The group's board is scheduled to discuss the proposed sale on Friday, industry sources said.
The meeting comes more than seven months after Doosan was named the preferred bidder, with negotiations yet to be finalized. The prolonged negotiations have raised questions about whether the deal will ultimately go through.
SK Siltron is South Korea's sole dedicated semiconductor wafer producer and the world's third-largest supplier of 12-inch silicon wafers, a core material used in semiconductor manufacturing.
The proposed deal covers SK Corp.'s 70.6 percent stake in SK Siltron, including shares held through a total return swap (TRS) agreement. Negotiations over Chairman Chey Tae-won's separate 29.4 percent stake are expected to follow once the sale of SK Corp.'s holdings is completed. Shares of SK Corp. were 0.95 percent lower at 624,000 won.
Since naming Doosan as the preferred bidder on Dec. 17, the group has repeatedly delayed a final decision, saying only that the terms of the deal would be finalized through ongoing negotiations.
Much has changed since then. The AI-driven semiconductor boom has increased the value and strategic importance of wafer makers like SK Siltron, raising questions over whether the group should still proceed with the sale.
The shift has also intensified debate over whether divesting the company fits SK's broader AI ambitions. Chey has pledged to double the group's memory chip production capacity within five years and recently described the global race for semiconductor supply as "chaos" amid soaring AI demand.
At the same time, its restructuring efforts have eased pressure to dispose of assets. The holding company's first-quarter operating profit surged 760 percent from a year earlier to 3.67 trillion won, while the number of group affiliates has fallen from 219 to 151 over the past two years as part of its rebalancing program.
Still, industry observers say the group is unlikely to abandon the deal altogether. Backing out after naming Doosan as the preferred bidder without a major change in circumstances could hurt the group's credibility and strain its relationship with Doosan.
Funding needs may also keep the deal on track. The group continues to face funding needs for its overseas AI expansion, including a planned 400 billion won investment in an AI company established by SK hynix in the United States. Last week's court ruling ordering Chey to pay 944 billion won in property division has further fueled speculation that asset sales could continue.
However, shares of major global wafer makers have climbed sharply this year, with Japan's Shin-Etsu Chemical up about 40 percent and Taiwan's GlobalWafers gaining more than 200 percent, raising expectations that SK Siltron's value could be revised before the deal is finalized.
Industry officials expect the deal to be finalized once both sides agree on a new valuation reflecting today’s chip market.
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