Samsung, SK Hynix Stocks Surge as OpenAI’s Stargate Project Ignites Korean AI Chip Race

OpenAI’s Stargate: A $500 Billion Bet on AI Infrastructure

OpenAI’s Stargate project aims to create a network of advanced data centers, with plans to invest up to $500 billion over the next four years. The initiative, backed by OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, will require unprecedented volumes of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and DRAM chips—components in which Samsung and SK Hynix are global leaders. According to Morningstar, the partnership includes supplying up to 900,000 DRAM wafers per month, more than doubling current industry capacity for HBM chips.

Korean Semiconductor Giants Scale Up for AI Demand

Samsung Electronics is scaling its DRAM wafer production to meet Stargate’s demands, while SK Hynix—the current market leader in HBM with a 62% global share—is doubling its capacity. Both companies are also collaborating with OpenAI to build new AI data centers in South Korea’s southwest region. Samsung’s construction, shipbuilding, and IT affiliates will jointly develop floating and land-based data centers, further expanding Korea’s infrastructure footprint.

The two companies now account for roughly 80% of the global HBM market, with SK Hynix and Samsung holding 62% and 17% shares respectively, according to Counterpoint Research. Their dominance in high-performance memory technologies gives Korea a strategic edge as AI workloads become increasingly memory-intensive.

Investor Confidence and Public Sentiment Soar

Investor optimism has surged in response to the news. Samsung’s shares rose 4.07% on the Korea Exchange, while SK Hynix stock has climbed an extraordinary 96% so far in 2025. The combined market value of both firms jumped by over $30 billion, pushing the Kospi index to a new record high. Analysts credit this rally to Korea’s expanding role in global AI infrastructure and the companies’ technological leadership in memory semiconductors.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman highlighted Korea’s unique position, stating,

“Korea has all the ingredients to be a global leader in AI—incredible tech talent, world-class infrastructure, strong government support, and a thriving AI ecosystem.”

SK Chairman Chey Tae-won called the partnership a “landmark moment” for technological innovation across the entire AI stack, while Samsung Electronics chairman Jay Y. Lee emphasized the need for industry collaboration to

“catalyze breakthroughs and possibilities.”

Broader Implications for Korea and Global AI

The Stargate initiative, and Korea’s central role in it, signals deeper integration between global AI leaders and Asian semiconductor powerhouses. The Korean government is also supporting the expansion, signing a Memorandum of Understanding with OpenAI to encourage data center development outside Seoul and spur regional job creation.

Both Samsung and SK Hynix will deploy ChatGPT Enterprise and OpenAI API capabilities internally, aiming to accelerate innovation and digital transformation across their operations.

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