Video Mug: 'Semiconductor Departments' Soaring as High as Samsung and SK Hynix

In South Korea, a nation that is home to "Samsung and Hynix," the landscape of university admissions is undergoing a major tectonic shift.
Although our stock market, including Samsung and Hynix, faced a significant correction today (June 23), the fervor surrounding these semiconductor giants has been boiling over like water.

Looking at the raw scores from the June mock college scholastic ability test, semiconductor contract departments and Korean medicine departments were tied at 288 points.
From the perspective of career aspirations, employees at major semiconductor companies are now considered on par with doctors of Korean medicine.

This is evident from the analysis of regular admission scores for medical schools and semiconductor contract departments for the 2026 academic year.
An increasing number of students are choosing to apply to semiconductor departments in Seoul rather than entering engineering or natural science programs at Seoul National University.

Analysts suggest this trend stems from the judgment of students and parents that semiconductor departments will remain a promising career path, as the industry has entered a "super cycle" driven by the expansion of AI infrastructure.

Between medical school, which takes at least 10 years to complete after enrollment, and semiconductor departments, which offer tuition and scholarship support from the start and guaranteed employment at contracted companies upon graduation, students are facing increasingly difficult decisions.

Reported by Jo Gi-ho | Edited by Kim In-sun | Graphics by Lee Hee-moon, Jo Seung-hyun | Produced by Knowledge Contents IP Team
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.