SK Group, a South Korean conglomerate spanning chips, energy, and telecom, said Chairman Chey Tae-won said in an interview published Thursday that the group plans to build an AI factory in Japan between 2028 and 2029.

Chey also said SK hynix, the group’s memory chip unit, could review overseas production if it needs more memory fabrication capacity.

He cited Japan’s semiconductor ecosystem and said the country is a strong candidate because many equipment and materials suppliers are based there.

In industry usage, the term describes large-scale AI data center infrastructure, not a chip fabrication plant.

Japan also has strong positions in chip materials and equipment, including about 88% of the global coater-developer market and 53% of silicon wafers.

Chey said on Wednesday that SK hynix would decide the location and scale of future expansion after weighing power, water, land, and talent.

He added that the chipmaker’s top priority is finishing its semiconductor complex in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

The remarks drew pushback from Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who said on X that the focus should be on making projects possible in Korea through dialog.

His comments came as pressure grew for chip investment in the Honam region, including Gwangju and the Jeolla provinces, even as concerns remained over talent, industrial water, and logistics.

🔗 Source: The Korea Times

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