SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won revealed that he is reviewing ways to build a new memory semiconductor factory in Japan. He also cited cooperation with Kioxia, a Japanese NAND flash manufacturer in which SK Hynix (000660) holds stakes, as "one of the options." He also mentioned the possibility of presenting specific investment plans within the year.
Chairman Choi made these remarks in an interview with Japan's Asahi Shimbun on the 2nd. He expressed the view that cooperation could be achieved in joint production and R&D, supply chain sharing, and more, saying "Kioxia is a company with many strengths." However, he also said, "If we can no longer establish any cooperative relationships, we will end our investment in Kioxia."
SK Hynix has a unique relationship with Kioxia. It is a competitor vying for global market dominance in NAND flash manufacturing, and is also the largest shareholder making indirect investments in Kioxia through convertible bonds (CB).
The exemplary case Chairman Choi cited is the cooperative relationship between US SanDisk and Kioxia. Kioxia has established a joint venture with SanDisk and is jointly producing flagship products. SanDisk is a strategic ally that plays a key role in the development of 10th generation NAND. Chairman Choi, citing this as an example, said, "If SK Hynix is included in Kioxia's future strategy, we are ready to be a partner at any time."
=====================================
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ He's threatening Korea by saying he'll build a factory in Japan, and threatening Japan with his Kioxia stake - quite the brilliant move
▶ Original source: https://news.nate.com/view/20260902n09647
