SK Hynix Executives Inspect Gwangju Military Airport Site... Accelerating Semiconductor Fab Construction

Discussion with Mayor Min Hyung-bae on Facilities and Regulatory Approvals

The executive team of SK hynix visited the Gwangju Military Airport site to inspect the conditions for establishing a semiconductor fabrication (fab) facility. With SK hynix following Samsung Electronics in visiting the site, analysts suggest that the 800 trillion won Southwest Region Semiconductor Megaproject has moved beyond the conceptual stage and entered a full-fledged implementation phase.

According to the local business community and other sources on July 29, a group of 15 SK representatives, including Seongjin Yum, Executive Vice President of Communications at SK hynix, toured the Gwangju Military Airport and surrounding areas from 12:50 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. on the same day to inspect the business environment.

Gwangju Military Airport Site. Provided by Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City

The group assessed the scale of the military airport site, areas suitable for fab placement, road and rail transportation networks, as well as electricity and water supply conditions. Starting at 2 p.m., they reportedly met with Min Hyung-bae, Mayor of Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City, at the city hall to discuss strategies for moving the project forward.

The meeting's main agenda items reportedly included the timeline for relocating the military airport and establishing the industrial complex, securing essential infrastructure such as electricity and water, expediting regulatory approvals, setting up corporate support systems, and establishing a phased investment schedule.

This visit followed an on-site inspection by SK hynix working-level staff on July 23 as part of ongoing follow-up activities.

Observers note that the fact that the executive team directly checked the site and initiated discussions with the special mayor at the review stage indicates that the project has entered a more serious push toward implementation.

Previously, working-level staff from Samsung Electronics also visited Gwangju on July 25 to assess the military airport site and the surrounding business environment.

Meanwhile, on June 29, the government announced the Southwest Region Semiconductor Megaproject, under which Samsung Electronics and SK hynix would jointly invest a total of 800 trillion won to build four advanced semiconductor fabs at the site vacated by the relocated Gwangju Military Airport.

The government and Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City plan to simultaneously advance the airport relocation, industrial complex development, infrastructure for electricity and water supply, and regulatory approval processes, aiming for the first mass production in 2030.

However, the final details on the scale of investment by each company, the ground-breaking schedule, and fab placement plans will be determined after further consultations among the government, the companies, and the special city administration.

The local business community stated, "The fact that the SK hynix executive team followed Samsung Electronics in visiting the site indicates that the process for directly assessing the location and business conditions has intensified. From now on, the speed of military airport relocation and infrastructure development will determine the success or failure of the project."

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