The construction site and the objectives
ISCs, a South Korean company specializing in components for semiconductor testing, has begun construction of a new plant in the Songdo district of Incheon. According to the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, as cited by the source, the groundbreaking ceremony was held on November 12 at the Songdo Knowledge and Information Industrial Complex, with the participation of about 100 people, including the company's CEO, Kim Jeong-ryeol, and the head of the authority, Kim Jong-cheol. Production is scheduled to begin in 2028, while construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
The project involves two distinct but integrated functions: a research center dedicated to developing inspection technologies for next-generation semiconductors intended for artificial intelligence, and a plant for producing test sockets. These components, the source explains, connect the chip to the test equipment and make it possible to check its electrical characteristics. The co-location of research and a production line reflects the stated intention to concentrate the development of new products and their industrialization in a single place.
A 350 billion won plan
The new factory is part of a plan announced by the company last June, which calls for expanding the Songdo site and fully transferring operations there. The stated investment is about 350 billion won, intended to bring to Songdo the production facilities scattered across the country and key research and development functions. The rationale, according to the report, is to meet growing demand for testing high-performance chips by reducing fragmentation across sites.
The financial figure should be read as an announced commitment rather than spending already incurred: the material does not specify disbursement timing, financing or any public incentives. Nor does it indicate the number of employees expected at the new hub or the share of production capacity to be transferred from other plants.
Statements and industry context
During the event, CEO Kim Jeong-ryeol said that the start of construction would help strengthen research and development capabilities and expand the company's presence in overseas markets. The head of the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, Kim Jong-cheol, described the expansion as significant for consolidating the industrial base of the so-called back-end—the final stages of the semiconductor supply chain—in Incheon, adding that the authority would support the growth of companies in the sector.
On the corporate side, ISCs produces test sockets as its main business and became part of the SK group after its acquisition by SKC in October 2023. The material does not clarify which orders or customers the new plant will serve, nor whether the AI inspection technology is already at an advanced stage of development.
What remains to be verified
The picture provided by the source is limited to the announcement and the statements gathered during the ceremony. Still to be confirmed are the actual implementation timeline, any delays relative to the 2027 deadline for construction and the 2028 target for the start of production, as well as the exact composition of the investment. No details are available on permits, the plant's floor area or employment impact. The information reported here should therefore be attributed to the source and regarded as the progress status of an announced project, not as production capacity already in operation.
