Arizona’s international semiconductor work has focused largely on Taiwan and Japan. TSMC put the state’s connection to Taiwan at the center of its industry growth, and agreements signed earlier this year brought Arizona, Taiwan and Japan together around manufacturing, research and workforce development.
State officials are now directing more attention to South Korea.
The Arizona Commerce Authority led an economic development delegation to the Republic of Korea in August, joined by the City of Peoria, Amkor Technology, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and Opus. The three-day visit included meetings with government, business and academic leaders, a visit to Amkor Technology Korea and an Arizona Forum promoting the state’s business and investment opportunities.
The delegation met with Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, along with the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency and Korea Semiconductor Industry Association.
The range of meetings reflects a broader goal. Arizona is not just recruiting individual Korean companies. It is working directly with the organizations that help shape investment, industry growth and international trade.
Peoria and Amkor had a clear reason to join the trip. Construction is underway on Amkor’s $7-billion advanced semiconductor packaging and testing campus in Peoria. As In Business Magazine reported in March, the project will include more than 750,000 square feet of cleanroom space and is expected to create as many as 3,000 jobs. The first manufacturing facility is scheduled to be completed in mid-2027, with production anticipated in early 2028. The campus is expected to become the first high-volume outsourced semiconductor packaging and test facility in the United States. It will prepare finished chips for use after they leave the fab, keeping more of that work near TSMC’s north Phoenix operations.
Amkor also has longstanding ties to Korea. The Tempe-headquartered company traces its semiconductor roots to Korea, where its first semiconductor business began in 1968. Its name combines America and Korea. President and CEO Kevin Engel pointed to that history and the Peoria investment in discussing the value of continued cooperation between Arizona and South Korea.
Total trade between Arizona and South Korea exceeded $2.33 billion in 2025, an increase of more than 160% since 2021. Arizona opened a trade and investment office in Seoul in 2023 to support business between the two markets.
From Seoul, the office works to connect Arizona companies with Korean markets and Korean companies with opportunities in Arizona. The August meetings put that work in front of government, industry and academic leaders.
The delegation brought Arizona officials face to face with several of the organizations Korean companies work with when making investment and expansion decisions. It also gave state and local representatives an opportunity to promote Arizona directly to Korean business and government leaders rather than waiting for individual prospects to enter the market.
Arizona has taken a similar approach elsewhere in Asia. A March agreement established a framework among Arizona, Kaohsiung in Taiwan and Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan covering semiconductors, research, workforce development and supply chains. The state also participated in a broader trip to Japan, Korea and Taiwan in May. During the Seoul stop, ACA participated in an Arizona x Korea Innovation Launchpad connecting Korean innovators with the state’s business and research community.
Unlike the May trip, the August delegation spent all three days in South Korea. Amkor’s Peoria project gave officials a current example of the investment Arizona is seeking.
A major Korean-linked semiconductor investment is already under construction in Peoria. State and local officials used the trip to begin looking for the companies and partnerships that could follow it.
