SK Hynix IncProposed bill eases joint venture rules, enabling SK Hynix to attract external capital for expansion.
South Korea's ruling Democratic Party has submitted a bill to amend the law, making it easier for semiconductor giant SK Hynix to establish joint ventures with outside investors. Under current law, a subsidiary of a subsidiary is prohibited from setting up a joint venture, but if the amendment passes, SK Hynix will be able to attract external capital for new factories as long as it retains at least a 50 percent stake. The law mainly affects SK Hynix, which raised 26.5 billion dollars through a US listing last week but is seen as needing significantly more funds for its aggressive semiconductor expansion plans. As the South Korean government unveils plans to build a new semiconductor production hub in the southwest, SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics have each pledged investments of 400 trillion won. The amendment also plans to require new entities to locate their headquarters or main operations outside the Seoul metropolitan area.
SK Hynix IncProposed bill eases joint venture rules, enabling SK Hynix to attract external capital for expansion.
Samsung Electronics Co LtdSamsung is mentioned as also pledging investment in the semiconductor hub, but the bill primarily targets SK Hynix.