Samsung Accelerates Yongin Chip Plant Opening to 2029

Samsung Electronics announced on July 13, 2026, that it will start operations at its first semiconductor fabrication plant in the Yongin chip cluster by 2029. This revised timeline accelerates the original 2030-2031 schedule by one to two years to address surging global demand for AI infrastructure memory chips. Samsung plans to build six manufacturing facilities at the Yongin site.

The expansion is part of a broader investment strategy where Samsung will spend 2,030 trillion won ($1.35 trillion) on clusters in Pyeongtaek and Yongin, and an additional 400 trillion won for two plants in Gwangju. This effort aligns with a South Korean government initiative, led by President Lee Jae Myung, to double memory-chip production capacity within five years and narrow regional economic divides through "tripolar mega projects."

Other major industry players are participating in this national semiconductor ecosystem. SK Group pledged 470 trillion won for two semiconductor fabs and a 1-gigawatt AI data center in the southwest region. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has pledged government support to establish South Korea as an AI industrial powerhouse.