South Korea will step up the reuse of computers previously used by public institutions and expand support programs for vulnerable groups in response to rising semiconductor prices, the Finance Ministry said on Thursday. The measure is part of a broader set of responses announced at a ministerial meeting aimed at stabilizing consumer prices as global prices for dynamic random access memory (DRAM), widely used in desktop and laptop computers, have risen sharply.
The South Korean government currently disposes of obsolete computers by selling, donating or scrapping them. More than half of the 22,000 computers disposed of last year were scrapped, although many have been repaired or maintained and can still be used for basic purposes.
The government plans to increase the proportion of free donated equipment, promote equipment reuse, and enable local governments to more actively use the equipment in projects that support disadvantaged groups.
The South Korean government will also expand a PC purchase subsidy program for students from low-income families through a supplementary budget expected to be passed later this month.
South Korea's Ministry of Finance predicts that with the booming development of artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductor manufacturers will shift their focus to the production of high-bandwidth memory (HBM), and the price of traditional DRAM chips will continue to rise in the coming period.
Industry data shows that prices of desktop and laptop computers from major manufacturers have increased by more than 10% in the past seven months.
Data show that South Korea’s computer consumer prices rose 10.8% year-on-year in February and 12.4% year-on-year in March.