SK Hynix CEO Says Memory Shortage Will Last Until End of 2030
The shortage is already showing up in consumer hardware prices, with Microsoft raising Xbox Series prices in Japan by 30,000 yen, and a Miyagi factory would be the first large-scale South Korean semiconductor investment in Japan.
Key Facts
- SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-Jung said on August 27 that the semiconductor memory supply shortage will last until the end of 2030.
- Samsung Electronics said the memory shortage will worsen in 2027 and not be resolved until 2028, while Micron Technology predicts it will continue at least until 2027.
- Microsoft raised prices on all Xbox Series models in Japan by 30,000 yen starting August 1.
- The Hankyoreh reported on August 21 that SK Hynix may build a memory factory in Miyagi Prefecture with an investment of tens of trillions of won.
- SK Hynix held a ceremony in Indiana, USA on August 27 for a facility producing the HBM4E high-bandwidth memory product.
Reporting from 2 sources: GameBusiness.jp, Game Spark.
SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-Jung said on August 27 that the semiconductor memory supply shortage will continue until the end of 2030. He spoke at a press conference after a ceremony in Indiana, USA, for a facility producing the next-generation high-bandwidth memory product HBM4E. Kwak said there are no signs of the memory market turning to oversupply, and that even if AI demand settles, it will be a gradual slowdown rather than a sharp decline. In July, Kwak had predicted the memory industry would face its worst supply shortage in 2027, with customer demand exceeding supply capacity even after 2030. Samsung Electronics has said the shortage will worsen in 2027 and not be resolved until 2028, while Micron Technology predicts the shortage will continue at least until 2027. Separately, the South Korean newspaper Hankyoreh reported on August 21 that SK Hynix may build a memory factory in Miyagi Prefecture, investing tens of trillions of won. SK Hynix said nothing has been decided, adding that any location with the necessary infrastructure could be a candidate. Miyagi Governor Yoshihiro Murai said the prefecture has no information on the matter.
The shortage has already reached consumer hardware. Microsoft raised prices on every Xbox Series model in Japan by 30,000 yen starting August 1, and Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said the next-generation console Project Helix requires consideration of how memory and storage are used, which components are adopted, and price per unit. Sony and Nintendo also raised console prices in 2026.
On the production side, the Hankyoreh report on August 21 said SK Hynix may invest tens of trillions of won in a Miyagi Prefecture memory factory, which would be the first large-scale investment by a South Korean semiconductor maker establishing a production base in Japan. SK Hynix responded that nothing has been decided but any location with the necessary infrastructure could be a candidate, according to Reuters. Miyagi Governor Yoshihiro Murai acknowledged he has approached semiconductor-related companies but said the prefecture has no information.
The Japan-Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry summit opened in Sendai on August 31, with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who controls SK Hynix, attending from the South Korean side, drawing attention to the possible factory construction.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.