SEOUL, Feb. 12 -- South Korea's semiconductor industry is facing a critical talent shortage as top students increasingly choose medical schools over engineering programs.
Despite guaranteed jobs at major chipmakers like Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, admission withdrawal rates for top semiconductor departments reached 179 per cent in 2024, according to a Korea Herald report.
Experts warn that Korea risks falling behind global competitors like China and the US, which are investing trillions in AI and semiconductor research.
Lee Jong-hwan, a system semiconductor engineering professor at Sangmyung University, said China was able to develop the DeepSeek model currently disrupting the AI landscape, due to its investment in developing home-...