August 5th afternoon news! Are you going to turn your face？ China, the United States and Russia have been busy for a long time, but South Korea has changed its mouth directly.

　　Wen/Daju Archives

　　Since South Korean President Yin Xiyue came to power, he has been obedient to the United States, so he has been constantly provoking our sovereignty with the United States, and South Korea has been constantly acting as a demon, really fearing that the world will not be chaotic.

　　The first news is that China, the United States and Russia have been busy for a long time, and South Korea directly changed its mouth: LK-99 is not superconducting at room temperature at all.

　　A long time ago, on a cold winter day, South Korea's Superconducting Cryogenic Society claimed that it had discovered a strange crystal-LK-99. It is said that this crystal is a normal temperature superconductor, which can show unparalleled superconducting properties at room temperature.

　　After the news came out, the whole international scientific community was shocked. Laboratories in the United States, Russian Federation and China have all carried out tests. For a time, scientists were immersed in crazy research, dreaming of realizing superconductivity at normal temperature and pressure. However, LK-99' s paper was suddenly withdrawn shortly after it was published in arXiv. The Korean team claimed that some team members published this paper without authorization. This has aroused people's doubts. Is LK-99 really a normal temperature superconductor? Or is the Korean team just exaggerating?

　　In this chaotic period, there has been a heated discussion internationally. American laboratories believe that theoretically LK-99 may be superconducting at room temperature; Russian experts claim that they have made similar "normal temperature diamagnetic" substances; China has also published relevant papers, and a team has said that it has conducted a repeated experiment on the "magnetic levitation experiment" of South Korea.

　　For all this, the Korean team is reluctant to provide samples for testing. Their research content is not complete, and it does not show the phenomenon that the magnetic field lines cannot penetrate and the "zero magnetic field" is maintained inside the object. It seems that LK-99 does not show complete diamagnetism.

　　Nevertheless, people are still waiting for the concept of room temperature superconductivity. Although the concept of superconductor was discovered more than 100 years ago, there are still many challenges to realize superconductor at room temperature and pressure. Science and technology need to be rigorous, and truth may be just a step away, but to achieve this goal, human beings still need to make unremitting efforts.

　　The second news is that after blindly following the United States against China, South Korea suffered a backlash, and its exports fell for 10 months in a row. The chip was the main reason.

　　On a hot summer day, South Korea's semiconductor industry is in an unprecedented predicament. The latest trade data of Observer.com reveals shocking news: South Korea's exports have been declining for 10 months in a row, and the decline in exports in July was the biggest in the past three years.

　　The report of the Bank of Korea reveals the reasons for this dilemma. Although the traditional export industries such as automobiles and shipbuilding are still strong, the share of the semiconductor industry is declining. As we all know, South Korea's semiconductor industry has always been the pillar of the country's economy. However, in recent years, this once dazzling star industry is facing severe challenges.

　　The data shows that in the first half of 2023, South Korea's semiconductor exports fell by an astonishing 36.8% year-on-year, and in January and February, it was less than 10 billion US dollars for two consecutive months. The reason for this situation is not simple, and the global economic slowdown is an important factor. The economic growth rate of emerging markets has gradually slowed down, which has affected the demand of consumer electronics products, automobiles and other industries, and the global semiconductor market demand has also been weak.

　　However, the reason that can't be ignored behind this is the influence of the US chip blockade strategy on China. Since the implementation of the "Chip Act" in the United States last year, there have been numerous restrictions on China's semiconductor industry. By netting advanced semiconductor enterprises around the world, the United States has formed a monopoly position in the fields of semiconductor equipment, design software and key materials, and strictly restricted the export of these products and technologies to China.

　　The U.S. government not only provides government subsidies as high as $52.7 billion, but also provides enterprises with investment tax credits worth $24 billion in exchange for containing China in industrial cooperation. This year, Biden's administration expanded its scope to almost all semiconductor-related enterprises, from upstream chip manufacturing and processing enterprises to processor manufacturers, and then to PC manufacturers, and strengthened the containment of China in the whole industrial chain in all directions.

　　South Korea's semiconductor industry has been hit by an unprecedented crisis. The constant erosion of market share, weak technological innovation and sluggish industrial transformation have forced people in the industry to face the cruel reality.

　　However, under the hot summer sun, someone always stepped forward. At this turbulent moment, a group of young scientists and engineers started a brainstorming all night. They are well aware of the importance of the semiconductor industry and the fierce global competition. They inspired the inner flame and determined to find a new path.

　　After days of hard work, they finally made some breakthroughs. They began to seek cooperation with other countries, breaking the limitations of the past and jointly developing new technologies. At the same time, they have also increased their investment in technology research and development, hoping to regain their leading position in key areas.

　　At this critical moment, the government is also aware of the seriousness of the crisis. They have issued a series of support policies to encourage local enterprises to carry out technological innovation and industrial transformation. At the same time, the government also actively promotes education reform, trains more outstanding scientists and engineers, and injects new blood into the semiconductor industry.

　　Through unremitting efforts, South Korea's semiconductor industry has gradually stepped out of the trough. The new partnership has injected new vitality into the industry, and some initial achievements have been made in technological innovation. Although the challenges are still severe, they believe that as long as they persist, they will be able to overcome the difficulties.

　　Just like that hot summer day, South Korea's semiconductor industry experienced a storm, but it also gained great power. The challenge has no end, but they believe that as long as they have faith, they can create miracles. Under the hot summer sun, South Korea's semiconductor industry will finally bloom again.

　　The third news, now that I know the pain, the Korean media admits that China's control of gallium and germanium has shaken the foundation of Korean semiconductors

　　In a busy city, South Korea's semiconductor industry is booming. However, a sudden change has pushed this industry to danger.

　　Gallium and germanium, two key materials, are very important for semiconductor production. However, after learning that China has imposed export control on these materials, South Korea is facing unprecedented challenges. China has 80% of the world's gallium production and 60% of the world's germanium production, and its market share has reached an astonishing 94% and 83%. South Korea's semiconductor industry suddenly fell into great anxiety.

　　The once prosperous market is now teetering. South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held an emergency meeting to thoroughly inspect the supply chain of gallium and germanium. With the implementation of export control in China, the prices of these two materials have soared, and the semiconductor industry is facing unprecedented challenges. The price of gallium reached $338.75 per kilogram, an increase of 19.9% compared with $282.5 on June 30. The price of germanium rose from 6,600 RMB per kilogram in May to 6,850 RMB, an increase of 4%.

　　Facing the fierce situation, the Korean semiconductor industry has to find a solution. However, until now, they have realized the seriousness of the problem. This slow response makes them feel sorry for themselves, but they also know that this is all South Korea's own fault. In the past few years, they have conducted a series of transactions and cooperation with the United States, which finally led to this change.

　　The attitude of South Korea's leadership on the issue of sanctions is worrying. South Korea under the leadership of Yin Xiyue seems to obey the instructions of the United States resolutely and decisively at any time. This leaves China with no choice but to take retaliatory measures. China implements export control on gallium and germanium, which are essential for semiconductor production. The specific functions of these two materials need not be repeated.

　　South Korea's semiconductor industry was shaken by this storm. Gallium is a necessary key material for semiconductor research and OLED display panel in the future, and germanium is also used in important gas production in semiconductor industry. Without these materials, South Korea's semiconductor industry can hardly operate.

　　However, the crisis is not limited to South Korea. The chip industry in the United States is also hard to escape. Although the United States can mine these materials by itself, the problem is that even if they own these minerals, it does not mean that they can use them immediately. The production of these materials requires complex steps and comprehensive support for the industrial chain, and these things can not be completed in a day or two. Even after years of massive investment in construction, there is no guarantee that they will find customers after production, especially if China offers lower prices.

　　Moreover, the storm may be far from over. If China continues to manipulate the export of these materials for a long time, or extends them to other categories such as rare earths, the global semiconductor industry will face a more turbulent situation.

　　South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is taking measures to meet this unprecedented challenge. But solving the problem is not achieved overnight, but requires global cooperation and joint efforts.

　　In this unpredictable world, South Korea's semiconductor industry is forced to stand at the forefront. They are faced with life and death choices and need to make wise decisions. Only by seizing the opportunity and grasping the future can we regain our vitality after this storm.