Shares of SK Hynix surged more than 10%, pushing the South Korean chipmaker’s market value above $1 trillion amid strong investor enthusiasm for AI-related semiconductor companies.

The stock has risen roughly 250% this year, driven by booming demand for high-bandwidth memory chips used in AI systems and its role as a key supplier to Nvidia.

Rival Samsung Electronics also saw gains and recently surpassed the $1 trillion valuation mark, highlighting the dominance of AI-driven chipmakers in South Korea’s market.

Together, SK Hynix and Samsung now make up a large portion of the Kospi index, tying its performance closely to the global AI sector, CNBC has reported.

Analysts say SK Hynix may still have growth potential, although some warn that heavy reliance on AI chip demand could increase market volatility and risk exposure.