Hanmi Semiconductor will invest 130 billion won ($94 million) to build out an eighth plant in Incheon's Juan National Industrial Complex as demand increases for AI semiconductor packaging equipment. The company said it will buy a 6,230-pyeong, or about 20,600-square-meter, factory from Mercury for 56 billion won and remodel it into its largest plant by floor area, with mass production scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2027. The facility will produce thermal compression bonders and hybrid bonders for high-bandwidth memory, 2.5D packaging equipment for AI chips, and BOC and COB equipment for high-performance memory. Hanmi said the expansion, alongside its seventh plant dedicated to hybrid bonders and due for completion in the first half of 2027, will raise total production-line floor area to 34,318 pyeong and help it secure capacity ahead of customer demand.