The Korean chipmaker doubles down on its historic semiconductor campus as the AI-driven memory boom reshapes global chip production
Samsung Electronics is building a new DRAM factory at its Giheung campus in South Korea, returning major production investment to the site where the company first cemented its reputation as a memory chip powerhouse more than four decades ago.
Giheung’s long history as Samsung’s semiconductor heartland #
The campus has been operational since 1983, making it one of the longest-running semiconductor facilities in South Korea.
It’s also where Samsung developed the world’s first 64Mb DRAM chip back in 1992, a milestone that helped the company leapfrog competitors and establish dominance in the memory market.
In recent years, the campus has primarily handled production of mature process nodes, with capabilities down to 8nm.
Samsung broke ground on a massive R&D complex called NRD-K in 2022, spanning roughly 109,000 square meters. The investment is approximately KRW 20 trillion, or around $15 billion, with full buildout expected between 2028 and 2030.
A tool-in ceremony for NRD-K took place on November 18, 2024, with an operational R&D production line slated for mid-2025. That facility is focused on next-generation memory and system semiconductors.
The bigger picture: Samsung’s multi-site expansion strategy #
Samsung has been aggressively expanding its Pyeongtaek mega-campus, which is where much of the heavy lifting for High Bandwidth Memory production is happening. Samsung has also been developing a new facility in South Korea’s southwest region.
Samsung has been playing catch-up in the HBM space, where SK Hynix secured early supply deals with Nvidia and built a commanding market position. Samsung’s HBM3E chips faced reported qualification issues with Nvidia.
Samsung’s existing S7 fab at Giheung is anticipated to undergo adjustments in the second half of 2026.
What this means for investors and the memory market #
Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron are the three firms that essentially control the global DRAM supply.
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