SK Hynix overtakes Samsung to become South Korea’s most valuable public company - mezha.net

SK Hynix overtook Samsung Electronics on June 22, 2026, to become South Korea’s most valuable public company, marking a significant shift in the semiconductor industry. The rise is largely driven by s... Read original →

SK Hynix’s ascent to South Korea’s most valuable firm signals that AI-driven memory architecture has shifted from niche to core infrastructure. The tight integration of HBM4E with 3nm AI accelerators is forcing TSMC and Samsung Foundry to overhaul packaging co-design workflows, intensifying competition for CoWoS and hybrid bonding capacity between Taiwan, China and Korea. Potential EU export controls on advanced packaging materials under the European Chips Act could raise SK Hynix’s delivery costs for European clients. In response to its 61% HBM market share, Samsung may fast-track DRAM line conversions to HBM3+, while Micron could deepen AWS Trainium integration to bolster North American localization. Over the next 18 months, HBM will evolve beyond a memory segment into the pricing anchor of AI infrastructure—controlling HBM supply means controlling the economics of large-model training.