Kwak Noh-jung, CEO of SK hynix Inc., has highlighted the pivotal importance of South Korea's semiconductor industry, stating that "stakes are high" amidst the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence.
"Reflecting on my time at Semicon Korea 2025, I'm reminded of the immense responsibility we carry as an industry," Kwak wrote on his LinkedIn account Thursday. "As AI continues to evolve, it's evident that the stakes are higher than ever".
The posting came after Kwak highlighted the 'crucial role' of semiconductors in global economies and national security in a speech delivered Wednesday at a leadership dinner of Semicon Korea 2025, an annual trade show that kicked off earlier that day in Seoul, bringing together some 500 global chipmakers, equipment providers and material suppliers.
At the event, Kwak met with industry leaders such as Luc Van den Hove, CEO of imec, a European chip research center, and Dirk Beljaarts, the Netherlands' Minister of Economic Affairs.
"South Korea experienced an unprecedented downturn and is now facing a big wave drive by the rise of AI," he told reporters after the leadership dinner. "I think South Korea will get on the wave well".
Under Kwak's leadership, SK hynix has effectively leveraged the AI boom, particularly through its high bandwidth memory, which is a crucial component for graphic processing units.
The chip giant has been instrumental in the HBM-GPU supply chain, driven by Nvidia Corp. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.