Amkor Korea starts Gwangju plant expansion with 3 trillion won investment

Amkor Technology Korea held a groundbreaking ceremony on 19 October for the expansion of its Gwangju plant. At the ceremony the company announced that it will invest a total of 3 trillion won through 2031 and hire about 2,000 people. Yonhap, citing the Ministry of Industry and Trade, reported that the plan covers an expansion of the Gwangju post-process production line. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 8 ]

The figures are 2 trillion won and about 1,000 jobs above the original plan, according to Newsis, Asia Economy, Yonhap and Hankook Ilbo. Kukmin Ilbo, Asia Economy and Korea Economic Daily said the plan announced on 30 June was for 1 trillion won, so the investment has tripled. Kukmin Ilbo said that announcement was made at the south-west advanced industry vision report meeting chaired by President Lee Jae-myung. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 12 ]

The new plant will make advanced packaging products for AI and high-performance computing. Newsis, Yonhap and Kukmin Ilbo said the target is to complete two buildings in the second half of 2027 and two in the first half of 2028 and to start mass production. Newsis and Korea Economic Daily said the expansion has three phases, with one building each in the first two and two buildings in the third. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 12 ]

Lee Min-woo, head of the industrial growth office at the ministry, attended along with Jeonnam-Gwangju Mayor Min Hyung-bae and Amkor Korea chief executive Lee Jin-an (이진안). Lee Min-woo said the groundbreaking was the first signal that south-west semiconductor investment is moving from plan to site. Mayor Min called it the first implementation of the region's semiconductor megaproject. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 8 ]

Yonhap said Amkor is headquartered in the United States, had revenue of about 9 trillion won last year and operates more than 20 sites in eight countries. Its Korean unit employs about 8,400 people at three sites. A ministry official told Yonhap the investment was significant because it was a decision to invest domestically amid competition with overseas production bases. Newsis, Kukmin Ilbo and Korea Economic Daily said it is expected to be the largest single investment by a foreign-invested company in Korea since the plant was set up in 1999. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 12 ]

Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City said it formed a company support task force to review water, sewage, power and permit matters. On the wastewater problem, Korea Economic Daily reported that the city agreed with Jangseong County to use the Jangseong public wastewater plant, signing an agreement on 18 September, two days after the company's request. On 20 October the city said it would expand that facility, with a target of June 2028. [ 4 , 5 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]

Yonhap and Korea Economic Daily said the expansion fits with the plan for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix fabs in the Honam semiconductor cluster. Korea Economic Daily added that actual production links between companies depend on future business plans and contracts. Democratic Party chair Ahn Do-geol, who attended, said the investment was the fruit of local unity and promised legislative and budget support. [ 3 , 6 , 10 , 12 ]