Four U.S. Companies to Invest $2 Billion in Korea, Strengthening Semiconductor and Clean Energy Supply Chains

Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA Hold Investment Declaration Ceremony in the U.S.

Air Products, Corning, Axcelis, and Pacifico Energy Commit to Investment

Expansion of National Industrial Ecosystem Anticipated

Four leading U.S. companies specializing in semiconductor materials and equipment as well as clean energy have confirmed a large-scale investment in Korea totaling USD 2 billion (approximately KRW 2.7 trillion). Industry experts forecast that this investment will expand Korea’s core national industrial ecosystem and strengthen the supply chain linkage between South Korea and the United States for advanced industries.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced on the 3rd (local time) that they held the "U.S. Investment Declaration Ceremony and Investors’ Roundtable" in Washington, D.C., successfully attracting a total of USD 2 billion in investment to Korea.

The event was attended in person by top executives from the four companies: Air Products, an industrial gas company led by CEO Eduardo Menezes; Corning, a materials company specializing in glass, ceramics, and optics; Axcelis Technologies, a semiconductor equipment company; and Pacifico Energy, an energy infrastructure company. These leaders expressed their commitment to expanding their operations in Korea.

Air Products plans to establish dedicated infrastructure for supplying industrial gases to a next-generation semiconductor production base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. The facilities will encompass ultra-high purity gases and rare gases for advanced micro-fabrication processes, as well as hydrogen production equipment. This initiative is expected to help strengthen the domestic supply chain of essential semiconductor materials.

Axcelis Technologies will expand its ion implanter manufacturing facility in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. The ion implanter is a key piece of equipment for the front-end semiconductor manufacturing process, and Korea is the only country outside the United States where Axcelis produces these machines. Through this investment, Axcelis plans not only to increase production capacity but also to establish functions for research and development, prototype manufacturing, and technical education—aiming to grow Korea into a comprehensive hub for technological innovation.

Corning intends to upgrade its production facilities in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, to introduce next-generation process technology for advanced materials. Meanwhile, Pacifico Energy will promote the construction of an offshore wind power complex with a total capacity of 3.2 gigawatts (GW) in the waters off Jindo, Gwangju, Jeollanam-do.

Kang Kyung-sung, President and CEO of KOTRA, stated, "This investment is highly significant as it is directly linked to the three mega projects of Korea’s Great Leap Forward, which focus on semiconductors, AI data centers, and physical AI. Attracting advanced industry investment will not only strengthen Korea’s supply chain for semiconductor materials and equipment but will also expand the supply of clean energy needed for AI data centers, contributing to the development of Korea’s industrial ecosystem and bolstering advanced industry supply chain cooperation between Korea and the United States."

KOTRA headquarters building. KOTRA

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.