Business · Companies · 1 day ago
SK chief says Honam chip project can start before power and water arrive
SK Group chair Chey Tae-won visited the planned site of a semiconductor cluster in Gwangju, in South Korea’s Honam region, on October 9.
He said construction could start before the site has full power and water supplies, if early ground work is possible.
The plan is part of SK Hynix’s effort to add chip-making capacity as demand for semiconductors grows.
SK Hynix plans to invest 400 trillion won in two factories at the site.
Chey said the Honam project may be built alongside the company’s cluster in Yongin, and could grow if there is more land and demand.
The visit addressed concerns that the Gwangju project might be delayed until after work in Yongin.
Local and national authorities are expected to work on securing land, power, water and other support; the wider cluster plan aims to begin site preparation in 2027, start factory construction in 2028 and begin production in 2030.
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won visited the planned Honam semiconductor cluster site at the Gwangju military airport on October 9, accompanied by SK hynix executives and local officials.
Chey said construction could begin before water and electricity supplies are fully ready, if site preparation allows, and that the project should proceed as quickly as possible.
He said SK was considering building the Honam cluster alongside its Yongin semiconductor cluster, citing rapidly growing semiconductor demand.
The planned site covers 8.184 million square metres, and SK hynix plans to invest 400 trillion won there to build two memory-production fabs.
Yonhap reported a broader plan for SK hynix and Samsung Electronics to invest a combined 800 trillion won in a cluster on the military-airport site; the government and local authorities aim to begin site development in 2027, start fab construction in 2028 and begin production in 2030.
- Who
- SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, SK hynix executives and local officials
- What
- Chey visited the planned Honam semiconductor cluster site and said construction could begin before water and power infrastructure is ready.
- When
- October 9, 2026
- Where
- The planned cluster site at Gwangju military airport in South Korea’s Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City
- Why
- To assess the site and infrastructure conditions and signal commitment to rapid construction amid rising semiconductor demand.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
가장 빠른 속도로 최대한 짓겠다
용수와 전력이 늦는다고 하더라도 타이밍을 빨리 맞출 수만 있으면 먼저 공사에 들어가겠다
Chey presented the initial project plan at a national development briefing, according to Donga Ilbo.
Chey and SK executives visited the planned site and said construction could proceed before water and power supplies were fully in place.
The government and Jeonnam-Gwangju authorities aim to begin preparing the site, according to Yonhap.
Fab construction is targeted to begin, according to Yonhap.
The project targets the start of production, according to Yonhap.
- Planned site area
- 8.184 million square metres, about 2.48 million pyeong
- SK hynix investment and facilities
- 400 trillion won for two memory-production fabs
- Combined cluster investment reported by Yonhap
- 800 trillion won from SK hynix and Samsung Electronics
- Target for site development
- 2027
- Target for first production
- 2030
Sources
매경이 전하는 세상의 지식 (매-세-지, 10월 10일)
최태원 회장 “호남권 반도체 규모, 용인 3분의 2 수준…비용 안 아낀다”
광주 팹 회의론에 직접 나선 최태원 “용인 3분의 2 크기 계획”
광주 팹 부지 찾은 최태원 “가장 빠른 속도로 건설”
최태원, 호남 반도체 부지 찾아 “전력·용수 늦어져도 착공부터”
“가장 빨리, 더 크게”…호남 반도체 부지 찾은 최태원 속도전 강조
최태원 “호남 반도체 빠른 속도로 건설…규모는 용인의 3분의 2”
광주 군공항 찾은 최태원, 반도체 투자 우려 '한방에' 불식
최태원, 호남 반도체부지 첫 방문…"가장 빠른 속도로 짓겠다"(종합)
광주 간 최태원 “호남팹 가장 빠른 속도로”…그 옆엔 與 시장
최태원 "호남 반도체 가장 빠른 속도로…규모는 용인의 3분의 2"
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