Korea Tech Daily — 2026-05-15

Top Story

SK Hynix is on the verge of crossing the $1 trillion market capitalization threshold, just weeks after Samsung Electronics reached the same milestone, according to Reuters and Business Insider. The extraordinary run is powered by surging demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in AI accelerators, with SK Hynix serving as Nvidia's top HBM supplier. The near-simultaneous trillion-dollar valuations of both Korean chipmakers underscore South Korea's emergence as the nerve center of Asia's AI infrastructure boom — and has prompted fresh debate about whether the "Korea discount" for equities has finally begun to close. Fitch Ratings noted on May 13 that South Korea has ample fiscal room to weather external shocks, citing the AI boom as a structural tailwind.

Samsung · SK Hynix · LG

SK Hynix surges toward 2 million won per share, tops job-seeker rankings SK Hynix surged 7.68% on May 13 to approach 2 million won per share while also topping South Korea's most-viewed corporate recruitment pages with 6.1% of job-seeker views, outpacing Kia, Hyundai Motor, and Samsung — a sign that the semiconductor boom is reshaping where Korean talent wants to work.

Samsung shares jump 4% as forward P/E valuations flip between chipmakers Samsung Electronics shares jumped nearly 4% on May 14 as SK Hynix paused after record highs. Notably, forward price-to-earnings valuations flipped between the two Korean chip giants for the first time, with Samsung now appearing cheaper on a forward basis — a development analysts say could attract value-oriented investors back to Samsung.

Samsung-Hynix leveraged ETFs spark fee war ahead of May 27 launch Sixteen single-stock leveraged and inverse ETFs tracking Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are set to launch on May 27, triggering a competitive fee war among Korean asset managers — with management fees falling below 0.1%. A separate 2x leveraged ETF tracking a DRAM index heavy in both names is also being prepared for U.S. markets.

1 sources

reuters.com

reuters.com

Naver · Kakao · LINE

Naver and Kakao pilot AI "citizen secretary" public service agents South Korea's two dominant internet platforms, Naver and Kakao, have each launched pilot versions of an AI-based public-service agent developed in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, according to Telecompaper. The agents are designed to help citizens navigate government services, marking a significant step in the deployment of agentic AI into Korea's public sector infrastructure.

Naver's AI Tab and agentic shopping push enter second-quarter rollout Following its Q1 launch of an AI shopping agent, Naver is now rolling out an AI-powered search tab in the second quarter of 2026, housed in a newly redesigned "AI Tab" on Naver's homepage and app. The company is investing more than 1 trillion won (approximately $691 million) to support these agentic AI ambitions, targeting travel and financial-services agents later in the year.

Kakao deepens KakaoTalk–ChatGPT integration in 2026 Kakao is advancing its full-stack AI strategy built around partnerships with Google and OpenAI. The company's primary goal for 2026 is deepening integration between its flagship KakaoTalk messenger and ChatGPT, with new AI-driven features being introduced gradually within the messaging platform. Kakao has described the effort as central to redefining its core product offerings.

Startups & Investment

Ministry of SMEs and Startups expands regional venture funds South Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced an expansion of regional venture funds on May 14, aiming to decentralize startup capital away from Seoul and into provincial hubs. The move is part of a broader government push to cultivate geographically distributed innovation ecosystems across the country, a recurring policy priority under Korea's startup-support framework.

South Korea's radical "AI dividend" proposal stirs market debate A South Korean government official floated a proposal to distribute a portion of AI-generated profits to citizens — effectively an "AI dividend" — prompting a wave of investor reaction across Korean markets. The proposal, reported by the Economic Times on May 12, highlights rising political scrutiny of how AI-driven gains at companies like Samsung and SK Hynix are distributed, as AI chip profits reach record levels. Analysts described the idea as bold but potentially disruptive to equity valuations if formalized.

Policy & Industry

Fitch: South Korea's AI boom gives Seoul fiscal firepower Credit ratings agency Fitch said on May 13 that South Korea has room to deploy active fiscal spending to mitigate economic risks — including spillover from Middle East tensions — thanks in large part to the ongoing AI-driven semiconductor boom. Fitch's assessment points to Korea's AI chip exports as a durable structural buffer, reinforcing the country's sovereign credit resilience even as geopolitical headwinds persist. Separately, Seeking Alpha analysts note that Korea's KOSPI is increasingly being positioned as a pure AI infrastructure play, with 2026 earnings growth for chipmakers estimated at over 300% year-on-year at a single-digit P/E multiple.

What to Watch

• Samsung-Hynix ETF launch (May 27): Sixteen single-stock leveraged and inverse ETFs are set to debut on May 27 on the Korea Exchange. Watch for retail investor participation levels and whether the fee war among asset managers intensifies further.
• SK Hynix $1 trillion milestone: SK Hynix shares are approaching 2 million won — monitor whether the stock formally crosses the $1 trillion market-cap threshold in the coming sessions and how institutional investors rebalance.
• Korea's AI dividend proposal: Watch for any formal legislative or regulatory follow-up to the government official's AI profit-sharing proposal. If it gains traction, Samsung and SK Hynix could face fresh investor relations and valuation headwinds.