SK hynix has committed 100 trillion won, roughly $65 billion at current exchange rates, to new facilities in South Korea: 80 trillion won for a NAND flash plant targeted for 2029 and 20 trillion won for an advanced packaging facility in Cheongju expected online by late 2027. This move sits inside a larger national push that includes Samsung, with the pair and the government directing hundreds of billions toward memory expansion to chase AI demand. The plants will focus on storage and packaging rather than immediately flooding the DRAM market that still leaves system builders and consumers staring at elevated prices.

The broader memory shortage shows no sign of easing soon. Samsung and SK hynix have signaled they will restrain capacity growth to avoid oversupply, with analysts noting demand for DRAM and HBM remaining well ahead of supply through at least 2028. Long-term contracts, including a multi-year $2 billion NAND deal signed by Biwin, indicate buyers expect pricing pressure to persist. A former Samsung executive has floated the possibility of relief by the second half of 2028 if Chinese capacity ramps, but even then price normalization is not guaranteed.

The investment is substantial on paper, yet the timeline and allocation leave the near-term outlook for affordable RAM unchanged. South Korea aims to double its memory production capacity within five years, but the immediate effect on PC builders, console makers, and game developers remains a distant prospect amid ongoing tightness.