South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy: US AI chip export controls will have no impact on South Korea

The South Korean government stressed that the export control measures for artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors imposed by the Biden administration in the United States will not affect imports of advanced AI chip models by South Korean companies, institutions or individuals.
On the 13th, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, "The US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at the Department of Commerce announced a proposed revision to export control measures on advanced AI chips and AI models today."
According to a U.S. announcement, the United States will strengthen export controls on advanced AI chips and amend the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to block circumvention of exports.
In order to export AI chips to the 22 countries designated by the United States as "arms embargoed countries," permission from the U.S. Department of Commerce is required, and in principle,
However, with the latest measure, exports of AI chips to all countries except for those 22 countries will now require a Commerce Department license.
The U.S. government has also decided to add advanced AI models trained using AI chips to the list of technologies subject to export control.
However, 18 major allies and partners, including South Korea, have agreed to abide by this measure.
The United States has also exempted South Korean companies, institutions, or individuals from exporting advanced AI chips and models, and export controls on AI chips and models will not apply to them. Therefore, there will be no impact on South Korean companies, institutions, or individuals importing advanced AI chips and models from the United States.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy explained that the measures are being implemented independently by the United States from the perspective of national security, and South Korea is included in the exemption list.
The government will closely analyze the measures and continue to make efforts to minimize their impact on Korean industry. It also plans to continue to cooperate closely with the U.S. on stabilizing the semiconductor supply chain and on export control.
"Please note that even if a company, organization, or individual is based in South Korea, if they have their headquarters in a country subject to arms embargoes designated by the U.S., they will not be exempt from the license.
It takes intention," he said.