OpenAI just sent Korean chipmaker stocks into hyperdrive. SK Hynix rocketed over 9% to levels not seen since 2000, while Samsung hit its highest mark since January 2021 after both companies inked a partnership with the ChatGPT maker to massively scale AI memory chip production under OpenAI's Stargate initiative.
The AI gold rush just got very real for Korean semiconductor giants. SK Hynix and Samsung are riding a massive wave after announcing their partnership with OpenAI under the company's ambitious Stargate infrastructure project.
SK Hynix absolutely exploded on Seoul exchanges, jumping more than 9% to hit levels not seen since the dot-com boom of 2000. Meanwhile, Samsung climbed over 4% to reach its highest point since January 2021, when the entire tech sector was hitting pandemic-era peaks.
The timing couldn't be better for these Korean powerhouses. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was in Seoul meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and the top brass at both chip companies, cementing what could be one of the most significant AI infrastructure deals of the year.
"This partnership will focus on increasing the supply of advanced memory chips essential for next-generation AI and expanding data center capacity in Korea," OpenAI said in its official statement. Translation: the ChatGPT maker needs a lot more horsepower to keep up with explosive demand for its AI models.
The real story here is high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips - the specialized memory components that make modern AI computing possible. These aren't your average computer chips. HBM technology is what powers Nvidia's cutting-edge AI processors, and both Korean companies are racing to dominate this critical market.
SK Hynix has already claimed the early lead. Earlier this month, the company announced it was ready to mass-produce its next-generation HBM4 chips, positioning itself as the go-to supplier for Nvidia's upcoming Rubin architecture - the next evolution of AI processors designed for global data centers.
The competitive dynamics are fascinating. SK Hynix has been Nvidia's primary HBM supplier, giving it a massive head start in the AI boom. But Samsung isn't sitting idle - the company has reportedly been working overtime to get its own HBM4 chips certified by , according to .
