Report: SK Hynix's Cheongju plant plans to order more than 200 HBM4 testers, with a total price of up to 400 billion KRW.

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SK Hynix is rapidly turning the macro narrative of AI storage demand into concrete capital and procurement actions—from orders of hundreds of billions of Korean won for test equipment at the Cheongju factory, to moving up the completion schedule for Yongin's capacity expansion by 12 years. The world's largest HBM memory manufacturer is accelerating its production expansion across the board.

According to TheElec, SK Hynix is currently negotiating with several semiconductor equipment manufacturers regarding supply of inspection equipment for the Cheongju P&T7 advanced packaging facility, coordinating the number of devices deliverable next year. Industry estimates suggest this round of procurement covers about 200 devices, including HBM4 testers, at 1.5 to 2 billion KRW per unit, with total order value reaching up to 400 billion KRW.

As these equipment procurement plans emerged, SK Hynix's CEO publicly stated that the rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence is driving a surge in storage demand, and that the planned Yongin chip cluster alone will not be enough to meet future needs. The company will build a new semiconductor plant in the southwest region of Korea. Previously, SK Group announced a 1,100 trillion KRW semiconductor expansion plan, and moved up the completion date for the Yongin cluster from 2045 to 2033.

These actions corroborate each other, showing SK Hynix moving HBM capacity expansion from accelerated planning to execution. For semiconductor equipment suppliers, the Cheongju P&T7 procurement window offers strong order visibility; for the industry as a whole, this series of actions further reinforces the market’s expectation of sustained long-term demand for AI storage.

Cheongju P&T7: HBM4 Tester Equipment Order Window Open

SK Hynix is negotiating verbally with equipment manufacturers regarding test equipment needed for the Cheongju P&T7 advanced packaging facility, with focus on confirming the number of devices deliverable next year. According to industry estimates, the facility plans to purchase about 200 devices this round, including HBM4 testers. With prices per device ranging from 1.5 to 2 billion KRW, the total order value could reach up to 400 billion KRW.

P&T7 is SK Hynix’s core advanced packaging facility in Cheongju. Previously, SK Hynix had announced around 19 trillion KRW of investment for this project. The Korean government also revealed that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix would jointly invest 81 trillion KRW in HBM packaging facilities in the Chungcheong region. This round of test equipment procurement marks the substantive advancement of the above capacity deployment plans.

1,100 Trillion KRW Blueprint: Yongin Accelerates, Cheongju Expands, Southwest Area Newly Built

At the “Republic of Korea Grand Leap Forward Three Major Super Projects National Report Meeting” held on June 29, SK Hynix unveiled a long-term expansion plan totalling 1,100 trillion KRW, covering three strategic pillars.

The Yongin semiconductor cluster will receive 600 trillion KRW of investment, with the completion timeline brought forward from the original 2045 to 2033—a shortening of 12 years. The first Yongin wafer plant’s civil engineering and structural work is now complete, entering the cleanroom infrastructure phase. The first cleanroom is expected to open in February 2027, and the second through fourth wafer plants will be constructed consecutively.

The Cheongju base will receive 100 trillion KRW to expand NAND flash capacity and strengthen HBM advanced packaging, expected to include P&T7 advanced packaging and follow-up projects for the M17 frontend wafer plant.

Two new semiconductor wafer plants will be constructed in the southwest region, with 400 trillion KRW planned for land purchase, plant construction, and production equipment. The area is considered to meet integrated requirements for land, power, water, and manpower. SK Hynix stated that the specific location and timeline have not been finalized, and will be decided after consultation with central and local governments.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won stated that the group will also invest about 10 trillion KRW in AI data center projects—“Over the next ten years, SK will continuously invest more than 100 trillion KRW annually domestically,” aiming to build an AI data center network with a total scale of 15 GW.

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SK Hynix’s CEO pointed out at the report meeting that rapid AI proliferation is driving a surge in storage demand, and current plans are not enough to cover future needs. This is the fundamental motivation for the company’s decision to build new capacity in the southwest region.

At the same meeting, Samsung Group announced a domestic investment blueprint totalling 2,655 trillion KRW, focusing on the Pyeongtaek and Yongin semiconductor clusters and concurrently covering HBM wafer plants, foldable displays, all-solid-state batteries, and humanoid robots. Combined, Samsung and SK Group have pledged an investment of over 4,800 trillion KRW.

The South Korean government also announced the largest semiconductor and artificial intelligence industry investment plan to date, positioning semiconductors, physical AI, and AI data centers as the "three pillars" for industrial upgrading. The goal is to double DRAM production capacity in five years and propel Korea into the ranks of “AI revolution leading nations.”

For industry chain participants, the equipment procurement process for SK Hynix’s Cheongju P&T7 is one of the earliest observable signals of macro investment narratives translating into execution. As the HBM4 mass production timeline approaches, relevant equipment suppliers are expected to see rising order visibility.

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