The Semiconductor Memory industry is experiencing a new paradigm driven by advances in AI. In this rapidly evolving environment, SK hynix’s Business Planning department played a key role in the company’s best-ever performance in 2024. By maximizing limited resources through rigorous analysis and proactively adapting to internal and external changes, the team contributed significantly to this success. Moving beyond these short-term results, the team is now focused on ensuring the company’s sustainable growth.

In the third episode of an interview series featuring newly appointed executives in 2025, the SK hynix Newsroom sat down with Vice President Jungwoo Kim, head of Business Planning. In this wide-ranging interview, Kim discusses his strategies for driving operational innovation and shaping the company’s future.

Strategic Decision-Making: The Key to Achieving Competitiveness

Kim was instrumental in driving SK hynix’s remarkable growth in 2024 and laying the groundwork for strengthening future capabilities. “Despite the unprecedented downturn in the memory market in 2023, proactive investments based on market analysis led to the company’s record-breaking performance in 2024,” he stated. “Infrastructure investments, such as the decision in 2024 to build the M15X fab, will serve as a critical foundation for responding to new demand.” Kim emphasized that these key achievements were fueled by thorough market analysis and data-based strategic decision-making.

“Decision-making in the semiconductor memory industry is becoming increasingly complex, not only due to technological evolution but also as a result of various uncertainties such as geopolitical risks and growing AI competition,” Kim revealed. “As the head of Business Planning, I will lead strategic decisions that address the company’s key challenges. Beyond simply establishing plans, I will focus on developing feasible strategies by actively communicating with on-site teams to ensure we reach our goals.”

Developing practical and sophisticated strategies based on on-site experience is one of Kim’s strengths. Since joining SK hynix’s manufacturing and technology unit, the Memory Manufacturing Center, in 2003, he has gained extensive experience in field operations and optimization through roles at the Icheon headquarters and as a resident officer in Wuxi, China. “Decisions made during the planning stage significantly impact the productivity and competitiveness of on-site operations,” he emphasized.

“I understand better than anyone the relentless efforts of our members to perfect technology and maximize yield, as well as the intensity of a 24/7 production environment,” he said. “My goal is to provide practical, timely solutions fit for front-line operations, enhancing execution capabilities and contributing to the growth of both the company and our employees.”

Kim will provide practical solutions for front-line operations to support company growth

From Uncertainty to Execution: Driving Operational Innovation

In the semiconductor memory industry, where the cycles of boom and bust are the norm, the “art of timing” is crucial as well-timed investment decisions can determine business success or failure. Since 2023, SK hynix has been operating a consultative body uniting all departments to predict and analyze market conditions, thus guiding key decisions on production, sales, and investments. This approach has helped the company navigate an unprecedented industry downturn and achieve its best performance to date.

“2025 is a pivotal year where we must move beyond past achievements and set the stage for sustainable growth,” Kim claimed.

“Guided by the principle of ‘From Uncertainty to Execution,’ the Business Planning department is driving operational innovation with three key objectives: preemptively taking action to address market changes, strengthening data-driven decision-making systems, and maximizing cross-department synergies,” he revealed. “To effectively respond to market changes, we will refine market assessments and sharpen investment discussions while establishing strategies which align with global IT trends and technological advancements. Additionally, we will build a framework to enable rapid changes of direction based on data analysis of supply and demand fluctuations and investment profitability. Close collaboration with on-site teams will also be key to enhancing execution and ensuring success.”

Collaboration and responding to market changes are key to Kim’s strategy for driving operational innovation

Leading by Example: Embracing Challenges & Innovation for Further Growth

As the Business Planning department tackles company-wide issues, the work requires careful deliberation. “No matter how difficult the problem is, if we demonstrate a ‘one-team’ spirit, discuss solutions, and take it step by step, we’ve always found a way to solve a challenge,” he said and emphasized that, for this approach to succeed, “Leaders must set the right example.”

“A leader should not only set the direction but also engage with team members and consider their diverse perspectives,” he said. “I will step forward for difficult tasks, think deeply, and be a leader who communicates with an open mind.”

Kim concluded by encouraging the team to embrace challenges and drive innovation.

“SK hynix has grown through a history of challenges and innovation,” he said. “While we should take pride in our achievements we’ve made so far, we must not become complacent. Let’s push forward, take action, and create even greater growth together, ensuring SK hynix remains at the forefront of the global semiconductor market.”

Read more articles from the New Leadership Spotlight 2025 series

The post [New Leadership Spotlight 2025] Head of Business Planning Jungwoo Kim on Executing Strategic Decisions to Navigate Uncertainty first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

AI and high-performance computing (HPC) are evolving at an unprecedented pace, pushing traditional memory technologies such as DRAM and NAND flash to their limits. To meet the growing demands of the AI era, the industry is exploring emerging memory technologies which go beyond traditional memory.

Among these new memory technologies, storage-class memory¹ (SCM) has emerged as a key development as it can bridge the performance gap between DRAM and NAND flash. Recognizing the potential of SCM, SK hynix has developed selector-only memory² (SOM), a groundbreaking innovation that redefines SCM and strengthens the company’s AI memory portfolio.

¹Storage-class memory: A class of emerging non-volatile memory technologies that combines the speed of DRAM with the persistent storage capabilities of NAND flash. It bridges the gap between DRAM and NAND flash in terms of performance, cost, and storage capacity.
²Selector-only memory (SOM): A cross-point memory device featuring a chalcogenide-based film which can perform both selector and memory functions.

This final episode of  Rulebreakers’ Revolutions  explores the journey behind SOM’s development, the key role of SK hynix’s rigorous R&D approach, and the implications for the future of AI and HPC.

The Mission: Going Beyond Traditional Memory With Next-Gen SCM

The AI era has sparked a data explosion. AI systems, from large language models³ (LLMs) to multimodal AI⁴, require high-performance memory to rapidly access and process this vast amount of data and perform complex computations. This next-generation performance must be balanced with affordability and energy-efficiency, placing further pressure on memory technologies.

³Large language model (LLM): Advanced AI systems trained on vast amounts of text data to understand and generate human-like text based on the context they are given.
⁴Multimodal AI: Machine learning models capable of processing and integrate different types of data, including text, audio, and video.

To meet these increasing demands, HPC systems are transitioning from traditional CPU-centric models to memory-centric architectures. By supporting data processing directly within memory, these memory-centric systems can minimize data movement to ultimately improve system performance and efficiency.

Amid this shift, the industry is exploring new memory technologies which can surpass the capabilities of traditional memory. Among them, SCM has emerged as a promising solution by bridging the performance gap between DRAM and NAND flash. As a non-volatile memory, SCM combines the speed and cost-efficiency of DRAM with the high capacity of NAND flash. Additionally, the advent of CXL^®5 technology has enabled seamless connections between memory and devices such as CPUs, GPUs, and accelerators, creating new opportunities for SCM adoption in advanced computing.

⁵Compute Express Link^®(CXL^®): A next-generation interface that connects the CPU, GPU, memory, and other components to efficiently enhance the performance of high-performance computing systems.

Recognizing the capabilities of the technology, SK hynix took on the challenge of developing a next-generation SCM product—SOM—which could revolutionize the industry.

SK hynix’s SOM goes beyond traditional memory, breaking the barriers to next-generation memory

Beyond 3DXP: Rigorous R&D and Collaboration Unlock SOM

Before developing SOM, SK hynix had made great progress with an alternative SCM technology—3D XPoint (3DXP). Developed in the mid-2010s, 3DXP was a non-volatile storage technology that used phase-change memory (PCM)⁶ to store data through changes in material resistance states. It employed a transistor-less, cross-point architecture⁷ featuring selectors⁸ and memory cells placed at the intersection of perpendicular wires. By stacking 3DXP cells in a three-dimensional architecture without transistors, the product offered high memory density.

⁶Phase-change memory (PCM): A technology which enables non-volatile electrical data storage at the nanometer scale. PCM memory switching involves heating materials so they switch between amorphous and crystalline states, which correspond to the binary digits 0 and 1, respectively.
⁷Cross-point architecture: A memory architecture where data is stored at the intersection, or “cross-point”, of two or more lines in a grid-like structure.
⁸Selector: A device in a memory array that regulates the flow of current to and from a memory cell. This enables precise access to a specific cell while blocking unwanted paths for more accurate read and write operations.

Despite the potential of 3DXP, SK hynix identified challenges regarding the product’s scalability beyond 20 nm process technology. As a result, the company switched its attention to an alternative next-generation SCM product.

The company set about developing SOM, a groundbreaking cross-point memory device that uses a single chalcogenide⁹ -based film, known as dual-functional material (DFM), to perform both selector and memory functions. Compared to 3DXP, SOM eliminates the need for the separate selector and PCM setup. Instead, selectors in SOM are deployed without standalone memory cells to improve selector functionality. Moreover, SOM utilizes an optimized cross-point array with lower cell stack aspect ratios¹⁰ for better scalability and higher memory density.

⁹Chalcogenide: A chemical compound consisting of at least one chalcogen anion, such as sulfur, and an electropositive element, such as metal.
¹⁰Aspect ratio: Height-to-width ratio of memory cells.

One of the biggest changes from 3DXP was the inclusion of DFM in place of phase-change material. As a result of this switch, SOM offers advanced specifications. Firstly, the write speed is significantly improved as DFM, unlike PCM, does not require time to perform phase changes. While PCM required a high write current for joule heating during phase transitions, the use of DFM significantly reduced the necessary write current. In addition, DFM offers increased stability when operating at high temperatures, reducing thermal disturbance¹¹. DFM’s improved heat resistance also ensures it offers enhanced cyclic endurance compared to PCM, boosting overall durability.

¹¹Thermal Disturbance: A phenomenon where heat generated while programming one memory cell unintentionally affects the state of neighboring cells due to heat diffusion, potentially disrupting their data integrity.

SOM replaces the phase-change material used in 3DXP with DFM

The successful development of SOM would not have been possible without SK hynix’s rigorous approach to R&D and smooth internal collaboration. For example, the company discovered DFM during research on chalcogenide-based selector and memory materials. By applying a new bipolar operation instead of the conventional unipolar operation, the team found it could achieve both selector and memory characteristics simultaneously.

The company’s R&D approach also enabled a significant reduction in SOM’s power consumption compared to pre-development expectations. When conventional optimization approaches proved insufficient, this prompted a radical reexamination of materials, design, and operational algorithms. In response, various research teams came together to collaborate on the project and develop new approaches. They tested the application of new materials and operational techniques through simulations, addressing any potential issues. This meticulous process cut power consumption by approximately one-third from initial predictions, a crucial advancement in the development of SOM.

Unveiling the World’s Smallest SOM

SK hynix has successfully developed the world’s smallest SOM, the first fully integrated¹² 16nm half-pitch¹³ SOM. This revolutionary achievement in the SCM field was presented at the prestigious 2024 IEEE Symposium on VLSI Technology and Circuits (2024 VLSI Symposium).

¹²Fully integrated: Complete integration of circuits and manufacturing processes at the cell array level, unlike basic single-cell prototypes in academic research.
¹³Half-pitch: Half of the minimum center-to-center distance between interconnect lines in a semiconductor.

Compared to 3DXP, SOM offers a reduction in write speed from 500 nanoseconds (ns) to 30 ns and write current, which dropped from 100 microamps (µA) to 20 µA. In addition, cyclic endurance increased from 10 million to over 100 million cycles, highlighting SOM’s increased durability. SOM was also shown to have advanced persistency, the ability to retain data under extreme conditions, as tests proved it could retain data for over 10 years at 125°C.

SOM offers outstanding capabilities from rapid write speed to advanced persistency

Significantly, the 16nm SOM is the smallest, most scalable and high-performing cross-point memory solution on the market. As the AI landscape continues its evolution, the successful development of SOM strengthens SK hynix’s AI memory leadership, complementing products such as HBM, AiMX, and CXL Memory Module (CMM)-DDR5.

Looking forward, the research behind SOM will contribute to broader advancements in next-generation memory technology. Its impact extends to the growing field of heterogeneous integration, enabling innovative system integration approaches that cater to AI data centers and diverse AI solution providers. As computing architectures shift towards memory-centric computing, SOM’s technological breakthroughs will play a crucial role in shaping the future of AI and HPC.

Rulebreaker Interview: Myoungsub Kim, Global Revolutionary Technology Center (RTC)

To find out more about the company’s innovative approach to SOM development, the SK hynix Newsroom spoke with Myoungsub Kim of the Global Revolutionary Technology Center (RTC), which conducts R&D of next-generation semiconductors. Kim discusses the major challenges faced when developing SOM as well as the rulebreaking mindset adopted by employees.

<Other articles from this series>

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How MR-MUF’s Heat Control Breakthrough Elevated HBM to New Heights

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How SK hynix Broke Barriers in Mobile DRAM Scaling With World-First HKMG Application

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] Innovative Design Scheme Helps HBM3E Reach New Heights

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How SK hynix’s Server DRAM Validation Process Succeeds in a Diverse Server CPU Market

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] Flexible & Collaborative eSSD Virtualization Development for Today’s Data Centers

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How SK hynix’s Design Innovations Pushed GDDR7 to New Limits of Speed

[Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How CXL Tech Expands Data Center Memory Scaling Boundaries in the AI Era

The post [Rulebreakers’ Revolutions] How SK hynix’s SOM Paves the Way for Next-Gen Memory in the AI Era first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

SK hynix is showcasing its cutting-edge AI memory technologies at GPU Technology Conference (GTC) 2025 held in San Jose from March 17–21.

Hosted annually by NVIDIA, GTC is one of the world’s leading AI conferences. This year’s event, held under the theme “What’s Next in AI Starts Here,” features over 1,000 sessions and 300 exhibitions highlighting the latest advancements and solutions in AI technology.

Visitors gather to see the latest AI memory innovations at SK hynix’s booth

At the conference, SK hynix is presenting a booth under the theme “MEMORY, POWERING AI and TOMORROW,” showcasing memory products that accelerate AI innovation. These products are displayed in four sections: AI/Data Centers (DC), HBM¹, On-Device, and Automotive. In particular, the HBM section debuted a model of the 12-layer HBM4, which is currently under development, demonstrating the company’s overwhelming technological leadership.

¹High Bandwidth Memory (HBM): A high-value, high-performance product that significantly enhances data processing speeds by vertically stacking multiple DRAM chips, surpassing the capabilities of traditional DRAM. HBM has evolved through six generations, starting with the original HBM and followed by HBM2, HBM2E, HBM3, HBM3E, and HBM4.

The AI/Data Centers section features high-performance eSSDs, DIMM solutions, and more

The AI/DC section features enterprise SSDs (eSSDs) optimized for large-scale data processing and storage, including PEB110, PS1010, and PEB9010, alongside data center DIMM² products such as DDR5 RDIMM and MRDIMM. The world’s highest-specification graphics memory, GDDR7³, is also on display. Additionally, next-generation AI memory products are drawing attention, including CMM-DDR5⁴, a DDR5-based CXL⁵ product, and SOCAMM⁶, a low-power DRAM module for AI servers. The company plans to begin mass production of SOCAMM in line with the market’s emergence, leveraging its strengths in LPDDR5X⁷ and server memory to expand its AI memory portfolio.

²Dual In-line Memory Module (DIMM): A module in which multiple DRAM chips are combined on a substrate.
³Graphics DDR (GDDR): A standard specification of graphics DRAM defined by JEDEC and specialized for processing graphics more quickly. It is now one of the most popular memory chips for AI and big data applications.
⁴CXL Memory Module-DDR5 (CMM-DDR5): A next-generation DDR5 memory module utilizing CXL technology to boost bandwidth and performance for AI, cloud, and high-performance computing.
⁵Compute Express Link (CXL): A next-generation interface that efficiently connects CPUs/GPUs and memory in high-performance computing systems, supporting large-scale, ultra-fast computations. Applying CXL to existing memory modules can expand capacity by more than 10 times.
⁶Small Outline Compression Attached Memory Module (SOCAMM): A next-generation memory module based on LPDDR5X, featuring a smaller form factor than traditional server memory modules while offering higher power efficiency.
⁷Low Power Double Data Rate 5X (LPDDR5X): Low-power DRAM for mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, aimed at minimizing power consumption and featuring low voltage operation. LPDDR5X is the seventh-generation LPDDR product.

The company unveiled a model of its HBM4 at GTC 2025

The highlight of the HBM section is undoubtedly HBM4. Unveiled for the first time in the world at GTC 2025, the in-development HBM4 is set to offer significantly enhanced base die performance and vastly reduced power consumption. Following the introduction of this latest AI memory solution, HBM4, SK hynix will further strengthen its industry leadership. Additionally, the company is showcasing the industry’s best-performing and highest-capacity 12-layer HBM3E available today, alongside NVIDIA’s GB200 Grace^TM Blackwell Superchip.

The On-Device section features various products tailored for on-device and AI applications, including LPDDR6 and LPCAMM2

Visitors to the On-Device section can explore the company’s high-performance, low-power memory solutions designed for on-device data processing and AI computing. These include LPDDR6, LPCAMM2⁸, PCB01, and ZUFS⁹ 4.0.

⁸Low Power Compression Attached Memory Module 2 (LPCAMM2): LPDDR5X-based module solution that offers power efficiency and high performance as well as space savings. It offers performance levels equivalent to two DDR5 SODIMMs, making it optimized for on-device AI.
⁹Zoned Universal Flash Storage (ZUFS): An advanced version of UFS that improves data management efficiency by organizing data into zones, optimizing transfer between the operating system and storage device.

Various vehicle memory solutions are also on display in the Automotive section

Meanwhile, at the Automotive section, SK hynix is presenting a range of vehicle memory solutions aimed at advancing the era of autonomous mobility. These include HBM2E, LPDDR5, UFS¹⁰ 3.1, and Gen4 SSD tailored for the automotive industry.

¹⁰Universal Flash Storage (UFS): A breakthrough type of flash memory that can simultaneously read and write data. Due to its low-power consumption, high-performance and reliability, UFS is widely applied in mobile devices.

As well as its exhibition at GTC 2025, SK hynix has also prepared a virtual booth. Online visitors can browse a web brochure detailing the company’s achievements in 2024 and information on key products including server solutions, the high-capacity SSD PS1012, GDDR7, and CMM-DDR5. Furthermore, there are also videos of innovative products such as HBM, 1c DDR5¹¹, and automotive memory, emphasizing SK hynix’s technological leadership.

¹¹1c DDR5: A 16 gigabit DDR5 DRAM built using the 1c node, the sixth generation of the 10 nm DRAM process. The 10 nm DRAM process was developed in the order of 1x-1y-1z-1a-1b-1c. In October 2024, SK hynix became the first in the world to successfully develop the 1c DDR5 DRAM.

Jungsoo Park of HBM Product Planning presenting on the importance of HBM in the AI era

The company also shared its insights with industry professionals during the event’s presentation sessions. Technical Leader Jungsoo Park of HBM Product Planning presented on “HBM: Backbone of High-Performance Computing and AI,” highlighting the evolution of HBM technology and SK hynix’s unrivaled leadership in the field.

Kihong Kim of Mobility Business giving a talk on SK hynix’s automotive memory

Meanwhile, in an online session titled “Preparing for the Future: Automotive Memory and Storage Requirements”, Technical Leader Kihong Kim of Mobility Business introduced the characteristics of memory and storage in the automotive industry and SK hynix’s related strategic approach.

As AI technology continues its rapid evolution, the role of memory is becoming increasingly vital. At GTC 2025, SK hynix is underlining its AI memory leadership by introducing solutions optimized for the AI era. Looking ahead, the company will further strengthen collaboration with global AI companies to remain at the forefront of AI memory innovation.

The post SK hynix Showcases Unrivaled AI Memory Leadership at GTC 2025 first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• Provision of 12-layer HBM4 samples, a new DRAM product with ultra-high performance for AI, to major customers comes earlier than scheduled
• Mass production of products with best-in-class bandwidth and capacity to start in 2H 2025 following certification process
• Enhancement of position as front-runner in AI ecosystem follows years of efforts to overcome technological limitations

Seoul, March 19, 2025

SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) announced today that it has shipped the samples of 12-layer HBM4, a new ultra-high performance DRAM for AI, to major customers for the first time in the world.

The samples were delivered ahead of schedule based on SK hynix’s technological edge and production experience that have led the HBM market, and the company is to start the certification process for the customers. SK hynix aims to complete preparations for mass production of 12-layer HBM4 products within the second half of the year, strengthening its position in the next-generation AI memory market.

The 12-layer HBM4 provided as samples this time feature the industry’s best capacity and speed which are essential for AI memory products.

The product has implemented bandwidth¹ capable of processing more than 2TB (terabytes) of data per second for the first time. This translates to processing data equivalent to more than 400 full-HD movies (5GB each) in a second, which is more than 60 percent faster than the previous generation, HBM3E.

¹Bandwidth: In HBM products, bandwidth refers to the total data capacity that one HBM package can process per second.

SK hynix also adopted the Advanced MR-MUF process to achieve the capacity of 36GB, which is the highest among 12-layer HBM products. The process, of which competitiveness has been proved through a successful production of the previous generation, helps prevent chip warpage, while maximizing product stability by improving heat dissipation.

Following its achievement as the industry’s first provider to mass produce HBM3 in 2022, and 8- and 12-high HBM3E in 2024, SK hynix has been leading the AI memory market by developing and supplying HBM products in a timely manner.

“We have enhanced our position as a front-runner in the AI ecosystem following years of consistent efforts to overcome technological challenges in accordance with customer demands,” said Justin Kim, President & Head of AI Infra at SK hynix. “We are now ready to smoothly proceed with the performance certification and preparatory works for mass production, taking advantage of the experience we have built as the industry’s largest HBM provider.”

About SK hynix Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world’s top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (“DRAM”) and flash memory chips (“NAND flash”) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company’s shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

Media Contact

SK hynix Inc.
Global Public Relations

Technical Leader
Kanga Kong, Minseok Jang, Sooyeon Lee
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

The post SK hynix Ships World’s First 12-Layer HBM4 Samples to Customers first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• Various memory products for AI data centers, on-device, automotive businesses on display

Seoul, March 19, 2025

SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) announced today that it will participate in the GTC 2025, a global AI conference taking place March 17-21 in San Jose, California, with a booth titled “Memory, Powering AI and Tomorrow”.

The company will present HBM and other memory products for AI data centers and on-device¹ and memory solutions for automotive business essential for AI era.

¹On-device: a technology that implements certain functions on the device itself, instead of going through computation by a physically separated server. As for the on-device AI, a smart device’s direct collection and computation of information allows fast reactions of the AI performance, while promising an improved customized AI service

Among the industry-leading AI memory technology to be displayed at the show are 12-high HBM3E and SOCAMM², a new memory standard for AI servers.

²SOCAMM(Small Outline Compression Attached Memory Module): a low-power DRAM-based memory module for AI server

At the event, top company executives led by Chief Executive Officer Kwak Noh-Jung, President, Head of AI Infra and Chief Marketing Officer Juseon (Justin) Kim and Head of Global S&M Lee Sangrak will meet with the leaders of the global AI industry to enhance collaboration.

Following the industry’s first mass production and supply of the 12-high HBM3E, SK hynix is now planning to complete the preparatory works for large-scale production of the 12-high HBM4 within the second half for immediate start of supply to order. At GTC 2025, a model of the 12-high HBM4, which is under development, will also be displayed.

“We are proud to present our line-up of industry-leading products at GTC 2025,” President & Head of AI Infra Juseon (Justin) Kim said. “With a differentiated competitiveness in the AI memory space, we are on track to bring our future as the Full Stack AI Memory Provider³ forward.”

³Full Stack AI Memory Provider: SK hynix’s vision to be a provider of a full-range of AI memory products and technologies

About SK hynix Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world’s top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (“DRAM”) and flash memory chips (“NAND flash”) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company’s shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

Media Contact

SK hynix Inc.
Global Public Relations

Technical Leader
Kanga Kong, Minseok Jang, Sooyeon Lee
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

The post SK hynix Showcases Industry-Leading Memory Technology at GTC 2025 first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

In 2024, SK hynix achieved its best-ever performance to date, solidifying its leadership in the global AI memory industry. The Business Analysis department played a key role in this achievement by strengthening the company’s financial standing through rigorous profit and loss management, cost and profitability analysis, and economic simulations.

To build upon this improved financial foundation and drive further growth, SK hynix appointed Vice President Jaekwang Eom of Business Analysis as a new executive. In the second episode of an interview series featuring newly appointed executives in 2025, the newsroom spoke with Eom to discuss his aspirations and thoughts in this new role.

Rising Above the Downturn, Aiming for Greater Growth in 2025

Aiming for top cost competitiveness and enhanced memory value, Eom and the Business Analysis team relentlessly moved forward in 2024, leading to the company’s record-breaking performance.

“The previous downturn brought significant challenges, making financial stability our top priority in 2024,” he said. “The Business Analysis team responded by promptly analyzing profits and losses amid the rapidly changing environment, optimizing resources, and strengthening our core capabilities. As a result, we achieved world-class cost competitiveness.”

Despite the company’s strong 2024 performance, Eom stressed that there is no room for complacency and he aims for greater progress in 2025.

“Although we achieved great success last year, there’s still room for improvement,” he stated. “In 2025, we will strive to achieve positive net cash¹ and sustainable growth to help the company reach new heights. We will achieve Operational Improvement² (O/I) 2.0 not only through cost reduction but also by measuring the impact of process and structural improvements and implementing an advanced management system.”

¹Net cash: The amount remaining after subtracting borrowings from cash and cash equivalents, indicating a state where cash holdings exceed borrowings.
²Operational Improvement (OI): An SK Group management strategy first proposed in 2002 that optimizes key performance indicators such as profit margins, customer satisfaction, and sustainability to maximize business profits. It refers to all management decisions that improve and enhance the business.

Eom aims to enhance financial stability and operational efficiency, driving sustainable growth for SK hynix

Hands-on Experience Shaping a Balanced Perspective

Eom’s career path is unique. Now leading the Business Analysis department—a key pillar of the company’s financial operations—Eom began his career in manufacturing and technology. With a background in semiconductor manufacturing, he is recognized for his exceptional ability to balance manufacturing and technology operations with financial strategies.

“Finance-related organizations are often perceived as solely focused on cutting costs,” he revealed. “But with my experience in manufacturing and technology, I’ve learned to make well-balanced decisions instead of favoring one side. Moving forward, I’ll continue making decisions that satisfy both our financial objectives and the needs of the manufacturing and technology teams.”

This approach is clear in the Business Analysis department, where nearly half the members have manufacturing or technical backgrounds.

“As SK hynix is a leading tech company, even the Business Analysis department, which is focused on financial strategy, needs a deep understanding of technology,” Eom revealed. “Leveraging this expertise, we’ll develop more well-crafted and practical financial strategies.”

Eom seeks to integrate financial expertise with technical insights, ensuring balanced decision-making and stronger cost competitiveness

Recognizing Achievements Driven by SUPEX & the One-Team Spirit

For Eom, the achievements of 2024 are particularly significant. Not only did the company achieve its best-ever financial results, but a taskforce that was formed in 2021 to drive world-class cost competitiveness also made remarkable progress. In 2024, SK hynix achieved the leading cost competitiveness in the global semiconductor market, demonstrating not only the company’s technological excellence but also its strong leadership in business management.

“Achieving outstanding cost competitiveness wasn’t easy, but thanks to our commitment to SUPEX³ and the ‘one-team’ spirit, we reached our goal faster than expected,” he said. “As a member of SK hynix, I’m incredibly proud and deeply grateful to all the team members who worked hard to make this achievement possible.”

³Super Excellent Level (SUPEX): A key concept of SK Group’s business management system, SKMS, SUPEX describes the highest level attainable by human ability.

Eom concluded by highlighting the importance of hyperconnectivity. “To become the world’s leading full stack AI memory provider, we must focus on improving individual skills while also harnessing the power of collective intelligence,” he added.

“As market conditions rapidly evolve and competition intensifies, we must improve operational efficiency while securing a technological edge. I believe we can elevate SK hynix to new heights by harnessing the power of convergence—where experts from various fields work together to create even greater value.”

Read more articles from the New Leadership Spotlight 2025 series

The post [New Leadership Spotlight 2025] Head of Business Analysis Jaekwang Eom Balances Financial & Tech Objectives for Leading Cost Competitiveness first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

• SK hynix first Korean semiconductor company to be named as one of the 2025 World’s Most Ethical Companies^®
• Members’ commitment to business ethics, support for business partners recognized
• Company to foster business ethics suitable for leading AI memory provider

Seoul, March 12, 2025

SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) announced today that it has received the 2025 World’s Most Ethical Companies^® recognition by Ethisphere¹, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, marking the first case for a Korean semiconductor company to be named as an honoree.

¹Ethisphere: Global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that strengthen corporate brands, build trust in the marketplace, and deliver business success. Ethisphere honors superior integrity programs through World’s Most Ethical Companies^® recognition.

The assessment is based on Ethisphere’s proprietary Ethics Quotient^®, which requires companies to provide 240+ different proof points on practices that support robust ethics and compliance; governance; a culture of ethics; environmental and social impact; and initiatives that support a strong value chain.

In 2025, 136 honorees were recognized spanning 19 countries and 44 industries. SK hynix is one of only four honorees in the semiconductor industry.

The international recognition follows years of the company’s efforts to set up goals for business ethics and systematic evaluation and implementation of them. SK hynix expects the ethics management system that the stakeholders can trust and suitable for a global company to help it and its customers to achieve higher corporate values.

SK hynix and its employees have combined efforts to advance business ethics further with members participating in the signing of compliance commitment letter and compliance surveys every year with passion.

In 2023, SK hynix also started a program to share its operation and know-how of the business ethics system with business partners to further grow it into a system for the broader supply chain.

“Congratulations to SK hynix for achieving recognition as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies^®,” Erica Salmon Byrne, Ethisphere’s Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Chair, said. “Behind this honor is a true dedication and a commitment to advancing business integrity.”

“I would like to express my gratitude to our members for their continued efforts to help advance the company’s principles for ethical management to be recognized globally,” SK hynix Chief Executive Officer Kwak Noh-Jung said. “We will strive to meet the trust from our stakeholders and do our part to continue as an ethically responsible AI memory provider.”

About SK hynix Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world’s top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (“DRAM”) and flash memory chips (“NAND flash”) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company’s shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

Media Contact

SK hynix Inc.
Global Public Relations

Technical Leader
Kanga Kong, Minseok Jang, Sooyeon Lee
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

The post SK hynix Named as a 2025 World’s Most Ethical Companies^® Honoree first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

Deepfake images. Voice phishing. Chatbot hacking. These are just some of a growing number of crimes involving the misuse of AI which have hit the headlines in recent years.

In response, there has been an increased focus on AI guardrails—the tools and protocols required to ensure the responsible and ethical use of AI. However, the establishment of such guardrails raises significant ethical challenges for developers, including the difficulty of making moral judgements in a world of differing cultures and standards.

This article will cover the potential and ethical considerations of AI guardrail solutions as well as the need for growing global consensus going forward.

The Growing Challenge of AI Security

While the growing sophistication of AI has brought about numerous benefits, it has also led to a rise in the misuse of AI and related crimes. Taking chatbots as an example, there have been cases around the world of applications failing to filter unethical language, accepting it, and even generating hate speech. One common factor among these incidents and other AI crimes is malicious human interference and its influence on AI learning.

While early AI applications operated within predefined choices set by developers, providing only multiple-choice responses, recent deep-learning-based generative AI programs can tap into trained datasets to provide descriptive answers. However, as AI becomes more intelligent, crimes exploiting it are also becoming more sophisticated. As a result, developers are now anticipating various attack methods and devising countermeasures.

Palo Alto Networks, a U.S. company providing app-based security policies, recently shared a new hacking technique dubbed “Deceptive Delight” capable of compromising LLMs¹. The technique, a type of prompt injection², involves gradually inserting harmful requests among benign ones in a positive context to bypass an AI model’s safety measures until it generates unsafe content. Notably, the Deceptive Delight technique successfully circumvented safety guardrails within just three interaction turns in 65% of 8,000 test cases. Such prompt injections are not limited to tests, however, as there are a growing number of real-world cases involving extracting dangerous information which could cause harm and even endanger lives.

¹Large Language Model (LLM): Advanced AI systems trained on vast amounts of text data to understand and generate human-like text based on the context they are given.
²Prompt injection: A cyberattack against LLMs in which hackers disguise malicious inputs as legitimate prompts, manipulating systems into generating private or unsafe content.

An overview of Palo Alto Networks’ “Deceptive Delight” technique, which resulted in the chatbot generating unsafe content (Source: Palo Alto Networks)

These cases raise the question: Is there a technology that can prevent AI-related crimes worldwide? To answer this, developers inevitably face profound ethical and philosophical dilemmas. In a world where creative crimes are emerging daily, what kind of ethical guidelines should be embedded in AI to ensure safety?

Every AI Developer’s Dilemma: The Regulatory Standards of AI Ethics

Good intentions in development do not necessarily guarantee a morally sound final product. For an LLM to engage in natural conversations, it requires hundreds of billions of data points, or tokens. Given the vast amount of data involved, there is a high risk of problematic data slipping in. One might think that such data should simply be excluded, but determining what is “problematic” is not always straightforward. Across the world, value judgments to determine morally “good” and “bad” data can vary by country and cultural background.

To illustrate the complexity of the situation, consider if AI were used to manage entry at a women-only gym. What criteria should the AI be trained on to determine a person’s gender? While it’s easy to say that “AI has been trained on biased data,” the issue is far from simple. There is no dataset that represents a universally unbiased perspective shared by everyone across the world.

The Best Defense is Offense: TUNiB’s AI Guardrail Solution

TUNiB offers a range of AI guardrail packages which specialize in different areas (Source: TUNiB)

Data refinement has been a key consideration of mine in my role as CEO of the South Korean AI startup TUNiB, which has developed over 50 types of chatbots. The company conceived its AI guardrail solution aware that, while data refinement alone is unable to prevent all AI crimes, it is a crucial first step. When TUNiB began development in 2021, content moderation was becoming a key consideration following the emergence of generative AI applications such as ChatGPT. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, provided developers with content filtering tools which were tested to determine if they could accurately detect and block sensitive content such as hate speech and explicit material. In turn, TUNiB prioritized the development of a model for its solution package which detects hate speech in prompts and assesses the potential for personal data exposure.

However, the biggest challenge was handling prompt injections. While explicit and overtly malicious expressions are relatively easy to filter out, responding to indirect and sophisticated prompt attacks has only recently become an active area of research. Furthermore, the company had to overcome the lack of a standardized response model. With no clear guidelines, every developer will independently interpret and implement solutions. TUNiB therefore focused on building a systematic AI guardrail framework that consists of attack, detection, and defense mechanisms. By generating adversarial attacks, the company could better develop effective defense strategies against them.

In this system, the attack engine randomly generates aggressive statements and runs simulations. In response, the defense engine deploys an ethical safeguard to counteract these attacks. Automating this cycle allows real-time testing of the solution’s ability to detect and mitigate potential threats.

TUNiB’s AI guardrail solution includes six engines—Joker, St. Patrick, Lucy, Angel, Spamurai, and Guardian—which detect and respond to threats (Source: TUNiB)

Through the combined use of the attack and defense engine dialogue datasets, AI services can become more robust and ethical. In fact, TUNiB’s AI guardrail solution does not only include these two engines but a total of six interconnected AI engines (see above image) which each specialize in different areas of AI security. These six engines—Joker, St. Patrick, Lucy, Angel, Spamurai, and Guardian—work together in a continuous “attack-surveillance-detection-response” cycle.

As long as crime continues to evolve, solutions must constantly attack, defend, and update themselves. In the near future, AI solutions will become akin to vaccines—a critical defense mechanism which is continually updated to protect against emerging threats.

AI Guardrail Solutions in Everyday Life

The financial sector is one of the most promising industries for the adoption of AI guardrail solutions. While the solutions can detect external malware attacks that attempt to bypass security measures, they are expected to be particularly effective in identifying internal illicit activities. Financial institutions already have compliance monitoring teams that periodically oversee activities such as employee embezzlement and leaks of core technologies. However, it is nearly impossible to manually review conversations among thousands of employees, opening the door to AI solutions.

In comparison to traditional AI monitoring systems which are only capable of flagging pre-defined harmful keywords, AI guardrail solutions can precisely detect conversations that violate legal and ethical standards. They can also recognize indirect or metaphorical language and analyze context that requires deeper interpretation. As a result, major international banks such as JPMorgan have already begun implementing AI solutions to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing.

This naturally raises renewed discussions about privacy concerns. However, it is worth noting that most corporate messaging platforms already offer administrator versions, allowing companies to review employee communications with proper consent outlined in employment policies. In addition, one should consider whether an AI system poses a greater privacy threat than human administrators. A well-designed AI compliance system would operate objectively, reporting only problematic conversations to human administrators. These administrators would then only review flagged issues, ensuring a balanced approach between security and privacy.

The Future of Next-Generation AI Security Solutions

As research progresses, the focus inevitably shifts from software-based solutions to hardware considerations. This is because efficiently integrating sophisticated, value-based decision-making into AI solutions requires complex computations. From detecting attacks based on ethical judgment and storing data to accessing servers and transmitting information to administrators, AI systems demand increasingly faster processing speeds.

SK hynix’s advanced memory solutions such as HBM are key to enabling AI guardrail solutions

To enable the ultra-fast transmission of high volumes of data, it is vital to promote the adoption of HBM³ and increase the scalability of AI solutions. Once semiconductor processing capabilities reach a level where they can defend against large-scale attacks, the distinction between software and hardware responses may become blurred.

³High Bandwidth Memory (HBM): A high-value, high-performance product that possesses much higher data processing speeds compared to existing DRAMs by vertically connecting multiple DRAMs with through-silicon via (TSV).

Looking ahead, the next major challenge for the adoption of AI guardrail solutions will be developing high-performance memory solutions specialized for security to handle vast amounts of data.

Ethical AI Requires Broad Social Consensus

South Korea’s AI Safety Research Institute was established in November 2024 (Source: Ministry of Science and ICT)

Achieving safer AI solutions cannot rely solely on technological advancements. As AI development accelerates globally, debates are intensifying over its safety. While these academic debates may hold significance in research, they have not had a meaningful impact on the general public who often have limited access to information. AI education is therefore vital in promoting ethical AI adoption and responsible usage. Before this, however, we must establish shared ethical values across users and cultures.

Once again, the criteria for value judgment become crucial. To aid with this, South Korea has recently taken steps to strengthen its AI regulations. In May 2024, 11 global leaders signed the Seoul Declaration which established safety, innovation, and inclusivity as the three core principles of AI. In September 2024, the South Korean government announced plans to provide computing infrastructure to domestic AI companies as part of the sovereign AI initiative, which seeks to develop AI models that reflect Korea’s unique culture and strengths. In November of the same year, South Korea became the sixth country worldwide to establish an AI safety research institute.

All these measures are considered steps in the right direction. For AI to be safely integrated in our daily lives, mechanisms must be in place to address and correct its misuse. Just as societal progress is built on consensus, AI governance should be guided by collective agreements among stakeholders. The newly established state-led AI control tower in South Korea is expected to play this role. While it’s impossible to establish standards that everyone will unanimously agree on, setting baseline standards can provide necessary guidelines for the responsible development and use of AI.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of SK hynix.

The post The Future of AI Security: Reinventing Guardrails for a Safer Digital World first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

Amid intensifying technological competition and diversifying customer demands in today’s AI market, HBM¹ remains a gamechanger.

¹High Bandwidth Memory (HBM): A high-value, high-performance product that possesses much higher data processing speeds compared to existing DRAMs by vertically connecting multiple DRAMs with through-silicon via (TSV).

Backed by industry-leading technology, SK hynix’s HBM played a pivotal role in the company achieving its best-ever performance in 2024. In 2025, continued innovation and enhanced productivity will be crucial to drive even greater growth. The role of the HBM Heterogeneous Integration Technology team, responsible for optimizing yield, quality, and cost, as well as advancing packaging technology, is therefore more critical than ever.

To find out more about the team’s efforts, the SK hynix Newsroom sat down with its leader, Vice President Kwonwhan Han. In the first episode of an interview series featuring newly appointed executives in 2025, Han discussed HBM technology innovation strategies for leading the AI memory market along with his vision and goals.

Two Birds, One Stone: Achieving Technological & Operational Innovation

Han, who joined SK hynix in 2002, was involved from the initial development of HBM and has since led the development and mass production of every HBM generation, playing a key role in establishing the company’s HBM leadership.

“When HBM was first launched, production scale and demand were nowhere near today’s levels” he stated. “However, the emergence of ChatGPT in 2023 sparked explosive growth in the AI market and a rapid surge in customer demand. In response, we were tasked with building a much larger production line than the existing one in a short period of time. To meet demand, we also converted parts of other production lines into HBM production lines, establishing a large-scale mass production system. At the time, it seemed nearly impossible to reach our goals, but with the dedicated efforts of the HBM Heterogeneous Integration Technology team and related departments, we were able to succeed.”

Han’s strategic response became the foundation for SK hynix’s increased HBM market share and world-class production capacity and quality. Building on this experience and expertise, he is now set to lead the HBM Heterogeneous Integration Technology team. In this position, he will play a crucial role in enhancing mass-production capabilities and establishing a new technical base for a smooth transition to next-generation HBM.

“To stay competitive in the HBM market, it is essential to not only have technological expertise but also deliver the best products to customers in a timely manner,” Han claimed. “I will do my utmost to establish a collaborative system that can promptly respond to market and customer demands through technological and operational innovation, ensuring stable mass production.”

Han plans to develop a collaborative system which can respond to market demands, ultimately leading to stable HBM mass production

Building the Optimal Mass-Production Environment to Meet Market & Customer Demands

“The most important task in 2025 is to respond steadily to growing market demands, while also solidifying our technological readiness for mass production of next-generation HBM,” Han emphasized.

“The 12-layer HBM3E, which will be the main focus of production in 2025, has a higher level of process complexity compared to the existing 8-layer HBM3E,” he revealed. “Additionally, as next-generation HBM products evolve, we expect the technical challenges will become more demanding. While mass production will begin after overcoming many of these challenges during development, unexpected variables may still emerge as we rapidly scale production, and it will be difficult to resolve them. Therefore, the HBM Heterogeneous Integration Technology team plans to focus on proactively anticipating these variables and developing a thorough response strategy.”

Recently, as demand for AI memory increases, there has also been a gradual rise in demand for customized products, especially among big tech companies. However, HBM involves more process steps and a more complex production process than other products, making it challenging to meet these demands. “Rather than simply increasing production volume, establishing an efficient operational system has become even more important,” Han stated. “We will enhance the flexibility of our production lines and strengthen collaboration with customers to maximize our HBM competitiveness.

“We are improving various operational systems through collaboration to enhance HBM production flexibility. From the development stage, development and mass production departments will work as one, closely cooperating with customers to increase production efficiency. To achieve this, we aim to establish an optimal mass-production environment by proactively addressing technical challenges with relevant departments. Based on these efforts, we will contribute to SK hynix’s advancement as a full stack AI memory provider.”

Han aims to enhance production line flexibility and strengthen customer collaboration to maximize HBM competitiveness

Fulfilling the Leader’s Role: Fostering Employee & Company Growth

Han emphasized that the key to driving outstanding performance lies in employees’ self-driven motivation, adding that leadership plays a crucial role in fostering such a mindset. In particular, he expressed a strong commitment to supporting the growth of younger team members.

“I believe that the role of a leader is to communicate in order to create an environment where employees can motivate themselves and take ownership of their work,” he said. “I will actively communicate and solve problems with my team so that passionate young employees who do their best can grow together with the company.”

In addition, Han emphasized that on-site safety remains the most important value even in a rapidly changing market, and encouraged employees to confidently move forward together.

“We are currently growing rapidly, and we must focus on achieving our goals. However, nothing is more important than safety at our facilities,” he claimed. “To ensure this, our management will lead by example. Also, I hope we never forget that we are the world’s best in our industry. Moving forward, I will continue to communicate and collaborate with my team, working together to build an even stronger SK hynix.”

Read more articles from the New Leadership Spotlight 2025 series

The post [New Leadership Spotlight 2025] Head of HBM Heterogeneous Integration Tech Kwonwhan Han Strives to Strengthen HBM Leadership Through Optimized Mass Production first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.