·AI memory boom is reshaping investor perceptions of Korea's two chip giants Samsung Electronics' 26-year reign as the benchmark Kospi's most valuable company came to an end on June 22, when its crosstown rival SK hynix briefly overtook the tech giant in market capitalization.
·While Samsung Electronics' lead remains solid when preferred shares, worth roughly 165 trillion won ($106 billion), are included in its valuation, SK hynix's surge on a common-share basis has nevertheless challenged its long-standing dominance at the top of Korea's equity market.
·The shift was driven by SK hynix's strong gain as the company emerged as one of the biggest winners of the artificial intelligence boom, fueled by its heavier concentration in memory chips.
·Though Samsung Electronics soon reclaimed the top spot, even excluding preferred shares, the lead has since changed hands repeatedly, underscoring an increasingly fierce battle between the two memory behemoths.
·As of Wednesday, Samsung Electronics' common-share market capitalization stood at 1,864.96 trillion won, closely followed by SK hynix at 1,826.65 trillion won, leaving a gap of less than 40 trillion won.
