SK Group Expects Exports to Surpass 120 Trillion Won This Year... 'All-Time High' Driven by Semiconductor Boom

SK Group Achieves 87 Trillion Won in Exports by Q3
Nearly 20% Growth Compared to Last Year
High-Value Memory Exports, Including HBM, Drive Surge
Annual Exports Expected to Hit Record 120 Trillion Won This Year

SK Group expects its export volume to surpass 120 trillion won for the first time this year. The surge in semiconductor demand has significantly boosted SK Hynix's exports, which in turn has driven the overall performance of the group. It is considered unusual for a single affiliate’s specific product (high-value-added memory semiconductors) to account for such a large portion of the group’s total exports. As SK Hynix’s performance has grown, its corporate tax payments are estimated to reach the mid-5 trillion won range by the end of the year, and its market capitalization has approached 400 trillion won.

SK Seorin Building, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

On November 25, SK Group announced that its export performance for the first to third quarters of this year totaled 87.8 trillion won. This represents an increase of nearly 20% compared to 73.7 trillion won during the same period last year. If semiconductor demand remains steady in the fourth quarter, the group’s annual export volume is expected to far exceed last year’s 102.5 trillion won and reach the 120 trillion won range. This means that, at the group level, SK will surpass 100 trillion won in exports for the second consecutive year and set a new all-time record.

SK Hynix is undoubtedly the main driver behind SK Group’s export growth. The memory semiconductor manufacturer accounted for 54% of the group’s exports last year, totaling 55.2 trillion won, and has already reached 56.7 trillion won by the third quarter of this year. Its share within the group’s exports has expanded to 65%. This indicates that the structure in which a particular affiliate accounts for a significant portion of the group’s overall performance has become even more pronounced. In particular, the industry notes that the sharp increase in demand for memory used in artificial intelligence (AI)-especially high-bandwidth memory (HBM)-has solidified an export structure focused on high-value-added products. This means that the expansion of global AI infrastructure investment is now directly linked to increased domestic semiconductor exports. The surge in memory prices has further boosted export contributions.

SK Hynix’s business performance has led to increases in both tax payments and market capitalization. The company paid 4.3 trillion won in corporate tax through the third quarter of this year alone, about 45 times higher than the 94 billion won paid during the same period last year. By year-end, corporate tax payments are projected to reach the mid-5 trillion won range. SK Hynix’s stock price has also continued to rise, with its market capitalization nearing 400 trillion won. As of 9:15 a.m. on this day, SK Hynix’s market capitalization stood at 390.5733 trillion won, making it the second largest among domestic companies.

Chairman Chey Tae-won of SK delivered the opening address at the "Tokyo Forum 2025" held at Yasuda Auditorium, the University of Tokyo, on the 21st. SK Supex Council

Both inside and outside the group, Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, is being credited for his efforts to improve business structure, finances, and governance. The acquisition of SK Hynix in 2012 is considered a decisive turning point, as it added semiconductors, AI, and bio to a business structure previously centered on energy and information and communications technology (ICT). An SK official stated, "We are contributing to the national economy by continuing to invest and hire in future growth sectors such as AI, semiconductors, energy, and bio," and added, "We plan to invest 128 trillion won domestically by 2028 and will continue to expand annual recruitment to more than 8,000 people."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.