JK Materials Sejong Plant Passes Installation Inspection... Begins Full-Scale Operational Permit Application

JK Materials (JKM) has accelerated the permitting process for semiconductor material production after its Sejong Plant received a "pass" result in the inspection of hazardous chemical handling facilities. The company announced on April 16, 2026, that, based on this result, it has now entered the stage of applying for an operational permit.

Hazardous chemical handling facilities must pass an installation inspection before commencing operations, and the results of this inspection serve as critical documentation when applying for an operational permit. The notification of compliance means that the Sejong Plant has met the essential requirements for actual operation.

JKM plans to apply for a business license for manufacturing hazardous chemicals for semiconductors to the Geumgang Basin Environmental Office next week. The operational permit is overseen by the respective regional environmental office, while the installation inspection is conducted by the Korea Environment Corporation. After submitting the compliance notice and related documents, the company will proceed sequentially with the subsequent permit process and the Process Safety Management (PSM) review by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, which is under the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

A company official stated, “This compliance result is highly significant as it marks the Sejong Plant's successful passage through a key milestone under the Chemical Substances Control Act. We will proceed with the operational permit application and PSM review without delay to establish a stable production system.”

This result is also noteworthy because it signifies that the Sejong Plant, as a production facility handling hazardous chemicals for semiconductor materials, has undergone official verification by a national institution. The company explained that this signals a transition from simply building facilities to entering the mass production preparation phase.

The main items for which JKM is currently pursuing operational permits include photo process materials, which account for about 40% of the semiconductor manufacturing process, as well as photosensitive polyimide (PSPI) and polybenzoxazole (PBO) for packaging used in back-end processes. With the acquisition of the relevant permits, the company is gradually expanding its advanced material production capabilities.

The Sejong Plant was established to produce core materials for semiconductor photo processes, and with this progress in permitting, the commercialization and mass production of ultra-high-purity semiconductor materials is expected to accelerate. This is anticipated to be a key turning point that could lead to customer evaluations, delivery approvals, and revenue generation in the future.

Meanwhile, JK Materials is a project established with an investment of about 70 billion won from Hanul Materials Science. Last month, the company announced strategies for responding to AI semiconductor material supply chains and for building a mass production system in conjunction with the completion of the Sejong Campus.

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