▲ Jacob Helberg, under secretary of state for economic affairs, speaks during a press availability during the Pax Silica summit in Washington, D.C., on June 25, 2026. (Yonhap)

Pax Silica-S Korea

Senior U.S. official hails S. Korea as punching far above its weight in chip production, expertise

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, June 25 (Yonhap) -- A senior U.S. official on Thursday hailed South Korea as a country that punches far above its weight in semiconductor production and engineering, expressing his expectations for Seoul's role in advancing a U.S.-led initiative to promote artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain security.

Jacob Helberg, under secretary of state for economic affairs, made the remarks in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency, as the second "Pax Silica" summit began in Washington with the participation of nearly 20 member countries, including South Korea, Britain, Japan and Australia.

Launched last year, the summit is seen as part of a U.S. drive to build and reinforce a trusted supply chain ecosystem for AI, critical minerals and other areas, as Washington seeks to counter China's growing heft in those fields.

"South Korea is obviously home to some of the world's largest memory chips. It's a country that far punches its weight in terms of chip production, technical expertise, and engineering," Helberg said.

"We have had bilateral conversations with our South Korean counterparts on a very regular basis, and ultimately we're very excited to work with (them) to continue deepening that collaboration," he added.

He voiced his expectation that South Korea will contribute "a lot of insights" during the Pax Silica gathering, particularly on AI infrastructure security and the management of capacity shortages.

Pax Silica draws from the Latin "pax," which means peace, stability and long-term prosperity, while "silica" refers to the compound refined into silicon, a chemical element key to the computer chips that enable AI, according to the State Department.

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