South Korean Finance Minister candidate Lee Hyoung-il speaks during his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on September 15, 2026. Kim Hong-ji | ReutersThe semiconductor boom will last at least until 2027, South Korean Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-Il said on Saturday. “For now, our view is that we can sustain this growth at least until next year,” Lee told CNBC on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok. “This is because the gap between demand and supply of semiconductors is still very wide, and supply is still expanding.” His comments come after semiconductor stocks fell sharply this week, hurt by investor concerns about rising interest rates and growing competition from Chinese companies. South Korean chip stocks such as SK Hynix and Seoul Semiconductor were part of the sell-off, along with American giants such as Nvidia. Chip stocks have fueled volatility in South Korea’s stock market this year, Lee said. He attributed the sharp market swings to the semiconductor industry’s larger share of the economy than in other countries. Despite market changes, South Korea’s economy is “solid,” Lee said. On Thursday, an opinion column in Maeil Business Newspaper, a prominent South Korean publication, urged the country’s government to prepare for the coming slowdown in the rise of artificial intelligence. The author said two experts expect a “flood of new supply” of semiconductors that will turn the memory market “into a red ocean” by 2029, according to a CNBC translation. While South Korean semiconductors may be driving volatility in its stock market, the industry has also driven tax growth. Lee said the country expects to collect more taxes than initially projected this year. Ultimately, South Korea will be in a stronger fiscal position due to the chip boom, he added. WATCH: Don’t overlook opportunities in South Korea, says Rasmussen from Verdad Advisers
