DB HiTek Runs 8-Inch Fabs Above 94 Percent While Sangwoo Expansion Slips to 2027
DB HiTek's two 8-inch foundries averaged 94.9 percent utilization in the first half of 2026, with Q2 revenue up 23 percent year-on-year to ₩414.5 billion, driven by automotive, industrial power, and AI data center orders. A planned ₩1.5 trillion expansion at its Sangwoo site has slipped roughly two years from its original end-2025 cleanroom target, now expected in the second half of 2027, as water supply negotiations with K-water remain unresolved and expansion financing has stalled amid ongoing legal proceedings involving a major shareholder. The combination of constrained supply, unresolved permitting, and uncertain public funding eligibility means the capacity gap between reported customer demand and available output is unlikely to close on the original schedule.