Samsung Becomes Korea’s First Company to Cross 1,000 Trillion Won Mark

Samsung’s influence on South Korea’s economy has never really been in doubt. It was estimated to account for a whopping 13% of the country’s total GDP in 2024, which is bigger than it sounds. Now the company has crossed a milestone that puts its dominance into hard numbers.

During trading on January 22, Samsung Electronics briefly pushed past a market capitalization of 1,000 trillion won. That figure is roughly equal to $700 billion. This makes it the first Korean company ever to reach that level. And that’s no small feat, considering how many famous names come out of South Korea, including LG, SK Hynix, Hyundai Motor, and others.

Samsung’s biggest gains aren’t from phones, but they’ll shape the next ones

A big reason for the surge is that Samsung’s chip business is finally bouncing back. Demand for memory used in AI servers and data centers has picked up fast, which has renewed interest in Samsung’s semiconductor division after a rough stretch in 2024. The company’s stock has more than tripled over the past year, climbing from the 50,000 won range to well above 150,000 won at its peak this week.

Samsung has also just wrapped up one of its strongest quarters ever, largely thanks to semiconductors. Revenue for 2025 reportedly set a new company record, and profits jumped sharply as memory prices recovered. There’s also an interesting shift in who’s buying the stock. Reports suggest that hundreds of thousands of investors under 20 in South Korea now own Samsung shares.

What would be even more interesting to see how the stock performs in the coming months, or even years. If anything, this is one of the most important moments for Samsung and even South Korea.