With SK hynix(000660), which had led the rally in global artificial intelligence (AI) chips, plunging by the most since its listing and even losing the 2 million won level, an online post mimicking the national soccer team's World Cup qualification scenarios titled "cases for SK hynix to reenter 3 million won" has appeared and is drawing attention.
On the 14th, a chart titled "3 million reentry scenarios by earnings-season combinations" spread rapidly across social media and online communities.
The chart adapts the "bingo board of scenarios" used to calculate the Korea national soccer team's chances of reaching the round of 32 at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. It lays out, by schedule, what conditions global semiconductor and big tech corporations must meet in their earnings releases for SK hynix's share price to reach 3 million won again.
For Taiwan's TSMC, which reports on July 16, the condition reads "strong impression needed." For July 23, Samsung Electronics faces "strong results and impression that beat all expectations," and for July 27, Google is tasked with "CAPEX increase + earnings improvement + good cash flow needed."
On July 29, SK hynix and storage maker Seagate are both set to post results that surpass market expectations. It also says Microsoft and Meta on July 30, and Amazon on July 31, must successively declare CAPEX (production capacity) expansions for a chance at reentering 3 million won.
Apple, which rattled Korea's chip industry with talk that China memory chip corporation CXMT (ChangXin Memory) may be considered for DRAM adoption, was tagged with the sharp phrase "needs to not whine."
Investors offered self-deprecating reactions, saying that having to weigh such complicated conditions for a price rebound itself shows a deterioration in market sentiment. Online, some said, "The mere fact that scenarios are being bandied about is proof the situation has already worsened to an extreme."
Other reactions included, "In the World Cup we only needed to get 3 out of 9, and we couldn't," "I have trauma from the bingo board and don't want to see it," "No. 8 looks impossible," "For the sake of the poor retail investors, I'll predict the outcome of this scenario: it won't happen," "I can't even laugh at memes anymore," and "3 million-nix now feels like a dream."