Samsung raises 2026 chip capex to ₩76.8 trillion as AI memory demand surges

Samsung's semiconductor division gets a 62% spending boost after a record quarter, with further increases planned for 2027 Samsung Electronics is spending like a company that can’t build chips fast enough. The reason is simple: it can’t. The Korean giant raised its 2026 capital spending plan for semiconductors to 76.8 trillion won, and it plans to spend even more in 2027. The move comes as demand for AI memory chips keeps outrunning what factories can supply. The numbers behind the spending spree Samsung announced the revised guidance on October 29, 2026. Total capital investment for the year is now expected to reach 84.4 trillion won, or approximately $59–63 billion. The lion’s share goes to the Device Solutions division, Samsung’s semiconductor arm. Its 76.8 trillion won allocation marks a 62% increase over the previous year. Samsung Display, by comparison, gets 3.9 trillion won. Samsung posted a record operating profit of 107.4 trillion won for the third quarter. The semiconductor unit alone contributed 106.5 trillion won of that total. Chip profits jumped 15-fold from a year earlier. Memory revenue climbed 427% year over year to 140.7 trillion won. The engine behind those figur...