The United States has called on South Korea to invest in memory chip production facilities on American soil to help ensure a stable supply of semiconductors, according to a report citing an unnamed ruling party official.

The issue came up for discussion during a recent trip to Washington by South Korea's industry minister for investment talks. Washington has reportedly expressed private displeasure over Seoul's plan to inject 800 trillion won into a semiconductor cluster in the Hoseo region.

The US believes that while the South Korean government is actively supporting domestic chip investment, it has taken a relatively cautious stance toward semiconductor investment in the United States. Seoul, for its part, views Washington's demand as a separate matter from the 350 billion dollars in US investment pledges the two countries agreed to last year.

South Korea plans to unveil its first project under that investment framework in September. Meanwhile, local chipmakers are growing increasingly concerned that the combination of US investment demands and the domestic 800 trillion won semiconductor cluster plan could result in a double burden.