최태원 “일본에 반도체 공장 건설 검토”…하이닉스-키오시아 공동생산도 언급

Escalated SK Group Chairman Cheoltae Won has revealed his group's interest in potentially constructing foreign semiconductor factories, including one in Japan. Won also mentioned the possibility of joint production of chips with Japan-based NAND flash memory manufacturer Kyocera, which holds a significant stake in SK Group through its shares.

During a recent interview with Asahi Shimbun, Won stated that Kyocera is "a company with many strengths." He further added that joint memory production could be one of several options to explore, along with research and development (R&D) cooperation, supply chain sharing, and other collaboration avenues. Kyocera, which holds the fourth position in the global market for flash memory chips, is known for its NAND flash memory storage devices.

SK Group acquired a stake in the city of Nagasaki's memory semiconductor business in 2018 through a consortium led by US private equity firm Bain Capital. This acquisition included a bond-like instrument and shares, amounting to a total investment of 3.95 trillion yen. As of now, Bain Capital's investment vehicle, BCPE Panageia Keiam 2 (SPC2), is the majority shareholder in Kyocera, holding a 14.19% stake.

Slightly above SPC2, the other major shareholders are the city of Nagasaki, holding 14.12%. Won stated in the interview that if collaborative relationships with Kyocera cannot be maintained, the company will consider terminating its investment in the firm. This marks the first official mention of SK Group's potential stake sale in Kyocera.

Moreover, Won discussed the global artificial intelligence (AI) investment boom, which has created a 20-30% shortage in AI data center memory compared to demand. He proposed that expanding semiconductor production, with a focus on Japan, could address this issue. Won also mentioned that he has received investment proposals from various Japanese local governments and that the company may announce specific investment plans in the near future.