The government is preparing a five-year semiconductor policy plan. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said on Monday it held a kickoff meeting to draw up a "basic plan to strengthen semiconductor industry competitiveness" and discussed semiconductor policy directions and cross-government tasks to be applied from 2027 to 2031.

The master plan is a statutory plan drawn up every five years under the "Special Act on Strengthening and Supporting Semiconductor Industry Competitiveness" and its enforcement decree, which took effect on Aug. 11. It is the first case to combine previously announced policies on research and development, materials, parts and equipment, manpower and regions into a single plan.

About 15 industry, academia and research experts attended the kickoff meeting and offered views on the semiconductor industry overall, including infrastructure, manpower, supply chains and research and development. The issues discussed will be developed through four subcommittees covering regions and clusters, AI semiconductors and research and development, supply chains and materials, parts and equipment, and manpower, regulation and international cooperation.

Over the next four months, the master plan will go through discussions by the subcommittees, consultations with relevant ministries and opinion-gathering procedures. It is then expected to be finalised within this year through deliberation and resolution by the Semiconductor Industry Competitiveness Enhancement Special Committee, chaired by the president.

Lee Min-woo (이민우), head of the Industrial Growth Office at the ministry, said the semiconductor market is growing rapidly due to AI, making global competition fiercer. He said the government will draw up within this year a mid- to long-term strategy to systematically support semiconductors, a national strategic asset, to continue securing a competitive edge.