SK Hynix posts record 80% operating margin on AI chip demand; China gap persists

SK Hynix reported a 632% year-on-year surge in operating profit to 83.33 trillion won on revenue of 104.62 trillion won, achieving an ~80% operating margin—an exceptional level for manufacturing—driven by AI memory demand. The report highlights South Korea's dominance in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, while questioning China's ability to close the technological gap amid US export controls. The key uncertainty is whether AI-driven demand is sustainable and how quickly China can scale advanced memory production.

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