Semiconductor technology has transformed the lives of people around the world. It’s also one of the fundamental pillars of the Korean economy and represents Samsung’s leadership in cutting-edge technology.

October 1988: Giheung Line 4 Groundbreaking Ceremony

By 1992, Samsung’s D-RAM business was already achieving success. In August of that year, the company solidified its leadership by pioneering the world’s first 64MB DRAM. In 1993, Samsung claimed the No. 1 position in memory chips and continued to innovate, releasing a 256MB DRAM in August 1994.

Samsung’s success in this industry is a powerful testament to Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s tenacious commitment to technology and bold decision making. This is especially true when considering that Samsung achieved global eminence just a decade after its first investment in 1983, and that the company has maintained ongoing industry leadership since.

April 1992: Lee Kun-hee’s visit to the Giheung plant

For semiconductors, timing is everything. The Chairman knew that these highly advanced chips would shape the future, and his foresight led to visionary decisions and bold investments that were made without hesitation.

Two historic decisions in particular helped define the course of Korea’s semiconductor industry. In 1988, the company made the bold move to adopt vertical stacking over trench technology to mass produce 4MB DRAM. And in 1993, an even more daring decision was made to convert Line 5 to 8-inch wafer production.