Overview
- The board approved the investment on Friday, Aug. 7, committing about 54.3 trillion won (≈$38.3 billion) split into 35.2 trillion won for Yongin Y2 (DRAM/HBM) and 19.1 trillion won for Cheongju M17 (NAND).
- SK hynix set construction start dates in 2027 with M17’s first cleanroom targeted for December 2028 and Y2’s for June 2029, reflecting the long lead times of modern fabs.
- The company cited Omdia research forecasting roughly 19% annual DRAM and NAND demand growth through 2030 and said the new fabs will supply high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and enterprise NAND for AI data centers.
- Markets reacted negatively, with shares sliding about 5–6% after the announcement, and SK hynix said it is actively reviewing additional shareholder-return measures to be finalised in Q3.
- The move accelerates SK hynix’s domestic master plan — including advancing completion of the Yongin cluster to 2033 and investing heavily in Cheongju because of existing infrastructure — and comes as the company reassesses China packaging options under recent export-control pressures.