SK Hynix Overtakes Samsung

In a historic shift in South Korea's corporate landscape, memory chip manufacturer SK Hynix has surpassed Samsung Electronics in market capitalization, ending Samsung’s dominance that lasted for more than two decades. Driven by the global artificial intelligence boom, SK Hynix's market value rose to 208.25 trillion won, slightly ahead of Samsung Electronics. The company has emerged as a key supplier of High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) chips used in advanced AI systems by global technology giants such as Nvidia and Google.

The achievement is particularly remarkable considering SK Hynix's troubled past. The company faced severe financial difficulties in the early 2000s and narrowly avoided a sale to Micron Technology before undergoing a major restructuring. After being acquired by SK Group, the company reinvented itself and capitalized on the explosive demand for AI-related semiconductors. SK Hynix is now also reportedly preparing for a Nasdaq listing in the United States, marking another milestone in its growth journey.