The move aligns with South Korea’s push to expand domestic semiconductor manufacturing and meet rising demand for AI memory chips.
Samsung Electronics plans to begin operations at its first semiconductor fabrication plant in Yongin, South Korea, in 2029, bringing the project forward by up to two years to meet surging demand for AI memory chips, according to Reuters.
The company had earlier targeted the facility to begin operations between 2030 and 2031, but said it now intends to pace up the schedule as demand for memory chips used in AI infrastructure continues to surge.
The announcement follows South Korea’s broader semiconductor expansion strategy. Last month, Samsung and rival SK Hynix pledged to invest hundreds of billions of dollars to expand chip production in the country after President Lee Jae Myung called for measures to reduce regional economic disparities.
According to Reuters, the South Korean government aims to double the country’s memory-chip production capacity within five years by accelerating construction of fabrication plants by Samsung and SK Hynix in Yongin while developing a new semiconductor cluster in Gwangju.
“Samsung Electronics plans to begin operations at its first fabrication plant in Yongin by 2029, which is one to two years ahead of the original schedule,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
The earlier start is expected to strengthen Samsung’s ability to meet increasing global AI-related memory demand while reinforcing South Korea’s position as a leading semiconductor manufacturing hub.
