South Korea's SK hynix is reportedly considering the construction of a large-scale memory chip plant in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, with an investment on the order of tens of trillions of won. If realized, it would be the first facility of this scale in Japan. Chairman Choi Tae-won (崔泰源) inspected the site.
SK hynix, a major South Korean memory semiconductor company, is reportedly considering the construction of a large-scale memory chip plant in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, with an investment on the order of tens of trillions of won. If realized, it could become the first large-scale production base in Japan for a South Korean company, according to reports.
SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won (崔泰源), who visited Miyagi Prefecture, is said to have conducted an on-site assessment of the local investment environment. Miyagi Prefecture has been described as one of three semiconductor industry centers targeted for priority development by the Japanese government, and as a region with a track record of receiving subsidies.
The scale of the plan is being positioned as an overseas base in comparison with cluster plans for the Yongin and Honam regions in South Korea, and is interpreted as aiming to expand production capacity through upfront investment to meet demand for HBM. Capacity expansion is also expected in light of rising demand for HBM.
However, a final decision on the investment plan is expected to take time, and obstacles have also been identified, including pressure from the United States to invest there and concerns within South Korea. SK hynix has officially stated that “nothing has been decided.”