SK bets big on 'AI Company' vision for leading AI memory market

Jun 29, 2026, 09:17 am

SK Group is waging an all-out war to position itself as a core player in the artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem. Anchored by SK Hynix, which is generating astronomical profits, the group is pooling its capabilities located in the United States where global Big Tech firms are concentrated. A prime example is the 'AI Company,' established for a Nasdaq listing and the creation of a local AI ecosystem. The SUPEX Pursuit Council, the group's top decision-making body, is bringing together leading domestic AI firms and encouraging solidarity, stressing, "SK cannot conquer AI alone. 'K' must stand at the center."

According to industry sources on the 28th, SK is reported to disclose a mega-scale investment plan related to the creation of a semiconductor cluster in the Honam region during a joint public-private meeting on balanced national development presided over by President Lee Jae-myung on the 29th. Observations suggest this will be a century-defining blueprint that, when combined with Samsung, nears a total of 1,000 trillion won over the next decade. Should this materialize, it effectively transforms the entire nation into a semiconductor industrial complex, expanding from the Gyeonggi and Chungcheong regions down to Honam.

The center of gravity remains, undeniably, SK Hynix. With projections indicating its second-quarter operating profits could touch the 60 trillion won range, its weight within the group is overwhelming. SK Hynix is currently mapping out detailed plans as it prepares for its American Depositary Receipt (ADR) listing scheduled for the 10th of next month. The company previously announced intentions to raise up to 45 trillion won through the issuance of new shares to fund the first fabrication plant (Fab) at the Yongin semiconductor cluster and the P&T7 advanced packaging fab in Cheongju.

SK Siltron, the semiconductor wafer manufacturer that the group decided to divest last year, is also undergoing a reevaluation despite reaching the brink of signing a contract last month with Doosan, which had been selected as the preferred bidder. It is understood that internally, the group decided to take another look, placing greater weight on the strategic asset value geared toward synergies with SK Hynix rather than the immediate cash injection from a sale. As Chairman Chey Tae-won previously stated intentions to double wafer production capacity, cautious forecasts are emerging that an outcome different from the original divestment plan may surface.

Concurrently, the 'AI Company,' established locally in the U.S. by SK Hynix last February, is preparing related businesses. The holding company SK Inc., alongside SK Innovation and SK Telecom, have already completed equity contributions into this entity. Taking the helm of the relevant sectors, the AI Company is reportedly set to roll out business plans encompassing SK Square and SK Telecom. An industry official explained, "(SK Hynix) has seized the group's future growth engine and is pushing it forward from the center," adding, "Currently, every subsidiary across the group is racing to advance its own AI initiatives."

The AI Committee under the SUPEX Pursuit Council, the group's highest consultative body, is expanding the functions of the K-AI Alliance, which originally launched in 2023. While the alliance comprised a mere 7 enterprises at its inception, it has now grown to include 50 companies spanning major sectors of AI. Alongside these member firms, SK hosted the 'Unite 2026' event in Menlo Park, Silicon Valley on the 26th (local time) and unveiled its mid-to-long-term operational strategy, K-AI Alliance 2.0.

During the event, the group declared it would evolve the platform beyond conventional networking-centered cooperation, enabling joint technology development and the acquisition of global clients in tandem with subsidiaries like SK Hynix, SKT, and SK AX. Ryu Young-sang, head of the AI Committee, emphasized, "Substantial innovation becomes possible only when the full-stack AI ecosystem is organically interconnected," adding, "Through the continuous expansion of member companies and the strengthening of our global network, we will develop this into the destination first sought out by investors and Big Tech firms alike."

Choi In-gyu

#SKT #AI