Semiconductor industry co-opetition between Taiwan and South Korea

The semiconductor industry is the lifeblood of South Korea, a country that heavily depends on its exports. In 2023, South Korea exported US$131 billion of semiconductors and imported US$106 billion, raking in US$25 billion in trade surplus. For Taiwan, when there is a trade deficit, it only amounts to a fraction of its foreign reserve, but that would be a heavy burden to South Korea, which is already shouldering US$663.6 billion in foreign debt.

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