KEPCO Seeks 25 Trillion Won Upfront From Samsung, SK Hynix for Power Grid

Korea Electric Power Corp. is under pressure to expand the country’s grid as artificial-intelligence data centers and semiconductor clusters drive a sharp increase in electricity demand. Timely connections are critical for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, whose planned chip facilities could face commissioning and production delays if transmission infrastructure fails to keep pace, potentially weakening South Korea’s position in the global semiconductor market.

KEPCO is considering asking Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to prepay a combined 25 trillion won in electricity charges covering the next five years. The proposal would give the state-run utility earlier access to funding for grid construction while reducing the risk that power bottlenecks delay new semiconductor capacity. The payment schedule, allocation between the two chipmakers and final terms have yet to be confirmed through negotiations.