[Editorial] Landmark results

Samsung Electronics' recent performance is a remarkable achievement that lifts confidence in the Korean economy.

Its estimated first-quarter revenue and operating profit reached record highs of 133 trillion won ($90 billion) and 57.2 trillion won, respectively. This is the first time a Korean company has generated over 50 trillion won in quarterly operating profit.

Its operating profit surged 755 percent on-year and exceeded last year's full-year operating profit of 43 trillion won.

The strong advance of Samsung Electronics carries significant implications for the Korean economy. The vast foreign currency earnings generated by Samsung Electronics are acting as a key bulwark for Korea's current account amid an economy weighed down by a Middle East-driven energy supply crunch, elevated oil prices and a weaker won. Its tax contributions via corporate income tax are making it possible for the government to compile a supplementary budget this year without resorting to deficit-financing bonds, effectively acting as a safeguard for public finances.

It is fair to say that Samsung Electronics’ record-breaking performance was driven almost entirely by semiconductors. Industry analysts estimate that operating profit from DRAM alone exceeded 41 trillion won. Against a backdrop of expanding artificial intelligence demand, high-value-added memory products, including high-bandwidth memory, boosted performance. A weaker won against the dollar also contributed.

However, this is a moment not for celebration, but for heightened vigilance. It is time to confront the shadows lurking behind the dazzling performance figures.

While these results partly reflect effective management, the powerful momentum of the semiconductor supercycle should not be underestimated. Although it is currently a seller’s market, the landscape could shift any time with the advent of innovative technologies. While the prevailing view is that memory demand will remain strong throughout the year, the risk that the AI investment boom may subside at any time cannot be discounted.

Samsung Electronics’ foundry business has yet to turn a profit. While its mobile and consumer electronics divisions have held up relatively well, they face rising costs and stagnant demand. Most notably, the company’s heavy reliance on memory remains unresolved.

Rivals are breathing down Samsung Electronics’ neck. Chinese competitors are accelerating efforts to strengthen their memory businesses, backed by massive state support. While a technological gap still exists, market leadership could shift if price competition intensifies.

Taiwan is vigorously advancing a semiconductor alliance with the United States and Japan. US Big Tech companies are moving to build their own AI chips to reduce supply chain dependence. Recently, Google attracted industry attention by developing a breakthrough AI memory compression technique.

The union at Samsung Electronics is demanding record-high performance bonuses while weighing the option of a strike. The current boom must not be squandered on celebratory payouts driven by euphoria. The semiconductor supercycle is not permanent.

Most of the gains the boom has delivered should be invested in strengthening Samsung Electronics’ long-term competitiveness. The company must step up investment in R&D to secure a lead in future technologies including next-generation HBM. The current boom should be seized as an opportunity to lay a solid foundation for the future.

If Samsung Electronics falters, so does the Korean economy. Yet some politicians and their allied civic groups are calling for the implausible relocation of a semiconductor complex under construction to the Jeolla provinces, their political base. Even as research labs at US and Chinese semiconductor firms run 24 hours a day, Korean companies face constraints on R&D due to the strict application of the 52-hour workweek.

Government officials and political leaders should actively back Korean firms as they compete in the global marketplace. Efforts are needed to expand the pool of high-end talent and overhaul labor laws and regulations. They must match the drive and effort of the corporate sector.