US-South Korea summit: Taiwan, semiconductors on agenda between Joe Biden and Yoon Suk-yeol

‘Very robust discussion’ on fraught topics expected for second state visit hosted by Biden administration and first involving an Indo-Pacific leader

Washington seeks ‘a more secure global telecommunications ecosystem and a more resilient supply chain for semiconductors’, says spokesman

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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (right) waves next to his wife Kim Keon-hee before departing for the US from Seongnam Air Base in South Korea on Monday. Photo: Yonhap via AP

Published: 5:50am, 25 Apr 2023Updated: 5:55am, 25 Apr 2023

Semiconductor supplies and Taiwan Strait tensions will feature on the agenda of the US-South Korea summit this week, the White House said, amid rising apprehensions on the two fronts between Beijing and Washington.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol arrived in Washington on Monday for a week-long official visit. It marked the second state visit by a foreign leader to the US since President Joe Biden took office in early 2021 and the first state visit by an Indo-Pacific leader during his administration.

The two allies were expected to have a “very robust discussion” on the chips sector over the course of the week, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told a press conference on Monday.

“We look forward to working with our partners and allies, including and especially [South Korea], and building a more secure global telecommunications ecosystem and a more resilient supply chain for semiconductors,” Kirby said.

The comment came after a report by the Financial Times on Sunday claimed the US asked Seoul to urge its major chip makers – Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix – not to increase sales to China if Beijing banned Micron from selling chips following a cybersecurity review of the American company’s products.