South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics on Thursday projected a record fourth-quarter operating profit of 20 trillion won ($13.8 billion), driven by surging demand for high-performance memory chips supporting artificial intelligence (AI) applications.
The company, a leading global memory chip supplier, said operating profit for the quarter is expected to range between 19.8 trillion and 20.1 trillion won, surpassing its previous record of 17.6 trillion won set in the third quarter of 2018. If confirmed in its full earnings report later this month, the figure would represent a roughly 200 percent increase year on year.
Sales are forecast at 92–94 trillion won, exceeding the previous quarterly record of 86 trillion won set in Q3 2025. Analysts attribute the surge to strong global demand for semiconductors used in AI infrastructure, including data centres.
“The chip industry is entering a super-cycle, with AI at the centre driving demand for semiconductors,” said Chung Hae-chang, an analyst at Daishin Securities.
Samsung’s stock has risen more than 120 percent over the past six months, a trend mirrored across other South Korean chipmakers such as SK hynix, highlighting the country’s dominant role in the global semiconductor market.
The boom coincides with President Lee Jae Myung’s pledge to triple AI-related spending in 2026, part of a broader strategy to position South Korea among the world’s top three AI powers, alongside the United States and China.
