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Prediction Markets Get More Professional, and Harder to BeatZhipu Unveils GLM-6.0 'Fully Self-Training' Plan in HK$39.3 Billion Financing FilingAltman and Musk Back Amodei’s Call to Slow Frontier AI DevelopmentSamsung, SK hynix Reject KEPCO Proposal to Prepay Five Years of Electricity BillsNATO Disrupted Russian Arctic Exercise Involving Cable-Cutting Device, TechRadar ReportsMagSafe versus USB-C: Engadget compares MacBook charging options
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Samsung, SK hynix Reject KEPCO Proposal to Prepay Five Years of Electricity Bills

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have rejected KEPCO's proposal that they prepay five years of electricity bills, with proposed payments of 20 trillion won and 5 trillion won, respectively.

AI News Feed · 2026-09-14 10:48

KEPCO proposed that Samsung Electronics pay 20 trillion won (US$14.8 billion) and SK hynix pay 5 trillion won in advance, the sources said. The amounts were equivalent to roughly five years of electricity bills based on the companies' payments last year.

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix reportedly notified KEPCO of their decisions after conducting internal reviews and concluding that accepting the proposal would be difficult.

The decision is seen as reflecting concerns about committing such a large amount of money upfront when it is uncertain whether the semiconductor industry's current artificial intelligence (AI) boom will continue. While the proposed prepayment scheme could have helped expand power infrastructure for semiconductor clusters under construction in Yongin, just south of Seoul, and the country's southwestern Honam region, the companies appear to have opted to minimize management uncertainties for now.

KEPCO, which is debt-ridden, had total debt of 210.7 trillion won as of the end of June, with daily interest expenses reaching 11.5 billion won.

Editor's Summary

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have declined KEPCO's request to prepay about five years of electricity bills, with proposed payments of 20 trillion won and 5 trillion won, respectively. The companies weighed uncertainty over the AI-driven semiconductor boom against KEPCO's need to improve its finances and expand power infrastructure for new chip clusters. KEPCO carried 210.7 trillion won in debt as of end-June, with daily interest expenses of 11.5 billion won.