Samsung Electronics Makes Strategic Investment in Anthropic, Boosting Foundry Prospects Samsung Electronics has made a significant investment in Anthropic, the developer of the artificial intelligence model 'Claude.' This investment not only enhances Samsung's potential to supply advanced high-bandwidth memory (HBM) but also lays the groundwork for securing big tech clients in its foundry business. On May 28, Anthropic announced it raised $65 billion in its Series H funding round. This capital infusion values the company at $965 billion, making it the most valuable AI startup in the world, surpassing its competitor OpenAI, which is valued at $852 billion. Notably, Samsung Electronics, along with SK Hynix and Micron, has been named a 'strategic infrastructure partner.' In its official statement, Anthropic noted, "The technologies of these companies play a crucial role in the global supply of memory, storage, and logic chips," formalizing their collaboration to expand its computing capabilities. Industry observers are particularly focused on Anthropic's mention of 'logic chips.' Unlike SK Hynix and Micron, which specialize in memory, Samsung operates its own foundry division based on advanced process technology. This suggests that Samsung's foundry may produce the core chips needed for Anthropic's next-generation Claude AI model. Recently, Samsung has successfully secured contracts for AI chips from major global tech firms, establishing a strong foundation for its foundry revival. This includes contracts for Tesla's next-generation AI chips, 'AI5' and 'AI6,' as well as collaboration on NVIDIA's inference-specific language processing unit (LPU) 'Grok' chip. If Samsung's foundry secures Anthropic as a client, it could further validate its advanced process technology and strengthen its position in the global foundry market. 2026-05-29 08:56:00

Anthropic Becomes World's Most Valuable AI Startup with $965 Billion Valuation Anthropic has closed a $65 billion Series H funding round, achieving a valuation of $965 billion (approximately 1,444 trillion won) and surpassing OpenAI to become the world's most valuable AI startup. According to the IT industry on May 29, this funding round, led by Altimeter Capital with participation from Dragoneer, Greenoaks, and Sequoia Capital, is considered one of the largest private funding rounds in tech startup history. OpenAI's recent valuation stands at $730 billion, putting Anthropic approximately 32% ahead. Industry experts believe this round may be Anthropic's last pre-IPO funding before going public. On the same day, Anthropic also unveiled its latest flagship model, Claude 4.8. This rapid upgrade, just 41 days after the release of Claude 4.7, features improved benchmark performance in areas such as agentic coding, financial analysis, and reasoning, while maintaining the same pricing. The fast mode (2.5 times speed) is now three times cheaper than the previous model, and the Claude code includes a new 'dynamic workflow' feature that allows multiple sub-agents to run in parallel. ByteDance Considers Up to $70 Billion Investment in AI Infrastructure Bloomberg reported that ByteDance is considering up to $70 billion in capital expenditures this year for data center and AI infrastructure development. This amount is 2.8 times last year's spending of approximately $25 billion. ByteDance plans to fund a significant portion of this investment with an estimated net profit of around $50 billion in 2025. While this figure does not match Amazon's annual capital expenditures of over $130 billion or Alphabet's $185 billion, it is substantial compared to Chinese competitors like Tencent ($12 billion) and Alibaba ($19 billion), indicating ByteDance's ambition to challenge for global AI dominance. The monthly active users of its AI assistant, Douyin, reached 345 million as of March this year. OpenAI Launches AI Consulting Subsidiary Valued at $4 Billion On May 11, OpenAI established an independent subsidiary, OpenAI Deployment Company (DeployCo), after raising over $4 billion from 19 companies, including TPG, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Bain Capital, and Capgemini. The subsidiary adopts a Palantir-style model by deploying field deployment engineers (FDEs) directly within companies to build and operate AI systems. This move is seen as a response to OpenAI's market share in the corporate API sector, which is projected to drop from about 50% in 2023 to around 25% by mid-2025. Three of the Big Four accounting firms—Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG—have integrated Anthropic's Claude into their enterprise platforms, strengthening their supply chains with Anthropic.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-29 08:52:00

KB Securities Raises SK Hynix Target Price to 3.8 Million Won Amid HBM Price Surge KB Securities announced on May 29 that it has raised its target price for SK Hynix from 3 million won to 3.8 million won, citing a significant increase in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) prices and a growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) memory. The firm maintained its "buy" rating on the stock. Kim Dong-won, a researcher at KB Securities, stated, "Currently, the fulfillment rate of memory demand from clients is only about 50%, indicating that the memory supply shortage is likely to persist until at least 2028. We expect HBM prices to rise by more than 100% compared to the previous year in 2027." He added, "With the expansion of agentic AI, token usage is projected to increase sevenfold over the next year, leading to sustained demand for AI servers and increased memory capacity. New investments will also focus on expanding HBM production capacity, limiting the supply of general-purpose memory." Kim further noted, "The memory supply and demand situation in 2027 is likely to be more severe than this year, with the supply shortage from 2026 potentially contributing to additional demand in 2027. Negotiations on HBM prices are progressing smoothly, reflecting a narrowing margin gap with general-purpose DRAM." He concluded, "As global tech giants invest 1,000 trillion won annually in AI infrastructure, competition for securing memory semiconductors is intensifying. The next-generation Vera Rubin platform from NVIDIA is expected to significantly increase the cost share of memory, marking the beginning of a substantial upward trend for SK Hynix's stock price."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-29 08:52:00

Shinhan Securities Raises Hanall Biopharma Target Price by 171% Amid Promising Drug Developments Shinhan Investment Corp. announced on May 29 that it has raised its target price for Hanall Biopharma from 48,000 won to 130,000 won, a 171% increase, citing the company's progress in developing a treatment for refractory rheumatoid arthritis (D2T RA) and expectations for substantial royalty revenues. The firm maintained its "buy" rating on the stock. Analyst Eom Min-yong noted, "This is the first time globally that the FcRn mechanism has shown potential for success in D2T RA," adding that it is a pivotal moment to focus on anticipated royalty income and the potential for expanding indications. Shinhan Investment Corp. also assessed that Hanall Biopharma's partner, Immunovant, has secured superior efficacy with its drug IMVT-1402 compared to competing global treatments. Notably, Johnson & Johnson has withdrawn its drug nipocalimab from D2T RA clinical trials, and Azenex's Vivgart has also failed to demonstrate efficacy in this indication, positioning IMVT-1402 as a likely frontrunner and leading treatment option. IMVT-1402 has been evaluated to show a relative improvement effect of 2 to 3 times compared to nipocalimab on key rheumatoid arthritis indicators such as ACR20, ACR50, and ACR70. Despite Azenex's setbacks in some clinical trials for expanding indications, Shinhan Investment Corp. expects the company to generate $4.2 billion in revenue this year solely from myasthenia gravis (MG) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). In contrast, IMVT-1402 is anticipated to gain an advantage over competing drugs across various indications, including thyroid eye disease (TED), membranous nephropathy (MN), pemphigus, and immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Shinhan Investment Corp. highlighted the potential for IMVT-1402 to become the first and only approved treatment for Graves' disease (GD), D2T RA, and cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). The firm estimates that even without revenue from D2T RA, sales from other indications could exceed $5.1 billion by 2032. Applying a mid-teens royalty rate, Hanall Biopharma could potentially receive annual royalties of around 1 trillion won. Additionally, there are expectations for intensified merger and acquisition discussions involving Immunovant by major global pharmaceutical companies. Eom emphasized, "It is the only treatment capable of achieving an 80% reduction in immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels through the FcRn mechanism, making it difficult for latecomers to achieve additional efficacy improvements." He added, "According to U.S. CMS guidelines, price protection can be maintained for 13 years, and patents are protected until 2043. The final clinical results for D2T RA scheduled for the second half of this year will be a key momentum."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-29 08:50:00

Market Preview: Easing War Risks and AI Strength—Will KOSPI Rally Again? U.S. stock markets continue to reach record highs, buoyed by easing geopolitical risks in the Middle East and a surge in artificial intelligence (AI) stocks, raising questions about the sustainability of the domestic market's upward trend. However, with the KOSPI already at historic highs, there are concerns about potential profit-taking in the short term. On May 28, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indices rose by 0.58% and 0.91%, respectively, setting new all-time highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also gained 0.05%, closing slightly higher. The market rally was driven by optimism surrounding the easing of tensions in the Middle East. Reports indicated that the U.S. and Iran are finalizing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end hostilities, pending final approval from President Donald Trump, which improved investor sentiment. AI stocks also showed strong performance. Snowflake, a cloud data company, saw its shares soar by 36.48% after raising its annual revenue forecast and securing a long-term contract with Amazon Web Services (AWS). This led to gains in major semiconductor stocks, including Nvidia (up 0.78%) and AMD (up 4.55%), while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose by 1%. The domestic market is expected to open higher, following the positive momentum from U.S. tech stocks, particularly in the semiconductor sector. Notably, after the U.S. market closed, Dell Technologies reported earnings that exceeded market expectations, causing its stock to surge over 38% in after-hours trading, which is likely to positively influence investor sentiment in the domestic semiconductor industry. As of 8:03 a.m. on May 29, shares of Samsung Electronics were trading at 307,000 won, up 2.5% from the previous day, while SK Hynix rose 3.41% to 2,367,000 won. Additionally, SK Square increased by 3.07%, and Samsung Electro-Mechanics gained 6%, indicating a broad buying trend across semiconductor and AI-related stocks. Han Ji-young, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, stated, "Today, the domestic market is expected to rebound due to renewed expectations surrounding U.S.-Iran negotiations, the strong performance of KOSPI 200 futures, and the impact of Dell's after-hours stock surge, which will bolster recovery in sectors that experienced significant declines yesterday. However, the recent rapid rise of the KOSPI to historic highs raises concerns about a potential slowdown in upward momentum. Market participants will closely monitor foreign investor activity and profit-taking as key factors influencing the market's direction in the coming days." 2026-05-29 08:34:00

Samsung Electronics Faces Controversy Over Employee Turnover Rates Some analyses suggest that Samsung Electronics has a significantly higher employee turnover rate than SK Hynix, prompting debate within the semiconductor industry over differing comparison standards. Samsung's figures include global personnel from overseas production subsidiaries, while SK Hynix's data focuses primarily on domestic employees, raising concerns about the validity of direct comparisons. According to industry sources, the five-year average turnover rate from 2020 to 2024, based on sustainability reports, indicates that Samsung's rate stands at 2.1%, lower than SK Hynix's 2.3%. Notably, when examining only the semiconductor sector, Samsung's Device Solutions (DS) division reportedly has a turnover rate in the 1% range, widening the gap with SK Hynix. Recent surveys have suggested that Samsung's turnover rate for 2024 could be in the double digits, while SK Hynix's is projected to remain in the single digits. However, industry experts argue that these figures are not directly comparable, as Samsung's data encompasses all employees globally, while SK Hynix's figures are limited to domestic staff. When focusing solely on semiconductor employees, Samsung's DS division is said to have a turnover rate in the 1% range, further increasing the disparity with SK Hynix. Samsung operates large production facilities in countries like Vietnam and India, where local labor market conditions lead to higher turnover rates among production staff, thus inflating the global turnover rate. In contrast, to assess job stability in domestic semiconductor research and production roles, comparisons should be made within the same scope and job categories, experts suggest. Internally, Samsung has indicated that the demand for personnel in High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and advanced packaging has increased, and the actual turnover of key staff in the DS division is being managed at a rate lower than the overall global turnover. Industry observers view this controversy as indicative of the competitive sensitivity surrounding talent acquisition in the semiconductor sector. As competition intensifies in HBM and advanced foundry processes, employee retention is closely tied to corporate competitiveness. In response, Samsung stated, "Samsung's figures include all domestic and international employees, while Hynix calculates only domestic staff, leading to apparent discrepancies. Given Samsung's extensive production lines in Vietnam and India, the frequent turnover among overseas production staff contributes to a higher global turnover rate." 2026-05-29 08:34:00

Impact of Middle East War Intensifies as Production, Consumption, and Investment Decline in April Last month, South Korea experienced simultaneous declines in production, consumption, and investment. This marks the first time all three indicators have decreased since August of last year. The impact of the ongoing Middle East war, which began at the end of February, appears to be significantly affecting the economy. According to the National Data Agency's report on April 2025 industrial activity trends released on the 29th, the index for total industrial production (seasonally adjusted, excluding agriculture and fisheries) fell to 117.8 (2020=100), a decrease of 0.6% from the previous month. This is the first decline in total industrial production since January, when it dropped by 0.8%. The decrease in production is largely attributed to declines in the service, mining, and construction sectors. While semiconductor production increased by 3.1%, mining production overall fell by 0.7%, driven down by significant drops in automotive production (-10.0%) and petroleum refining (-19.4%). Automotive production saw its largest decline since September of last year, when it fell by 15.3%. A representative from the data agency noted, "The decline in March was influenced by supply chain disruptions caused by fires at some parts manufacturers. However, we should also consider the pent-up demand due to new model launches starting in May." Petroleum refining experienced its steepest drop since May 1988, when it fell by 22.1%. Analysts interpret this as a result of supply difficulties caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Middle East war, compounded by scheduled maintenance at some refineries. In the service sector, while production in information and communication increased by 4.3%, declines in finance and insurance (-7.7%) and retail (-1.5%) led to an overall decrease of 1.0% from the previous month. This is the largest drop since February 2022, when it fell by 1.7%. Domestic indicators also showed weakness. The retail sales index decreased by 3.6% compared to the previous month, marking the largest decline since February 2024, when it fell by 3.7%. While semi-durable goods remained stable, sales of durable goods, including communication devices, computers, and automobiles (-11.1%), as well as non-durable goods like vehicle fuel (-1.1%), significantly contributed to the decline. The representative added, "The sales of communication devices and computers may have been affected by a base effect from last month's 40.0% increase, while the drop in automobile sales is related to the surge in electric vehicle shipments earlier this year due to government subsidies." Investment also faced a downturn, with facility investment decreasing by 3.6% from the previous month. Although investment in machinery for semiconductor manufacturing rose by 0.5%, investment in transportation equipment, including other transport vehicles, fell by 11.5%. The data agency identified a significant reduction in aircraft imports as a key factor. Construction output declined by 1.4% compared to March, with both building (-1.5%) and civil engineering (-1.1%) projects seeing reduced activity. The coincident composite index, which reflects the current economic situation, rose by 0.2 points to 100.2, remaining above the baseline of 100 for the second consecutive month. The leading composite index, which forecasts future economic conditions, increased by 0.6 points to 104.1.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-29 08:24:00

Bitcoin Prices Fall to $73,000 Amid U.S. ETF Fund Outflows Amid ongoing uncertainty regarding the timing of interest rate cuts in the United States, outflows from spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have contributed to a decline in the prices of major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin. According to CoinMarketCap, as of 8 a.m. on May 29, Bitcoin was trading at $73,357, down 1.26% from the previous day. Ethereum also saw a decrease, with its price falling 1.01% to $2,003. Binance Coin (BNB) and Solana dropped 1.62% and 0.83%, respectively, trading at $638 and $81. Ripple (XRP) recorded a slight increase of 0.08%, reaching $1.31. Market analysts suggest that the ongoing outflows from U.S. Bitcoin spot ETFs are increasing price volatility. Additionally, concerns about the prolonged tightening stance of the Federal Reserve and rising global tariff risks are seen as factors weakening investor appetite for riskier assets. Recent developments in the Middle East, coupled with pressures from ETF fund outflows, have contributed to a decline in overall investment sentiment in the cryptocurrency market. As of 8 a.m. on the same day, Bitcoin was trading at approximately 10,855,000 won ($73,544) on the domestic exchange Bithumb, reflecting a 0.66% increase from the previous day. The 'Kimchi Premium' stood at -1.226%, indicating that the price of Bitcoin in South Korea is lower than that in international markets.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-29 08:24:00

Dev Sisters Promotes 'K-Heritage' at UNESCO World Heritage Committee Dev Sisters announced on May 29 that it will collaborate with the Cultural Heritage Administration to promote Korea's UNESCO-listed world heritage sites in conjunction with the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting, which will be held in Busan in July. This campaign is part of a memorandum of understanding signed between Dev Sisters and the Cultural Heritage Administration in February. The initiative aims to reinterpret the unique values of Korea's cultural heritage through the lens of Cookie Run, showcasing the diverse attractions and significance of the 'K-Heritage Theme Park' concept, featuring Cookie characters. Cookie Run will be visible in both online and offline formats around Busan and other major cities in Korea before and during the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting. The campaign will kick off with large media walls set up in Seoul and Busan in early June. From July 20 to 29, during the main sessions of the World Heritage Committee, 17 posters of Korean world heritage sites reimagined with Cookie Run illustrations and one themed park concept piece will be displayed at the Korea Pavilion within BEXCO in Busan. Additionally, from July 18 to 26, a Cookie Run K-Heritage photo zone and pop-up store will be set up at Haeundae Beach in Busan. This area will feature some of the posters combining Korea's world heritage and Cookie Run. A 7-meter tall inflatable 'Brave Cookie' sculpture will also be installed on the beach. The campaign will include the 'Brave Cookie Tour in Busan,' linked with the Busan City Tour Bus, covering major attractions, the BEXCO exhibition, and the Haeundae photo zone and pop-up store. In July, Dev Sisters plans to conduct in-game promotions for 'Cookie Run: Kingdom,' 'Cookie Run: OvenBreak,' and 'Cookie Run Classic.' The World Heritage Committee is an international meeting that discusses the listing and preservation of world heritage sites. This year's UNESCO World Heritage Committee marks a significant cultural diplomacy event as Korea hosts the meeting for the first time in 38 years since its membership. Dev Sisters began promoting natural heritage in 2023 and previously co-hosted a special exhibition titled 'Cookie Run: In Search of Lost National Heritage' with the Cultural Heritage Administration in December.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-29 08:22:00

Samsung Electronics Launches HBM4E Memory for AI Accelerators Samsung Electronics has begun supplying samples of its next-generation AI accelerator memory, the HBM4E 12-layer, to global customers. Following the mass production of HBM4, the early shipment of HBM4E samples marks a strategic move to regain leadership in AI memory that had shifted during the HBM3E era. As of May 29, industry sources report that Samsung is the first in the world to start shipping HBM4E 12-layer samples. HBM4E, a successor to HBM4, is a critical memory component that influences the computational performance and power efficiency of AI semiconductors. With the rapid growth in demand for high-performance HBM driven by the expansion of large language models and inference-based AI services, competition among customers to secure supply is intensifying. The new product incorporates 1c DRAM and 4-nanometer logic dies, allowing Samsung to achieve both process stability and mass production capabilities. The operating speed per pin is 14 Gbps, with a maximum potential of 16 Gbps. The bandwidth for a single stack reaches 3.6 TB per second. The capacity for the 12-layer version is 48 GB. Samsung plans to expand its lineup to include 32 GB 8-layer and 64 GB 16-layer products to meet customer demand. As AI accelerator companies increase model sizes and computational loads, HBM is emerging as a critical technology that influences overall system performance rather than just a simple component. Market research firm TrendForce noted earlier this year that during the HBM4 validation phase, Samsung was ahead in terms of stability due to process improvements. With the growing demand for AI, major customers are likely to utilize Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron to secure their supply chains. Samsung emphasizes its unique advantage in turnkey capabilities that integrate memory, foundry, system LSI, and advanced packaging. The HBM4E features 1c DRAM and proprietary 4-nanometer logic dies. Given that HBM products require not only high memory cell performance but also quality in base die and packaging, Samsung highlights its comprehensive semiconductor structure as a strength. Power efficiency and heat dissipation improvements are also key points. Samsung claims that the energy efficiency of the HBM4E 12-layer product has improved by 16% compared to its predecessor, with thermal resistance characteristics enhanced by over 14%. As power costs and heat management become critical concerns in AI data centers, both high-speed operation and energy efficiency are becoming essential evaluation criteria for customers. Following the world’s first mass production shipment of HBM4 in February, Samsung is also expanding its supply. Since both HBM4 and HBM4E are based on the combination of 1c DRAM and 4-nanometer base dies, there is a strong sentiment in the industry regarding the likelihood of transitioning HBM4E to mass production. The key factors will be customer certification and actual volume expansion. In the HBM market, the adoption by major AI semiconductor customers will significantly influence performance outcomes more than technology announcements. With Samsung accelerating the supply of HBM4E samples following the mass production of HBM4, there is a growing possibility of changes in the existing competitive landscape starting from the HBM4 generation. Hwang Sang-jun, Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics' Memory Business, stated, "By successfully completing the mass production of HBM4 and the timely supply of next-generation HBM4E samples, we have solidified Samsung's technological leadership in the market. We will lead the growth of the global AI memory market based on overwhelming technological superiority and proactive investments in production infrastructure."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-29 08:20:00