Samsung Electronics ’deputy chairman Kim Ki-nam said in an interview at CES on Tuesday that the memory chip market is starting to show signs of recovery, making it necessary for Samsung Electronics to carefully consider the opening time of its memory chip factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do.

Kim also said that although there are signs that the market is recovering, it is difficult to predict how far the market will recover and what factors will play a key role. It is possible that Samsung will soon decide when to start their memory chip factory in Pingze based on market trends. As for whether the factory will mass produce advanced NAND chips, Kim said it depends on market conditions.

Analysts said that the chip market's weakness is expected to ease as early as the first quarter of this year, and pointed out that Samsung's fourth-quarter earnings forecast slightly exceeded market expectations.

The semiconductor industry has now shown signs of recovery. At the same time, due to the introduction of 5G and foldable screen phones, the market's demand for smartphones has also ushered in, so the demand for memory chips will also increase. Some analysts expect Samsung's overall operating profit this year to increase by up to 40%.