Increasing demand for AI semiconductors is reshaping the global semiconductor supply chain, with South Korea's semiconductor exports shifting significantly from China to Taiwan. It is projected that by 2025, Taiwan will become the second-largest trading partner for South Korean semiconductor exports. Conversely, China's export share is expected to decline. These changes are related to the formation of a new supply chain structure in the AI semiconductor market, led by US Nvidia, Taiwan TSMC, and South Korea's Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Domestically, the concentration of semiconductor production in the Seoul metropolitan area is intensifying, with the proportion of the Seoul metropolitan area exceeding 33% of the total manufacturing output. On the other hand, due to the growth of Chinese manufacturing and the strengthening of protectionist trade measures, South Korea is facing intensified competition in areas such as electric vehicles and batteries, and China's share in the automobile import market is also significantly increasing.
