A global memory shortage linked to rising AI infrastructure spending has upended TV manufacturing economics, with semiconductor costs now overtaking display panels in some models. The shift, reported by ET News, could squeeze profitability at major TV makers including Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics.
Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions division is set to announce the calculation and payout rules for its special management performance bonus in late September, after a holiday break. The move comes as SK Hynix continues recruiting experienced talent, underscoring how pay systems and workplace conditions have become key to attracting and retaining workers at South Korea's semiconductor giants.
SK Hynix has validated its HBM5 memory with TSMC's CoWoS packaging, the company said in a September 28 post on its corporate newsroom. That means work on the generation after next is already underway with the foundry, while its HBM4 is only now being built into Nvidia's Vera Rubin superchip.
South Korean electronics component suppliers are under growing pressure as rising memory prices drive chip inflation deeper into the supply chain. Finished-goods makers are asking for price cuts of 10% to 20% starting in the third quarter of 2026, while Chinese rivals have been offering bids that are 20% to 30% lower, according to Chosun Biz.
AI agents are moving into enterprise workflows and driving a sharp rise in demand for AI infrastructure, with a new report from IDC and IEIT Systems warning that the global compute supply-demand gap will continue widening through 2030. The report, released at the AICC2026 Artificial Intelligence Computing Conference, said high-bandwidth memory (HBM) was the biggest bottleneck.
South Korea's exports of the customs category that carries high-bandwidth memory (HBM) are no longer a two-destination story. Unit-value data show that the chips going to Taiwan and Malaysia are worth several times more per kilogram than those shipped to Hong Kong, China, or Vietnam. That points to a two-tier trade, with premium stacked memory heading to advanced packaging lines and cheaper multichip parts going to transit hubs and lower-unit-value destinations.
China's two leading memory suppliers are moving to raise capital and expand output as demand for chips grows, a shift that could reshape the country's domestic supply chain. Their efforts reflect a new stage for the sector, but the long-term test will be whether fresh funding can translate into stronger technology, higher yields, and wider customer adoption.
Samsung Electronics' foundry recovery is gaining pace as higher utilization, firmer pricing, and stronger advanced-node demand improve earnings, but a sustained return to profit will depend on 2nm yields and how quickly its Taylor fab in Texas ramps production.
