South Korea Approves Bill to Ease Semiconductor Foundry Investment, Enabling SK Hynix to Benchmark Intel's SCIP Model

According to industry sources on July 15, South Korea's parliament approved amendments to special legislation allowing financial investors to hold 50% stakes in semiconductor foundries, down from the current 100% requirement. The change targets SK Hynix, a holding company subsidiary, which plans to invest approximately 400 trillion won (roughly $300 billion) in constructing a semiconductor cluster in the Honam region. By introducing financial investors as co-investors, SK Hynix can reduce its financial burden while enabling asset managers to participate in memory chip profits through special-purpose entities.

The model mirrors Intel's Semiconductor Co-Investment Program (SCIP). In August 2022, Intel partnered with Brookfield Asset Management to jointly invest up to $30 billion in Arizona foundries, with Intel retaining 51% control. Apollo later acquired a 49% stake in Intel's Irish Fab 34 in June 2024 for $11 billion, subsequently reselling the stake in April 2026 for $14.2 billion, realizing substantial gains.