What is SK Group planning to build in southwestern Korea?

SK Group plans to build a new semiconductor cluster in the southwestern Jeonnam-Gwangju region, with SK hynix proposing the project at Gwangju Air Base. The planned cluster would be about two-thirds the size of the facility under construction in Yongin.

Why does Chey Tae-won want to accelerate construction of the southwestern chip cluster?

Chey Tae-won said global chip demand is growing rapidly and that supply must be expanded more quickly to keep pace. He said SK intends to break ground as soon as the necessary conditions are met, although the construction start date has not been decided.

When is the southwestern semiconductor cluster expected to begin mass production?

The government is aiming to begin scale production at the southwestern semiconductor cluster in 2030. The project site was selected at Gwangju Air Base in July, while Chey said SK still needs to determine when construction will begin.

SK chief vows to speed up construction of new chip cluster in southwest

Listen

Summary

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won said Friday in the southwestern Jeonnam-Gwangju region that the group will accelerate plans to build a new semiconductor cluster. He said construction will begin as soon as conditions are met, although the start date remains undecided. The proposed cluster would be about two-thirds the size of the one under construction in Yongin, with mass production targeted for 2030.

Key Facts

Chey Tae-won made the remarks during his first visit to the region since SK unveiled the construction plan in June.
SK hynix and Samsung Electronics each plan to build two new memory chip fabrication plants in the region.
Gwangju Air Base was selected as the project site in July.
The government aims to begin scale production at the cluster in 2030.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 9, 2026 4:41 pm KST

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won speaks to reporters during a visit to Gwangju Air Base, Jeonnam-Gwangju region, Friday. Yonhap

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won said Friday his business group will make efforts to build a new semiconductor cluster in the southwestern part of the country as quickly as possible to meet growing global demand.

Chey made the remarks during a visit to Gwangju Air Base in the southwestern Jeonnam-Gwangju region, where SK hynix Inc. has proposed building a new chip cluster.

"Once the conditions are met, we plan to build (the new cluster) as quickly as possible," Chey said.

"Demand for chips is growing rapidly, and the current situation requires us to accelerate the pace of supply to keep up with demand," he added.

The chairman said the group still needs to determine when construction will begin but stressed that it intends to break ground as soon as possible.

Chey noted that demand for chips is expected to grow significantly, adding that the proposed cluster will be around two-thirds the size of the one currently under construction in Yongin, just south of Seoul.

It marked Chey's first visit to the region since the conglomerate unveiled its building plan in June.

Earlier in the year, SK hynix and Samsung Electronics Co. unveiled long-term investment projects in the region, including plans to build two new memory chip fabrication plants each.

In July, Gwangju Air Base was selected as the site for the project, with the government aiming to begin scale production in 2030.

Explore More