U.S. President Joe Biden will tour Samsung Electronics' largest semiconductor plant when he arrives in South Korea on Friday, in a move viewed as Washington's prioritizing its partnership with Seoul on the key component.
According to industry sources on Wednesday, Biden will visit Samsung's Pyeongtaek campus, in a first such visit by a U.S. president, where he will be hosted by the firm's Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong.
The Pyeongtaek campus is Samsung's key facility for next-generation chips. It's also the world's largest semiconductor plant, spanning some two-point-89 million square meters, equivalent to around 120 football pitches.
The tour comes as the Biden administration has been seeking ways to reduce reliance on China's high-tech industries, including semiconductors, while restructuring supply chains to center around allied nations and enhancing domestic fabrication.
Some observers have suggested that the visit could be connected to the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework(IPEF).