Intention to reduce dependence on TSMC
尹 “Imagination of meta, supported by Korea”
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with President Yoon Seok-yeol on the 29th and expressed his intention to expand cooperation with Samsung Electronics, citing the geopolitical instability of Taiwan’s TSMC, the world’s No. 1 foundry (semiconductor consignment manufacturing) company.
According to the President’s Office, CEO Zuckerberg, who visited Korea on the 27th of last month, said about TSMC in a 30-minute meeting with President Yoon at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 29th, “There is (geopolitical) instability, but (Meta’s) dependence is “It’s too high,” he said. He said, “Samsung is a (semiconductor) mega foundry company that occupies a very important position in the global economy,” and “This could be an important point in our cooperation with Samsung.” The President’s Office reported that CEO Zuckerberg mentioned TSMC’s production facilities in Taiwan and Samsung Electronics’ technological prowess in cutting-edge processes below 5 nm (nanometers, one billionth of a meter).
In particular, it was reported that attendees were surprised by CEO Zuckerberg’s use of the word ‘volatile’, which means ‘unstable’ and ‘volatile’, when referring to TSMC. There was an interpretation that it was an intention to reduce dependence on TSMC due to risks arising from competition between the US and China in the supply chain and instability in cross-strait relations (China and Taiwan).
In response, President Yoon said, “Government support is also being provided for investments near Seoul to create an ecosystem so that investments can be made in Samsung Electronics’ AI semiconductor and system semiconductor sectors.” He also said, “Korean industry is ready to actively support what Meta has imagined and designed.”
President Yoon directly mentioned the ‘fake Yoon Seok-yeol video’ that had recently spread on the Internet to CEO Zuckerberg and said, “Fake news, false propaganda, and manipulation abusing AI are serious problems that threaten liberal democracy.” President Yoon asked, “Big tech platform companies like Meta to pay special attention to fake news and various deceptive practices,” and CEO Zuckerberg said, “We are making efforts to prevent election fraud.” I answered. The President’s Office reported that CEO Zuckerberg gave an example of a way to improve transparency by providing information as to whether the video was created by AI through a watermark or label. When President Yoon explained the newly established science and technology organization, including Park Sang-wook, Senior Secretary to the President for Science and Technology, CEO Zuckerberg reportedly commented positively, saying, “A science and technology-friendly approach is important.”
Meanwhile, the five domestic startups that CEO Zuckerberg met the day before were confirmed to be AI developers Upstage, Friendly AI, and Masspresso, and extended reality (XR) content developers Devs United Games and Stoic Entertainment. CEO Zuckerberg departed for India that day after completing a 3-day, 2-night trip.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.