(LEAD) Texas governor visits Samsung Electronics’ chip facility

Texas Governor Greg Abbott visited Samsung Electronics Co.'s semiconductor facility in South Korea on Tuesday, expressing his appreciation for the company's investments in the U.S. state. He toured Samsung's Pyeongtaek Campus, located approximately 60 kilometers south of Seoul, looking around the chip production line and various products, according to industry sources. Samsung Electronics officials, including Vice Chairman Jun Young-hyun, who heads the tech giant's semiconductor business, accompanied him. The Texas governor thanked Samsung Electronics for its commitment to investing a total of US$40 billion in facilities in Taylor and Austin, Texas, by 2030. The South Korean company has operated in the U.S. state for 27 years. At a separate press conference later in the day, Gov. Abbott emphasized Samsung Electronics' role in shaping Texas' future economy. He highlighted that the new fab in Taylor will produce wafers for artificial intelligence chips, contributing to the state's technological advancement . "What Samsung is doing is helping Texas achieve what our vision is," he said. "With what Samsung is going to be doing in Texas will continue to expand Texas's lead from the field of artificial intelligence through the production of wafers in Texas." He also encouraged further investments from other Korean tech companies, including major chipmaker SK hynix Inc. "As governor of Texas and our economic development team, our door is always open," he said. "We are always happy to visit with anybody and ... let them see what Texas has to offer. They will eventually do business in our state." Before his visit to Samsung Electronics, Gov. Abbott met with officials from SK Signet on Monday. The South Korean company has invested $37 million to establish a new electric vehicle charger manufacturing facility in Plano, Texas. Meanwhile, Gov. Abbott addressed the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall in Texas during his three-day trip to Seoul. He expressed deep sorrow over the damage and the los s of lives. He has faced criticism for being out of the country during the disaster. "Our hearts grieve for all Texans, who were affected by the hurricane, particularly sorrowful to learn about the deaths and injuries of some of my fellows Texans," he said. Source: Yonhap News Agency