Foreign media: South Korean companies invested $10.2 billion in the US in the first quarter, reaching a five-year high

According to Odaily, driven by profit growth from the AI boom and the impact of US tariff policies, South Korean companies are experiencing the largest wave of US-bound investment and mergers and acquisitions in recent years. Data from the Korean Ministry of Finance shows that in the first quarter of this year, South Korean companies' actual foreign direct investment (FDI) in the US more than doubled year-on-year to $10.2 billion, reaching a five-year high. AI infrastructure beneficiaries such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are accelerating their expansion into the US AI industry; Samsung has participated in financing rounds for AI data center liquid cooling company ZutaCore and AI chip company Groq, while SK Hynix plans to invest $1 billion in US innovation companies. Investment banks believe that, with Chinese buyers exiting the US large tech asset M&A market, South Korean companies are entering a "golden period" for US-bound mergers and acquisitions. (Financial Times)