SK Group Chairman says memory chip shortage will “continue until 2030” and Hynix is ​​considering listing on U.S. stocks

# Zhao Ying

Source: Wall Street CN

**SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won Warns Global Wafer Shortage to Last Until 2030, Gap May Exceed 20%**

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has warned that the global chip wafer shortage will persist until 2030, with the deficit potentially exceeding 20%. HBM consumes massive amounts of wafers, and new capacity will take at least 4 to 5 years to come online. As NVIDIA’s largest HBM supplier, SK Hynix is simultaneously evaluating a US ADR listing and preparing a new plan to stabilize DRAM prices — moves that are being closely watched across the entire AI industrial chain.

The global shortage of chip wafers is unlikely to ease in the near term, as AI-driven demand continues to outstrip supply.

Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, said on Monday that the global chip wafer shortage is expected to **last until 2030**, with the shortfall potentially **surpassing 20%**.

At the same time, he revealed that **SK Hynix is assessing the possibility of listing American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) in the US** to broaden its global investor base.

The comments come as SK Hynix, a key supplier of High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) to NVIDIA, sits at the center of the AI chip demand boom. Chey also hinted that the company’s CEO will soon announce a **new plan to stabilize DRAM prices**, drawing strong market attention.

### Wafer Shortage to Last Until 2030, 20% Gap Looms

Chey explained during an interview with reporters in San Jose, California, on the sidelines of NVIDIA’s GTC conference that HBM production is extremely wafer-intensive, and building new capacity requires a lead time of **at least four to five years** — the fundamental reason the shortage cannot be resolved quickly.

“AI actually requires a huge amount of HBM, and producing HBM necessarily consumes a large number of wafers,” Chey said.

“We need time to expand wafer capacity — at least four to five years. The current shortage could last until 2030, and we expect the wafer deficit to exceed 20%.”

According to Counterpoint data, SK Hynix holds a **57% market share in HBM**, ranking first globally, and is the world’s second-largest DRAM supplier with a 32% share.

Against the backdrop of expanding AI computing demand, the wafer supply bottleneck cannot be ignored for the entire industrial chain.

On stabilizing DRAM prices, Chey said the company is formulating relevant strategies but did not disclose details, only noting that the CEO will announce the new plan at an appropriate time.

He also mentioned that tensions in the Middle East have pushed up energy prices, and the group is actively seeking alternative energy sources to manage cost pressures.

### SK Hynix Evaluates US ADR Listing; US Expansion Faces Multiple Constraints

Chey stated that SK Hynix is studying the feasibility of issuing ADRs in the United States.

He noted that the move would help expand the company’s shareholder base from South Korea to US and international investors, thereby enhancing its global influence.

On expanding production in the US, Chey adopted a cautious stance.

He said that building chip fabs overseas requires sufficient electricity, water, construction conditions, and engineering talent — resources that cannot be rapidly deployed on demand.

He stressed that the company’s production focus remains in South Korea.

Although many of SK Hynix’s customers are based in the US, Chey’s comments suggest that large-scale US fab expansion is unlikely in the near term, with capacity expansion constrained by practical factors such as infrastructure and talent.

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