Republic of Korea: Closed consultation on Korea Fair Trade Commission investigation into Synopsys's proposed merger with ANSYS

On 11 October 2024, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) closes its public consultation on the proposed merger between Synopsys, Inc. (Synopsys) and ANSYS, Inc. (ANSYS), both global suppliers of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software used in semiconductor chip design. In particular, the merger involves Synopsys acquiring 100% of ANSYS's shares, valued at approximately KRW 45.9 trillion (about USD 35 billion). The KFTC will review whether the merger might restrict competition by hindering interoperability between EDA software, particularly in advanced semiconductor technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) semiconductors and high-bandwidth memory. The KFTC invites feedback from competitors, stakeholders, and experts on the merger's potential effects, including interoperability concerns. The merger review period is 30 days from notification and may be extended to 90 days.