Overview
- A fire began in a sixth-floor gas room serving the M15 and M15X lines on Monday and automated sprinklers triggered an evacuation of roughly 3,600 workers.
- Sprinkler activation coincided with a hydrogen fluoride release that peaked at about 5 parts per million, six to seven employees reported eye irritation and received on-site treatment, and no serious injuries were reported.
- SK Hynix said semiconductor production continued without recorded downtime and that residual gas was cleared and inspections completed within about three hours.
- Officials and industry observers have focused on how sprinkler water contacted HF equipment or piping, raising specific questions about gas-room layout, chemical storage and suppression-system design that are likely to prompt internal and regulatory reviews.
- The Cheongju campus makes advanced memory used in AI accelerators, so a more serious disruption could affect customers and supply chains; investigators and investors will watch follow-up inspections, technical root-cause findings, and any changes to safety protocols.