SK hynix still reviewing feasibility of Japan semiconductor plant

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won said Monday that SK hynix is still reviewing the possibility of establishing a joint venture semiconductor plant in Japan, amid reports that the Korean chipmaker is considering building a facility in the neighboring country.

On the sidelines of a meeting between representatives of the Korean and Japanese chambers of commerce in Sendai, Chey was quoted as saying, “We are in the process of studying it, and as soon as we finish, I will let you know,” when asked whether SK hynix would invest in Japan to build a chip production facility or establish a joint venture with a Japanese company to produce memory chips.

However, Chey left without providing further details on potential sites in Japan, whether the plant would be built as a joint venture or who the potential partner might be.

SK hynix is pursuing overseas expansion while continuing to invest in Korea. On Thursday, the company broke ground for an advanced high-bandwidth memory packaging fab in West Lafayette, Indiana. The company also plans to invest 54 trillion won ($39 billion) to expand semiconductor production facilities in Korea.

Chey had previously described Japan as “a very strong candidate” for potential overseas chip capacity expansion, citing its established semiconductor ecosystem and concentration of equipment and materials companies.