South Korea Pleads With U.S. on China Chip Curbs as Expiry of Waiver Nears

SK Hynix Inc.’s M14 semiconductor plant in Icheon, South Korea. Photo: VCG

South Korea has urged the U.S. to “actively cooperate” in resolving issues related to semiconductor export curbs, as a waiver that allows the China production bases of two South Korean chipmakers to circumvent the restrictions nears expiration.

Bang Moon-kyu, head of South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) made the request during a meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves on Friday, according to a statement published by the MOTIE .

In Graves’ meetings with South Korean officials, including Bang, he “reaffirmed the (commerce) department’s commitment to government-to-government collaboration and engagement with the U.S. and Korean business community — including on semiconductor supply chain resilience, cybersecurity, export control enforcement,” the U.S. Department of Commerce said in a Friday statement.

The statement made no mention as to whether Graves responded specifically to Bang’s request.