SK Hynix Overtakes Samsung to Become South Korea’s Most Valuable Company - BeInCrypto

SK Hynix briefly overtook Samsung Electronics on June 22, 2024, becoming South Korea’s most valuable company for the first time since 2000, marking a dramatic shift in the country’s corporate landscap... Read original →

SK Hynix’s brief market cap lead over Samsung signals a structural power shift driven by AI memory dominance. Its HBM3E/HBM4 chips are now integral to NVIDIA and Microsoft AI clusters, spiking demand for silicon interposers and TSV packaging—forcing TSMC to prioritize CoWoS capacity for HBM-ASIC integration. Geopolitically, U.S. CHIPS Act subsidies accelerate Korea’s advanced packaging build-out, yet Taiwan, China remains irreplaceable for ABF substrates, elevating compliance costs. With SK Hynix commanding over 70% of the AI memory market, Samsung may spin off its DS division to refocus on HBM, while Micron leverages its Japan fab to capture tier-two clients. Over the next 18 months, the HBM5 rollout will ignite a yield-rate arms race; capital intensity—not cyclical swings—will define who anchors the AI infrastructure stack.