South Korea Unveils $19 Bln Package to Compete in Global Chip 'Warfare'

A view shows Samsung Electronics' chip production plant at Pyeongtaek, South Korea, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on September 7, 2022. Samsung Electronics/Handout via REUTERS
A view shows Samsung Electronics' chip production plant at Pyeongtaek, South Korea, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on September 7, 2022. Samsung Electronics/Handout via REUTERS
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South Korea Unveils $19 Bln Package to Compete in Global Chip 'Warfare'

A view shows Samsung Electronics' chip production plant at Pyeongtaek, South Korea, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on September 7, 2022. Samsung Electronics/Handout via REUTERS
A view shows Samsung Electronics' chip production plant at Pyeongtaek, South Korea, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on September 7, 2022. Samsung Electronics/Handout via REUTERS

South Korea announced on Thursday a 26 trillion won ($19 billion) support package for its chip businesses, citing a need to keep up in areas like chip design and contract manufacturing amid 'all-out warfare' in the global semiconductor market, Reuters said.
Under the package, President Yoon Suk Yeol said a financial support program worth about 17 trillion won was planned through state-run Korea Development Bank to back investments by semiconductor companies, according to the presidential office.
"As we all know, semiconductors are a field where all-out national warfare is underway. Win or lose, that depends on who can make cutting-edge semiconductors first," Yoon said at a meeting with top government officials.
South Korea, home to the world's top memory chip makers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, has fallen behind some rivals in areas such as chip design and contract chip manufacturing.
South Korea's share of the global fabless sector, which is dominated by companies like US giant Nvidia that design chips but outsource manufacturing, stood at about 1%, Yoon's office said. There was also a gap between local chipmakers and the leading contract chip makers like Taiwan's TSMC, it said.
Yoon said a 1 trillion won fund would be set up to support equipment makers and fabless companies.
Industry minister Ahn Duk-geun said the government aimed to help boost South Korea's global market share in non-memory chips, such as mobile processors, to 10% from the current 2%.
The package is bigger than plans flagged by the country's finance minister Choi Sang-mok earlier this month, when he said the government was targeting support for chip investments and research worth more than 10 trillion won.
In a press briefing, Choi described South Korea's chip support package "as good as" any other country.
Countries around the world ranging from China to the United States have been ploughing tens of billions of dollars via grants and other means to support their own chip sectors.
"The government is apparently trying to follow the trend where other countries are giving out subsidies for their own chip companies," said Greg Roh, head of research at Hyundai Motor Securities.
South Korea is building a mega chip cluster in Yongin, south of the capital Seoul, touted as the world's largest high-tech chipmaking complex to attract chip equipment and fabless companies.
Finance minister Choi said the government would streamline bureaucracy and cut red tape to help speed up construction of the chip cluster at twice the normal rate.
In January, Yoon, who has vowed to pour all possible resources into the country's chip industry, said he would extend tax credits on investments in the domestic semiconductor industry to boost employment and attract more talent.



Israel’s ‘Economic War’ Chokes Occupied West Bank

Palestinians queue to withdraw money from an ATM in the main market in Ramallah city in the Israel-occupied West Bank on June 9, 2024.
Palestinians queue to withdraw money from an ATM in the main market in Ramallah city in the Israel-occupied West Bank on June 9, 2024.
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Israel’s ‘Economic War’ Chokes Occupied West Bank

Palestinians queue to withdraw money from an ATM in the main market in Ramallah city in the Israel-occupied West Bank on June 9, 2024.
Palestinians queue to withdraw money from an ATM in the main market in Ramallah city in the Israel-occupied West Bank on June 9, 2024.

Palestinian teenagers bounced on trampolines and jumped through hoops inside a towering tent on the outskirts of Ramallah, the financial hub of the occupied West Bank.

But the circus students weren't the only ones bending over backwards in the pavilion: the school's director faced financial hurdles to buy the tent from Europe and trampolines from Asia.

"We are suffering with international payments," said Mohamad Rabah, head of the Palestinian Circus School, describing a bureaucratic process that could delay equipment delivery by up to a month.

Banking in the Palestinian territories is challenging, with the Palestinian Authority (PA) under scrutiny for potential terror financing, hindering transactions.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, with strong economic ties allowing two Israeli lenders to serve as correspondent banks in the Palestinian territory.

But this may change if Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich carries out threats to sever a vital banking route next month.

Since Hamas's October 7 attack triggered the Gaza war, Israel has imposed economic curbs on the PA, withholding tax revenues it collects on its behalf.

Smotrich said this week he had redirected $35 million in PA tax revenues to families of "terrorism" victims, a move condemned by the United States.

After three European countries recognized Palestinian statehood in May, Smotrich told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he would not extend indemnity to banks that transfer the funds from the end of June.

Israel's Bank Hapoalim and Israel Discount Bank need protection, expiring on July 1, to avoid sanctions for dealing with Palestinian lenders.

Israel's central bank and finance ministry declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

A Palestinian fruit vendor arranges his street cart in the main market in Ramallah city in the Israel-occupied West Bank on June 9, 2024. (AFP)

- 'Humanitarian crisis' -

The banking channel used to pay for West Bank imports -- including essential goods like water, fuel and food -- handles $8 billion yearly.

Palestinian businesses receive nearly $1.7 billion annually for exports, according to the Palestine Monetary Authority.

"For us, because our economy is dependent on the Israeli economy, because Israel is controlling the border, the impact will be high," said PMA governor Feras Milhem.

The Palestinian economy is largely governed by the 1994 Paris Protocol, which granted sole control over the territories' borders to Israel, including the right to collect import duties and value-added tax for the PA.

Palestinian livelihoods have also been hurt by bans on laborers crossing into Israel and by a sharp downturn in tourism in the territory, including a quiet Christmas season in Bethlehem.

The United States has urged Israel to improve conditions, warning that severing the banking route would have a dire impact on the West Bank economy.

"I believe it would create a humanitarian crisis in due course if Palestinian banks are cut off from Israeli correspondence," US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said last month.

Western governments fear Israel's economic policies could destabilize the West Bank.

"The banking system may collapse and therefore the PA may collapse as well," a European diplomatic source in Jerusalem told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"The PA is in a financial crisis and it could collapse before August."

A Palestinian vendor unloads his stock in front of a shop in the main market in Ramallah city in the Israel-occupied West Bank on June 9, 2024. (AFP)

- Digital currency -

Palestinian businessmen say their bottom lines have been hit since October 7.

Imad Rabah, who owns a plastics company, said his net income had fallen 50 percent in one year.

Musa Shamieh, who owns a womenswear company said the Israeli policies were designed to push Palestinians to leave the West Bank.

"They want us to leave our land and they know it will be hard for us to stay if we can't do business," Shamieh said.

Israel's harsh economic policies could eventually drive Palestinian policymakers to pursue sweeping changes to the monetary system.

"We need to work on a plan B when it comes to the trade relations," said Milhem, governor of the PMA, which uses an image of the former Palestinian pound as its logo.

Yousef Daoud, professor at the West Bank's Birzeit University, said the territory could scrap the shekel as its de facto currency in favor of a digital alternative.

"We can make our e-currency, just collect all the shekels, issue an equivalent amount of Palestinian pounds, one-to-one fixed exchange rate, and have the Palestinians deal with e-currency," he said.

"Somehow, eventually, we'll get rid of the shekel."