Dongjin Semichem Chairman Lee Joon-hyuk received the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, the highest honor of the award, at a ceremony marking Semiconductor Day.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said it held the 19th Semiconductor Day ceremony on the 21st at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Seoul, awarding government honors to 54 people who contributed to the development of the semiconductor industry. Semiconductor Day was established to commemorate Korea's first $10 billion in semiconductor exports on Oct. 29, 1994. Thirty-two years later, cumulative semiconductor exports through September this year reached $340.3 billion, approaching double last year's annual figure.
Lee, who received the Gold Tower Order, was recognized for overcoming the crisis caused by Japan's export curbs and for successfully localizing core semiconductor materials. The Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit went to Lee Jong-myung, executive vice president at Samsung Electronics. The executive was credited with securing world-class original technology and contributing to the commercialization of semiconductor products and the stabilization of the materials, parts and equipment supply chain. The Bronze Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit went to Kwon Jae-soon, executive vice president at SK hynix, and Kim Young-boo, chairman of QRT.
The Industrial Service Medal was awarded to Jang Sung-soo, president of KOMICO, for achievements in semiconductor cleaning and coating, along with Chae Byung-duk, executive director at Sungdo ENG, and Park Kwang-sun, head of Applied Materials Korea. The government also conferred three presidential citations, four prime ministerial citations, 40 citations from the industry minister and 30 awards from the chairman of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association.
The ministry said it plans to continue strengthening the technological competitiveness of the semiconductor industry while fostering an industrial ecosystem in which large companies and small and mid-sized materials, parts and equipment firms can grow together. "The remarkable achievements of the semiconductor industry are thanks to the dedication of those who have relentlessly pursued technology innovation and investment," Vice Minister Park Dong-il said. "The government will continue to actively support companies through the semiconductor mega-project."