SK Inc., SK Group's holding company, said Tuesday it will spend about 400 billion won ($271 million) to raise its stake in SK Ecoplant, betting on the construction arm’s growing role in the group’s semiconductor value chain.
In a regulatory filing, the company said its board approved the purchase of common shares and a portion of convertible preferred shares in SK Ecoplant currently held by financial investors. The deal will lift SK Inc.’s stake in the affiliate to 71.2 percent from 66.7 percent.
SK Ecoplant also began procedures that day to convene an extraordinary shareholders' meeting as part of its plan to acquire the remaining convertible preferred shares worth about 650 billion won.
SK Inc. said the decision was based on SK Ecoplant’s portfolio rebalancing, led by its expansion into semiconductor and artificial intelligence infrastructure businesses.
SK Ecoplant has strengthened its position in the group’s semiconductor value chain through a series of acquisitions and business reorganizations.
In 2024, the company brought Essencore and SK Airplus under its wing. In 2025, it added four semiconductor materials companies: SK Trichem, SK Resonac, SK Materials JNC and SK Materials Performance.
The company has also expanded beyond its existing engineering, procurement and construction business for semiconductor production facilities into AI data centers. Its business now also covers key semiconductor materials and resource circulation.
The restructuring helped lift SK Ecoplant’s earnings last year. Its consolidated revenue rose 40 percent on-year to 12.19 trillion won, from 8.73 trillion won a year earlier. Operating profit also climbed 40 percent to 315.9 billion won from 226.1 billion won.
SK Inc. said the investment will increase its stake in SK Ecoplant, one of its key unlisted portfolio companies, and support its broader value-up strategy. The company expects SK Ecoplant’s growing role in the group’s semiconductor value chain to feed into its own valuation.
“We will continue to rebalance its portfolio as SK Group’s holding company, with a focus on semiconductors, AI infrastructure and energy solutions, to enhance corporate value,” an SK Inc. official said.
yeeun@heraldcorp.com
