News
Oct 2026 · 4 min
SK named former energy vice minister Jung Seung-il CEO of SK Innovation, and Samsung hired ex-vice minister Choi Nam-ho as an adviser on power for its chip clusters.
Short answer: Korea's 2 biggest chip groups are hiring former energy policymakers to secure electricity for their fabs. On October 30, 2026, SK named Jung Seung-il, a former vice minister of trade, industry and energy, as CEO of SK Innovation. Samsung hired Choi Nam-ho, a former second vice minister for energy, as an adviser to its think tank, after an ethics review cleared him on October 29 (Seoul Economic Daily).
AI demand is driving up the power needs of semiconductor clusters. Choi is expected to help build a stable power supply for Samsung's Yongin complex and its Gwangju cluster, where Samsung has announced 400 trillion won in investment. Jung will lead SK Innovation's shift from oil toward an integrated power business.
