Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix internally reviewed the proposal to prepay 25 trillion won of electricity fees for five years, reached an inconclusive conclusion, and Hanwha Energy communicated this stance. The semiconductor industry had been experiencing high inflation since mid‑last year, but whether it would continue at that level for the next five years is uncertain; thus, paying large costs in advance could impose significant burden, so the prepayment plan was rejected.
The electricity company expressed that through the proposed prepayment, it could reduce additional debt issuance and secure funds needed for power network investment. Though explaining that prepaying 25 trillion won of electricity fees at once would create a heavy burden on the medium‑term economic strategy, there were also opinions that prepayment could aid in building the electricity infrastructure; both parties adopted a stance to minimize economic uncertainty.
Hanwha Energy proposed that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix each pay about 20 trillion won and 5 trillion won of electricity fees in advance respectively, based on the amounts paid by those companies last year. Hanwha explained that it would invest the prepaid amount into national power network expansion. At present, Hanwha’s total debt was 210 trillion won, with 115 trillion won attributable to this. The government had also expanded its debt issuance limit up to five times of the previous combined capital and revenue, effective until the end of next year.