AI · SEMICONDUCTOR · FACT CHECK
SKD WIRETrue
SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won said that if he could return to his 20s, he would choose to start his own business without hesitation, but added that he would not build that startup in the semiconductor industry. His remarks were made in a public appearance that has drawn attention in Korea's business community.
Speaking at the event, Choi said he would "definitely" pursue founding a company if given the chance to relive his twenties. At the same time, he singled out the semiconductor sector as the one field he would avoid this time around, a notable statement given that semiconductors remain a core business of SK Group through SK hynix.
Choi's comments come as the Korean semiconductor industry navigates rapid shifts driven by AI demand, with memory makers including SK hynix central to the supply of high-bandwidth memory for AI accelerators.
The remarks were captured in publicly available materials and photographs from the appearance, which have circulated alongside coverage of the chairman's view on entrepreneurship and career choices for young Koreans. Details of the full remarks and the exact occasion were not further specified in the available record.
The statement stands out as a personal reflection rather than a strategic signal: Choi framed the choice around his own hypothetical restart, not around SK Group's business direction. SK Group's semiconductor commitments through SK hynix remain unchanged by the remarks.
The claim that Choi Tae-won said he would "definitely start a company" if he returned to his 20s, but would not do semiconductors, is True.
