In this article, we are highlighting three young colleagues working in three different SK hynix offices in the world. With 32 offices around the globe, SK hynix is proud to offer employees the opportunity to experience different parts of the world while maintaining connections to their home country through their work.

Germany: At the cutting edge

With many top automakers and vehicle-component companies in the region, Europe is leading the future autonomous driving industry and the development of 5G and the future communications market.

The Way I See It: Hyun-jin Song (Technical Leader, Commercial Marketing, Germany)

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Tell us about your role on the commercial marketing team
I am in charge of customers in the networking field, one of the main businesses of the German subsidiary. We closely identify key issues and the current status of relevant markets and customers, establish mid-to-long-term sales plans for each customer in alignment with the head office strategy, and carry out tasks to achieve short-term(monthly/quarter) sales goals.

Since we serve as the first window to connect local customers with the head office, it is necessary to judge the needs of various customers quickly and comprehensively, regardless of the field. We are working hard to help to make the best decisions locally or at our headquarters through this.

Tell us about the culture and characteristics of the regional office where you currently work
I believe that a spirit of cooperation, teamwork and strong ties are the driving forces behind the German subsidiary. Because it is a small office, with relatively fewer employees, everyone is busy with their own work, but whenever large or small issues arise within the corporation, it’s in our DNA to try and solve problems together without distinction between expatriates and local members.

As it’s quite common to meet people still unfamiliar with South Korea, I feel prouder as a member of SK hynix and my country when customers recognize the global status of SK hynix and see locally-hired colleagues take pride in working for a global semiconductor company.

What future technology or trend are you interested in most?
How autonomous driving technology will evolve in the future and when the era of fully autonomous driving will be realized is a very interesting topic for me.

It will be quite challenging because it won’t only require complex and diverse cutting-edge technologies, but issues on regulations, insurance, safety and etc. should also be addressed. I think close collaboration with our customers will be even more important in the near future as the issues are closely related to the technological development of the Automotive/Network industry, the main business area of SK hynix in Germany and the growth of our own memory products for cars.

What’s your after-work personal life like there?
After work or on weekends, I spend most of my time playing golf and traveling. You can enjoy golf at a very reasonable price in Germany unlike in Korea, so golf is a must-have hobby if you work as an expatriate in Germany.

Frankfurt, where the German office is located, is a great place to start a trip as it has flights to all parts of Europe. I can go to all the European cities that I’ve always wanted to visit on weekends, without taking a long vacation. Those short travels are even more satisfying for me as I enjoy taking pictures.

Unfortunately, travel is not easy these days due to the COVID-19 situation, but I hope that I could travel freely again when the pandemic is over in the not-too-distant future.

Japan: Strong Leadership in Materials for Semiconductors

Japan has always been known for its leadership in the technology industry. The country plays a strong role in the NAND Flash market and is also a major developer of semiconductor materials, parts and equipment.

SK hynix has a small but mighty team in Japan that works closely together to drive sales and marketing in the region.

The Way I See It: Jung Hur (Technical Leader, Commercial Marketing, Japan)

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Tell us about your role on the commercial marketing team
My role as a marketer based here is to establish strategies to increase corporate sales, strengthen profitability and foundation. Simply put, my role is to plan and manage the sales of the entire corporation.

The main task is to consult with the headquarters and set the quantity and price of products to be sold to customers here. We also analyze local customers’ demand and send the data to headquarters to predict market conditions in accordance with changes in demand.

For example, if PC customers are expected to increase or reduce their production and memory purchases for PCs, reflecting changes in market conditions, in the next quarter, we report our analysis to the headquarters so that the company can prepare an appropriate plan.

Tell us about the culture and characteristics of the regional office where you currently work
Here, we collaborate with each other very well. It is a small corporation where sales, marketing, technology, purchasing, accounting and management teams coexist, so everyone’s willing to provide support to others, regardless of the team/work boundaries.

What future technology or trend are you interested in most?
What interests me the most is how the semiconductor memory business will overcome the technological limitations for tech migration. So, I’m studying how EUV adoption for DRAM and 3D-NAND structure for NAND are evolving.

What’s your after-work personal life like there? any hobbies?
I usually spend time with my family after work, helping my children with their school homework. Compared to Korea, golf is more popular and cheaper here, so I have been playing golf as a hobby.

Due to the COVID-19 situation, it’s not easy to eat out or meet friends, so more recently, I stay home and don’t go out that often.

Singapore: A logistical centerpiece

Singapore, the current center of Asian logistics, is aiming to become an Asian electric vehicle production hub in the future.

The SK hynix team in Singapore oversees operations in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and India together. Similar to Japan, the SK hynix team in Singapore also works closely together to close deals and service customers in the region.

The Way I See It: Yeon-ju Koo (Technical Leader, Administration, Singapore)

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Tell us about your role on the administration team
This is my third year as a Higineer since I joined the company in February 2019. I work for the Administration’s finance team in Singapore and I’m in charge of credit/fund management. My main role is to closely coordinate with banks to support the cash flow and other plans of the headquarters as rising revenues typically require greater volume in financial transactions.

*Higineer: The term, a combination of hynix and engineer, is widely used within SK hynix to refer to the members of the company.

Tell us about the culture and characteristics of the regional office where you currently work
The team in Singapore has always been welcoming and friendly. I have lots of fond memories including getting invited by local friends to spend time on Singapore holidays and learning Singapore’s custom and traditional games.

What future technology or trend are you interested in most?
I am interested in how technology using artificial intelligence will be applied in the future. There are many areas where artificial intelligence can be used, such as medical, logistics, electric vehicles, tourism, and app development. I think SK hynix will have a greater role and status as demand for semiconductor memory, indispensable to AI, increases.

In Singapore, “National AI Strategy” is one of the top five core projects.

What’s your after-work personal life like there?
Before COVID-19, I spent the weekends traveling to neighboring Southeast Asian countries with my friends, taking advantage of Singapore’s geographical position. Malaysia and Batam, an Indonesian island, are just an hour away, so I used to visit them for a weekend getaway.

Nowadays, after work, I usually spend time with my friends, playing tennis or yoga. I also enjoy hiking on weekends.

I hope that in the near future, the pandemic will go away, and we all can travel freely again.

Down the pipeline

Our team’s success comes from its open and diverse culture, technological expertise, and passion for growth. We will continue to meet the needs of our customers, embrace emerging technology, and define industry standards.

Stay tuned for our next employee spotlight article to meet even more members of our growing staff here at SK hynix!

The post [Employee Spotlight Series]: Getting to Know Higineers Around the World first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

In this article, we are highlighting our colleagues at the DRAM Technical Marketing Team at SK hynix America, who are pathfinding on the technology needed for our upcoming products through future technology sensing. Through early technical collaboration and alignment, they are bringing a win-win to our customers and partners, contributing to a business success for SK hynix. They serve our American customers, one of the most important markets of SK hynix from the very heart of the Silicon Valley.

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Leading the Way

It is very difficult to consistently satisfy both individuals and the group. Our team leaders strive to create an inclusive culture where team members with various needs can freely express their opinions and share insight to move the team forward.

The Way I See It: Keith Jangryul Kim (Team Leader)

Tell us about DRAM Technical Marketing team at SK hynix: “As the head of the DRAM Technical Marketing team in SK hynix America, I’m responsible for covering all future DRAM applications, such as the DDRx, HBMx, LPDDRx, GDDRx and CXL solution. My team is great, and I really do believe that we are part of a bigger family. I think it’s important to show trust, consideration, and respect for family members, and this is exactly what I strive for within my team.”

How would you describe the company culture: “I would describe SK hynix America as a half-and-half combo chicken: one half is spicy seasoned chicken, and the other half is fried chicken. There is a mix of Korean and American culture and I try to take advantage of the two cultures. Diversity in ideas (and also food) is great, and I try to bring the best features into a good mix.”

What’s next for DRAM Technical Marketing at SK hynix: “Memory will be a key driver for the 4th industrial revolution, and SK hynix will need to focus on how our products would enable faster computations, transport, and storage of data. We really feel great when we see our ideas and tech innovations are enabled in the field, with increased customer satisfaction and expanded business opportunities.”

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The Way I See It: Yoosung Lee (Senior Manager)

Highlights of the job: “I joined DRAM Technical Marketing team in 2019 and have hosted many customer meetings and gathered their feedback on specific DRAM requirements. From the beginning of the DDR4 age, I collaborated technically with our business partners to support DDR4 launches. And now, I can proudly say that I’m one of the engineers preparing for the DDR5 era now.”

DRAM technology in simple terms: “DRAM is an essential technology in IT devices like mobile phones, data servers, laptops, and desktop computers, among others.”

Veterans

With many team members with over a decade of experience and a good understanding of customer needs, it is no wonder why our team is able to lead the industry. Our veterans demonstrate exceptional collaboration with customers and relentless market analysis that keep the team ahead of trends and drive new ideas and solutions.

The Way I See It: Steve Wang (Principal Engineer)

Role on the team: “I cover mobile, consumer, automotive, Network and ECO system from product, technology engagement and define industry trend.”

Key to team success: “We find and keep talented workforce. We have a good understanding of the industry and applications from both technology and business to focus on memory performance, capacity and efficiency. Our team has passion for the industry and we are willing to help each other with good communication skills and an open mind.”

Proudest moment: “I successfully collaborated with business partners for the HBM2E and developed an ecosystem within the industry. I also promoted SK hynix’s latest technology and products to market and defined industry, customer application trend.”

The Way I See It: Hsin-wei Tseng (Senior Manager)

Role on the team: “I lead engagement and alignment with some of our major customers for server, client and a type of SoC DRAM. I also lead a certain type of SoC company for DRAM technical marketing supports as well as survey emerging memory status and its trend for future memory direction.”

How the team keeps up with industry trends: “We listen to our customers’ needs, and build strong relationships with diverse customers, focusing on providing the right solution at right time at reasonable cost. DRAM is essential for today’s computer technology and our strategic planning is enabling all of the various advanced applications for the 4th industrial revolution.”

What’s next for DRAM Technical Marketing at SK hynix: “I am most excited about the DDR5 and CXL module solutions, which will enable a whole new class of applications at both server, consumer level of applications.”

The Way I See It: Jincheol Seo (Senior Manager)

Role on the team: “I engage with customers for pathfinding and business on new memory products.”

How the team keeps up with industry trends: “We relentlessly analyze the market. Especially, we collaborate with customers and propose our vision for future computing landscape. We look for ways for SK hynix to expand its wealth and growth. Sometimes, we even create new markets that allow us to grow as a company.”

Best qualities of your team: “My colleagues always strive to become an expert in their respective memory fields. Also, they are open to diverse cultures, providing a driving force in new solutions and ideas. A combination of new people and new endeavors create an advanced corporate culture of openness and acceptance. This fosters trust, making SK hynix America a better place to work.”

The Way I See It: Younsoo Kim (Senior Manager)

Role on the team: “I have been with SK hynix for 11 years, but have just joined the US team three months ago. I was dispatched from the engineering team at the headquarters to provide technical support for the HBMx/mobile enabling.”

How the team keeps up with industry trends: “We repeat engineering discussions with customers to sense future technical trends. However, we also need to look further than that and come up with solutions that haven’t existed before to heal customers’ pain points, through pathfinding and repeated engineering discussions.”

The 4^th industrial revolution technology that DRAM would affect the most: “Probably the automotive and the health care and pharmacy industries where development using AI will become a new area where the computing industry helps treat patients.”

Newcomers

The team’s wealth of industry knowledge and supportive nature toward each other make it a fantastic place to start and grow your career. Our newest colleagues are given the opportunity to learn first-hand from our industry experts, address unique challenges, and contribute to the team from the day one.

The Way I See It: Jong Myung Lee (Senior Manager)

Role on the team: “Right now, I am providing technical support for DDR5 specific requirements. Additionally, I am participating in SoC customer meetings and working on the CXL-BME solution, which is a new computing interconnect standard.”

Key to team success: “We provide customized solutions to our customers by deeply understanding their key requirements, and I think that this is one of the key success drivers for SK hynix America. Our team is comfortable with communication with customers to find out their requirements, and can successfully read and predict trends in the market to prove that our recommendations are right to the customers.”

The 4^th industrial revolution technology that DRAM would affect the most: “I find the automotive industry very exciting. With ADAS support and new convenience features in cars, there will be explosive growth in DRAM for cars, DRAM for controllers and sensors, and DRAM for connectivity solutions. Being a dominant memory supplier for the automotive market will be very successful for SK hynix in the future.”

The Way I See It: Timothy Kim (Specialist Engineer)

Role on the team: “I support our customers with any technical information related to HBM2E and HBM3, and also align with SK hynix headquarters on current issues and topics that I may discuss with customers on a regular basis. My role is to align with both customers and our headquarters on HBM requirements and work through any challenges we may encounter.”

Key to team success: “The team members work well together and are accountable for each other. Being a part of the DRAM TM team has helped me to expand my knowledge and skills, and I hope to gain more experience through career advancements.”

What’s next for DRAM Technical Marketing at SK hynix: “I am looking forward to the introduction of SK hynix’s DDR5 and successful enabling of HBM products. I believe that technological advancements will require more advanced memory solutions, and I will look forward to working with more SK hynix products that will help set future industry standards.”

The Way I See It: Hyeonji Kang (Sample Management Specialist)

Role on the team: “I am a sample management specialist in charge of a major business partner’s DDR4/DDR5 samples, and I communicate with both the business partner and SK hynix headquarters to support this.”

How would you describe the company culture: “It is very intellectually challenging and fun to work for SK hynix. Everyone in my team is very supportive and has respect for each other.”

DRAM technology in simple terms: “DRAM is a type of random-access semiconductor memory that is used for the data or program code needed by computers. It is the key component for all computing devices that we use on a daily basis.”

The Way I See It: Myung Ju Song (Specialist Engineer)

Role on the team: “I’m currently working on enabling of the CXL memory expander market with the team leader Keith and my fellow engineers at the headquarters.”

Highlights of the job: “So far this year, I was able to learn the DRAM operation, and why memory is such an important market in the silicon business. I am working on enabling the CXL memory expander. It will be a new, widespread adoption of memory expander through FlexBus (based on PCIe PHY) and it will usher in a new wave of server architecture in 2024.”

The 4^th industrial revolution technology that DRAM would affect the most “I think AI has already impacted the world significantly even today, and its influence will only grow in the future. AI requires massive memory BW and capacity for the host CPU, and the memory requirements will only grow into the future. Perhaps with processing-in-memory technology, the future memory will be able to assist the SoCs in training and inference.”

The Way I See It: Myung Chan (Mickey) Choi (Senior Manager)

Role on the team: “I am working on the pathfinding for future products like DDR6 and finding solutions for hot issues (RAS, row hammer, etc.) in the industry. It is pretty challenging and interesting at the same time to come up with new ideas for solutions with team members.”

Key to team success: “My team collaborates with industry leaders, preparing and discussing future products and technology trends almost every day. This hard work allows my team to see future trends in advance and catch what customers need at an early time.”

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The post [Employee Spotlight Series]: Meet the DRAM Technical Marketing Team first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

Ada Lovelace, a member of the British aristocracy, is widely considered the world’s first programmer. In the early 1800s, she collaborated with mathematician Charles Babbage on an early computer called the Analytical Engine, writing an algorithm for performing calculations.
In 1903, Mary Anderson invented the world’s first windshield wiper – and 15 years later, another woman, Charlotte Bridgwood, built upon this innovation with the first automatic windshield wiper.
In the 1930s and 40s, Hedy Lamarr developed the ‘frequency hopping’ technology, which enabled remote control of weapons and devices for the U.S. Military during World War II. It’s this same technology that underpins the ubiquitous wireless communication we all rely on today. These are just a few of the women engineers who have left their mark on history.

As in the past, there are still far more men in the world of modern engineers, but fewer numbers don’t necessarily mean less impact. And as these numbers continue to grow, we will certainly continue to see bigger, better breakthroughs from women around the world who are designing semiconductors, developing AI technology and setting up the network system.

In commemoration of the International Women in Engineering Day on June 23, we spoke to the next generation of female engineers of SK hynix in Korea, the U.S., China and Belarus who are shaping the future of the industry from the inside out.

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Lee Min Hye, Physical Design Manager (Korea)

Her proudest accomplishment: “A patent I wrote in 2017 has been registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office. And the product that I designed was applied to other products and became the company’s layout design standard.”

Her advice to younger female engineers: “I would definitely recommend this job to my younger family members. The culture at SK hynix is comfortable and family-like. It’s not difficult to adapt, and I don’t think there’s anything that is made more difficult because I’m a woman. Rather, it is thought that the meticulousness and persistence of women will contribute to the development of the company.”

Her take on female representation in the industry: “Since the proportion of women in engineering colleges is small, I think the same is true in the company. During the project period, overtime is frequent, and I think that many female seniors leave the company because it is difficult to take care of childcare during that time…”

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Rae Lee, Systems Engineering Manager (United States)

Her path to engineering: “My parents encouraged me to explore everything when I was a kid. So, although I was a girl, I had many science toys – and I believe that made me think that science was fun. After I graduated from college, my first job gave me the chance to help my boss to set up the network system for the entire company, which brought me into the computer world, and helped me find my interest in computers.”

Her case for engineering jobs: “First of all, job security. Engineering jobs are not likely to be eliminated by automation, because automation needs engineers to develop and test. Secondly, the compensation. Engineering jobs are paid the highest average starting salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) engineers have a median annual wage of $91,010 (in 2021) and the engineering field projects to have employment growth of nearly 140,000 new jobs over the next decade. Thirdly, the sense of accomplishment. Engineering jobs are challenging but they also bring you the sense of accomplishment.”

Her take on female representation in the industry: “The best thing we can is to pay women equally and put more women in prominent leadership positions. It sends a message to younger women pursuing careers in engineering that they can advance and have a successful future.”

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Maryia Smouzh, FA Tools Team Lead (Belarus)

Her path to engineering: “Everything happens by accident. It’s all fate and chance in life. As a child, I was curious what was inside devices what would happen if I changed something. I would try this while my parents weren’t looking! At university, I studied math with no idea what to do after graduation since there wasn’t much choice at that time. So, I let life just guide me here.”

Her inspiration: “The result of the work and how it benefits people. While I can’t say I have one specific role model or hero, I get inspired by the biographies of people who followed their dreams – both in the tech world and beyond.”

Her take on female representation in the industry: “Women are underrepresented in many spheres, not just the tech industry. I think it takes its roots in the early ages – for example, the stereotypes that girls should only play with dolls, and that boys are better in math and science. It can discourage a girl from studying STEM subjects and results in a gender-biased pool of specialists… However, I do believe that the situation is changing towards more diversity in the tech sphere.”

Guangqin on the front left

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Guangqin Yin, Production Engineer (China)

Her favorite part of the work: “When encountering a special emergency, all departments are responsible for dealing actively with the problems and need to have a flexible response. It’s great to strive for the same goal, with each team member’s united effort!”

Her role model: “My former boss Director Li Xiangche is my role model. His passion in work is much deeper than we think. In the early stage of mass production, he was always the last to work, and occasionally he called to the production line to confirm the operation of the production at two or three in the middle of the night. Li worked with strict discipline. After work, he was a friendly uncle. He often spoke Chinese too. He was a semiconductor man who loved life very much.”

Her take on female representation in the industry: “I think family factors and work intensity may be the factors for female engineers to leave the semiconductor industry. Nevertheless, I believe that there will be more and more women in the semiconductor industry. After all, women are not inferior to men, and women can hold up half of the sky!”

The post Our Female Engineers on International Women in Engineering Day first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

At SK hynix, we understand that ambitious engineers need great foundations, and our internship programs are designed to educate, engage and encourage the thinkers of tomorrow to expand their horizons. The opportunity to learn first-hand from industry experts, engage with our technologies, and take on responsibility within a team is immense for those just entering the industry.

Among many other things, our programs at SK hynix focus on fueling passion, perseverance and a spirit of challenge for the world’s next generation of minds. So, we talked with two recent interns who have successfully settled as full-time employees now to discuss their experience with the program and how they embody these tenets.

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Stanislav Kohnovsky: Passion
Belarus; SK hynix Memory Solutions Eastern Europe

It’s often said that when you’re doing work you love, it isn’t work at all. This comes down to passion, and a love of the work you’re doing. For Stanislav Kohnovsky, who finished his four-week internship before officially joining in January, this is especially true.

His interest and aptitude for informatics was evident from his first lesson in school – his teacher soon took note and invited him to participate in the school’s informatics competition. Since then, his passion for the evolving challenges of systems engineering has only grown.

“I never ceased to find the pleasure of discovering new algorithms and solving more and more difficult tasks. Now I can say that it predetermined my way to SKHMS Е engineering team.”

As a Software Development Engineer, Stanislav works on the team responsible for modeling – studying certain product algorithms and implementing them in a model. Landing this position at SK hynix has been a dream come true for the young engineer, and the company culture has motivated him to cultivate his skills even further.

“Starting my career at one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies, working side by side with unique experts and adopting their experience – this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and it means a lot to me. The atmosphere that prevails in our company helps me to set goals for personal and professional growth and go towards them.”

Since his first day with the company, Stanislav has already felt notable improvements in his ability to read and write code, see the algorithms behind it and understand programming language features. He’s been particularly excited by the depth of the tech stack at SK hynix, which allows him to implement high-level python scripts while handling firmware written in C++.

“It gives me a huge opportunity to improve myself and apply programming languages, system architectures, and math skills. I hope to become a specialist with a wide range of competence; the idea attracts me very much.”

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SeungJin Kim: Perseverance
California; SK hynix Memory Solutions America

Progress is made from persistence – a relentless attempt to explore the unfamiliar world and a continuous pursuit of new, better answers to solve the pending questions. Perseverance would be at the core of innovation at any company, and it is this mindset of endless challenging that we at SK hynix also look for in all of our team members. SeungJin Kim, a software engineer on the FW Val & Security FW team in California, is one of those adventurous spirits.

SeungJin decided to join the company full time in January 2021 after a five-month internship until early 2021. In this current role, he is responsible for software infrastructure and application development, working mainly on a web-based test automation framework to deliver updates and ongoing maintenance.

“I decided to join the company as a full-time employee because I really enjoyed working as a part of our team, and they really helped me to learn a lot. Also, the position aligned closely with my career goals as a full-stack engineer and there are many areas of interest I could explore.”

During this internship, SeungJin was exposed to a new industry: the world of firmware and SSD testing. Through ongoing projects with the team, he was able to discover a new area of work and extend his knowledge beyond software application development into a new realm.

“The best benefit of working for SK hynix for me is that I am encouraged by my manager and team to develop my own career interests and explore specific areas of work that I find interesting or aligns with my career goals.”

Regardless of the area of focus, SeungJin has been challenged and encouraged by team members to explore new territories that he is curious about – and he encourages other newcomers to do the same.

“For others looking to join the industry, my advice is to be open to learning new languages and frameworks and opportunities that may fall outside of one’s immediate interests.”

The post Let Your Passion and Perseverance Shine Here: Introducing our Internship Program first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

This year, to celebrate Mother’s Day and all of the hard-working mothers at SK hynix, we spoke to women across our global network to discuss motherhood, their work-life balance, and what advice they have for mothers returning to the workforce.

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Polly Wang (SK hynix America)
San Jose, California
Joined SK hynix in March 2014
One daughter: 8-year-old

• What she does?

I am a Sr. Account Manager and started by managing Apple NAND business, contract and pricing negotiation before switching to Apple DRAM business in early 2020. I work with Korea and local teams to define business opportunities and risks through day-to-day activities in commercial, operational and enabling arenas.

• How she does it?

Through years in high-tech industry and living in the fast-pace Silicon Valley, I learned to manage work and family with extra planning and preparation. I usually start my day with quick glance on work emails, set priority and plan on tackling the pending issues and tasks. I use my morning exercise to review my tasks again, while also planning family meals. Knowing what to do next with a clear mind makes my day go smoother and more efficient.

• How do you separate work and home?

Like every family, the most challenging part is always about balancing work and family. Instead of separating work and home, I manage to mix these two very well throughout the workday. I take breaks to prepare meals and do housework while still planning my work ahead in order to minimize interruption during our family time.

SK hynix also has a clear work-from-home policy and safety procedure that addressed our concern during this pandemic time.

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Sunmin Yun (SK hynix Memory Solutions America)
San Jose, California
Joined SK hynix in 2019
One daughter: 1-year-old

• Her day-to-day?

I have been working as a Senior Staff Engineer of NAND/SSD Characterization in SKHMS America as a member of Media algorithm team. My primary job is to develop and implement EOL(End-of-Life) reliability tests with the eRDT system and give customers and internal teams feedback. I am also participating in the development of new algorithms to improve performance and reliability.

• Her work/life balance?

During the COVID pandemic, my husband and I have shared a daily schedule and it has helped each other. For example, if I have a meeting at 1 pm, my husband plays with our daughter and returns to work after my meeting. Luckily, our meeting schedules were not often overlapped. The flexible working environment help mothers balance work and parenting better.

• Why SK hynix?

SK hynix has a very mother-friendly culture and resources. When I joined SKHMS America, I found a cozy mother’s room in the building and was impressed. I was able to pump breastmilk and take a rest in the room. A mother-supportive team leader and co-workers have always helped me to have a flexible work schedule and be confident as a working mom.

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He Qian (SK hynix Semiconductor (Chongqing) Ltd.)
Chongqing, China
Joined SK hynix in February 2014
1 son: 4-year-old

• What she does?

I served as the head of the production management shift team for 3 years and in May 2017, I was promoted to mother and transferred to the ordinary work after working in three shifts to take up the role of education and expenses in the department.

• How she does it?

As a working mother in the manufacturing industry, there is no fixed life, only sudden changes, and at the same time children can’t stay still as they are overflowing with energy. Therefore, I try my best to maintain a harmonious family relationship, mobilize the members of the family to share daily chores and drive my husband to play and study with the children.

At the same time, I also try to be rational and patient to distinguish between work and daily life. I am conscientious and responsible at work, and accompany children attentively, so that the pressure and emotions at work will not affect the harmonious atmosphere of the family, and of course, the attitude at work must not be affected by home life as well.

• What she’s proudest of?

When I returned to my job after taking maternity leave, I was catching up with the company organizing a band competition. As a musician, I needed to prepare for the band competition while completing normal business, but the child had a sudden illness before the competition.

I was really exhausted physically and mentally, but I did not fall down because of the understanding and help from my family and my dear colleagues in the department who worked together to successfully complete the band competition. Although I didn’t win the prize in the end, I was very proud of having such a great colleague and partner, loving and understanding family, and proud of being such a superhuman mother.

Hongxia Zhao (SK hynix Semiconductor (China) Ltd.)
Wuxi, China
Joined SK hynix in 2008

• Her day-to-day?

I am a manager of SK hynix’s technical improvement department. Our team name: RD Beauty Group, my team is all Women.

• Why SK hynix?

My career growth is inseparable from SK hynix. After graduating from university, I changed jobs a lot including personnel, R&D, administration, etc. I always felt that it was not my ideal job. Until the moment I joined SK hynix in 2008, I felt right, and then in the blink of an eye I have been working in this place for 14 years, and I feel I will continue to do it.

• What she’s learned from motherhood?

After I became a mother, I discovered that the identity of a mother is added to my work. First of all: I am more responsible. The so-called mother is strong. After having a child, I became more mature, more responsible and consistent. Second: I treat work and subordinate employees with patience for children, and the work environment for employee relations is more harmonious and caring.

• What she wants to change?

Many people stubbornly think that women can’t care about work when they have children and the unfounded notions caused current working mothers to be restricted by their positions and ceilings in the workplace. Even many women in the workplace are afraid to have children, but I hope everyone can change their views and provide a good working environment for women in the workplace.

Elena Korunnaya (SK hynix Memory Solutions Eastern Europe)
Belarus, Minsk
Joined SK hynix in 2014
Three children: 19-year-old, 15-year-old, 3-year-old

• What she does?

I am a part of an Administration team as a Chief accountant, and I am working in the company from its foundation. It is going to be seven years since my working here. I remember how everything started: how we built our team, changed two offices and dealt with every situation. I like my job because it makes me learn every day.

• Her work/life balance?

It is very important for me to become a great accountant because I am very inspired by my work. At the same time, spending time with my family is just as valuable to me as my career. It is not so easy to keep up to do many things at work and home, but without the support of family members, it would be impossible.

SKHMS E is a “family-friendly” company. The management is sympathetic to the fact that I am a mother of many children. This attitude helps me to find a balance between work and family. In addition, I have an excellent team that always supports me and helps solve any problem.

• What’s special about SK hynix?

Our company also has a wonderful tradition – to celebrate Family Day every year. Before we started work remotely, we came to the office with the children and they could see where their mother works, what important and responsible position she occupies. It helps them understand that a mother is not just a mother but also a professional.

I am happy to work at a company where a person’s love for their family is understood, respected and supported with additional family days off throughout the year and different family corporate events.

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The post Mother’s Day 2021: Celebrating our mothers at SK hynix first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

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In many countries around the world, various laws and regulations are in place to ensure that companies maintain healthy competition and carry out their duties as corporate citizens in the process of business performance. That makes it necessary for companies to preemptively manage legal risks to maintain their business activities in a stable way.

With various stakeholders requiring companies to do more for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management, it is becoming more important for companies to keep their governance structure transparent and meet the social responsibilities in accordance with compliance policies.

Celebrating the “Law Day” in Korea on April 25, the newsroom team met with the members of the Compliance Team to learn more about SK hynix compliance policies.

Policies for Legitimacy…Prevention Is the Key

The Compliance Team monitors changes in relevant laws and regulations and the company’s business activities bound to such rules. The team also establishes work processes in accordance with the laws to ensure every employee of SK hynix, its affiliates, and business partners complies with the relevant laws. The team’s role also includes but is not limited to keeping the working-level employees updated when a relevant law is revised.

Prevention is the key. The ultimate goal of the corporate compliance is to prevent law violations by managing risks preemptively, rather than addressing the legal issues only after they appear. The significance of the Compliance Team lies in its responsibility to lay the foundation for “compliance management” by achieving this goal and contribute to the company’s “sustainable management”.

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The team consists of three main parts: Fair Trade Part, Responsible Business Alliance (RBA)¹ Part, and the Legal Tech Part.

First, the Fair Trade Part keeps track of legal risks in the business relations with stakeholders such as partner companies subject to the Fair Trade Act and Subcontracting Act, and establishes the process to prevent risks from emerging. For this, the part sets up guidelines on the trades with affiliates and subcontractors and provides training sessions. The part also provides legal advisory services on transactions with subcontractors and monitors if business activities are in line with the compliance policies.

Main responsibilities of the RBA Part include training working-level employees and business partners in the labor/human resources (HR) and safety, health, and environment (SHE) fields and conducting internal reviews to ensure that SK hynix complies with RBA standards as a member of the alliance. The part also responds to client requests for due diligence and data provision with regard to the ESG management, and manages risks related to ESG preemptively.

Lastly, the Legal Tech Part cooperates with the IT department to optimize the usability of the related systems such as the compliance system, legal affairs support system, and technology data management system. Also, the part is in charge of establishing the database with the documents collected as part of the compliance activities so that legal issues can be effectively addressed when they arise.

Project Leader (PL) Seol Kim of Compliance Team

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“The laws are meant to guide companies to protect their members, establish a transparent governance structure and compete in a fair way with competitors and protect the weaker in all transactions. I think it’s time for corporate legal affairs teams to turn more proactive to respond faster to the needs of the stakeholders when it comes to compliance.”

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Q. Compliance-related work requires a high level of expertise in laws and industry. What qualifications do you expect from job candidates?
PL Seol Kim: The ability to interpret laws and regulations related to fair trade or subcontracting and reflect the interpretation to the actual case is essential. For this reason, our team consists of lawyers.

Q. What motivated you to work for the Compliance Team, particularly the Fair Trade Part?
Technical Leader (TL) Ju Hyun Cha: This is my first job after law school. I was deeply interested in economic laws and wanted to build my career in this area. SK hynix has a department dedicated to compliance and I thought it was a great opportunity to deal with economic laws such as the Fair Trade Act.

TL Ju Youn Lee: These days, law firms are expanding the scope of their work to checking relevant laws and regulations in advance and providing consultations before legal risks emerge and develop from conventional legal field such as contract review and legal dispute resolution. I was mainly involved in compliance related to fair trade or personal information protection laws when I was with a law firm before joining SK hynix.

Q. What qualifications does a compliance job require?
TL Ju Youn Lee: While it’s important to understand and interpret relevant laws and regulations properly, it’s also critical to have deep understanding of the industry. For example, you would have to review not only the terms of the contract, but also the background and the potential impact of the contract.

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Q. Why did you choose to work for the compliance team and particularly the RBA part?
TL Ki Sub Yoon:
I started my career at the Ethics Management team. With the growth of the company, meeting the ESG and RBA standards is becoming more important and I thought I could help create synergies by combining my experience at the Ethics Management team and the compliance work.

Q. When do you feel rewarded and proud as a compliance team member?
TL Won Kyun Lee: Our requests for relevant entities to share data with us as part of a due diligence we were conducting for RBA review were often rejected or avoided in the past. But now, it’s different. They are very cooperative, sharing data with us in advance and asking for advisory when needed as they better understand the compliance policies now. I feel rewarded when I can see this kind of change from the people we work with.

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Q. What prompted you to choose to work for the Legal Tech Part?
TL Bong Kyoung Lee: As more legal-affairs works are done with the help of the IT these days, the company was looking for someone who can build and run the IT system to strengthen the compliance activities. I thought it would be an exciting work to help members of SK hynix to access the legal system more easily.

¹Responsible Business Alliance (RBA): As a global coalition comprising of around 160 companies in the electrical and electronics industry including Dell, HP, IBM, and APPLE, the group is dedicated to corporate social responsibility in the global supply chain by auditing and managing member companies’ safety, health and environment (SHE), human rights, labor, ethics, operational transparency, etc. The organization stipulates corporate social responsibilities at the workplace through codes and requires business partners to comply with the codes. Member companies regularly evaluate whether their partner companies have achieved (operated) the codes at the highest standard through regular audits and share the results with other member companies. Since member companies reflect the audit results in purchase contracts, all member companies try to achieve the required level.

The post [Feature: Law Day] Meet the Compliance Professionals at SK hynix first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

Another tour around the sun. It’s a ritual as long and as old as the calendar itself, and one that we, as a society, have come to count on as a matter of fact. We prepare each December, looking back on the year that’s been, and emerging each January with a fresh perspective, or at the very least, a breath of fresh air before returning to our old ways.

But in a year as unusual as this one, this annual, obligatory, passage of time hangs a bit heavier. To think of what we have endured, have contended with, and have overcome in the last twelve months — and to now see ourselves safely on the other side.

We’ve clocked the same hours, lived the same number of days, but somehow, the promise of this new year holds even greater meaning. This month, we celebrate what we have accomplished this past year, and what we hope to accomplish in the year to come.

What 2021 Means to our Employees

To recognize our year and celebrate the new one, we talked with 6 SK hynix employees from around the world – Belarus, Korea and the United States – to discuss reflections on the year that was 2020, and resolutions for the year that will be 2021.

Chris Park
Strategic Planning Team, Business Planning Analyst, San Jose, CA

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What do you do at SK hynix? I work as a business planning specialist on the strategic planning team, and I am in charge of building executive-ready materials, analyzing KPIs, and establishing informed decision-making on strategic issues.

What’s your favorite part of the work? Since my job requires me to identifying any risks as well as opportunities that need to be brought to our attention on time, it is important to define the market circumstances and make a go-to-market strategy—this is my favorite part of my job at SK hynix.

What are your New Year’s traditions? How are you adjusting this year? I normally drink wine on the very first day of New Year with my family or friends. But this time, I will invite my friends virtually to celebrate the New Year!

Any personal projects for the New Year? I am a big fan of Christopher Nolan, and I watch his movies from time to time. I watched his latest epic sci-fi movie called TENET a quite few times, but I still struggle with grasping it. I hope that next year I can get to the point where I understand more of the metaphorical expressions in the movie and his worlds!

Nayeon Cho
DRAM Design, TL, SK hynix Inc.

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Tell us about your role at SK hynix. I am currently in charge of Auto PnR in SoC Design. The attraction of the role is that only one person, not dozens of people, can PnR large blocks.

What’s your morning routine? I drink a cup of green tea every morning and put on noise-cancelling headphones to relax my mind and body before I start work.

What’s your New Year’s resolution? My new hobby last year was learning to play the piano, and my goal for 2021 is to play it well enough to proudly play it for someone this year.

What are your New Year’s traditions? How are you adjusting this year? In a typical year, I would eat rice cake soup in the morning of the New Year and celebrate with my family. Due to the pandemic, we are planning to move these celebrations with close friends and family online.

What motivates you? Sufficient compensation, fair evaluation, and a pleasant working environment serve as my motivations for work.

Dmitry Pinchukov
FW Development, Team Lead, Minsk, BY

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Tell us about your role at SK hynix. I lead a team that works on the Atomos Prime project from our Belarus site. The project is the latest continuation of my exciting journey with the fantastic SK hynix global team.

What drives you? The feeling that we are creating cutting-edge second to none products.

What do you wish for 2021? Like many others, I am looking forward to leading a normal social life after COVID-19. Travelling and meeting relatives and friends offline are two of my great hopes for the year to come. Among my new year’s resolutions, I would love to achieve a better work-life-education balance and get my PMP certification.

What’s on your New Year’s reading list? These days, I prefer to read anything unrelated to my professional field. These are the books on my current reading list:
 • “Telling Lies: Clues to Deceit in the Marketplace, Politics, and Marriage” by Paul Ekman
 • “Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow” by Yuval Noah Harari
 • “Transcend: Nine Steps to Living Well Forever” by Ray Kurzweil

Aliaksei Kalesnikau
Design Verification, Team Lead, Minsk, BY

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What do you do at SK hynix? I am a Team Lead in Design Verification living in Minsk, and I have been working for the company for over six years as a verification engineer.

What did you learn this year? The outgoing year was full of interesting projects and challenges that allowed me not only to use my full potential, but also to develop it. In my personal life, the quarantine also allowed me to devote more time to my family and our hobbies.

How did your team handle the challenges of 2020? Despite the distance, our team has fully maintained its performance and showed that no pandemic can interfere with our daily tasks. By staying in touch with each other, we did not lose the most important thing: team spirit and mutual support.

What do you wish for 2021? We hope that in 2021 we will be able to return to the usual way of life and activities that we had to temporarily postpone in 2020. We will again be able to walk without masks, travel freely, meet friends, and visit interesting places. Our team will return to the office and we will be able to see each other not on the computer screen, but in reality.

Julie Wei Dong
CIS Product Development, Senior Staff Engineer, San Jose, CA

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Tell us about your role at SK hynix. Having just joined the team in June 2020, I am an analog designer in the CIS business unit, working on high resolution ADCs for CMOS image sensors.

What brings you into work each day? I am constantly amazed by the ability of silicon technology at capturing the image of the world. These simple devices, grouped together, really can pull off big tricks. I am also excited by the promising growth of the CMOS image sensor, and the potential we have in helping SK hynix expand in this area.

What inspires you? I am inspired by people who make a whole-hearted effort to do a good job. No matter if their role is big or small, they inspire me through their kindness and diligence.

What are your New Year’s traditions? At the beginning of every year, we take a family photo to document how much we have grown. It is always fun to look back on these memories. In addition, we also have a big family dinner.

Yusuke Yamamoto
HR Team, Senior Specialist, San Jose, CA

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Tell us about your role at SK hynix Memory Solutions.
I am an HR Specialist and my main responsibilities are recruitment, immigration and company communications. I am currently working from home in Santa Clara, CA and I have been with the company for just a little over a year.

What’s your favorite part of the work?
My favorite part of the job is the ability to interact with great talents and bring some of them on board. It is very rewarding to see those I recruited excel in their roles and love what they do. Knowing that the hiring managers entrust me with recruiting the talent they need is what brings me to work every day.

What is your New Year’s resolution?
My new year’s resolution is to become more active. Most of the time, I am content to sit on my couch and watch TV or play video games. My snowboard hasn’t touched any snow in over 2 years, so I hope to get out more.

Looking Towards 2021

So, as we enter 2021, charged anew with the empty pages of a year barely begun, all of us at SK hynix share a feeling of gratitude and hope.

For the progress and potential of the days and weeks to come. For the innovation and the impact that our technologies will continue to provide. And for the power within each of us to drive for better.

The post SK hynix– Wishing you a Happy New Year first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

At SK hynix, our teams certainly rose to the challenge – with a series of remote events and activities designed to keep the Halloween spirit alive for employees and their families. From home decoration competitions, to a culinary master class, to a virtual magic show, our employees came together from near and far to celebrate Halloween remotely.

SK hynix America (San Jose, CA)

Planned as a continuation of our virtual “Let’s reconnect” series, the SK hynix America team in San Jose created an office-wide competition for employees’ Halloween decorations, pet or children costumes, and carved or decorated pumpkins.

The friendly competition saw dozens of submissions including jack-o-lanterns, home decorations and painted pumpkins.

Candy Wan / Finance Department :

“Halloween is one of the holidays that I would take a day off to take my kid to treat or treating at the mall; because of COVID-19, we are now mostly staying home.

By having those events, especially Halloween challenges, I think it’s a fun way to enjoy and still be able to dress up and have some fun. I really like those events that HR team prepares and puts everything together and shares with everyone.”

SK hynix memory solutions Eastern Europe Inc. (Minsk, Belarus)

In Minsk, our SK hynix memory solutions Eastern Europe employees organized a series of creative Halloween activities and came together for two online “master classes”.

The celebrations started on October 28th with an online culinary master class on “Korean Pancakes (모듬전)” under the guidance of a professional chef of the Official Residence of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Belarus Choi Songjin. The chef educated the SKHMS E team members about the peculiarities of Korean cuisine, guided them through the preparation of four different types of pancakes and also shared a unique author’s recipe for delicious Korean pancake sauce.

The Halloween moods continued on October 29, when colleagues took part in an online workshop on painting ceramic pumpkin-candlesticks. Together with an experienced craftsman, the participants created marvelous candlesticks to give their homes a mysterious holiday atmosphere.

Aleksey Tuzhikov, Engineer / FW Development / FW:

“It is always great to spend time with children, especially on the eve of such an interesting holiday as Halloween.

During the culinary master class, we cooked together, discussed how to do it better, and in the end had a good dinner with the whole family. As for the creative evening on the painting of candlesticks, we drew a pumpkin. It looks great in our home and adds a bit of a mysterious atmosphere.

Thanks to both colleagues and family for such interesting events and wonderful evenings that we spend together.”

Ilya Barkov, Engineer / Design Verification / DV:

“Recently our HR team proposed to organize a master class on Korean cuisine with a real Korean chef. Of course, having a weakness for Korean food after my first trip to Korea, I couldn’t go past it. The master class was all that it could ever be: easy to follow, fun to attend, and yummy to taste. I was especially amazed at how authentic taste one can get from ingredients available in Belarus. Even the scent in my kitchen for the rest of the evening reminded me of restaurants I visited in Seoul.”

SK hynix memory solutions America Inc. (San Jose, CA)

At SK hynix memory solutions America Inc., employees had the opportunity to experience the spooky side of Halloween with a virtual magic show. On [October 30th], team members gathered online to watch a series of tricks from magician Dennis Watkins.

Bin Li, Senior Staff Engineer from Hardware Design Department in Systems Engineer Group:

“My feeling is one word: Amazing!

I saw many magic shows before but this was the first time that I was the volunteer. To me, he is not a magician. He has to be an alien with extraordinary power. I wouldn’t believe it if I were not chosen for the show.”

Happy Halloween!

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The post Halloween Around the World: How Our Offices Celebrated This Year first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

The post The Innovators – Jet Woo, Director of Technical Marketing @ SK hynix America first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.