In 1967, South Korean President Park Chung-hee invited semiconductor expert Kim Chong-ki from Silicon Valley in the United States, hoping he could help South Korea develop its own semiconductor industry. During that era, semiconductors were the core technology leading the future, yet South Korea was completely unfamiliar with this field. Today, Kim Chong-ki is not a widely recognized name; who was he, and why is he referred to as the "Godfather of South Korean Semiconductors"?

01

Breaking the Dimensional Barrier: Kim Chong-ki and Fairchild

In October 1957, the semiconductor division of Fairchild was established with plans to produce silicon transistors. The company was divided into 12345 shares, with each of the "Traitorous Eight" receiving 100 shares, Rock's company Hayden & Stone 225 shares, and the remaining 300 shares were reserved for the company's future management. The Fairchild Group was to invest $1.38 million within 18 months. If the company's net profit exceeded $300,000 for three consecutive years, the Fairchild Group had the right to repurchase the shares for $3 million, or $5 million after five years.

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Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, once described "Fairchild Semiconductor as a mature dandelion; when you blow on it, the seeds of entrepreneurial spirit are scattered by the wind." One of those seeds was Kim Chong-ki.

Born in Seoul in 1942, Kim Chong-ki completed his studies at Seoul National University and later at Columbia University in the United States, studying under the crystal management theory expert Edward S. Yang, and ultimately earned his doctoral degree. Shortly after completing his doctorate, he was hired to join the research and development laboratory of Fairchild Camera and Instrument, an imaging equipment developer located in Palo Alto, California, officially becoming a semiconductor engineer. This 5-year work experience was immensely beneficial to him, allowing him to delve into technology while grasping the essence of "engineer thinking," where theory and practice are equally important.

Since World War II, Fairchild Camera has been a world-leading developer of imaging equipment, including radar cameras, radio compasses, and X-ray machines. In 1957, the company established the Fairchild Semiconductor division, which was innovative at the time for manufacturing transistors and integrated circuits using silicon, as most semiconductor devices used germanium. This joint venture led to the creation of dozens of products, including the first silicon integrated circuit, which propelled the rise of Silicon Valley. As a newcomer to the Fairchild research laboratory, Kim Chong-ki was assigned to research a new type of chip: the charge-coupled device (CCD).

Just the year before, in 1969, George E. Smith and Willard Boyle from Bell Labs had proposed the idea of the CCD, for which they later received the Nobel Prize. However, Kim Chong-ki and his colleagues at Fairchild realized the first batch of CCD devices, which later evolved into commercial products widely used in digital photography, radiography, and astronomy. Kim Chong-ki was so proficient in CCD technology that other engineers at the company would often visit his office at the end of the day to seek his advice. "Soon they started calling me Professor CCD," Kim Chong-ki recalled.

Among his other inventions, Kim Chong-ki helped develop the CCD area image sensor, which greatly improved low-light detection, as well as the first two-phase CCD linear image sensor—which reportedly ensured "ease of use and high-quality image reproduction." "Fairchild's or rather Kim Chong-ki's—CCD made the widespread application of high-resolution cameras possible," said Yang from Columbia. He added that without these functional devices, "CCD would not have received the Nobel Prize."Kim Jong-ki's "seeds" continued to drift all the way to South Korea.

02

The Kim Clan: A Global Network of Talent

From 1975, when the country first began producing its first batch of transistors, to 2008 when Kim Jong-ki retired from his teaching position, he cultivated over 100 students, effectively nurturing the first two generations of South Korean semiconductor experts.

What made Kim Jong-ki an influential mentor was not the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology's (KAIST) actual monopoly on semiconductor training, but rather his educational philosophy. He introduced a new style of teaching and mastering engineering in South Korea. For instance, he firmly believed that the "engineer's mind" required equal importance for both theory and application, a notion that initially confused his students who thought of engineering primarily as an academic discipline. Although they were proficient in mathematics and well-read, most of them had never seriously engaged in any design and construction work. Such education was clearly successful.

Kyung Chong-Min was Kim Jong-ki's first Ph.D. student at KAIST, and Kyung became a professor at his alma mater at the age of 30. He is most famous for designing a microprocessor chip fully compatible with Intel's 80386 and 80486 chips in the early 1990s. He also established and operated two chip design centers.

Lim Hyung-Kyu studied PMOS devices under Kim Jong-ki's guidance and later became Samsung's first overseas scholarship student (at the University of Florida). He is most renowned for developing NAND flash memory in the early 1990s and is often referred to as "Mr. NAND Flash." After retiring from Samsung, he served as the vice chairman of the SK Group.

Suh Kang-Deog obtained his master's and doctoral degrees under Kim Jong-ki. At Samsung Electronics, he was involved in various memory projects, including NAND flash memory. In 2006, he was elected as a Samsung Fellow, the company's highest honor, in recognition of his contributions and expectations for his future work.

There are many more like the Kim Clan's golden hand mafia.The Close Integration of Individual and National Destiny

Heroes are shaped by their times, and they also shape their times. The South Korean semiconductor industry started from scratch and gradually became a world powerhouse in the semiconductor industry, serving as a typical case of a latecomer country successfully catching up.

By the mid-2000s, South Korea had become a leading power in the semiconductor field, and by the mid-2010s, its global market share of memory chips had climbed to over 60%. Many scholars have tried to uncover the secrets of South Korea's success, but they usually emphasize the role and contribution of the South Korean government and individual companies in semiconductor development, almost completely ignoring the role of the Korean Academy of Science.

Starting from 1975, Kim Chong-ki trained the first two generations of semiconductor engineers at KAIST, most of whom became leading figures in academia, research institutions, and especially the industrial sector. How Kim Chong-ki, as a university professor rather than an entrepreneur, became the godfather of the South Korean semiconductor industry, is only possible within the unique triangular relationship between the South Korean government, industry, and academia in the last 25 years of the 20th century.

In 1975, the South Korean government announced a six-year plan to support the semiconductor industry, emphasizing the localization of electronic components and semiconductor production, rather than developing the semiconductor industry through investments from multinational corporations. This undoubtedly laid a solid foundation for the future independent development of the South Korean semiconductor industry. In South Korea's economic policy, the development of the semiconductor industry is relatively advanced and has been recognized by many surrounding countries, which has also promoted an increase in national income within South Korea. The main companies engaged in the semiconductor industry in South Korea are Samsung and SK Hynix, which are the industry leaders. However, there are more than 20,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Korea supporting the semiconductor industry, and it is precisely because of this that South Korea's semiconductor technology is ahead of other countries.

The Small and Medium Business Administration of South Korea once publicly disclosed a set of data regarding the number of officially registered enterprises in South Korea involved in the manufacturing of integrated circuits, which numbered over three hundred. There are more than two thousand companies involved in manufacturing PCBs, over two thousand companies involved in manufacturing semiconductor-related equipment and components, and more than four thousand companies involved in manufacturing raw materials used in semiconductors. There are also more than ten thousand companies involved in manufacturing other electronic components. The operation of South Korea's semiconductor industry is supported by more than twenty thousand enterprises, driving the development and progress of the industry.

Kim Chong-ki was the "divine move" invited by the South Korean government, and due to issues such as racial discrimination, he was not entirely satisfied with his life abroad. Under such circumstances, a strong alliance was formed. Faced with the challenges of the international market, the South Korean semiconductor industry did not give up but chose transformation and innovation. The South Korean government and businesses realized that to achieve breakthroughs in the semiconductor field, it was necessary to master core technologies, improve independent research and development capabilities, and explore new markets and applications. Therefore, the South Korean government and businesses began a series of strategic initiatives, such as increasing investment, establishing research and development centers, introducing talent, cultivating reserves, strengthening international cooperation, seeking technological breakthroughs, expanding product lines, and enhancing brand image.

The second opportunity for the South Korean semiconductor industry came with the rise of memory chips. In the late 1970s, with the popularization of personal computers and home gaming consoles, the demand for memory chips began to grow, especially for dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). DRAM is a semiconductor device used for data storage, characterized by its large capacity, high speed, low power consumption, and low price, and is widely used in various electronic devices. The market size and profit margins for DRAM are considerable, attracting competition and investment from semiconductor companies in the United States, Japan, Europe, and other countries. Samsung and Hyundai (later renamed SK Hynix) in South Korea also saw the business opportunity in DRAM and decided to shift the focus of their semiconductor business to the research and development and production of DRAM, striving to secure a place in this field.

The second breakthrough in the South Korean semiconductor industry occurred in 1983 when Samsung successfully developed a 64Kb DRAM, marking the first time South Korea achieved independent production of DRAM and an important milestone for Samsung's semiconductor business. The performance and quality of Samsung's 64Kb DRAM reached international standards, gaining recognition and orders both domestically and internationally, which allowed Samsung to gain a certain share and reputation in the DRAM market. Samsung's success also inspired other South Korean semiconductor companies such as Hyundai to join the research and development and production of DRAM, creating a situation of healthy competition and collaborative development in the South Korean semiconductor industry.

During the process of transformation and innovation, the South Korean semiconductor industry gradually moved towards a leading position. South Korean semiconductor companies have been continuously catching up with and surpassing international competitors in the DRAM field, such as Intel from the United States and Toshiba and Mitsubishi from Japan, becoming the world's largest producer and exporter of DRAM. South Korean semiconductor companies have also achieved technological breakthroughs and product innovations in other fields, such as flash memory, displays, and mobile communications, expanding their market share and influence. The leadership of the South Korean semiconductor industry is attributed to the long-term investment and strategic planning of the South Korean government and businesses, as well as the diligence and creativity of South Korean semiconductor talent.