SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won said on Friday that the conglomerate may build semiconductor plants in Gwangju at the same time as its giant Yongin chip cluster, as demand for memory chips keeps climbing. He made the comments during his first visit to the planned site at the Gwangju military air base.
Chey said SK would move as quickly as circumstances allow and build as much as it can once conditions are right. No construction start date has been set. He added that the group would be willing to begin work even if power and water supplies are delayed, provided the timing makes sense. He expects chip demand to keep growing strongly, meaning more sites and fabs will be needed, possibly built in parallel with Yongin.
The first Gwangju plan covers facilities about two-thirds the size of those at Yongin, and that could grow depending on land and demand. Timing depends partly on whether the government can secure electricity and industrial water, both essential for chipmaking. SK is reviewing its schedule against central and local government infrastructure plans, and a more detailed timetable may follow once those reviews are complete. The local government is also preparing housing and transport links to serve workers at a future industrial complex.
Chey was joined by SK hynix chief executive Kwak Noh-jung and other executives, along with Jeonnam-Gwangju mayor Min Hyung-bae. From an air force control tower he viewed the site and discussed infrastructure and support for the company with Min, and he inspected an ammunition depot due to be relocated. The depot and its surrounding flight safety zones cover about 2.08 million square metres and are considered suitable for early development because work there would barely affect military operations. SK hynix and SK Ecoplant, the affiliate that builds the group’s fabs, had already visited the base seven or eight times, and working-level talks on land, power and water are continuing.
The plants would form part of the planned Honam semiconductor cluster, which the government formally unveiled before Chey’s visit. It will cover about 8.26 million square metres around the air base in Gwangsan, and SK hynix and Samsung Electronics have pledged a combined 800 trillion won, or $596.4 billion. The aim is to create a second major chip hub outside the Seoul metropolitan area, with first mass production targeted for June 2030.
