AI Semiconductor Boom Spurs Tax Revenue for New 'Future Response Fund'

As the AI semiconductor industry emerges as Korea's new growth engine, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are pushing ahead with large-scale semiconductor production base construction to meet surging AI demand. Their strategy is to strengthen competitiveness in high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a type of ultra-fast memory, and take the lead in the market as a central hub in the global supply chain. The government is also responding to the rapidly increasing demand through large-scale investment strategies.

However, while related companies are seeing increased compensation due to the AI semiconductor boom, an economic divide is appearing outside the industry, driven by rising living costs and economic slowdown. Analyses suggest that the 'K-shaped' polarization is worsening, with growth concentrated in specific sectors leading to a widening wage gap with small and medium-sized enterprises, and ongoing management difficulties for manufacturers and self-employed businesses.

In response, the government is planning to establish a 'Future Response Fund' utilizing additional tax revenue generated from the semiconductor boom. President Lee Jae-myung and the administration have decided to create the fund to counter the technology hegemony race and achieve internal distributive justice. This is intended to serve as an institutional mechanism for socially sharing the wealth created by technological change.

The Future Response Fund will be invested in building AI infrastructure, expanding the foundation for advanced industries, and supporting young people. Specifically, plans are being reviewed for power, site, and permitting support for securing Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and building AI data centers, which will be utilized in policy designs to secure momentum across the entire social system. The government plans to build a system to respond to the future based on the achievements of the semiconductor industry and promote balanced growth across the entire economy.