEMI

SEMI is the global industry association serving the electronics manufacturing supply chains. Our 1,900 member companies are the engine of the future, enabling smarter, faster and more economical products that improve our lives. Since 1970, SEMI has been committed to helping members grow more profitably, create new markets and meet common industry challenges. SEMI maintains offices in Bangalore, Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Grenoble, Hsinchu, Moscow, San Jose, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C.  For more information, visit  www.semi.org

Association Contacts

SEMI Korea
Ji-won Cho
Email:  Email Contact
Phone: +82.2.531.7804

SEMI Headquarters
Deborah Geiger
Email:  Email Contact
Phone: 408.943.7988