South Korea Cuts EUV Equipment Approval Time to Help Samsung and SK Hynix Accelerate Capacity Expansion
Alina Collins
South Korea is cutting EUV equipment installation approvals from 34 days to 9, dropping pressure and leak tests that cost about ₩500 million per unit — clearing a bureaucratic bottleneck for Samsung and SK Hynix as they push into advanced nodes.
How much faster is the approval now?
The installation approval cycle drops from 34 days to 9 days. The 25 days saved come from eliminating one step: pressure and airtightness testing by an internationally accredited body.
The first unit inspected also saves roughly ₩500 million (about $107,800) in testing fees.
This means → an EUV tool that used to sit idle for a full month on paperwork can now go live in under two weeks.
What justifies removing those tests?
The key move is a regulatory reclassification: EUV equipment shifts from "high-pressure gas manufacturing facility" to a new "specified equipment" category, under a partial amendment to the High-Pressure Gas Safety Control Act Enforcement Decree.
In plain terms = regulators had been treating EUV tools the same as industrial high-pressure tanks in a chemical plant. Now they get their own category, governed by rules that match their actual risk profile.
The reclassification followed consultation with the semiconductor industry and a review against global safety standards — not a unilateral relaxation.
Does safety take a hit?
The new regime requires factories using EUV equipment to undergo an inspection every three years, with a comprehensive process review replacing the old unit-by-unit pressure test.
This means → safety oversight shifts from "test every piece of hardware" to "audit the entire fab process" — broader scope, fixed frequency, not a simple removal.
South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy frames the amendment as a targeted reform balancing safety with competitiveness.
What does this mean for Samsung and SK Hynix?
Industry executives say faster approvals and lighter administrative burden help both companies bring advanced equipment online sooner and keep new-node projects on schedule.
This reflects Seoul's intent to actively clear bureaucratic bottlenecks for its national champions in the global chip race.
The amendment is expected to take effect immediately once published next week.
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