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SK Hynix Warns of Worst-Ever Memory Supply Shortage in 2027: Demand, Profits and Capacity Plans

N
NathanTechnology Editor · Technical Lead
Published · Updated
According to ettoday.net and technews.tw, SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-Jung warned on July 10, 2026 that the global memory industry will face its worst-ever supply shortage in 2027, and that even beyond 2030 customer demand will exceed the company's output. SK Hynix posted record 2025 operating profit of KRW 47 trillion (about USD 31 billion), reversing its 2023 operating loss.

When did SK Hynix warn of the worst-ever memory supply shortage?

According to ettoday.net (July 10, 2026), SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-Jung predicted that the global memory industry will face its worst supply shortage in history in 2027. He stated directly that "the global memory industry will face its worst-ever supply shortage in 2027."

Evidence:

How long will the shortage last? When will demand be met?

According to ettoday.net, the CEO indicated the imbalance extends well beyond a single year. He said that "even beyond 2030, customer demand will still be higher than our supply capacity" — a span reaching into the next decade.

Evidence:

What is the industry consensus on the memory shortage?

According to technews.tw, two external views align with SK Hynix's warning. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said AI memory shortages will persist for several years on strong demand, and reiterated that SK Hynix will maintain its position as the largest memory supplier. Separately, UBS expects the global DRAM industry to remain in a supply-deficit state through the second quarter of 2028.

Evidence:

How did SK Hynix reverse its losses? 2025 operating profit

Both ettoday.net and technews.tw report that SK Hynix's 2025 operating profit hit a record KRW 47 trillion (about USD 31 billion). According to technews.tw, this figure doubled versus the prior year and reversed the operating loss recorded in 2023.

Evidence:

What is the outlook for 2026 quarterly profit?

According to technews.tw, the market estimates SK Hynix's single-quarter operating profit for April–June 2026 will reach KRW 65.5 trillion.

MetricValueSource
2025 operating profitKRW 47 trillion (~USD 31 billion)ettoday.net / technews.tw
2026 Q2 (Apr–Jun) estimated operating profitKRW 65.5 trilliontechnews.tw
2023 operating resultOperating lossettoday.net

Evidence:

How is SK Hynix responding? Large-scale capacity expansion

According to technews.tw, SK Hynix is aligning with the South Korean government's plan by joining Samsung Electronics, with each company investing KRW 400 trillion (about USD 266 billion) to build chip production facilities in southwestern South Korea. The stated goal is to double South Korea's memory capacity within five years. Separately, SK Hynix is investing about USD 4 billion to build an advanced chip packaging plant in Indiana.

Evidence:

What other strategic investments is SK Hynix making?

Beyond fabs and packaging, according to technews.tw, SK Hynix plans to invest USD 10 billion to develop an AI solutions company in the United States, seeking new AI growth momentum.

Evidence:

Is the 2027 shortage linked to surging cloud-provider capex?

According to technews.tw, Bank of America estimates that, driven by continued infrastructure investment, global hyperscale cloud service providers' capital expenditure in 2027 will reach USD 1.15 trillion.

Evidence:

What this means

The evidence lines up on timing and direction. SK Hynix's CEO points to 2027 as the worst-ever shortage year 1, while UBS sees DRAM undersupply lasting through Q2 2028 19 and Jensen Huang expects AI memory shortages for several years 18. On the demand side, Bank of America's USD 1.15 trillion hyperscaler capex estimate for 2027 20 sits alongside the same 2027 shortage date. On the supply side, SK Hynix's KRW 400 trillion South Korea plan targeting a capacity doubling in five years (E14, E15), the USD 4 billion Indiana packaging plant 16, and the USD 10 billion US AI investment 17 are the company's stated responses. The financial backdrop — a record KRW 47 trillion 2025 operating profit reversing the 2023 loss (E7, E8, E9), and a KRW 65.5 trillion Q2 2026 estimate 10 — shows the scale of resources behind these commitments.

📊 Evidence

FAQ

When did SK Hynix say the memory shortage will peak?

According to ettoday.net (July 10, 2026), CEO Kwak Noh-Jung predicted the global memory industry will face its worst-ever supply shortage in 2027 (E1).

What was SK Hynix's 2025 operating profit?

A record KRW 47 trillion (about USD 31 billion), doubling year-on-year and reversing the 2023 operating loss, per ettoday.net and technews.tw (E7, E8, E9).

How much is SK Hynix investing to expand capacity?

SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics are each investing KRW 400 trillion (~USD 266 billion) in South Korea to double capacity within five years, plus about USD 4 billion in Indiana and USD 10 billion for a US AI solutions company, per technews.tw (E14, E15, E16, E17).

Related data

N
NathanTechnology Editor · Technical Lead

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