SK to Invest 1,100 Trillion Won: 15GW AI Data Centers and Memory Production Belt Nationwide

Nationwide Expansion of AI Infrastructure and Semiconductor Production Bases
Strengthening Global AI Competitiveness Centered on Yongin, Cheongju, and the Southwestern Region

SK has announced a nationwide investment plan to strengthen South Korea's artificial intelligence (AI) competitiveness. The company aims to build core infrastructure for the AI industry—including AI data centers and semiconductor manufacturing bases—across the country, with the goal of transforming South Korea into a global AI powerhouse.

President Lee Jae-myung and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won are shaking hands after presenting corporate investment plans at the 3 Major Mega Project National Briefing held at the Blue House on the 29th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On June 29, at the Blue House State Guest House, SK unveiled this mid-to-long-term investment strategy during the 'Three Major Mega Projects for South Korea's Grand Leap National Briefing'.

SK plans to establish a total of 15GW of AI data centers—key infrastructure for the AI ecosystem—in various regions nationwide. In the first phase, the company will build 5GW in several locations where power supply and land have already been secured. An additional 10GW will be constructed by 2035, depending on AI demand and investment conditions. This project is expected to attract approximately KRW 1,000 trillion in investments through strategic partner contributions, client tenancy contracts, and project financing (PF).

SK explained that as demand for AI model training and inference rapidly grows, securing high-performance computing infrastructure has become a critical national task for AI competitiveness. The company noted that South Korea, with its stable power supply and AI semiconductor manufacturing base, is being recognized as an optimal location for AI data centers. This, in turn, is drawing increasing attention from global big tech companies.

SK Telecom is currently constructing an AI data center in Ulsan together with Amazon Web Services (AWS), aiming to begin operations in the second half of 2027. Recently, the company also announced a plan to build a next-generation AI data center called 'AI Factory' in partnership with Nvidia. Through these efforts, SK aims to strengthen domestic AI computing infrastructure and develop South Korea into an Asia-Pacific (APAC) AI infrastructure hub.

To respond to the increased demand for AI semiconductors resulting from the expansion of AI data centers, SK has established a mid-to-long-term investment strategy totaling KRW 1,100 trillion. The company is also pursuing the creation of an AI memory production belt connecting Yongin, Cheongju, and the southwestern region. By upgrading existing manufacturing hubs and securing next-generation production bases, SK intends to meet surging global AI memory demand and build a stable supply chain.

SK hynix plans to complete the construction of its fourth semiconductor fabrication plant (fab) in the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster by 2033, moving up the original timeline by 12 years from 2045. Including investments in production facilities, total spending is expected to reach KRW 600 trillion.

In Cheongju, SK will invest about KRW 100 trillion to construct a new NAND fab and introduce new production equipment, while also strengthening advanced packaging capabilities such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) back-end processes.

Additionally, to address rising memory demand from the global spread of AI, the company will foster the southwestern region as a next-generation production base. On sites with large-scale land, power, and water infrastructure, SK plans to establish new manufacturing facilities. Once investment is in full swing, the company will gradually invest a total of KRW 400 trillion in land acquisition, fab construction, and equipment installation.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won stated, "The ultimate goal of South Korea's AI initiative is to activate the 'intelligent production market,' dramatically reducing high societal costs and driving national economic growth. The AI infrastructure being built by SK—including AI data centers and semiconductor production bases—will become the foundation for the growth of various industries and a core growth engine for South Korea."

He added, "This project will serve as the foundation for South Korea to transform from an AI consumer to an AI computation exporter. SK will contribute to the nation's growth through AI and take the lead in shaping the global AI ecosystem."

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