Global DRAM shipments saw their sharpest increase in nearly two years during the second quarter of 2025, solidifying SK hynix's lead over Samsung Electronics. The surge was driven by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, with high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, emerging as the key growth engine for the sector

Hybrid bonding machines are set to become critical by 2027, when chipmakers move into mass production of 20-layer, sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4). Global equipment suppliers are racing to bring their systems to market ahead of that transition

In response to US export controls and to reduce reliance on ASML, China has begun testing its first domestically manufactured deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machine. According to media reports, SMIC is currently testing immersion-type DUV equipment developed by a Shanghai-based startup, which can support chip production down to 7nm technology nodes

On July 30, 2025, US President Donald Trump announced that the US would reduce the "reciprocal tariff" rate imposed on South Korea from 25% to 15%. In return, South Korea pledged to invest US$350 billion in the US, with 90% of the investment profits returning to America. However, by mid-September, hundreds of South Korean workers were handcuffed and detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) due to visa violations. Could this incident severely damage Trump's "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) agenda

The South Korean government has reportedly decided to embark on urgent negotiations with Washington after the US slashed tariffs on Japanese automobiles, creating a potential pricing imbalance that could disadvantage South Korean automakers in the American market

Martin Eberhard, Tesla's co-founder, recently shared his entrepreneurial insights and outlook on the future of electric vehicles (EVs) in South Korea. He emphasized that the key to EV adoption lies in the accessibility of charging infrastructure and the cost curve. Eberhard also praised South Korean EV brands for their global competitiveness, stating that Hyundai Motor is likely to be the maker of the next breakthrough EV

The competition in China's new energy vehicle (NEV) industry has reached a fever pitch. While domestic automakers continue to meet surging demand at home, they are now rapidly expanding their marketing and distribution networks across the globe

Apple has reshaped its display supply chain with the launch of the iPhone 17, adding BOE Technology to the Pro model supplier lineup for the first time. This long-anticipated move highlights Apple's push to diversify its suppliers and could prompt South Korean rivals Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD) to refine their strategies

In the first half of 2025, SK Hynix recorded the highest operating profit and the largest corporate tax payment among South Korean companies. The surge in demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), fueled by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) applications, significantly contributed to the semiconductor manufacturer's financial performance, according to The Chosun Ilbo

Samsung Electronics' foundry business is quietly expanding its client roster after securing a landmark US$16.5 billion contract with Tesla in July 2025 to manufacture AI chips. Analysts believe the deal could mark a turning point for the company starting in 2026

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party has launched an inquiry into Futurewei Technologies, the US-based affiliate of Huawei, highlighting the company's close interactions with major US technology firms, including Nvidia. The investigation aims to determine whether Futurewei has acted as a proxy for Beijing, using US partnerships and research hubs to advance authoritarian technology initiatives while circumventing sanctions

Driven by strong AI demand, memory contract prices for NAND and DRAM rose sharply by an estimated 15-20% in the fourth quarter of 2025, breaking traditional year-end price decline patterns. Supply shortages led to aggressive procurement from cloud service providers, with high-stack 3D NAND products nearly sold out

Robots and self-driving cars are driving the emergence of "physical AI," a new era of on-device processing that's shifting focus away from cloud-based large language models. According to South Korean startup Maum AI, this trend is creating new demands for semiconductors

China is reportedly probing whether US-made analog chips are being dumped into its market, a move widely seen as targeting Texas Instruments (TI), the dominant US supplier of analog semiconductors