Hwaseong: ASML, a Netherlands-based semiconductor equipment manufacturer, has completed the construction of a manufacturing plant in South Korea. The facility is set to function as a cooperation hub for the Dutch company and Korean chipmakers, the industry ministry announced.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the completion ceremony for the 16,000-square-meter facility, named the New Campus, took place in Hwaseong. This city is recognized as a major semiconductor hub located about 50 kilometers south of Seoul. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources noted that ASML's Hwaseong campus will be a significant manufacturing hub for the company in Asia and will contribute to bolstering Korea's supply chains for the semiconductor industry.

The ministry further highlighted ASML's intentions to expand technology exchanges and cooperation with prominent Korean chipmakers, such as Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc. ASML is known as the world's largest manufacturer of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems, advanced machinery used in semiconductor production to etch small circuit patterns onto silicon wafers.

The newly established plant will include a repair center for remanufacturing essential equipment, such as EUV and deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography systems. Additionally, a training center dedicated to the transfer of advanced technologies will be part of the facility. Kang Gam-chan, deputy minister for trade and investment, emphasized the importance of collaboration with both local and international partners for the advancement of Korea's semiconductor industry.

He expressed optimism regarding the completion ceremony as an example of successful collaboration and expressed hopes for further technological cooperation and investment between Korea and the Netherlands in the semiconductor sector. Kang also pledged to make efforts to attract more foreign investment to Korea.