South Korea’s Yoon plays down concerns over intention to join US-led chip alliance

Seoul will aim to preserve national interests in any course of action on Chip 4 alliance and people do not have to worry about it ‘too greatly’, President Yoon Suk-yeol says

Officials say South Korea will actively participate in Chip 4’s preliminary meeting, which is expected to take place early next month

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The so-called Chip 4 alliance is a semiconductor supply chain which could include the United States, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 3:20pm, 8 Aug 2022Updated: 3:39pm, 8 Aug 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday sought to allay concerns over South Korea joining a US-led semiconductor supply chain opposed by China, vowing to give top priority to national interests in determining Seoul’s course of action.

Yoon made the statement after Seoul reportedly informed Washington of its intention to participate in the “preliminary” meeting of “Chip 4”, a semiconductor supply chain which could include the United States, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

“The government is closely examining the issue from the perspective of the national interest. Relevant government agencies will study and discuss the issue in a way to preserve national interests. People don’t have to worry about it too greatly,” he said.

South Korean officials have indicated Seoul will actively participate in the preliminary meeting in order to reflect its position from the start.

Seoul insists on calling the potentially quadrilateral group a “consultative body” rather than the commonly known Chip 4 or Fab 4 “alliance”. This is in line with its stance that the group should not aim at “excluding a certain country”; in other words, China.

China, together with Hong Kong, absorbs 60 per cent of South Korea’s overall semiconductor exports.

“Whether the government will participate in Chip 4 depends on the results of the preliminary meeting,” an official from the presidential office told Yonhap news agency.

The agenda of Chip 4 and level of participation of each country are likely to be discussed in detail at the meeting, which could take place early next month, the official said.