South Korean textile and apparel giant Youngone Corporation is moving to strengthen its global textile manufacturing capabilities through a reported memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South Korean machinery manufacturer Sam Sung Machinery, under which Youngone will acquire 180 circular knitting machines over the next two years.
The reported contract is valued at approximately ₩10 billion (about US$7.1 million) and represents a significant investment in Youngone’s knitting capacity as the company continues to expand its vertically integrated manufacturing network across multiple production markets.
The machines are expected to be deployed at Youngone’s textile operations in Uzbekistan, India and Kenya, where the company is building or expanding manufacturing capabilities. The investment is aimed at increasing production efficiency, improving fabric consistency and strengthening the reliability of Youngone’s machinery and equipment supply chain.
The move comes as Youngone accelerates its strategy of bringing more textile processes closer to its garment-manufacturing operations. The company’s manufacturing footprint currently spans Bangladesh, Vietnam, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Uzbekistan and India, while Kenya has also been added to its manufacturing network.
Youngone’s 2024 sustainability report identifies the establishment of Youngone Kenya (EPZ) Ltd. in 2025, alongside its existing manufacturing operations in several major apparel-producing countries.
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Circular knitting technology is particularly important for Youngone’s performance-apparel business. Unlike woven fabric production, circular knitting creates fabric through continuous loop formation, allowing manufacturers to produce tubular knitted structures efficiently.
The technology is widely used for T-shirts, sportswear, activewear, fleece, interlock and other performance-oriented knitted fabrics. Youngone’s own sustainability reporting confirms that its textile business produces circular knitted fabrics including Single Jersey, Interlock and Fleece, as well as warp-knitted products such as Tricot and Mesh.
The investment is also strategically aligned with Youngone’s broader push toward vertical integration. Rather than relying extensively on external suppliers for critical materials, the company has been expanding its ability to control different stages of production—from textile materials and fabric development through garment manufacturing.
Youngone says this model helps improve quality control, shorten supply chains and ensure more reliable material availability.
Uzbekistan is emerging as a particularly important part of this strategy. In June 2026, Youngone President Park Jae-yong announced plans to expand the value chain of the company’s Samarkand operation to include textile production. Youngone said its investment in Uzbekistan, currently around US$22 million, is expected to reach US$40 million over the next three years. The company plans to develop a more integrated textile ecosystem covering yarn, fabric production, knitting, dyeing, finishing and garment manufacturing.
The Uzbekistan strategy is closely linked to the country’s substantial cotton resources and its geographical and trade advantages. Youngone has highlighted Uzbekistan’s access to European markets and its proximity to CIS and Central Asian markets as important factors behind the investment.
The company also sees an opportunity to move beyond basic garment assembly toward higher-value cotton products and technical performance apparel.
India represents another major pillar of Youngone’s diversification strategy. The company established Evertop Textile & Apparel Complex Private Limited in Telangana in 2020, with production commencing in 2024.
The broader Indian project has been described as a major investment designed to establish a large-scale, sustainable textile and apparel manufacturing cluster.
Kenya is also becoming part of Youngone’s expanding manufacturing footprint, reflecting the company’s strategy of distributing production across different geographic regions. This multi-country approach is designed not only to increase capacity but also to provide customers with greater flexibility and improve supply-chain resilience.
Youngone has previously said that geographic diversification helps simplify logistics, remain closer to customers and reduce the risks associated with disruptions at any single production location.
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For South Korea’s textile machinery industry, the reported agreement could also provide an important international opportunity. Purchasing machinery from domestic manufacturers allows Youngone to combine its global production expansion with continued cooperation with Korea’s textile-equipment sector.
The significance of the investment therefore extends beyond the addition of 180 machines. It reflects a broader shift in global apparel manufacturing toward integrated, geographically diversified and technology-driven supply chains.
By expanding knitting capacity in strategic production locations, Youngone can potentially shorten fabric-to-garment lead times, improve control over fabric specifications and reduce dependence on externally sourced knitted materials.
With more than 90,000 employees and manufacturing operations across multiple countries, Youngone has developed into one of the world’s major manufacturers of performance and outdoor apparel, footwear, bags and related products. Its customer base includes leading international outdoor and sportswear brands, making dependable access to high-quality textile materials increasingly important to its global manufacturing model.
The reported Sam Sung Machinery agreement, if implemented as planned, would therefore mark another step in Youngone’s long-term transformation from a geographically diversified apparel manufacturer into a more deeply integrated global textile and apparel production platform—with machinery investment, fabric manufacturing and regional supply-chain development increasingly working together.