SK Hynix to Invest 54 Trillion KRW in Yongin and Cheongju Wafer Fabs
SK Hynix has approved a massive 54 trillion KRW investment in its Yongin Y2 and Cheongju M17 wafer fabs in South Korea. The investment is aimed at boosting the production of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and next-generation DRAM to meet the rapidly growing demands of the AI market. This expansion highlights how securing timely production capacity for HBM has become a core competitive advantage in the AI era. The move will help SK Hynix strengthen its market leadership and address the unprecedented demand for high-performance memory from AI hardware developers. The Yongin Y2 fab, covering 1.13 million square meters, is scheduled to break ground next July with its first cleanroom opening in June 2029. The Cheongju M17 fab, spanning 680,000 square meters, will begin construction next February and aims to open its first cleanroom by December 2028.
## BACKGROUND
High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) is a high-performance 3D-stacked DRAM technology that offers significantly higher bandwidth and lower power consumption, making it essential for AI accelerators. Wafer fabrication facilities (fabs) are highly specialized factories where integrated circuits are manufactured on silicon wafers through complex, multi-step processes.