Lee Jae-yong directs HBM fabs to Cheonan, Onyang and robots to Gumi - CHOSUNBIZ - Chosunbiz

South Korean government official Lee Jae-yong has directed the relocation of HBM chip fabrication facilities to Cheonan and Onyang, while also shifting robotics production to Gumi. This move underscor... Read original →

South Korea’s strategic clustering of HBM fabs in Cheonan/Onyang and robotics in Gumi reflects a supply chain redesign driven by geopolitical risk calculus. This move accelerates EUV adoption in advanced memory, forcing equipment vendors like ASML to localize support, while intensifying co-design demands between HBM and AI accelerators—potentially eroding Taiwan, China’s CoWoS packaging lead. Although industrial concentration bolsters short-term resilience, it inflates operational costs in land, power, and talent, straining Samsung and SK Hynix’s margins. TSMC will likely expedite HBM capacity in Arizona and Kumamoto, while NVIDIA diversifies GB200 sourcing to mitigate regional overexposure. Within 18 months, the global HBM landscape will bifurcate: Korean players dominate volume efficiency, while non-Korean ecosystems prioritize heterogeneous integration innovation, igniting a fierce battle for technical standard-setting supremacy.