韩国对华直接投资新动向及原因分析

Abstract

This paper analyzes the new trends and underlying factors in South Korea’s direct investment in China. South Korean investment in China has undergone five stages, shifting from early labor-intensive industries to high-tech manufacturing and the semiconductor sector. In recent years, China’s rising industrial competitiveness has led to a gradual reduction in South Korean investment outside the semiconductor sector, while U.S.-China strategic competition and U.S. technology restrictions have driven a significant decline in South Korean semiconductor investment in China. Despite these challenges, China’s domestic market demand and the interdependent China-South Korea supply chains remain key motivators for South Korean firms’ direct investment in China. This paper suggests that China further open its markets, improve the business environment, promote high-tech cooperation with South Korea, and deepen China-South Korea economic and trade relations through regional economic agreements.