The semiconductor superpowers are betting big on AI-driven chip demand with a decade-long spending spree that could reshape global supply chains
South Korea’s two semiconductor giants, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, are preparing to announce investments projected between 1,000 and 2,000 trillion won, roughly $650 billion to $1.3 trillion, over the next decade.
What’s actually happening #
President Lee Jae-myung’s office is hosting a briefing at the Blue House on June 29, where the investment plans will be formally unveiled at 2 p.m. local time. The event is part of what the government calls its “three mega projects” initiative, aimed at fostering balanced regional development across South Korea.
Samsung’s Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won are both expected to attend.
The investment targets are squarely focused on the AI era: new memory chip fabrication plants, AI data centers, and robotics infrastructure. The city of Gwangju is one of the key regions being targeted for development.
Construction schedules may be accelerated by more than 10 years, with completion targets now set for 2034-2035, driven by the urgency of AI-related chip demand.
The companies behind the spending #
Samsung and SK Hynix are the world’s dominant memory chip manufacturers, controlling an outsized share of the global DRAM and NAND flash markets.
SK Hynix achieved a market capitalization of $1 trillion in May 2026. Its high-bandwidth memory chips have become the product that every AI hardware maker needs, and SK Hynix has been one of the primary beneficiaries of that demand wave.
Samsung, despite being the larger company overall, has faced criticism for falling behind SK Hynix in HBM chip production.
Market reaction and what it means for investors #
Stock prices for both Samsung and SK Hynix declined following reports of the planned announcements. Even at the lower end of the projected range, $650 billion in capital expenditures over a decade represents a massive commitment that constrains financial flexibility. Semiconductor fabs are among the most expensive structures humans build, with a single cutting-edge facility easily costing $20 billion or more.
South Korea’s investment push comes as the US, China, Japan, and the EU all pursue their own semiconductor industrial strategies. The CHIPS Act in the US, massive subsidies in China, and TSMC’s expansion in Japan have all reshaped the competitive landscape.
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