South Korea adds HBM manufacturing know-how to national core technology list, tightening overseas transfers

South Korea has classified key high bandwidth memory processes as national core technology, expanding government control over overseas transfers of advanced DRAM stacking and through silicon via know-how. The move, published in a government notice this week, adds HBM specific process flows and equipment integration to a protected list that already covers cutting edge semiconductor production. It tightens scrutiny of cross border licensing, joint ventures, and foreign acquisitions that touch these technologies.

The timing matters because HBM has become the bottleneck component for AI servers, and Korean suppliers dominate the market. TrendForce has forecast HBM to exceed 20 percent of global DRAM revenue by 2026, with SK Hynix holding more than half of shipments and Samsung Electronics accelerating HBM3E qualifications to close the gap.

What changed Under the Industrial Technology Protection Act, technologies on the national core list require government approval before being transferred abroad, including through M&A or researcher hiring. Violations can trigger criminal penalties and civil damages. The new language singles out wafer level stacking, TSV bonding, and thermal management steps that determine HBM yield and performance, according to the notice and supporting materials reviewed in Korean.

Korea has updated the list as prosecutors and regulators step up enforcement against outbound leaks. Courts have handled multiple cases since 2023 involving alleged attempts to take DRAM and display trade secrets to Chinese backed ventures. The tighter designation raises the bar for overseas partnerships that involve engineers or process recipes tied to HBM lines in Icheon and Cheongju for SK Hynix and Giheung and Pyeongtaek for Samsung.

Why it matters for AI supply chains The change intersects with United States export controls on AI chips and with corporate plans to diversify packaging and testing. SK Hynix is building an advanced packaging and R&D site in Indiana, and Amkor and other OSATs are expanding capacity in Vietnam and Malaysia. Any transfer of Korea developed HBM process IP into those facilities will now face additional Korean approval steps, adding lead time but clarifying compliance for customers like Nvidia, AMD, and cloud providers.

For global technology leaders, the designation signals that key AI memory know-how is being ring fenced at the national level. That will shape where the next wave of HBM capacity is located, how quickly non Korean sites ramp yield, and how platform companies structure supply guarantees as demand for AI servers continues to outpace general compute.