SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - Samsung Group and SK hynix on Tuesday announced plans to invest a combined 825 trillion won ($595 billion) in southwest Korea, outlining new semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence data center and energy projects as part of the government's regional industrial development initiative.
The announcements were made during the government's "Southwestern Advanced Industry Development Vision" event held in Gwangju.
Samsung said it plans to invest 425 trillion won in the Honam region, with about 400 trillion won allocated to building two new semiconductor fabrication plants in Gwangju. The company said the project is intended to establish an additional chip manufacturing cluster beyond its existing operations in Giheung, Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek and the Yongin National Industrial Complex.
Samsung also said its IT services unit Samsung SDS plans to build a 210-megawatt AI data center in Solaseado, Haenam, with construction scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026 and initial operations targeted for 2028. In addition, Samsung C&T plans investments in carbon-free energy projects, while Samsung Electronics will expand manufacturing and logistics facilities in Gwangju and Gochang.
Separately, SK hynix said it plans to invest 400 trillion won to develop a new semiconductor cluster in southwest Korea, citing expectations that future demand for memory chips will exceed the production capacity of its Yongin cluster.
The company also announced plans to build a 1-gigawatt AI data center in the region as part of SK Group's broader strategy to establish up to 15 GW of AI data center capacity nationwide.
SK hynix Chief Executive Kwak Noh-jung said demand for AI memory is expected to continue growing as artificial intelligence services become more widely deployed, requiring additional manufacturing capacity beyond existing facilities.
The announcements follow the government's push to expand advanced manufacturing and AI infrastructure outside the Seoul metropolitan area by encouraging large-scale private-sector investment.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
