SK hynix Briefly Overtakes Samsung as Korea's Most Valuable Company

SK hynix briefly overtook Samsung Electronics on June 22, 2026, to become South Korea's most valuable listed company on the KOSPI index for the first time in approximately 25 years. The company's market capitalization surged to over 2.1 quadrillion won ($1.35 trillion) following a 5.6% share price increase, ending a streak held by Samsung since November 2000. This rally was driven by a 340% year-to-date rise in shares, fueled by the chipmaker's 58-61% dominant share of the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market and its role as a key supplier for Nvidia and Google.

Samsung Electronics regained the top spot on June 23 after a broad technology selloff caused SK hynix shares to slump nearly 12.5%. Samsung also contested the ranking, arguing that including its preferred shares would maintain its lead in total market capitalization.

To capitalize on its growth, the company has confidentially filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a Nasdaq listing via American Depositary Receipts, potentially as early as August 2026. The move aims to attract U.S. investors who view memory chips as critical AI infrastructure. In tandem with its financial expansion, the company has begun shipping samples of its 12-layer HBM4E chip and continues to invest 31 trillion won into a new semiconductor cluster in Yongin.