On February 10, reports indicated that major South Korean companies saw their sales in the North American market grow by over 14% year-over-year in the first three quarters of 2025. Memory chip giant SK Hynix delivered the most notable performance, with its revenue in the United States surging more than 65%. According to data from corporate analysis firm Leaders Index, the sales growth of leading South Korean enterprises in North America was primarily driven by the IT, electronics, and pharmaceutical/biotechnology sectors, while areas such as secondary batteries experienced declines.
Among the top 500 South Korean companies by revenue, 67 firms that publicly disclosed information, along with their 194 subsidiaries, reported cumulative sales in North America reaching 343.8 trillion won in the third quarter of last year, a 14.1% increase compared to the same period the previous year. The IT and electronics sector served as the main engine for this growth, with sales totaling 157.9 trillion won, up 20.7% year-over-year. This upward trend is largely attributed to a surge in demand for memory chips, fueled by increased investment in AI infrastructure since the second half of 2025. Both Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have been accelerating supply to meet the AI-driven demand growth.
SK Hynix stood out in the sector, with its North American revenue soaring 65.5% to 45.2 trillion won, making the region account for over 70% of its total sales. Another South Korean memory chip leader, Samsung Electronics, also recorded growth, with its North American sales climbing 10.2% to 93.3 trillion won.
In a strategic move focused on the U.S. AI market, SK Hynix announced in late January its plan to establish an artificial intelligence solutions company in the United States, tentatively named "AI Company." The firm aims to leverage its advanced chip technologies, including high-bandwidth memory (HBM), to provide system-level optimization services for AI data center customers. Reports indicate that SK Hynix has allocated $10 billion to support this initiative. The company may also consider transforming its U.S. subsidiary Solidigm, which focuses on NAND flash memory, into an AI-focused entity, while spinning off a new subsidiary from Solidigm to maintain its existing operations.
Industry analysis suggests that SK Hynix's strategy is aimed at two key objectives: establishing an investment and research hub in the United States, a core market for the AI industry, and further integrating and leveraging Solidigm's existing technological capabilities to explore new growth avenues.
In related developments, Samsung Electronics has made substantial progress on its wafer fabrication plant project in Taylor, Texas. The project has obtained temporary operating permits for some sections under construction, facilitating an acceleration of the work. According to sources, Samsung plans to begin testing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment as early as March of this year, targeting mass production of 2-nanometer process technology in the second half of 2026. Once the plant reaches full capacity, it is expected to produce AI5 chips for Tesla under a long-term contract extending through 2033, with subsequent plans to supply next-generation AI6 chips.
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