SKT Surges 13% as Jensen Huang Names It Physical-AI Linchpin at GTC Taipei
SK Telecom shares jumped 13.42% to ₩114,100 on June 1 after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang named the Korean carrier a key partner in manufacturing and physical AI at GTC Taipei, spotlighting its Omniverse-powered digital twin running inside a SK hynix chip fab.
Celltrion's First-Ever Union Lands as Record Margins Peak
Celltrion (068270.KS), the Incheon-based biosimilar maker that is South Korea's largest by sales, saw workers form the first labor union in its history on June 1, ending a no-union stretch that has held since the company's 2002 founding (Yonhap; Korea Times). The timing is what matters to investors: the union arrives weeks after Celltrion booked the most profitable year it has ever reported.
Samsung Bio Strike Hardens; Celltrion Forms First Union
Celltrion (068270.KS), South Korea's largest biosimilar developer, said its workers launched a labor union on June 1 — the first in the company's history since founder Seo Jung-jin started it in 2002, according to Chosun Biz and The Korea Times. The move lands as a separate dispute at Samsung Biolog
SK Hynix Cheongju Fab Fire: Hydrogen Fluoride Leak Hospitalizes Seven
A fire broke out around 10:32 a.m. on June 1 at SK Hynix's Cheongju Campus 4 — part of the memory giant's main NAND flash and back-end hub in North Chungcheong Province — releasing hydrogen fluoride and injuring six people, according to Korean outlets chosunbiz and Electronic Times (etnews). SK Hynix is the world's second-largest memory chipmaker and the leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory (
Kakao Union Locks In June 10 Walkout After Second Mediation Fails, Targeting 13-15% Profit Share
Kakao Corp.'s five-entity labor coalition confirmed a four-hour partial walkout for June 10 after second mediation failed. The union demands 13–15% of Kakao's ₩440B 2025 operating profit as bonuses (est. ₩15M/worker); management warns the package would be 'a huge burden.' A prolonged stoppage risks delaying the KakaoTalk Kanana AI rollout.
Korea's $1.2 Trillion NPS Raises Domestic Stock Cap to 20.8%, Defusing a ₩200 Trillion Forced-Sale Threat
Korea's $1.2 trillion NPS pension fund raised its domestic equity ceiling from 14.9% to 20.8% on May 28, averting ₩200 trillion in forced selling triggered by KOSPI's 94% surge.
Samsung Tops Automotive Memory Market for First Time, Seizing 40% Share as Micron Slips to No. 2
Samsung Electronics has captured 40 percent of the global automotive memory chip market in 2025 — up from 35 percent a year earlier — overtaking Micron Technology for the first time, according to S&P Global Mobility.
Korea Earns Record $85B Trade Surplus But Can't Lift the Won as $65B Capital Flight Drains the AI Chip Windfall
South Korea's Q1 current account surplus hit a record $85 billion — yet the won has hovered above 1,500 per dollar for 19 trading days in 2026, touching a 17-year real effective low, as $65.4 billion in net capital outflows nearly erase the AI chip trade windfall.
KOSPI Nears 8,500 But Record Margin Loans and $74B Foreign Exit Cast Shadow Over June
Korea's benchmark index closed within 24 points of 8,500 on its best weekly gain of 2026, even as margin debt hit a record ₩37.07 trillion and foreign investors marked a 16th consecutive net-selling session.
Samsung and SK Hynix Back Anthropic's $65B Round as Claude Maker Eclipses OpenAI at $965B
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix joined Micron in Anthropic's $65 billion Series H, pushing the Claude developer's valuation to $965 billion and opening a potential foundry lane for Samsung.
SK hynix Closes to 93% of Samsung's Market Cap, Reviving Bubble Debate as Gap Hits Historic Low
SK hynix year-to-date surge of 258.4% cut its market-cap gap with Samsung Electronics to a record-low ₩119.6 trillion on Friday, lifting the ratio to 93.2% — from just 46.5% a year ago — as HBM dominance and pure-play chip exposure fuel a revaluation that has analysts divided over whether the convergence signals a bull-market peak or genuine fundamental repricing.
Samsung, SK Hynix Executives Sitting on ₩101B as Chip Boom Delivers Up to 400% Returns on Self-Held Shares
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix senior executives are sitting on a combined ₩101.2 billion in unrealized stock gains, with return rates reaching 400%-plus for SK Hynix President Cha Sun-yong and 241% for CEO Kwak Noh-jung, as the AI-driven chip supercycle pushes Korean tech valuations to record levels.