SK Hynix CEO Warns of Memory Shortage Until 2030

SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung forecasts a severe memory crunch peaking in 2027, with demand exceeding supply capacity through at least 2030.

SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung projects that 2027 will be the worst year for the ongoing memory shortage, which is expected to persist until 2030. This outlook aligns with SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won’s March forecast. The crunch is driven by HBM used in AI accelerators, which requires more sophisticated manufacturing and consumes more wafer capacity than consumer DDR5. Amid these conditions, SK Hynix raised $26.5 billion in the largest-ever U.S. IPO for a foreign company. While Nvidia's market cap fell by $1 trillion in 2026, Micron's stock surged 213% to $990, supported by long-term supply agreements with SK Hynix. TrendForce reports DRAM contract prices rose 15% to 18% in Q3 2026, as Kwak warns that customer demand will likely outpace supply capacity even beyond 2030.