Amkor Technology Korea eyes 1 trillion won investment in Gwangju

Amkor Technology Korea, based at the Gwangju Advanced Industrial Complex, is considering a 1 trillion won ($657 million) investment at its Gwangju site, sources said.

Amkor Korea operates its headquarters and factory in Gwangju. The Gwangju factory accounts for 50 percent of the company's total production volume.

The company is reviewing plans to spend 1 trillion won to scale up its semiconductor back-end packaging line at the Gwangju factory. The project centers on adding six factory buildings on idle land within the existing site.

The Gwangju site is set for phased expansion through 2035, with additional investment also under discussion.

The push to expand the Gwangju factory is driven by a sharp recent increase in orders from TSMC, the world's largest semiconductor foundry, which has created new investment incentives for the company.

The Gwangju factory currently employs around 4,000 workers. An expansion is expected to create roughly 1,000 additional jobs.

Gwangju city officials visited the Amkor Gwangju site in March to discuss cooperation and review investment conditions.

"If the investment materializes, we expect it to give strong momentum to building a semiconductor back-end cluster and establishing a 'semiconductor packaging industry belt,'" a Gwangju city official said. "We understand that Amkor will announce the scale and timing of the investment."