SK Chairman Chey Tae-won: Japan Is a Prime Candidate for Overseas Chip Plants, AI Factory to Launch Soon

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has identified Japan as a leading candidate for new semiconductor manufacturing plants as part of efforts to promote a South Korea-Japan economic community.
Furthermore, Chey presented a concrete blueprint for an "AI Factory," which SK Group is building in collaboration with Nvidia, to be operational in Japan as early as 2028.
In an interview with the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) today (June 11), Chairman Chey announced that the company plans to introduce its first overseas AI factory in Japan, which will combine SK's memory semiconductors with Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs) to efficiently process massive amounts of data.
He explained that working-level discussions are currently underway with Japanese companies, with the goal of beginning operations between 2028 and 2029, within the next two to three years.
He added that the scale of the AI factory in Japan is envisioned as a gigawatt (GW)-class data center, comparable to the power consumption of a major city, and that they are currently scouting for sites with sufficient land and power supply.
However, he did not disclose the specific investment amount.
Pointing out that many industries are currently suffering from a severe semiconductor shortage, Chairman Chey emphasized that the company is considering building new plants outside of South Korea, stating that "Japan is an excellent candidate."
He particularly highlighted that Japan possesses a complete ecosystem required for the semiconductor production process, including manufacturing equipment, materials, and a stable power environment.
Regarding the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster, which had an original goal of completing four plants by 2045, he stated, "We will accelerate the completion by several years or more."
He also shared his philosophy on the direction of investments and social contributions from profits generated through semiconductor sales.
Chairman Chey noted that while most profits are currently being poured into plant construction due to extremely strong demand for semiconductors, the company is also focusing on the "AI-fication" of semiconductor plants and increasing the hiring of engineers.
Regarding social issues such as the distribution of excess profits, he emphasized, "As profits increase, social contributions must also increase, and this is something we will continue to do not only in South Korea but also in Japan."
He also actively expressed his willingness to cooperate with Japanese semiconductor companies, noting that connecting the semiconductor ecosystems of South Korea and Japan goes beyond simple corporate partnerships and plays a significant role in the economic security of both nations.
He revealed that Japanese partner companies are already participating in AI investment activities currently underway in the United States, and added that full-scale discussions have begun with Japanese firms to create synergy between the two countries in new AI-based businesses.
(Photo: Courtesy of SK Group, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.