TrendForce reports SK Hynix targeting 2029 Yongin Y2 cleanroom completion and Samsung advancing P5, P5 Fab 2 capacity milestones.

Amid surging demand for AI memory, SK hynix is accelerating its capacity expansion strategy with aggressive investments across both DRAM and NAND. The company's board has approved a combined investment of approximately 54.3 trillion won, split between 35.2 trillion won for the Yongin Y2 fab and 19.1 trillion won for the Cheongju M17 fab.

The Yongin Y2 facility will become the second of four fabs planned for the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster, following the Y1 fab, which is scheduled to begin initial cleanroom operations in February 2027. Y2 will serve as a dedicated DRAM production hub spanning 341,000 pyeong—approximately 1.13 million square meters. Construction will begin in July 2027, with the first cleanroom targeted for completion by June 2029. The investment also covers supporting infrastructure, including employee facilities, an Integrated R&D Center, and utilities such as water treatment systems, utility tunnels, substations, and warehouses. Notably, SK hynix aims to complete all four fabs in the Yongin cluster by 2033, accelerating its original timeline by 12 years from the previously planned 2045 completion target.

For its NAND expansion, SK hynix selected Cheongju as the site for the new M17 fab, leveraging existing manufacturing infrastructure from the already-operational M11, M12, and M15 fabs. The M17 facility will span 206,000 pyeong—approximately 680,000 square meters. Construction is scheduled to begin in February 2027, with the first cleanroom targeted for completion by December 2028, and investment continuing through April 2031.

Meanwhile, Samsung is accelerating its DRAM expansion at its Pyeongtaek campus. The company began main construction of Pyeongtaek Plant 5 (P5) in July, with the exterior structure already completed—reportedly six months ahead of schedule. Samsung is also preparing to launch construction of P5 Fab 2, previously known as Plant 6. By advancing construction of both facilities in parallel, Samsung aims to build a large-scale advanced DRAM manufacturing hub at Pyeongtaek, with combined production capacity expected to rival that of Samsung's four existing fabs, P1 through P4.

This accelerated approach marks a shift from Samsung's original plan to build P5 and P5 Fab 2 sequentially from 2028 to 2029. The company moved to parallel construction following a government request. Samsung is also working to shorten the completion timeline for six fabs in the Yongin National Industrial Complex by seven years, advancing from 2047 to 2040.