Lee Jae-yong: New Semiconductor Complex in Gwangju, HBM in Chungcheong, Robotics in Gumi

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong has unveiled ambitious plans to establish new semiconductor facilities and expand investments in future technologies across various regions of South Korea. The announcement, made at the "3 Major Mega Projects for Korea's Great Leap Forward" national report meeting, signals a strategic move to decentralize Samsung's operational hubs and bolster the nation's technological infrastructure.

“

The market's view is that despite active investment by semiconductor companies, it is insufficient to meet the explosive demand due to the paradigm shift in technology at an unimaginable speed due to AI.

A significant highlight of the plan is the designation of Gwangju as a candidate site for a new semiconductor complex. This initiative, alongside accelerated investment schedules in existing facilities like Yongin National Industrial Complex, aims to meet the explosive demand driven by the rapid technological paradigm shifts brought about by artificial intelligence. Lee emphasized the need for speed, echoing President Yoon Suk-yeol's call for swift action.

Furthermore, Lee detailed plans for High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) production, crucial for AI model training and inference. These advanced manufacturing processes will be concentrated in the Chungcheong region, specifically in Cheonan and Onyang, leveraging existing semiconductor post-processing capabilities. Simultaneously, investments in robotics, anticipating a surge in demand across industrial, domestic, and healthcare sectors, will be focused in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province.

“

We have to prepare a new complex, and the timing has been brought forward. As the President said, it's a race against time.

Samsung's strategic investment extends to other key sectors as well. Battery production for next-generation electric vehicles and energy storage systems will be centered around Ulsan, while next-generation shipbuilding will continue to receive investment in Geoje. The company also plans to expand its semiconductor packaging base, essential for AI servers and electric vehicles, in Busan. The bio-industry, a strategic growth area for Samsung, will see concentrated investment in Songdo, Incheon, with the ambition to develop it into the world's largest bio-cluster.

“

Among various regions, Gwangju is planned as a candidate site, expecting support through power, water, and workforce 확보, and various infrastructure incentives.

Lee expressed confidence that collaborative efforts between businesses, the government, and local authorities can create an "irreplaceable Korea." He pledged to maintain a sense of crisis, focus on customer-centricity, quality, technological innovation, and talent development to maintain a "super gap" advantage in the global market.

“

HBM, which is essential for AI model learning and inference, requires cutting-edge technology for stacking semiconductor chips and processes at the level of main fabs. HBM will be concentrated in the Chungcheong region, including Cheonan and Onyang, along with existing semiconductor post-processing packages.