Monday, September 14, 2026

East Asia Brief

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Why It MattersAnalysisKorea

Strong Won Cuts Samsung and SK hynix Profit Views by 21T Won

A rapid 10.4% won appreciation wiped 21 trillion won off combined 2026 operating profit estimates for South Korea's top memory chipmakers.

Workers in protective cleanroom suits monitor automated equipment on a production line inside a semiconductor manufacturing facility. (AI-generated image)
Workers in protective cleanroom suits monitor automated equipment on a production line inside a semiconductor manufacturing facility. (AI-generated image)

Yonhap Infomax compiled financial market revisions on Sept. 13, 2026, showing that a strengthening South Korean won cut full-year operating profit projections for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix by 21 trillion won ($15.7 billion).

The revised consensus reduced combined 2026 operating profit expectations for the two memory chipmakers by 3.2%, lowering the aggregate forecast from 661 trillion won to 640 trillion won.

The documents behind this briefing are linked above. East Asia Brief produces its English text with AI assistance under human editorial review, and does not translate or republish other outlets' articles. See our methodology and AI policy. Spotted an error? Tell us.

DK

Dae-hyun Kim

Korea correspondent, trade and policy — Dae-hyun Kim tracks Korean industrial policy from the draft notice stage: subsidies, tax credits, export licensing and the trade measures that follow.

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