News
Samsung and SK Hynix lead AI semiconductor market as South Korean stocks gain premium
Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 08:39 PM
Samsung and SK Hynix are gaining a competitive advantage in the AI semiconductor market, leading to a valuation premium for South Korean stocks as they outpace Chinese competitors in high-bandwidth memory and advanced chip technology.
Context
South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI index reached a historic record high of 5,288.08 on February 3, 2026, surging 6.84% in its largest single-day gain since 2020. This rally was spearheaded by semiconductor leaders Samsung Electronics, which soared 11.37% to an all-time high of 167,500 won, and SK Hynix, which jumped 9.28%. The surge pushed the combined valuation of these two giants to $1.14 trillion, overtaking major Chinese tech rivals for the first time as global investors pivot aggressively toward AI hardware infrastructure.
The market is shifting from a "Korea Discount" to a "Korea Premium," fueled by insatiable demand for high-performance memory like HBM4. With SK Hynix and Samsung securing dominant supply roles for NVIDIA through 2026, the structural shortage in AI chips is driving record-breaking earnings and massive capital inflows. This momentum is further bolstered by recent governance reforms that have enhanced minority shareholder protections, successfully re-rating the valuation of the South Korean technology sector for global institutional investors.
Related Companies
SK Hynix
000660
S
Samsung