SK Hynix CEO Says Memory Shortage Will Last Until End of 2030
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.