KOTRA President visited a global semiconductor equipment company in Yongin
KOTRA to drive the investment attraction since the beginning of the year

KOTRA President Kang Kyung-sung visited the headquarters of Lam Research Korea in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on February 7th to assess the current trends in foreign investment in South Korea. Lam Research Korea supplies advanced semiconductor equipment to major domestic semiconductor companies.

The parent company, Lam Research, was founded in the United States in 1980 and is the world's third-largest semiconductor equipment company. It entered the Korean market in 1991 and currently operates technical support centers, R&D centers, and manufacturing facilities in Yongin, Hwaseong, and Osan. The company employs approximately 2,000 people in Korea.

Notably, in October last year, Lam Research Korea completed the construction of the Y Campus in Yongin, integrating and expanding its Korean headquarters, R&D facility (Korea Technology Center, KTC), and training center (Korea Lam Training Center, KLTC). The company continues to make consistent investments in South Korea’s advanced semiconductor equipment sector. Additionally, it contributes to the semiconductor ecosystem by operating industry-academia cooperation programs aimed at fostering semiconductor talent.

As of 2023, foreign-invested companies in South Korea accounted for 20.8% of the country's exports and 5.5% of total employment, playing a pivotal role in the economy. Moreover, foreign investment helps complement South Korea’s technological gaps by attracting leading global companies, significantly contributing to the advancement of domestic industries.

President Kang stated, "Despite the challenging global investment environment, foreign investors who trust in Korea's industrial potential and growth prospects are continuing their planned investments without disruption, keeping investment flows stable." * Reference: In January 2025, reported foreign direct investment (FDI) reached USD 1.35 billion (recent three-year average of USD 1.26 billion for January).

He added, "This year, the government has strengthened investment incentives by temporarily increasing the cash grant support cap from the original maximum of 50% to 75%. We will continue to promote Korea’s favorable investment environment, actively address investor concerns, and take the lead in expanding foreign investment attraction and driving economic growth."



Source: InvestKOREA (2025.02.10.)