{"id":35858,"date":"2026-08-10T05:13:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T00:13:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=35858"},"modified":"2026-08-10T05:13:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T00:13:28","slug":"sk-hynix-expands-south-korea-output-to-meet-ai-memory-demand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=35858","title":{"rendered":"SK hynix expands South Korea output to meet AI memory demand"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/4361786319274\/2026\/i\/17863194279956\/v1.5\/SK-hynix-expands-South-Korea-output-to-meet-AI-memory-demand.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>An infographic shows SK hynix&#8217;s plans to expand AI memory production across South Korea, including major investments in Yongin, Cheongju and the southwestern region, along with a review of its back-end plant in Chongqing, China. The bottom image is a rendering of the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster in Gyeonggi Province. Data from SK hynix. Graphic by Asia Today and translated by UPI&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;\n                                            <\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p><span class=\"story_dl\">Aug. 9 (Asia Today) &#8212;<\/span> SK hynix is rapidly expanding its manufacturing base in South Korea as the chipmaker prepares for continued growth in global demand for artificial intelligence memory through the end of the decade.<\/p>\n<p>The company is increasing capacity for high-bandwidth memory, DRAM, NAND flash and advanced semiconductor packaging across its major production sites while preparing another large-scale manufacturing hub in southwestern South Korea.\n<\/p>\n<p>Industry research firm Omdia forecasts demand for DRAM and NAND memory to grow at an average annual rate of about 19% through 2030.<\/p>\n<p>SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has also said he expects the global shortage of memory chips to continue through 2030.<\/p>\n<p>That outlook is driving SK hynix to expand production capacity at several locations simultaneously.<\/p>\n<p><b>Yongin becomes long-term DRAM and HBM production base<\/b><\/p>\n<p>In Yongin, south of Seoul, SK hynix is focused on securing large-scale manufacturing capacity for long-term memory demand.\n<\/p>\n<p>The company plans to build four semiconductor fabrication plants, or fabs, in phases at the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster.<\/p>\n<p>Construction is underway on the first fab, known as Y1, while preparations are moving forward for subsequent facilities.<\/p>\n<p>SK hynix plans to invest about 600 trillion won, or approximately $407 billion, in Yongin over the long term, making the complex a major production center for high-bandwidth memory and next-generation DRAM.<\/p>\n<p>The company&#8217;s board Friday approved 35.2 trillion won ($25 billion) in investment for the second phase of the Yongin project through 2031.<\/p>\n<p>Construction of the second fab, Y2, is scheduled to begin in July 2027, with its first cleanroom expected to become operational in June 2029.<\/p>\n<p>The facility is expected to produce advanced DRAM products, including high-bandwidth memory used in AI servers.<\/p>\n<p><b>Cheongju expands from NAND into AI memory hub<\/b><\/p>\n<p>SK hynix is also significantly broadening the role of its Cheongju production base in central South Korea.<\/p>\n<p>Cheongju was historically centered on NAND flash production, but the company is adding capacity for next-generation DRAM, advanced packaging and enterprise solid-state drives.<\/p>\n<p>M15X is being developed as a new DRAM production base after SK hynix accelerated the project in response to rapidly growing AI memory demand.\n<\/p>\n<p>The company plans to expand production of high-bandwidth memory and other next-generation DRAM products at M15X while linking the facility with nearby packaging and testing infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>P&amp;T7, which began construction in April, is dedicated to advanced packaging for AI memory products, including high-bandwidth memory.<\/p>\n<p>The facility will handle semiconductor packaging and wafer testing, adding back-end manufacturing capacity to SK hynix&#8217;s existing front-end wafer fabrication operations.<\/p>\n<p>SK hynix announced in January that it plans to invest about 19 trillion won, or $12.9 billion, in P&amp;T7.<\/p>\n<p>The company has said Cheongju will become a major center for AI memory production as demand for high-bandwidth memory continues to rise.<\/p>\n<p>NAND capacity will also expand through M17.<\/p>\n<p>SK hynix&#8217;s board recently approved 19.1 trillion won, or about $12.9 billion, for the new facility.<\/p>\n<p>Construction of M17 is scheduled to begin in February 2027, with its first cleanroom expected to open in December 2028.<\/p>\n<p>The facility will produce NAND flash memory for applications ranging from personal computers to enterprise and AI servers.<\/p>\n<p><b>New $271 billion semiconductor hub planned in southwest<\/b><\/p>\n<p>SK hynix is also planning a major new production base in southwestern South Korea.<\/p>\n<p>The company plans to invest about 400 trillion won, or approximately $271 billion, in phases to develop a new semiconductor cluster beyond its existing Yongin and Cheongju operations.\n<\/p>\n<p>The precise location, fab configuration and construction timetable have not yet been finalized.<\/p>\n<p>The company has said rapid growth in AI services could eventually create memory demand that cannot be met by its existing expansion plans alone.<\/p>\n<p>The southwestern project is therefore expected to become another major pillar of SK hynix&#8217;s long-term manufacturing network.<\/p>\n<p>Together with planned investments of about 600 trillion won ($407 billion) in Yongin and 100 trillion won ($67.9 billion) in Cheongju, the southwestern project forms part of an approximately 1,100 trillion won ($781.3 billion) long-term domestic semiconductor investment strategy.<\/p>\n<p><b>Icheon retains research and advanced production role<\/b><\/p>\n<p>SK hynix&#8217;s headquarters in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, is expected to retain its role as a major research, development and manufacturing center.<\/p>\n<p>The site operates the M10, M14 and M16 fabs, with M16 serving as a key production base for advanced DRAM.<\/p>\n<p>As new production sites are added elsewhere in South Korea, Icheon is expected to remain an important center for both research and advanced memory manufacturing.<\/p>\n<p>The overall strategy combines continued use of existing facilities with the addition of substantial new manufacturing capacity to respond to rising AI memory demand.<\/p>\n<p><b>Chongqing sale review separate from South Korea expansion<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Separately, SK hynix is reviewing options for its semiconductor packaging and testing plant in Chongqing, China, including a possible sale.\n<\/p>\n<p>The company stressed that the review of its Chongqing operation is separate from the expansion of production capacity in South Korea.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Nothing has been decided, and we may ultimately decide not to sell it,&#8221; an SK hynix official said. &#8220;It is one of several options being considered as part of our global fab operations.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The official said the company&#8217;s new investments in South Korea are intended to secure additional production capacity.<\/p>\n<p>The Chongqing facility handles semiconductor packaging and testing, the back-end manufacturing processes that prepare chips for final use.<\/p>\n<p>SK hynix&#8217;s expansion strategy reflects the increasingly important role of high-bandwidth memory and other advanced memory products in AI computing, where rapidly growing server deployments are driving demand for both processing power and memory capacity.<\/p>\n<p><i>&#8212; Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>\u00a9 Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Original Korean report: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asiatoday.co.kr\/kn\/view.php?key=20260810010002802\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.asiatoday.co.kr\/kn\/view.php?key=20260810010002802<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An infographic shows SK hynix&#8217;s plans to expand AI memory production across South Korea, including major investments in Yongin, Cheongju and the southwestern region, along with a review of its back-end plant in Chongqing, China. The bottom image is a rendering of the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster in Gyeonggi Province. Data from SK hynix. Graphic by&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35859,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/sv\/ph\/og\/i\/4361786319274\/2026\/1\/17863194279956\/v1.5\/SK-hynix-expands-South-Korea-output-to-meet-AI-memory-demand.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35858\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/35859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}