South Korean Media: Samsung Electronics' Operating Profit Reaches 5.7 Trillion KRW, Ranking "Global Top 3"
¬ Highest-ever performance in South Korean corporate history — Q1 operating profit exceeds full-year 2025 figures, ranking behind only Apple and NVIDIA
Samsung Electronics recorded an operating profit of 5.7 trillion 200 billion KRW (38 billion USD, approximately 26.47 billion RMB) for the first quarter (January–March), setting a new record in South Korea’s corporate history. This marks the highest quarterly performance ever achieved by any South Korean company, ranking third globally (excluding Saudi Aramco) after Apple and NVIDIA. Additionally, Samsung's Q1 operating profit easily surpassed the total projected profit for 2025 (4.3 trillion KRW, approx. 19.9 billion RMB).
On the 7th, Samsung released preliminary statistics indicating that sales reached 13.3 trillion KRW (approx. 61.55 billion RMB), up 68% year-on-year; operating profit stood at 5.7 trillion 200 billion KRW, surging 755% compared to the same period last year. For the quarter alone, this performance broke the previous record set in Q4 of 2025. Securities analysts had forecasted Samsung’s Q1 operating profit to reach around 4 trillion KRW (approx. 18.51 billion RMB), six times higher than the prior year, but actual results far exceeded expectations, delivering historic achievements. Samsung’s Q1 operating profit margin reached 43%, meaning it earned 430 KRW (approx. 2 RMB) in profit for every 1,000 KRW (approx. 4.6 RMB) worth of goods sold—double the Q4 2025 operating profit margin of 21.4%, indicating a significant improvement in profitability.
The underlying reason lies in the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across industries since 2025, which has driven soaring demand for AI accelerators used in AI training and inference, high-bandwidth memory (HBM) required for AI data centers, and DRAM for servers. As a result, the semiconductor super cycle has entered a prolonged phase, exacerbated by supply shortages that have led to rising prices across all types of chips.
Initially facing crisis due to delays in developing fifth-generation HBM3E memory, Samsung regained momentum starting in February by becoming the first to deliver sixth-generation HBM4 products to NVIDIA, signaling a revival of its technological prowess. Foreign media commented: "In the AI chip war, Samsung seized the perfect opportunity."
Meanwhile, SK Hynix, expected to release its earnings report by month-end, is also anticipated to deliver results comparable to Samsung’s. Industry analysts predict that Samsung and SK Hynix’s Q1 performance is merely the beginning—their profit scale is poised to expand further during the third and fourth quarters.
Source: Chosun Ilbo
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861866183449607/
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