This article was displayed on the ChosunBiz MoneyMove (MM) site at 4:58 p.m. on Jun. 8, 2026.
There is an outlook that the decision on whether to sell management control of SK Siltron of SK Group will be made around midmonth. After setting the direction at the SK Group "New Icheon Forum" on the 11th, there is speculation that the board of directors will make the final decision on whether to sell.
According to the investment banking (IB) industry and business circles on the 8th, SK Inc. and Doosan canceled an extraordinary board meeting that had been scheduled for May 28. The board had been set to take up the main sale and purchase agreement (SPA) agenda for the SK Siltron sale.
In the industry, it is believed that the decision on whether to sell SK Siltron will be finalized around the SK Group "New Icheon Forum" scheduled for the 11th. After the New Icheon Forum ends, there is speculation that the two companies will convene their boards again around the 15th to make a final decision on the sale.
The New Icheon Forum is an event that combines SK Group's first-half strategy meeting, previously held separately each year, and the knowledge management platform Icheon Forum. This year, it will be held from Jun. 11 to 13 at the SKMS Research Institute in Icheon, Gyeonggi. At this New Icheon Forum, it is known that the results of the rebalancing that SK Group has been pursuing will be discussed as a major topic and announced.
The reason the smoothly proceeding SK Siltron sale was put on hold is seen as SK Group's commitment to strengthening its artificial intelligence (AI) value chain. Because SK Siltron produces wafers, a basic semiconductor material, the view is that keeping it rather than selling would create synergy with SK hynix and others. This concern was raised when the sale was first pursued, and it is believed to have recently gained more traction.
SK Siltron, which produces wafers, the raw substrate for semiconductors, ranks third globally in market share (based on 12-inch wafers). In 2017, SK Inc. acquired a total 70.6%—51% equity in LG Siltron, an LG Group affiliate, and 19.6% from financial investors (FI)—for about 790 billion won. At the time, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won personally bought the remaining 29.4% equity.
The subject of the transaction under discussion between SK Group and Doosan is the 70.6% consisting of SK Inc.'s 51% equity in SK Siltron and 19.6% under a total return swap (TRS) contract. Doosan was selected as the preferred bidder in Dec. last year and has continued negotiations. The acquisition size being discussed in the industry is about 5 trillion won (EV basis). Doosan is reportedly seeking to acquire all of the equity held by Chairman Chey as well.
If Doosan Group acquires SK Siltron, it will be able to strengthen its semiconductor business portfolio. Doosan entered the semiconductor business by acquiring DOOSAN TESNA, a back-end semiconductor testing company, in 2022. Analysts say that if the electronic BG's copper-clad laminate (CCL) business, the robotics and automation institutional sector, and SK Siltron's wafer business are combined, the group would establish a value chain spanning from semiconductor materials to back-end testing and automation solutions.