Samsung to Generate 90 Trillion Won in Semiconductor Profit, Says U.S. Foundry Plant Will Break Ground This Year [Samsung's Record-Breaking Q2 Results]

Samsung Electronics disclosed plans to break ground this year on a second semiconductor foundry plant in the United States, with the goal of starting operations in 2030. It would be Samsung Electronics' second investment in a semiconductor plant in the United States.
Although some in the stock market have recently raised concerns that Artificial Intelligence (AI) semiconductors may have peaked, Samsung made clear that it will maintain its aggressive semiconductor investment strategy at home and abroad in response to the AI transformation. The company believes semiconductor supply will become even tighter next year.
On the 30th, Samsung Electronics said it posted consolidated sales of 171.5 trillion won and operating profit of 89.5 trillion won in the second quarter of this year. Sales jumped 130% from a year earlier, while operating profit surged 1,813.8%. It was the highest quarterly result in the company's history. The semiconductor business drove the record by accounting for 99.7% of total operating profit. Operating profit of about 90 trillion won was again at a world-leading level, following the first quarter. It exceeded the latest results reported by global tech companies including Apple and NVIDIA.
Of the total profit, 99.7% came from the Device Solutions (DS) division, which handles the semiconductor business. Within DS, 94.7%, or 120.8 trillion won, came from the Memory Business Division. The DS division posted sales of 127.5 trillion won and operating profit of 89.2 trillion won in the quarter. Its operating margin was close to 70%.
By contrast, the Device eXperience Division (DX Division), which oversees finished products such as smartphones, TVs and home appliances, posted a quarterly operating loss of 800 billion won for the first time since the current divisional structure was launched in 2021. The loss was driven by higher product costs caused by the sharp rise in memory prices, a phenomenon often referred to as "chipflation."
Samsung Electronics said it expects strong profitability to continue in the second half of the year, led by semiconductors. It expressed confidence that its HBM market share could rise to the high 30% range in the second half, roughly in line with its overall DRAM share.
The company also forecast that its foundry business could turn profitable in the near future. In response to rising global demand for AI chips, Samsung plans to begin operations this year at its Samsung Semiconductor Taylor Plant in Taylor, Texas, while breaking ground on a second Taylor plant by the end of the year.
[email protected] Jung Won-il Reporter