Propelled by the soaring demand for artificial intelligence (AI), South Korea has solidified its position as the epicenter of the AI-driven growth surge in Asia. Samsung Electronics has already achieved a market capitalization exceeding US$1 trillion. Meanwhile, SK Hynix has witnessed a remarkable surge in its stock price, thanks to the high demand for AI chips, propelling its market value to approach the US$1 trillion threshold. Should SK Hynix successfully enter the exclusive club of companies with market valuations surpassing US$1 trillion, South Korea would become the first nation outside the United States to boast multiple trillion-dollar-market-cap companies.

The current market landscape is characterized by a strong fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) sentiment, with AI-related concept stocks in both Japan and South Korea delivering standout performances. The revenues of South Korea's top three chipmakers have reached unprecedented levels, drawing significant investor attention. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) has repeatedly set new all-time highs, emerging as the best-performing major stock market index globally since the start of 2025.

Remarkably, SK Hynix, which had a market capitalization of less than US$100 billion just 16 months ago, now finds itself on the verge of matching the market values of industry giants like Walmart and Berkshire Hathaway. On Thursday, the broader South Korean stock market experienced an overall uptick, with SK Hynix witnessing a slight dip, while Samsung Electronics soared to a fresh record high. As of now, SK Hynix's market capitalization stands at approximately US$948 billion.