Silicon Nexus

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won remarked that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, not himself, was the one who felt slighted, highlighting how HBM has flipped the power dynamic between Nvidia and SK Hynix. The comment underscores SK Hynix's dominant position as Nvidia's primary HBM supplier and the strategic leverage Korean memory makers now hold in the AI accelerator supply chain.

Why it matters: Chairman's commentary signals SK Hynix's strong negotiating leverage with Nvidia on HBM but is sentiment/PR rather than a concrete policy or contract event.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won in Seoul, calling SK Hynix's HBM 'the world's best' and confirming Nvidia's upcoming Vera Rubin, Vera CPU, RTX Spark, and Jetson Thor products will all involve Korean partners. Huang also warned memory supply shortages — spanning wafers, advanced packaging, silicon photonics, and cable connectors — will persist for years, and announced a meeting tomorrow with Samsung DS chief Jun Young-hyun, keeping Samsung HBM qualification hopes alive.

Why it matters: Huang publicly endorsing SK Hynix HBM as 'world's best' plus a confirmed Samsung DS meeting and explicit multi-year memory/advanced-packaging shortage warning are direct, near-term catalysts for KR memory names and the broader AI supply chain.

Korean memory duo Samsung and SK Hynix are projected to post combined Q2 operating profit exceeding KRW 150 trillion, driven by HBM demand from AI accelerators. The figure marks what analysts view as the peak of the AI memory supercycle, raising questions about how much further upside remains in DRAM/HBM pricing through 2H26.

Why it matters: Directly material earnings forecast for the two dominant Korean HBM/DRAM makers at a potential cycle peak, with read-through to global AI memory pricing.

Local Korean press is citing a Q2 2026 operating profit forecast of roughly KRW 64 trillion for SK Hynix, implying continued HBM-driven earnings momentum. If accurate, the figure would mark another record quarter and reinforce SK Hynix's lead in HBM3E/HBM4 supply to NVIDIA, with positive read-through for Samsung and memory-equipment suppliers.

Why it matters: A KRW 64T quarterly operating profit forecast for SK Hynix is a market-moving HBM earnings signal directly impacting the largest Korean semi names and their supply chain.

Korean op-ed argues memory makers should look past HBM dominance and prepare for the next-generation V-DRAM (vertical DRAM) architecture to sustain leadership in AI memory. Calls for proactive R&D investment by Samsung and SK Hynix as DRAM scaling shifts vertical, similar to NAND's 3D transition.

Why it matters: Opinion column on long-term DRAM roadmap (V-DRAM) directly relevant to Samsung/SK Hynix strategy, but no near-term catalyst or policy action.

Korea's semiconductor exports are expected to break $350B as the AI-driven super-cycle persists, led by HBM and advanced memory demand. Auto chips remain sluggish, widening the bifurcation between AI/data-center exposure and legacy end-markets — a clear tailwind for Samsung and SK Hynix.

Why it matters: Sector-wide export outlook reinforces the AI super-cycle narrative for Korean memory leaders but lacks a specific near-term policy or company catalyst.

Korean media reports project Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to deliver record second-quarter results, driven by surging AI memory demand led by HBM. The outlook reinforces the structural tightness in HBM3E/HBM4 supply and continued pricing power for the two Korean memory leaders heading into 2H26.

Why it matters: Directly forecasts record Q2 earnings for both Korean memory leaders driven by HBM/AI demand, a near-term catalyst for the two largest names in the coverage universe.

Rising US rate anxiety is driving profit-taking in semiconductor stocks, with the Korean market also clouded by liquidity shortages. The combination threatens to weigh on major Korean chipmakers like Samsung and SK Hynix amid broader risk-off sentiment.

Why it matters: Macro-driven profit-taking and liquidity concerns affect the broader semi sector and Korean large-caps, but it's market commentary rather than a specific policy or company catalyst.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang met Doosan Chairman Park Jeong-won for the first time at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on June 7, where Huang threw the ceremonial first pitch for the Doosan Bears. The meeting underscores deepening Doosan-NVIDIA ties: Doosan Electro-Materials supplies high-end CCL (copper clad laminate) for NVIDIA AI servers, and Doosan Robotics is co-developing an industrial robot AI platform with NVIDIA targeting 2027 reveal and a 2028 industrial humanoid. Huang declined to comment on specific collaborations, saying he would 'focus on the pitch.'

Why it matters: No new deal or order was announced — the meeting itself is symbolic — but it reinforces Doosan's existing CCL supply and Doosan Robotics' physical-AI partnership with NVIDIA, which are read-through-positive for the Doosan group complex.