Best Summer Ever? US Reportedly Demands Share of Samsung, SK Hynix AI Chip Windfall Profits

Foreign media reports indicate that Rick Switzer, Deputy US Trade Representative, argued during a meeting last month with South Korea's trade minister Yeo Han-koo that the US should 'share in' the massive profits Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are earning from the global surge in AI chip demand.

The Korea Times, in a report last Thursday (16th), cited informed sources stating that the US rationale is based on American companies' large-scale procurement of Korean semiconductors, which has directly contributed to the profitability of Korean firms. The logic follows that if domestic partners in South Korea are entitled to profit-sharing, then US partner companies should also receive equivalent treatment.

Another senior South Korean official also confirmed that the US had made similar claims, though details were not elaborated.

To date, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce, and the Treasury Department have not responded or confirmed these claims. Officials from South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated they were 'unaware' of such discussions and refrained from commenting on semiconductor matters, emphasizing that industrial issues should proceed based on commercial rationality.

Data shows that South Korea's semiconductor exports reached $192.43 billion in the first half of this year, a 162.5% year-on-year increase. Exports to the US amounted to $26.4 billion, up 91.3%, making US market demand a key driver behind Korean firms' profitability.

The report notes that the US government's publicly stated focus remains on encouraging Korean companies to expand manufacturing investments in the US.

Previously, US Secretary of Commerce Lutnick called on Samsung and SK Hynix to build memory chip plants in the United States.

If this profit-sharing demand is confirmed, it could signal that US-South Korea semiconductor negotiations are evolving from 'building factories' to 'sharing profits,' raising significant attention across the industry.