Samsung Applies 2nm Process to HBM5; SK to Double Capacity in Five Years

*Editor's Note: 'AI PRISM' (Personalized Report & Insight Summarizing Media) is an 'AI-based personalized news recommendation and summarization service' developed with support from the Korea Press Foundation. It selects and provides six customized news items for each reader type.

1. Samsung Applies 2nm to HBM5 for First Time; SK Says "AI Factory Will Accelerate Production Increase"

- Key Summary: Samsung Electronics unveiled an HBM5 prototype at Computex 2026, applying its 2-nanometer foundry process for the first time in the industry, while SK hynix Chairman Tae-won Choi personally pledged to "double capacity within five years." Current supply from the three memory makers stands at only 50% of Big Tech's mid- to long-term demand, with diagnoses indicating that the structural bottleneck will continue through 2030. SK hynix plans to invest 31 trillion won in the first fab (Y1) of its Yongin cluster in Gyeonggi Province to secure a monthly DRAM production capacity of 300,000 wafers by the end of next year. Demand for total-solution talent spanning semiconductor design, processes, and packaging is projected to expand over the medium to long term.

2. Anthropic, CXMT and Three Other Firms Worth 5,500 Trillion Won: "Concerns Over Future Industry Monopoly as Capital Joins Technology"

- Key Summary: Anthropic submitted a confidential S-1 to the SEC, entering the listing race ahead of OpenAI, while SpaceX is scheduled to list on Nasdaq on the 12th of this month. From China, CXMT passed the STAR Market review, and Unitree Robotics is widely expected to list next month. Hong Kong-listed AI companies MiniMax and Zhipu AI surged up to 700% and 1,600% respectively above their offering prices and are now pursuing dual listings on the mainland. As key companies in AI, robotics, and aerospace dominate capital markets, securing competitiveness in related job functions has emerged as a long-term task for job seekers.

3. "Fair Trade Law Sanctions Toughen…Pre-Emptive Blocking Is the Survival Strategy"

- Key Summary: Experts at the law firm Lee & Ko diagnosed that legal risks for companies have rapidly expanded as the lower limit of cartel fines has been raised by up to 20 times and the FTC's Investigation Bureau is being revived after 21 years. The Investigation Bureau is likely to operate by comprehensively examining the overall violations of specific companies rather than handling individual cases, meaning not only large corporations but also small and mid-sized enterprises could become investigation targets. Analysts also note that unfair practices at the intersection of algorithms and platforms will become the key front in fair trade in the future. Demand for legal and compliance roles is rising, and risk management and compliance monitoring capabilities will serve as differentiators for applicants to corporate legal teams.

4. Core Inflation at 2.5%, Living Costs Up 3.3%…"Likely to Stay in 3% Range for Some Time"

- Key Summary: May's consumer price index rose 3.1%, returning to the 3% range for the first time since March 2024, with petroleum product prices soaring 24.2% year-on-year and pushing overall prices up by 0.92 percentage points. Service prices also rose across the board, with international airfares up 33.5%, overseas group travel costs up 26.3%, and domestic airfares up 29.0%. The Bank of Korea cited uncertainties in Middle East geopolitics and oil price trends, projecting that inflation will remain in the 3% range beyond June. As cost-of-living pressures grow during job preparation, analysts point out the need to review financial plans.

5. "Even-Numbered Version Was Harder" Controversy Ends…LEET Adopts Single Test Booklet After 17 Years

- Key Summary: The Legal Education Eligibility Test (LEET) will abolish its dual odd- and even-numbered booklets starting from the 2027 academic year exam (July 19) and switch to a single format distributing the same booklet to all test-takers. The change, the first in 17 years since the test's introduction in 2009, aims to resolve fairness controversies arising from differences in question arrangement. Similar tests such as the Public Service Aptitude Test (PSAT) are already operated with a single booklet, bringing institutional consistency. Test-takers preparing for law school applications can now focus on skill-based study strategies without considering the booklet type variable.

6. Major IPO Candidates Tied Up by Regulation…Stricter Reviews Make Even Venture Listings a Needle's Eye

- Key Summary: From January to May this year, 21 IPOs raised 1.0474 trillion won, the lowest level since 2013, making the annual goal of 100 listings and 3 trillion won effectively unreachable. Tightened regulations on dual listings have completely blocked IPOs of large-corporate affiliates such as HD Hyundai Robotics and Hanwha Energy, while the probability of passing the A-grade technology assessment for technology-special listings has fallen to the 30% range, the lowest on record. Rebellions has postponed its listing to next year, while FuriosaAI is weighing a Nasdaq listing in the US. Concerns are emerging that the IPO freeze, by narrowing the FI exit channel, could break the virtuous cycle of investment and recovery across the entire startup ecosystem.