Rapid gains in AI memory demand push the SK Hynix chipmaker closer to a landmark valuation alongside Samsung Electronics.
South Korean memory chipmaker SK Hynix is closing in on a historic $1 trillion market valuation, driven by booming global demand for artificial intelligence hardware and strengthening South Korea’s position at the centre of Asia’s semiconductor-led market rally.
The company’s shares have surged more than 200 per cent this year, following an exceptional 274 per cent gain in 2025. The rally has been powered by rising orders for both conventional memory chips and high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a key technology used in AI servers and advanced data-processing systems.
If SK Hynix crosses the trillion-dollar milestone, it will join Samsung Electronics, which recently became South Korea’s first company to achieve that valuation. The development would make South Korea the first country outside the United States to host multiple trillion-dollar companies.
The strong performance of chipmakers reflects growing investor enthusiasm around artificial intelligence infrastructure. Analysts note that global capital flows have increasingly targeted semiconductor leaders across Korea and Japan as companies race to build AI computing capacity.
Despite the rapid rise of Korean firms, Taiwan’s Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company remains Asia’s most valuable listed company, with a market capitalisation exceeding $1.8 trillion.
The semiconductor boom has also propelled South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI to record highs, supported by strong foreign investor inflows and sustained momentum in technology stocks. The index has delivered one of the world’s strongest market performances since early 2025.
Once valued at less than $100 billion about 16 months ago, SK Hynix’s market capitalisation has climbed to roughly $948 billion, placing it within reach of global heavyweights such as Walmart and Berkshire Hathaway.
In Thursday trading, SK Hynix shares slipped slightly by 0.48 per cent, while Samsung Electronics rose over 3 per cent to a record high, highlighting continued investor confidence in AI-driven semiconductor growth.
