SK hynix Bets 54 Trillion Won on Yongin, Cheongju Chip Fabs

*Editor's Note: 'AI PRISM' (Personalized Report & Insight Summarizing Media) is an "AI-based customized news recommendation and summarization service" developed with support from the Korea Press Foundation. It selects and provides six customized news items by reader type.

1. 54 Trillion Won for Yongin, Cheongju Fabs...SK hynix Accelerates Mega-Investment

- Key Summary: SK hynix resolved at its board meeting to invest a total of 54.3 trillion won, including 35.2 trillion won in Yongin's Y2 and 19.1 trillion won in Cheongju's M17. Y2, following Y1 which is set to begin operations next February, will break ground next July and enter operations along with the opening of its first cleanroom in June 2029. The amount in this resolution is limited to fab construction costs, and considering the equipment installation of up to 120 trillion won to come later, more than 150 trillion won will be executed. In addition, Cheongju's M17 aims to begin construction next February and open its first cleanroom in December 2028. With a total floor area of 206,000 pyeong, it will be supplied with power and water in connection with the existing M11, M12 and M15. Meanwhile, the company decided on a cash dividend of 375 won per common share for its second-quarter dividend, and plans to unveil a shareholder return plan including additional dividends and treasury stock cancellation during the third quarter.

2. Amid Memory Shortage...Will Nvidia Cut HBM Capacity?

- Key Summary: U.S. information technology (IT) specialist media The Information reported on the 6th that Nvidia is reviewing a plan to install less HBM capacity in Rubin Ultra than originally planned. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang first unveiled Rubin Ultra at a developer conference last year and announced the installation of 1TB (terabyte) of HBM4E per GPU, but the samples currently under testing are known to have fewer stack layers and lower capacity per die, with some using HBM4, a previous-generation version. The memory capacity of some samples stands at just 192GB and 256GB, falling short of the maximum 288GB HBM4 capacity connected to Rubin. However, there are also reactions that lowering specifications could reduce prices, which could actually be an advantage for customers seeking cost savings.

3. POSCO Holdings Raises 2.5 Trillion Won by Selling Inter, DX Stakes

- Key Summary: POSCO Holdings resolved at its board meeting on the 7th to dispose of approximately 20.7% of its stake in POSCO International (047050.KS) and 15.4% of its stake in POSCO DX (022100.KQ). The disposal amounts are 2.0185 trillion won and 481.7 billion won respectively, with the scheduled disposal date being September 7. Even after the sale is complete, the stakes in the two companies will only fall to 50%, and POSCO Holdings will maintain its position as the largest shareholder. The sale will be carried out by signing price return swap (PRS, an over-the-counter derivative that settles gains and losses arising from changes in the price of the underlying asset with the counterparty) contracts with NH Investment & Securities (005940.KS), Kiwoom Securities (039490.KS) and others, and the company presented the resolution of the holding company discount and enhancement of corporate value as its purpose. Meanwhile, POSCO Group is expected to dispose of its excess stake in POSCO Future M (003670.KS) (58.2% stake) in line with its policy of optimizing the stake in listed subsidiaries at 50%, and has set a target of achieving combined revenue of 187 trillion won and operating profit of 13.1 trillion won by 2035 through the Triple Core system.

4. U.S. Solar Tariffs Block Chinese Dumping...Hanwha's 'Solar Hub' Shines

- Key Summary: U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on the 6th setting a minimum import price (MIP) on polysilicon and derivatives and imposing an additional 15% tariff. The floor prices were set at $21 per kg for polysilicon, $100 per kg for ingots and wafers, $0.22 per watt (W) for solar cells and $0.38 per W for modules, and they take effect on December 4 U.S. Eastern Time under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. While products from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the European Union (EU) have a cap set so that the combined most-favored-nation (MFN) tariff and Section 232 tariff do not exceed 15%, Chinese polysilicon, which was priced at around $5-7 per kg, would have to bear tariffs of up to 200-320% to meet the standard, so its price competitiveness has effectively disappeared, according to assessments. As a result, forecasts have emerged that Hanwha Solutions (009830.KS), which has invested more than 3 trillion won in solar hubs including its Cartersville plant in Georgia, and OCI Holdings (010060.KS), which produces polysilicon in Malaysia, will reap collateral benefits in the North American market.