South Korean Retail Investors Surge Into Semiconductor Stocks After Sharp Price Drops

Global semiconductor shares have slumped more than 50% from recent peaks, prompting a wave of buying by retail investors. In South Korea, individual investors ranked SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics as their top purchases, while overseas retail traders added U.S. chips such as Micron Technology and Sandisk, Hong Kong‑listed SK Hynix leveraged products, Japan’s Tokyo Electron and Ales Technologies, and China’s AMEC to their portfolios. Market analysts view the decline as a buying opportunity rather than a cycle end, citing expanding capital‑expenditure plans by hyper‑scale cloud providers and long‑term supply contracts that should sustain demand. They argue that AI‑driven computing needs and projected memory shortages through 2030 keep the semiconductor super‑cycle intact, supporting continued price recovery.