K-defense boom masks near-total reliance on imported defense semiconductors - 디지털투데이

South Korea's defense industry has experienced robust growth, with weapons exports reaching new highs, yet its core components—defense semiconductors—are almost entirely reliant on imports, exposing s... Read original →

South Korea’s 98.9% import reliance on defense semiconductors reveals a critical gap in its technological sovereignty. Technically, the absence of domestic GaN and SiC capabilities throttles innovation in AESA radars and SAR systems while undermining hardware-level security. Without access to advanced substrates or EUV processes, local IDMs remain nonviable. Compliance-wise, air-gapped networks offer no protection against firmware-embedded backdoors, forcing firms to absorb costly chip-level verification burdens. Geopolitically, China’s push for 80% wide-bandgap semiconductor self-sufficiency by 2030 will erode Seoul’s leverage in regional defense supply chains, while U.S. allies may impose stricter tech-access conditions. Over the next 12–24 months, extended lead times (now 1–2 years) will likely trigger strategic wafer stockpiling and a national trusted-chip certification regime—but without foundry partnerships akin to TSMC or GlobalFoundries, localization efforts may stall at assembly/test, leaving systemic vulnerabilities intact.