US hints at reducing “semiconductor subsidy renegotiation”
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Rutnick announced on the 4th (local time) that he is renegotiating with some companies regarding subsidies that were to be paid to semiconductor companies from various countries that invested in the U.S. under the “Chips Act” introduced by former Joe Biden’s administration. He even hinted at the possibility of reducing subsidies for some companies depending on the results of the negotiations.
There are concerns that domestic companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which have focused on investing in the U.S. to benefit from this law, may be hit hard. As the subsidies already promised by the Biden administration account for 10-20% of local facility investment in the U.S., there is also a possibility that the results of this negotiation could cause disruptions in U.S. investment plans.
Hanmi Semiconductor Launches TC Bonder 4 Dedicated Team ‘Silver Phoenix’
Hanmi Semiconductor announced on the 5th that it has officially launched the ‘C Bonder 4 dedicated team ‘Silver Phoenix’. ‘Silver Phoenix’ is a dedicated organization formed to respond quickly to various technical requests from customers, and is operated by approximately 50 skilled semiconductor equipment experts.
The team will focus on maintaining and optimizing the ‘TC Bonder 4’ equipment, which plays a key role in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) process essential for producing high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors.
US Semiconductor Alliance Invests $16 Billion in Foundries
GlobalFoundries, a U.S. semiconductor foundry, has decided to invest $16 billion (approximately 21.75 trillion won) to expand its factories and develop technology in the U.S. The company said that this investment is being promoted with support from Apple, Qualcomm, and General Motors (GM).
As US President Donald Trump encourages domestic production to revive the semiconductor industry, US companies are forming a ‘semiconductor alliance’ to expand the market.
Conan Technology-Rebellion, Domestic AI Semiconductor·LLM Combination… Entering Product Development Stage
Conan Technology and Rebellion announced on the 5th that their collaboration combining domestic AI semiconductors and generative AI models has entered the product commercialization stage.
The two companies signed a strategic business agreement (MOU) in August of last year for the convergence of domestically produced generative AI and AI semiconductor technology. The core of the collaboration is to create an independent AI ecosystem by combining Conan Technology’s generative AI technology with Rebellion’s high-performance NPU, and further increase technological independence for the realization of sovereign AI.
This collaboration has recently led to commercialization. Last month, Conan Technology released the enterprise AI server ‘Conan AI Station Server’. This server is equipped with ‘Conan LLM’, a self-developed large-scale language (LLM).
Kim Jae-wook’s BNW acquires semiconductor inspection equipment company Chemitech… Price: 200 billion won
According to the investment banking (IB) industry on the 29th, BNW Investment is in negotiations with the selling side to acquire the management rights of Chemitech. The goal is to sign a stock purchase agreement (SPA) in July.
Chemitech was founded in 2003. It develops, manufactures, and sells connectors, cable assemblies (bundles), and instruments, which are important components of semiconductor inspection equipment. Chemitech’s products are used in SK Hynix’s semiconductor reliability test equipment. It holds numerous patents related to the connection system for semiconductor testing equipment.
BNW Investment is a PEF led by President Kim Jae-wook, who served as the first CEO of Samsung LED.
‘Unicorn in sight’ Furiosa AI attracts 110 billion won in investment
According to the investment banking (IB) industry on the 5th, Furiosa AI is finalizing a Series C bridge investment of approximately KRW 110 billion by issuing redeemable convertible preferred stocks (RCPS). It is known that KRW 54 billion has been paid in full, and additional investment will be raised starting in October of last year and until the end of this month.
In this investment round, Furiosa AI’s corporate value was estimated at 830 billion won before payment. It is one step closer to becoming a unicorn (an unlisted company with a corporate value of 1 trillion won or more). The investment will close at the end of this month, and the total amount raised could exceed 110 billion won.
“TSMC Considers Large-Scale Semiconductor Plant in UAE… US Approval Key”
On the 2nd (local time), Taiwan’s Taipei Times reported, “According to a well-informed source, TSMC is evaluating building a cutting-edge production facility in the UAE and has discussed related matters with officials from the Donald Trump administration.”
According to the media, TSMC has reportedly met several times with officials including Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, and executives from the UAE sovereign wealth fund MGX over the past few months.
It is reported that the UAE plant that TSMC is discussing will be a complex facility that includes semiconductor production facilities as well as research and packaging facilities, similar to the semiconductor plant complex currently under construction in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Tesla Market Cap Evaporates by 206 Trillion in One Day Due to Trump-Musk Conflict
Tesla’s stock price has plummeted as relations between U.S. President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk deteriorate.
Musk and President Trump traded sharp attacks on each other throughout the day, dragging the index down. President Trump threatened to cut off government subsidies and contracts for Musk, who has criticized his key legislative agenda. Tesla shares plunged 14.26% on the day amid investor concerns.
Tesla’s market capitalization evaporated by $152 billion (about 206 trillion won) in a single day due to the stock price decline that day. Investors are keeping a close eye on the May employment figures scheduled to be released on the 6th.
Global Electric Vehicle Battery Usage Increases Despite ‘Chasm’
According to SNE Research, an energy market research firm, the total amount of batteries installed in electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), and hybrid vehicles (HEVs) registered around the world from January to April this year was 308.5 GWh, a 40.2% increase from the same period last year. During the same period, the global electric vehicle battery market share of the three companies, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, and SK On, was found to have fallen 4.6% points year-on-year to 17.9%.
The decline in Samsung SDI was a major factor in this decline in market share. LG Energy Solution maintained third place with 31.4 GWh, up 16.3% year-on-year, and SK On maintained fourth place with 13.4 GWh, up 24.1%, but Samsung SDI was ranked seventh with 10.3 GWh, down 11.2%.
Solus Advanced Materials to Supply Battery Copper Foil to Europe from No. 1 CATL
Solus Advanced Materials announced on the 2nd that it has signed a battery foil supply contract with China’s CATL, the world’s largest electric vehicle battery manufacturer. With this contract, Solus Advanced Materials will supply battery foil produced at its Hungarian plant to CATL’s battery plants located in Europe.
In addition, the two companies have left open the possibility of future collaboration in the development of new products, based on Solus Advanced Materials’ competitive edge in local battery foil supply.
POSCO Future M Invests 440 Billion Won in Saemangeum… “Building Secondary Battery Production Base”
According to the Saemangeum Development Agency on the 5th, POSCO Future M will establish a subsidiary, Future Graph, and invest a total of 440 billion won to domestically produce spherical graphite for cathode materials. This investment is expected to play a decisive role in helping the Saemangeum National Industrial Complex emerge as the center of the K-battery industry value chain.
On this day, the Saemangeum Development Agency, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, Gunsan City, and the Korea Rural Community Corporation signed an investment agreement (MOU) with Futuregraph, a newly established subsidiary of POSCO FutureM, for the construction of a manufacturing facility for key secondary battery cathode materials.
Lithium price falls below 60 yuan for the first time in 4 years and 5 months… K-battery ‘crisis’
According to the Korea Resources Information Service (KOMIS) on the 3rd, the price of lithium carbonate was recorded at 58.9 yuan per kg as of the 30th of last month. The price of lithium hit a yearly low of 59.5 yuan on the 28th of last month. It has been 4 years and 5 months since the price of lithium carbonate fell below 60 yuan per kg on January 18, 2021 (58.5 yuan).
Battery material companies analyzed that international raw material prices, including metal prices, have been relatively stable this year. However, they are on edge as they recorded a downward trend again, contrary to expectations. The battery industry is known to conclude supply contracts based on sales prices linked to metal prices, and generally link price fluctuations to product sales prices with a lag of 2 to 4 months. When lithium prices drop sharply, they have no choice but to sell products made with lithium purchased at a high price when mineral prices were high at a low price, which inevitably leads to worsening profitability due to the negative lag effect (lag in raw material input).
Geumyang, Gijang Plant Completion Postponed for the Second Time… Production of ‘Dream Battery’ Inevitably Failed
Kumyang, a Busan battery company that was on the verge of delisting but was recently given a one-year improvement period, has once again postponed the completion date of its secondary battery production plant (pictured) in Gijang-gun.
According to the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure system on the 3rd, Kumyang issued a correction notice on new facility investments such as the ‘Dongbu-san E-Park Industrial Complex Secondary Battery Plant’ on the 30th of last month. Kumyang postponed the completion date of the secondary battery plant, which was originally scheduled for December 31st of last year, to May 31st of this year, one day before the scheduled completion date, and has now postponed it once more. According to Kumyang, the current plant progress rate is in the high 80% range, and construction has been halted for several months. Only maintenance and repair work is being done on the facilities that have already been built.
From Competition to Cooperation…Xpeng and Huawei Join Hands on Electric Vehicle HUD
Chinese electric vehicle market competitors Xpeng and Huawei have joined hands. On the 4th (local time), Xpeng announced on Weibo that it would apply Huawei’s head-up display (HUD) solution to its new vehicles.
According to the poster released that day, the solution can display various information such as remaining driving distance, driving assistance software status, speed, and navigation information on the windshield of the vehicle. The poster also hinted at a launch event scheduled for 2:30 pm that day. Xpeng said that it had collaborated with Huawei to jointly develop the AR-HUD to solve problems such as blurring, dizziness, and obscuration of the vision in existing augmented reality head-up displays (AR-HUDs)
Saesoltech begins developing core technologies for autonomous cooperative driving based on heterogeneous V2X
Saesoltech, an autonomous driving and connected car security solution company, recently attended a commencement report meeting for the project titled ‘Development of Autonomous Cooperative Driving Technology Based on Heterogeneous V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) Seamless Communication for Autonomous Driving’ and announced on the 5th that it has begun full-scale technology development.
The main goal of this project is to implement seamless cooperative driving between vehicles in various heterogeneous V2X communication environments and to advance commercialization through real-road-based verification.
This project will be carried out until the end of 2027 with the support of the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP), and the Korea Autonomous Driving Technology Development Innovation Fund (KADIF). It will be hosted by the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), and leading domestic organizations and companies such as Saesoltech will participate as joint research institutes.
StradVision-Arm Collaboration, “Computing Innovation Aimed at AI-Based Vehicle Development”
StradVision (CEO Jun-hwan Kim), a startup developing AI-based image recognition software ‘SVNet’, announced on the 5th that it is collaborating with Arm with the goal of developing next-generation AI-based vehicles.
Accordingly, StradVision officially supports Arm’s Zena Compute Subsystem (CSS). It plans to provide its highly efficient and scalable recognition solution ‘SVNet’ optimized for not only Zena CSS but also various Arm-based platforms.
‘Zena CSS’ is Arm’s first automotive-specific CSS platform designed to support in-vehicle workloads such as central compute, cockpit, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) domains. It delivers high performance, scalability, and safety while enabling OEMs and Tier-1s to accelerate time to market.
Lotte Global Logistics Conducts Industry-Academic Collaboration Research for Autonomous Logistics and Immediate Delivery
Lotte Global Logistics announced on the 4th that it has completed an industry-academia cooperation research project to seek applicable business development methods on autonomous logistics and immediate delivery of customer-centered comprehensive logistics centers (CFCs).
This project was conducted with MSC (Master of Supply Chain), a business school at Yonsei University, for about two months starting in April. The research was conducted by dividing into four teams with Lotte Global Logistics executives and staff and Yonsei University professors, and the resulting proposal was announced on the 28th of last month.
“LGD invests 700 billion won in OLED in Paju
According to industry sources on the 5th, LG Display is planning to invest in small and medium-sized OLED new technology facilities in the idle area of the Paju plant in Gyeonggi Province. In relation to this, LG Display is expected to sign a domestic return investment memorandum of understanding with Gyeonggi Province and Paju City as early as next month. Whether and how much investment subsidies will be provided will be finalized after deliberation by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
LG Display was selected by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy as a company returning to Korea by selling its 8.5-generation liquid crystal display (LCD) plant in Guangzhou, China to CSOT (China Star), a display subsidiary of China TCL. The sale price at the time was 2.2466 trillion won, which was higher than initially expected.
In addition, LG Display repaid 1 trillion won borrowed from LG Electronics early on this day. This was done about 10 months earlier than the originally scheduled repayment completion date (March 30, 2026).
“China’s OLED luminescent material purchases surpass Korean companies for the first time ever”
According to market research firm UBI Research on the 4th, the OLED luminescent materials market reached 490 million dollars in the first quarter of this year. It is expected that the luminescent materials market will reach 2.86 billion dollars in 2025. The OLED luminescent materials market is expected to form a market of 3.72 billion dollars in 2029 with an average annual growth rate of 6.7%.
Looking at it by country, due to the characteristics of Korean panel makers who are concentrated in the second half of the year, in the first quarter of 2025, the purchase amount of luminescent materials for Chinese OLED panel makers exceeded that of Korean OLED panel makers for the first time. However, starting in the second quarter, as full-scale production of Apple iPhone 17 and iPad Pro panels begins, the purchase amount of luminescent materials for Korean panel makers is expected to exceed that of China again.
LGD, Global No. 1 in Tandem/LTPO Patent Applications
According to patent information analysis firm Patentpia on the 1st, LG Display ranked first in the tandem OLED field with 348 patents based on the accumulated US application disclosures up to last year. The share of the total number of published patents held by a specific right holder in the field divided by the total number of published patents in the field was 25.2%, beating out Japan’s SEL (19.8%) and Samsung Display (12.5%).
The number of patent citations was also counted at 502. This is a numerical value of the number of citations in other patents, and a higher number indicates a better quality patent. LG Display succeeded in commercializing tandem OLED for the first time in the industry in 2019.
Source: kipost.net