On September 28, 2026, Chinese media outlet Zhongxin Jingwei reported that, against the backdrop of a surging demand for high-performance memory for artificial intelligence (AI), South Korea's Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are rushing to strengthen their production systems. According to Zhongxin Jingwei, citing a report from IT media ZDNet, Samsung Electronics is accelerating the construction of its first mass production line (Ph1) at its 5th Campus (P5) in Pyeongtaek City, South Korea. It is reportedly in discussions with major manufacturing equipment makers to move forward the equipment delivery to Ph1 from the originally scheduled Q3 2027 to Q2. P5 is Samsung Electronics' next-generation semiconductor production base, aiming for operation in 2028. This acceleration comes amid a sharp increase in demand for high-value-added DRAM and NAND flash memory in the AI sector and is seen as a sign of Samsung's intention to secure production capacity early. Meanwhile, Zhongxin Jingwei, citing a report from South Korean media SME Daily, reported that SK Hynix has commenced foundation work for the construction of a memory semiconductor factory in Japan's Tohoku region. According to sources, it is currently unclear whether the factory is solely for SK Hynix or a joint venture with Japanese semiconductor giant Kioxia, but "infrastructure development has already begun." About a month ago, SK Hynix stated that the construction of a memory semiconductor factory in Japan was "under review" and "no concrete decision had been made." If the report is true, the article points out that the actions of both companies indicate that the "factory construction race" among memory semiconductor companies is further accelerating.