SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won stated that SK Hynix's US ADR listing enables capital access, global talent acquisition, and governance reform in an interview with SixFive Media published the day before. Chey emphasized the listing allows SK Hynix to transition from a Korean company to a global enterprise with restructured governance systems accommodating US shareholders. He outlined plans for approximately 1000 trillion won in AI infrastructure investment to build 15GW datacenter capacity, stating AI's high costs necessitate large-scale investment despite initial underestimation of required funding scale.
SK Hynix ADR Listing Enables Talent Acquisition and Governance Reform
Chey evaluated the ADR listing's significance across three dimensions: securing financial options, improving management structure, and expanding investment opportunities. "Because stocks are now traded not only in Korea but also in the United States, we can attract new talent and create new opportunities using stocks," Chey stated. He added that with US shareholders newly participating, the governance system has been reorganized, enabling SK Hynix to advance as a global company rather than simply a Korean company with an appropriate new governance system. Chey further noted the listing allows expansion of US-based R&D, access to various AI startups, and investment expansion beyond high-end memory into AI and energy sectors.
SK Group Plans 1000 Trillion Won AI Datacenter Investment
Chey introduced the government's three mega-projects initiative, which includes plans to invest approximately 1000 trillion won to construct AI datacenters with total capacity of 15GW in phases. "We are focusing on creating new AI datacenters that operate at lower costs while generating tokens more efficiently, and we are talking with all partners about this," Chey stated. He added, "When we first established the $1 trillion investment plan, I did not anticipate it would reach this scale, but AI made it possible because AI requires very high costs and datacenters of a certain scale or larger." Chey argued that current AI costs are too high, requiring collaborative technological breakthroughs to reduce expenses, noting that semiconductor prices are currently too high with insufficient supply creating significant burden, while supply capacity expansion requires lead time making immediate resolution impossible.
Chey Identifies Geopolitical Risk and Funding as Key Concerns
When asked about primary concerns over the next five years—the target period for doubling memory production capacity—Chey identified geopolitical risk as the foremost issue. "Sudden events can stimulate energy prices, and unexpected occurrences during AI development could cause loss of growth momentum even for short periods," Chey responded. He emphasized funding as the second concern, stating "If sufficient capital is not invested, we could lose the current tremendous momentum." Chey attributed SK Group's position as a global AI industry leader to challenging adversity, recalling his father's principle taught when Chey became chairman at age 37: "You face many crises in life, but you must not avoid them—you must challenge them." He stated, "I don't like risk, but if I judge that a challenge is necessary, I take it on. SK Hynix has challenged the memory business for nearly 15 years and has transformed memory manufacturing, once considered a commodity product, into today's strategic industry."
FAQ
What did SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won say about the SK Hynix US ADR listing?
Chey stated the ADR listing is significant in three aspects: securing financial options, improving management structure, and expanding investment opportunities. He emphasized it enables new talent acquisition, governance system reorganization to accommodate US shareholders, and transition from a Korean company to a global enterprise.
How much does SK Group plan to invest in AI datacenter infrastructure?
Chey introduced plans to invest approximately 1000 trillion won to construct AI datacenters with total 15GW capacity in phases as part of the government's three mega-projects initiative. He stated the investment scale became necessary because AI requires very high costs and large-scale datacenters.
