Samsung Electronics' semiconductor division recorded an operating loss of 15 trillion won last year. This is unprecedented. The smartphone division gave up its world No. 1 position after 13 years. Bad news is pouring in. Samsung Electronics is not just a simple company in Korea. It is a symbol of an economy that grew through exports. Its share in the national economy is enormous, so if it experiences ups and downs, the ripple effect on the national economy will be huge. Is Samsung in crisis? If so, what is the reason? ■ Samsung's myth is the result of the 'three factors of success' Samsung started late in the early 1980s, but it continued to grow rapidly. This success myth is clearly the result of 'leadership' and 'hard work'. However, to look at it more comprehensively, we need to look at the changes in the global IT industry and the global situation in addition to 'Samsung's internal factors'. If we look at it all together, this success myth is the result of the 'three factors' of 'Samsung's innovation', 'IT industry expansion', and 'the US's containment of Japan'. Samsung Electronics, which ran at the cutting edge, continued its endless growth, and achieved an annual growth rate of more than 17% for 15 years from 1998, when its financial statements were secured, to 2013. Even the IMF foreign exchange crisis, the dot-com bubble, and the 2008 global financial crisis could not stop Samsung Electronics from growing at a rapid pace. ■ And the problem of the 'lost decade' that came after that is what happened. If we look at Samsung Electronics' sales over the past 10 years, we can see that there has been no significant growth. The average annual growth rate, which was 17% for the previous 15 years, is only 1.25% during this period (2013-2023). Samsung Electronics has only achieved low growth of 1% for 10 years. It is true that the performance in 2023 is extremely poor, but even if we base it on 2022, which was the best year, the average annual growth rate is only around 3%. An even bigger problem is revealed when the performance in won is converted to dollars. Since exports account for about 90%, the dollar standard is more meaningful in judging actual growth excluding the exchange rate, but Samsung Electronics' performance in 2023, converted to dollars, recorded negative growth compared to 2013. It recorded an annual average of -0.8% negative growth over the past 10 years. Sales, which had been trending upward, fluctuate according to the memory cycle. It is closer to standing still than trending upward. Companies that fail to grow are eliminated. This is a cold conclusion of the rise and fall of the industry. Although the memory cycle is said to be revived this year, it is difficult to be optimistic about Samsung Electronics' future. ■ The 'three elements of success' have become the 'three elements of stagnation' What is the cause of the problem, and where is the solution? If you follow the in-depth reporting and the voices of domestic and foreign scholars, you will see the context. 'Samsung's technology' is being questioned, the global IT industry is growing, but Samsung is not riding the wave, and the global situation is no longer fortunate for Korea. Following this context, we will also see the big picture of the rise and fall of the Korean chip industry and its future direction. Reporter: Seo Young-min Camera: Shin Bong-seung Video editing: Seong Dong-hyeok Research: Jeong Yi-seo Assistant director: Jin Eui-seon Scheduled broadcast date: 10 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 KBS 1TV/YouTube #SamsungElectronics #ChipWar #LostDecade #Semiconductor #Memory #SemiconductorMyth #Crisis #TSMC #Foundry #ASML #ChrisMiller #JimKeller 'Current Affairs Planning Window' homepage https://news.kbs.co.kr/vod/program.do... YouTube / @kbssisa Facebook / changkbs WAVVE Search for 'Current Affairs Planning Window'