20,000 Workers Descended from Across Korea: 5 Signals Samsung's Pyeongtaek P4·P5 'Schedule Crunch' Operation Sends to Korea's Semiconductor Industry
Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek Campus P4·P5 construction sites, which had halted due to oversupply in early 2024, have resumed full operations. More than 20,000 workers from across the country have been working 2 hours of overtime daily since February, pushing to shorten the construction timeline. Upon completion, production capacity for HBM4 DRAM will increase by 100,000–120,000 wafers per month.
Image Unavailable: Due to the absence of a file upload tool, no image could be attached to the Files property. Official photos of Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek Campus are available at the original Yonhap News source (https://www.yna.co.kr/view/PYH20260302013900013).
🪝 One-Line Hook
"To meet the schedule, most of us have been working 2 extra hours every day since February." — Yoon Seong-man (52), P4 site worker
Godeok-myeon in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do — once a ghost town after construction ground to a halt — is heating up again in the spring of 2026, as 20,000 workers from across the country pour in.
⚡ TL;DR
- 20,000 workers deployed daily across the simultaneous P4·P5 construction at Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek Campus; 2 hours of daily overtime in effect since February
- P4 Phase 4 targets completion this year; HBM4 (1c DRAM) production line to be expanded to 100,000–120,000 wafers/month
- P5 groundbreaking set for April 2026; triple-fab, 3-floor structure expected to deliver 50–70% higher productivity than P4
- Local commerce is recovering — restaurants and convenience stores in Godeok-dong show rebounding sales
- Directly linked to Korea's 160% semiconductor export surge in February; the frontline of the AI memory leadership race
📋 Full Coverage
1. The Facts: What Happened
In early 2024, global semiconductor oversupply brought Samsung Electronics' P4·P5 construction at Pyeongtaek to a large-scale halt. The on-site workforce, which had been 70,000–80,000 at its peak, plunged to around 10,000, and vacancy rates in nearby Godeok-dong commercial districts surged.
But the explosive growth of AI demand and the rapid rise of HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) changed the landscape. As of February 2026, Samsung has restarted simultaneous P4·P5 construction, deploying more than 20,000 workers daily. Site personnel say "most have been working 2 hours of overtime since February."
- P4: Exterior essentially complete; Phase 4 finish work underway. Some lines already operational.
- P5: Foundation stage; groundbreaking scheduled for April 2026. 3-floor, 6-cleanroom structure (equivalent to 20 football fields).
2. Why It's Going Viral Now
The keyword "Samsung P4 workers clocking out" reaching #2 on real-time search charts isn't simply about a photo news story. Behind it lies the public's desire to witness a visible signal of the semiconductor industry's comeback.
- A 500-meter queue of workers arriving from 4 AM went viral on social media and online communities
- Reflects national interest in and pride for Samsung semiconductors as a "bread-and-butter industry"
- Comes right after Korea's all-time record February exports of $67.5 billion, with semiconductors alone surging 161%, making the context all the more resonant
3. Context: Why This Factory, Why Now
HBM4 is the key. HBM4, a core component for AI servers, will be integrated into next-generation GPUs from NVIDIA and AMD. With SK Hynix having taken the lead in HBM3, Samsung is expanding 1c DRAM-based HBM4 production lines at P4 to close the gap.
- Production target: Securing P4 capacity of 100,000–120,000 wafers/month by Q1 next year
- DRAM production capacity increase: Expected to rise by at least 15%
- Upon P5 completion: 50–70% higher productivity than P4; set to become the world's largest fab
From foundation work to the installation of EUV lithography equipment, the 'semiconductor speed war' is writing the story of Pyeongtaek's spring.
4. Stakeholders: Who's Involved
| Party | Role / Impact |
|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics | Leading HBM4 production; targeting recapture of AI memory market |
| 20,000 subcontract workers | Gathered from across the country; working overtime; ongoing safety concerns |
| Pyeongtaek City / Godeok-dong commerce | Foot traffic recovering; restaurants and real estate rebounding |
| ASML | Supplying High-NA EUV equipment worth approximately ₩1 trillion |
| NVIDIA / AMD | Key HBM4 customers; watching closely for Samsung's return |
5. Outlook: How Long Will This Last?
- Near-term (~Q2 2026): P4 Phase 4 construction complete → HBM4 trial production expected to begin
- Mid-term (Q3 2026~Q1 2027): HBM4 mass production exceeding 100,000 wafers/month; full competition with SK Hynix
- Long-term (2027~): Upon P5 completion, Samsung's DRAM production capacity recovers to world-leading levels
- Risks: Renewed concerns over subcontractor worker safety accidents (a fatal fall occurred at P4 in 2025); industrial accident risk due to schedule compression
6. Secondary Issues: Derivative Debates
- Local economic trickle-down: Sales at restaurants and lodging in Pyeongtaek's Godeok and Jinwi areas rebounding; real estate transactions also recovering
- Industrial safety: Schedule compression → forced overtime → growing controversy over labor rights and industrial accident risk
- Semiconductor leadership: If Samsung closes the gap on SK Hynix with HBM4, a dual-competition structure within Korea's semiconductor industry takes shape
- P6 outlook: P6 is already planned after P4·P5, meaning Pyeongtaek Campus could become the central pillar of global semiconductor supply for the next decade
✅ Checklist: Who Should Be Watching This
🔗 References
- Yonhap News Reportage — "Working overtime every day to meet the deadline"… Samsung Semiconductor's 'Pyeongtaek Spring'
- Chosun Ilbo — Pyeongtaek's dawn is as bright as midday… 500-meter commute line in front of the semiconductor plant
- Digital Daily — Samsung Electronics accelerates P4·P5 construction [Semiconductor Radar]
- Nocut News Reportage — Samsung Semiconductor's future… Visiting the 'HBM new factory' construction site
🖼 Image Source
- Hero image: External URL embed not possible due to absence of file upload tool. Refer to Yonhap News original photo: https://www.yna.co.kr/view/PYH20260302013900013