Korea Semiconductors

News on South Korea's semiconductor industry — memory chips, foundry, HBM, and chip exports.

Latest news

China's CXMT Net Profit Soars 1,688% as Cheap DRAM Threatens Samsung, SK hynix

China's CXMT posted Q1 2025 revenue of 50.8 billion yuan, up 719% year-on-year, with net profit surging 1,688%. The DRAM maker now ranks fourth globally with 7.67% market share, threatening Samsung and SK hynix.

Published 2026.05.19. 17:44:22

CXMT Restarts STAR Market Listing With 7 Trillion Won War Chest

ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) plans to deploy over 7 trillion won from its STAR Market IPO into DRAM expansion and HBM mass production, challenging SK hynix and Samsung Electronics.

Published 2026.05.19. 17:43:57

Hanmi Semiconductor Chairman Kwak Buys Additional 8 Billion Won in Shares

Hanmi Semiconductor Chairman Kwak Dong-shin will invest 8 billion won to buy additional shares, lifting his stake to 33.60%. Cumulative purchases since 2023 reach 64.5 billion won.

Published 2026.05.19. 16:36:21

Samsung Faces Strike in 2 Days, Demands 7,087 Workers for Chip Security

Samsung Electronics told its unions 7,087 workers must report daily during a general strike starting in two days to maintain chip security and safety, citing a court injunction.

Published 2026.05.19. 16:00:56

KOSPI Q1 Operating Profit Triples on Chip Boom; 40% of KOSDAQ Firms in Red

KOSPI-listed firms' Q1 operating profit nearly tripled to 156 trillion won on a chip boom led by Samsung and SK hynix, while over 40% of KOSDAQ companies posted losses.

Published 2026.05.19. 12:00:05

Samsung Electronics Faces D-Day as Unprecedented Strike Looms

Samsung Electronics faces a critical day as its union threatens an 18-day total strike from the 21st, with 50,000 chip workers ready to join amid HBM market competition.

Published 2026.05.19. 12:00:05

Memory Chip Stocks Tumble on Seagate Capacity Warning

Memory chip stocks tumbled after Seagate CEO Dave Mosley said expanding capacity would take too long, raising concerns that supply may fail to meet AI-driven demand.

Published 2026.05.19. 11:07:45

Shinhan Asset Management Lists SOL KOSDAQ TOP 10 ETF

Shinhan Asset Management listed the SOL KOSDAQ TOP 10 ETF, concentrating investment in 10 leading KOSDAQ companies across batteries, bio, robotics, AI, and chip equipment sectors.

Published 2026.05.19. 10:28:00

Samsung Electronics Q1 Average Pay Jumps 25% to Record High

Samsung Electronics employees' Q1 average pay jumped 25.3% year-on-year to a record 33.91-38.15 million won, driven by AI chip boom earnings, a Korea CXO Institute analysis showed.

Published 2026.05.19. 09:52:54

Justem Secures 30 Billion Won in Semiconductor Policy Funding from KDB

Justem secured 30 billion won in semiconductor policy funding from Korea Development Bank to accelerate construction of its third plant in Yongin Second Techno Valley.

Published 2026.05.19. 07:22:05

China's CXMT Sees Revenue Surge 700% as Samsung Faces Strike Threat

China's CXMT posted a 719% surge in Q1 revenue to 50.8 billion yuan, riding the AI chip super cycle, while Samsung Electronics faces a general strike threat over bonus disputes.

Published 2026.05.19. 07:00:05

US Stocks Whipsaw on Iran Uncertainty; Memory Chips Plunge, Oil Hits Post-Truce High

US stocks closed mixed as Iran war uncertainty triggered sharp swings. Trump rejected concessions but delayed a planned June 19 strike. Oil hit a post-truce high; Micron fell 6%.

Published 2026.05.19. 05:47:30

Korea's Treasury Bond Yields Post World's Largest Surge Amid Chip Boom Paradox

Korea's 10-year treasury yield surged 0.853 percentage points to 4.239%, leading global increases, as semiconductor boom growth expectations and fiscal concerns pressure the bond market.

Published 2026.05.19. 05:42:06

Trump Boasts Intel Tariffs Would Have Eliminated TSMC

President Trump claimed Intel could have eliminated TSMC's business with tariff protection, while touting a five-fold return on the U.S. government's 9.9% stake in Intel acquired under the CHIPS Act.

Published 2026.05.18. 21:44:52

Former Samsung Chip Chief Warns of Memory Price Drop in H2 2026

Kyung Kye-hyun, former Samsung Electronics DS chief, warned that memory chip prices will fall from H2 2026 as Chinese firms expand capacity, urging Korea to build deep tech capabilities.

Published 2026.05.18. 20:09:25

Trump Says Tariffs Protecting Intel Would Have Wiped Out TSMC

President Trump said tariffs protecting Intel would have wiped out TSMC's business, as he detailed how the U.S. government acquired a 10% stake in Intel now valued at over $50 billion.

Published 2026.05.18. 19:39:43

Court Bars Samsung Union Occupation, Imposes 100 Million Won Daily Penalty

A Korean court partially granted Samsung Electronics' injunction against its union, ordering safety operations be maintained and imposing a 100 million won daily penalty for violations.

Published 2026.05.18. 17:59:35

Yang Hyang-ja Begins Hunger Strike Urging Samsung Labor-Management Compromise

People Power Party Gyeonggi gubernatorial candidate Yang Hyang-ja begins an indefinite hunger strike at Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek campus, urging a labor-management compromise to end the chipmaker's strike.

Published 2026.05.18. 17:56:25

Korean Manufacturing Must Become a Rule Setter, Not a Bargaining Chip

Korea must fuse AI and humanoid robotics with shipbuilding and defense to become a rule setter, not a bargaining chip, in the U.S.-China hegemonic rivalry, writes Gravity Ventures CEO Jeong Joo-yong.

Published 2026.05.18. 17:27:52

Korean Business Groups Warn Samsung Strike Could Hurt National Credit Rating

Six Korean business groups urged Samsung Electronics union to withdraw its planned July 21 general strike, warning of supply chain disruptions, KOSPI decline, and damage to national credit rating.

Published 2026.05.18. 17:05:29

Court Partially Grants Samsung's Injunction Against Union Strike

A South Korean court partially granted Samsung Electronics' injunction against its union, ordering safety facilities and wafer protection to be maintained normally during the planned strike on Friday.

Published 2026.05.18. 12:00:25

Opposition Gyeonggi Candidates Demand Withdrawal of Government's Non-Capital Chip Law

People Power Party candidates for Gyeonggi Province posts protested the government's plan to exclude the capital region from semiconductor cluster designation under the Semiconductor Special Act.

Published 2026.05.18. 06:00:05

Lee Won-taek Vows to Bring SK, Samsung Chip Plants to North Jeolla

Lee Won-taek, Democratic Party candidate for North Jeolla governor, pledges to attract SK hynix and Samsung chip plants and foster 100 mid-sized companies, criticizing independent rival Kim Kwan-young.

Published 2026.05.17. 18:04:43

ASML Picks India Over China, to Build Front-End Chip Plant

ASML partners with Tata Electronics to build India's first front-end semiconductor plant in Gujarat, backed by an $11 billion (16.5 trillion won) investment, as Dutch firms look beyond China.

Published 2026.05.17. 17:33:41

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