South Korea and the United States are holding talks on semiconductor investment as Washington prepares targeted tariffs on imported chips that may also cover end products such as laptops, gaming consoles and data center servers. A Cheong Wa Dae official said Friday that semiconductors are among investment issues under discussion and that Seoul is working to keep negotiation tracks from becoming entangled. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said firms that do not manufacture in the United States should expect to pay for access to the U.S. market, framing a produce-at-home exemption model and citing about $1.2 trillion in semiconductor production investment commitments. Trade minister Kim Jung-kwan said consultations continue on the principle that South Korean chips must not receive less favourable treatment than competitors, citing last year’s $350 billion Korean investment commitment in U.S. manufacturing and related joint understandings. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix still concentrate most capacity in South Korea, so exemption criteria and product scope will be decisive, while national-security talks including a nuclear-powered submarine plan remain stalled.