[Exclusive] SK Hynix to build memory fab in Japan’s Miyagi

SK Hynix is constructing a memory chip fabrication facility in Miyagi, Japan, according to a report by Hankyoreh. This marks the first major investment by a Korean semiconductor manufacturer in Japan. The project's scale is estimated at tens of trillions of won, though it is comparatively smaller than the billions of dollars planned for Korean semiconductor clusters.

This move comes as heightened US pressure on Korean companies to invest in American semiconductor production intensifies. Miyagi, located in Japan's Tohoku region, is one of three key hubs the Japanese government is developing to become semiconductor centers. The investment will enable SK Hynix to bolster its output capacity in response to the ongoing global memory chip shortage.

The company will become the third foreign manufacturer to establish a semiconductor plant in Japan, following US firm Micron and Taiwan's TSMC. Samsung Electronics already operates a chip packaging research center in Japan's Yokohama. However, concerns arise as US demands for increased chip production in the US could escalate if such investment in Japan proceeds.

Additionally, the Korean public has shown wariness towards semiconductor investments in Japan, and political uncertainty looms over such strategic industry developments.