U.S. President Joe Biden and President Yoon Suk-yeol take a look around Samsung Electronics' semiconductor factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, under the guidance of Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, third from left, Friday. Yonhap

'Semiconductors are engines of the modern world': Samsung chief

By Baek Byung-yeul

U.S. President Joe Biden let the world know that Samsung Electronics is playing a huge role in the global chip industry as he became the first U.S. president to visit the world's No. 1 memory chip maker's plant in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, as soon as he stepped on Korean soil, Friday.

The U.S. president arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek at 5:23 p.m. to start his three-day official visit to Korea. The first place he visited was Samsung's Pyeongtaek plant, the world's largest semiconductor factory.

Biden arrived at the factory at 6:10 p.m. and President Yoon greeted the U.S. president at the main gate.

The two leaders talked to each other for about a minute and took a photo together. While having a conversation, Biden expressed his friendliness tapping Yoon's shoulder and Yoon also put his hand on Biden's back. Both leaders wore masks and showed their smiled with their eyes.