SK Hynix Surpasses Samsung as South Korea's Most Valuable Company

SK Hynix has overtaken Samsung Electronics as South Korea's most valuable listed company, reaching a market value of nearly 2.1 quadrillion won. The company's stock surged more than 340% this year, hitting a record high of 1,447,000 won on Monday following reports of increased artificial intelligence data center investments by major U.S. tech firms.

This ascent is the result of a long-term strategic pivot that began in 2012 when SK Group acquired Hynix Semiconductor. While Samsung focused on the commodity DRAM market, SK Hynix invested in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips. This niche technology became essential for AI accelerators following the 2022 release of ChatGPT, positioning the company as the primary HBM supplier for Nvidia.

Recent demand is driven by projected AI spending exceeding $700 billion this year from U.S. tech giants including Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon. In contrast, Samsung Electronics saw more modest gains of 5.44% due to potential union strikes regarding AI profit sharing. To expand its investor base, SK Hynix is reportedly preparing a United States stock listing as early as August.