The South Korean government is emphasizing the early operation of semiconductor production facilities, and SK Hynix is accelerating its capacity expansion in Yongin and Cheongju. Following the advancement of the first cleanroom operation at the Yongin phase one fab, the company is also starting construction on phase two. In Cheongju, after the early operation of the next-generation DRAM production line, the company is expanding its advanced packaging production facilities. This investment surge by the company aligns with the government's push for rapid semiconductor infrastructure development in response to AI memory supply shortages.
According to industry sources on August 17, SK Hynix plans to open the first cleanroom of its semiconductor cluster phase one in Yongin's Cheoin-gu, Wonsam-myeon, in February 2027, three months earlier than the initially scheduled May. Approximately 31 trillion won is being invested in the construction of phase one. Cleanrooms for phases two to six are planned to be built sequentially by the end of 2030.
Construction is also underway for phase two at the Yongin site. SK Hynix began the foundation work for phase two in April and plans to start building construction this month. Phase two will include three cleanrooms, which the company aims to use as a foundation for future capacity expansion.
The government continues to push for expedited semiconductor production facility construction. President Lee Jae-myung emphasized during a public-private joint inspection meeting on July 6 that administrative procedures should be conducted concurrently rather than sequentially to save time. He pointed out that the progress of the Yongin semiconductor cluster project was not sufficient.
SK Hynix is also accelerating its investment in Cheongju. The Cheongju M15X cleanroom opened in October last year, ahead of schedule. Wafer input began in the first quarter of this year, and equipment installation is currently being carried out sequentially. Approximately 20 trillion won is being invested in M15X to secure next-generation DRAM production capacity, including high-bandwidth memory (HBM).
Investments in both front-end and back-end processes are ongoing in Cheongju. SK Hynix is constructing an advanced packaging fab, P&T7, with an investment of 19 trillion won. Construction began in earnest in April, with a goal to complete the cleanroom by the end of 2027. P&T7 will serve as a back-end hub for packaging DRAM produced at M15X into HBM products.
The acceleration of SK Hynix's investment schedules in Yongin and Cheongju is driven by the increasing demand for memory due to the expansion of AI data centers. The company recently announced that demand for advanced memory is rising due to the proliferation of AI learning, inference, and cloud services. As hyperscalers propose long-term investments in AI data centers, the demand for long-term supply contracts for AI memory, including HBM, is also growing.
Yongin and Cheongju will have distinct roles in this expansion. Yongin will serve as a hub for large-scale front-end production capacity focused on HBM and premium DRAM, while Cheongju will produce next-generation DRAM at M15X and perform advanced packaging at P&T7. SK Hynix plans to link the production facilities in both regions to enhance its AI memory supply capabilities.
As the government hastens the approval and infrastructure development for semiconductor production facilities, SK Hynix is also advancing the operational timelines of its existing production sites. Industry analysts suggest that the rapid increase in AI memory demand is making the timing of securing production facilities a competitive advantage.
One semiconductor industry insider stated, "It has become crucial to supply the required quantities to customers when they need them, especially for HBM. The speed at which Yongin and Cheongju can secure production capacity will impact future supply responsiveness."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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