[SK Chey Tae-won: Semiconductor Demand to Increase by At Least 50% Next Year] Odaily Planet Daily News – SK Group Chairman and Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Chey Tae-won stated during a media roundtable at the Jeju Forum that global semiconductor demand will see significant growth next year. In particular, demand in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector is expected to increase by 60% to 100% compared to this year, while overall semiconductor product demand will grow by at least 50% to 60%. However, the additional supply next year will be nearly zero, potentially widening the supply-demand gap further. Chey Tae-won predicted that following energy and power equipment, material supply and facility construction may become new bottlenecks restricting industry development. He noted that as the AI industry evolves, shortages of cables and related materials could emerge, with prices for these products already rising and submarine cables in short supply. Due to changes in construction specifications every one to two years, the difficulty of construction is also increasing. He believes that it will take time for the AI industry to establish a self-sustaining ecosystem. Currently, infrastructure investments are substantial but have yet to yield corresponding results. However, once the entire system begins operating, the AI industry is expected to gradually form a self-sustaining ecosystem. (Yonhap News Agency)