Chairman Chey Tae-won Visits Yongin Semiconductor Cluster: "Let's Write a History of Innovation"

SK Hynix to Begin Construction of First Fab in Yongin in 2025, Completion Scheduled for 2027

Choi Tae-won, Chairman of SK, visited the 'Yongin Semiconductor Cluster' (hereinafter Yongin Cluster) under construction in Wonsam-myeon, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province on the 15th. SK Hynix explained, “Since June, site preparation work for the Yongin Cluster has been underway,” adding, “Chairman Choi visited the site to check the progress of the construction and encourage the members.”

Chairman Chey Tae-won of SK (right) and Park Jung-ho, Vice Chairman and CEO of SK Hynix, are touring the semiconductor cluster construction site in Yongin on the 15th.

After receiving a report on the project status, Chairman Choi encouraged, “The Yongin Cluster is the most planned and strategically promoted project in SK Hynix’s history,” and urged, “Please do your best to secure competitiveness for the success of the cluster.”

Chairman Choi emphasized, “First of all, efficiency must be the best.” He said, “It requires challenges beyond just doing what we have done so far,” adding, “To continuously maintain competitiveness here in the future, the task is to anticipate and reflect on what needs to be done in advance, and this will be the measure of SK Hynix’s future competitiveness.”

Chairman Choi also urged that the Yongin Cluster should incorporate deep consideration of climate change. Referring to SK Group’s RE100 declaration, he said, “Interest in green energy will increase, and if we fail to respond, products will not be sellable. Unlike in the past, now we must think about and reflect these factors.” He stressed the need to establish a ‘Climate Positive’ production base that prepares future-oriented energy solutions and produces low-power, high-performance semiconductors to deliver a positive message about climate and environment.

Chairman Choi also requested that the Yongin Cluster become a role model for innovation and coexistence. He emphasized the need to build infrastructure within the Yongin Cluster that semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment (SoBuJang) companies and university talents can freely utilize, creating a hub where free innovation can occur. This remark considered the reality of domestic universities and SoBuJang companies lacking infrastructure such as experimental equipment and clean rooms, even when aiming to nurture semiconductor talent.

In fact, SK Hynix is promoting a plan to jointly establish a ‘minifab’ within the cluster together with the government. The minifab, a 300mm wafer-based research and test fab, will be constructed as infrastructure to support all verification work so that technologies and products developed by SoBuJang companies can be quickly applied to semiconductor mass production.

Chairman Choi emphasized the happiness of the members, adding, “We must create a space that future generations can consider a good workplace.” He also said, “Designing a new future is a difficult task but can be an enjoyable one. Please make the enjoyable work become a new challenge.”

In the guestbook, Chairman Choi wrote, “Wishing success to the Yongin Semiconductor Project, which is writing a new spirit and history of challenge and innovation.” Present at the site were SK Hynix Vice Chairman Park Jung-ho, President Kwak No-jung, SK ecoplant President Park Kyung-il, and other executives from SK member companies involved in the project, as well as Kim Sung-gu, CEO of Yongin General Industrial Complex (SPC).

Once the ongoing site preparation work is completed, SK Hynix plans to begin construction of the first fab in March 2025 and complete it by May 2027.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.