SK siltron’s Gumi 1 plant in Gumi, North GyeongsangSK SILTRON
Doosan Group will acquire SK siltron, the semiconductor wafer manufacturing subsidiary of SK Group, in a deal worth about 2.3 trillion won ($1.6 billion).
SK Inc. announced on Friday that its board approved a stock purchase agreement to sell its entire 70.6 percent stake in SK siltron to Doosan. The sale includes SK Inc.'s 51 percent equity stake and an additional 19.6 percent interest held through a total return swap agreement.
The purchase price, estimated at 2.3 trillion won, will be finalized through post-closing purchase price adjustment. Once the transaction closes, Doosan will acquire management control of SK siltron from SK Inc.
Separately, Doosan plans to negotiate the purchase of the remaining 29.4 percent stake in SK siltron held personally by SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won.
Founded in 1983, SK siltron is Korea's only semiconductor wafer manufacturer and the world's third-largest supplier of 12-inch silicon wafers by market share.
SK siltron posted revenue of 2 trillion won and operating profit of 400 billion won in 2025.
Semiconductor wafers are thin circular discs that serve as the substrate for integrated circuits and are considered one of the industry's core materials.
Every step of the front-end manufacturing process is performed on the wafer's surface, which makes wafer quality a critical factor in semiconductor production yields.
Because wafer manufacturing requires sophisticated technology and strict quality control, it is considered a high-value-added materials business with high barriers to entry.
A visitor walks past SK hynix's V9 2Tb QLC wafer on display at the company's exhibition booth in CES 2026 in Las Vegas on Jan. 8.NEWS1
The global silicon wafer market is also highly concentrated, with five companies — including SK siltron — accounting for more than 90 percent of global market share.
SK put the wafer manufacturer up for sale as part of its broader business rebalancing strategy aimed at focusing resources on its core businesses. SK Inc. selected Doosan as the preferred bidder in December 2025 after evaluating the company's growth prospects, employment stability and acquisition terms.
The acquisition will allow Doosan to build an integrated semiconductor value chain spanning wafer production, substrate materials, back-end testing and automation solutions.
Doosan already produces copper-clad laminates, a key material used in AI accelerators, through its electronics materials division, Doosan Corporation Electro-Materials. The group also owns Doosan Tesna, Korea's leading company in wafer testing for back-end semiconductor manufacturing.
SK Group headquarters in Jongno District, central SeoulNEWS1
Once the acquisition of SK siltron is completed, Doosan will add semiconductor wafer manufacturing to its portfolio. The acquisition will enable Doosan to provide customers such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix with a one-stop solution spanning wafer manufacturing, printed circuit board materials and final semiconductor testing, completing an integrated semiconductor value chain.
Doosan expects SK siltron's wafer business to grow at an average annual rate of more than 7 percent and has set a revenue target of about 3 trillion won for SK siltron by 2031.
"This acquisition gives Doosan a new growth engine while also establishing a sustainable earnings base," a Doosan representative said. "SK siltron will not be listed, and Doosan will continue working to enhance shareholder value by building on a stable business portfolio."
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
