SK Group Chairman Says Yongin Cluster Poised to Be Platform for Challenges and Innovation in Semiconductor History

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Sep 15, 2023, 03:41 ET

Chey makes visit to construction site to inspect progress, encourage employees
Future competitiveness, climate positive, innovation & co-prosperity presented as new visions and roles for cluster
Groundbreaking for first fab in cluster planned for 2025 with completion expected in 2027

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SK hynix Inc. (or "the company", www.skhynix.com) said today that SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won visited the construction site of Yongin Semiconductor Cluster in Wonsam-myeon of Yongin city, Gyeonggi Province.

SK hynix said that Chairman Chey visited the site on Friday to inspect the construction progress and encourage employees as the Yongin Cluster site preparation began to pick up speed since June.

SK Group Chairman Chey Visits Yongin Cluster site

"Yongin Cluster is the most thoroughly and strategically prepared project on SK hynix history," Chey said, calling for utmost efforts to guarantee the success of the cluster.

Putting the top priority on efficiency, Chey said that the project requires more than the challenges that the company has made so far. "What we plan and reflect in advance to stay ahead of others will shape our competitiveness in the future."

Chairman Chey emphasized a deep commitment to climate and environment when building Yonging Cluster, reminding the participants of SK Group's RE100 declaration.

"Attention on green energy will continue to rise and a failure to respond to this change would jeopardize our sales, so we have a very good reason to think about and reflect this." He said that the cluster should be a 'climate positive production base', which provides future energy solutions and manufactures low-power, high-performance semiconductors.

He also urged the Yongin cluster to be a platform for innovation and co-prosperity by having the infrastructure that materials, components and equipment companies and high-caliber talents can freely use to lay foundation for innovation, given the difficulties of local companies and universities suffering from infrastructure shortages, including equipment and cleanroom.

In fact, SK hynix is working on building a 'mini fab' within the cluster in a joint project with the government. The mini fab, a 300mm wafer-based research and test facility, will support technologies and products developed by materials, components and equipment companies to be quickly applied to the mass-production process.

Chey also called for the cluster to provide jobs that the next generation prefers. "Designing a new future can be both challenging and delightful at the same time. I wish this project will be a fun challenge for all of us."

Wishing safety of all the members participating in the project, Chey wrote on the visitors' book that he wishes "a success of the Yongin semiconductor project where new spirits and history of challenges and innovation will lie."

Alongside Chairman Chey, executives of SK Group affiliates taking part in the project, including SK hynix Vice Chairman Park Jung-ho, CEO Kwak Noh-jung, and SK ecoplant CEO Park Kyung-il, and Kim Seong-goo, who heads Yongin General Industrial Complex Inc., a special purpose company (SPC) created to build a site for a semiconductor cluster, attended the site visit.

Once the site preparation is complete, SK hynix will kick off construction of its first fab in March, 2025 with completion expected in May, 2027.

About SK hynix Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world's top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips ("DRAM"), flash memory chips ("NAND flash") and CMOS Image Sensors ("CIS") for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company's shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxemburg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

SOURCE SK hynix Inc.