[E-Daily JAEMIN SONG Reporter] As the artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor market experiences rapid growth, global memory chip manufacturers are intensifying their efforts to recruit talent in South Korea. Following U.S.-based Micron, NAND flash manufacturer SanDisk has also begun hiring research and development (R&D) personnel in South Korea, and competition for key personnel at SamsungElectronics and SK hynix is expected to become even more fierce.

According to industry sources on the 13th, SanDisk has recently been recruiting engineers to work in South Korea through global business networking platforms such as LinkedIn Inc. The positions include firmware engineering, very large-scale integration (VLSI) design, NAND core design, mask design, and NAND system architecture—a wide range of core roles in NAND development. The recruitment scope is broad, ranging from interns to senior engineers.

In particular, many positions require at least five years of experience and list experience in developing key memory technologies—such as High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM), Low-Power DRAM (LPDDR), and Graphics DRAM (GDDR)—as qualification criteria. This has led to analysis suggesting that experienced professionals who have gained expertise at domestic memory companies, such as SamsungElectronics and SK hynix, are likely to be the primary recruitment targets.

It is unusual for SanDisk to recruit such a large number of development personnel in Korea. While SanDisk Korea has historically operated its domestic organization with a focus on sales, distribution, and marketing, it is reported to have recently begun strengthening its R&D capabilities by increasing the hiring of engineers. Another factor cited is the rapid growth in NAND demand, driven primarily by enterprise solid-state drives (eSSDs), as investment in AI servers and data centers expands.

The race to secure talent is already underway in the DRAM sector as well. Micron, the world’s third-largest DRAM manufacturer, has recently been actively recruiting Korean talent by sending job offers to engineers with backgrounds at SamsungElectronics and SK hynix via platforms like LinkedIn. Key targets include core AI semiconductor fields such as HBM and advanced packaging.

Domestic companies are also accelerating their efforts to secure talent. SamsungElectronics is recruiting personnel for the development of high-performance memory, such as HBM, as well as for semiconductor processes and equipment through its open recruitment for new graduates in the second half of the year. SK hynix is also continuing to hire both new graduates and experienced professionals, focusing on technical roles such as design, device engineering, R&D processes, and mass production technology.