Dutch and Koreans vow stronger chip ties

Leaders of South Korea and the Netherlands vowed to bolster co-operation in the critical semiconductor sector. During the meeting, South Korean President said the two countries wanted to "combine each other's strengths" in the semiconductor field but also emphasized the security aspect.

Dutch Prime Minister also mentioned the "security risks" involved in the sector and stressed that they must help each other protect the value chain." The two countries’ top tech companies ASML and Samsung signed a deal pledging to invest around 700 million euros together in a research plant to develop "cutting-edge semiconductor processing technology."

Korea is the third-largest trade partner for the Dutch in Asia, while the Netherlands is the second-top partner for Korea in the European Union.