Samsung Pulls Its First Yongin Chip Plant Forward to 2029
Samsung Electronics plans to begin operations at its first chip plant in the Yongin cluster as early as 2029, one to two years ahead of schedule, according to industry sources who spoke with Yonhap.
This accelerated timeline follows a national commitment of over $880 billion to invest in chips, data centers, and robots, as well as the government’s decision to expedite development at the Yongin National Industrial Complex. Land access, power, and water supply were previously holding up construction.
"An earlier start of operations at the first plant will enable Samsung to respond more quickly to the rapidly growing global demand for artificial intelligence chips," an industry official stated, though neither Samsung nor the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy has officially confirmed the 2029 date.
Samsung’s semiconductor division has been dominated by high-bandwidth memory for AI servers, contributing significantly to its $1 trillion market value. Its competitors, such as SK Hynix, are also racing to bring new capacity online in the same year. SK Hynix is investing $51 billion in a NAND plant in Cheongju, targeted for the first half of 2029.
Samsung’s investment in its Pyeongtaek and Yongin clusters totals 2,030 trillion won (approximately $1.35 trillion), with an additional 400 trillion won allocated for two new chip plants in Gwangju. These investments are part of a national initiative chaired by President Lee Jae Myung on June 29.
While details remain scarce, the move suggests everyone is racing to build simultaneously. Samsung has not specified which products will be manufactured at the first Yongin fab or the construction sequence for subsequent plants.