The criteria are worrying companies like Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and SK Hynix Inc, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Thursday, a concern shared by the world's leading contract chipmaker in Taiwan, TSMC.

Conditions include sharing excess profit with the U.S. government, and industry sources have said the application process itself could expose confidential corporate strategy.

"The U.S. side has sent relevant officials to Taiwan to listen to the industry's opinions, to collect their views," she added, without giving details.

"Following on, if the industry needs the government to help communicate with the United States, the Economy Ministry will certainly assist with communication," Wang said.

Subsidies would come from a $52 billion pool of research and manufacturing funds earmarked under the United States' so-called CHIPS Act, the legislation behind boosting chip-making in the country, for which the Commerce Department announced guides and templates this month.