South Korean authorities have launched a sweeping antitrust investigation into alleged price-fixing within the memory interface chip market. On July 15, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office’s Fair Trade Investigation Division conducted raids on the local offices of China’s Montage Technology, Japan’s Renesas Electronics, and US-based Rambus.
Prosecutors are examining whether these firms coordinated pricing strategies that potentially impacted major memory producers, including Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron. Memory interface chips serve as essential components that enable communication between memory modules and computer systems, making them a critical link in the global semiconductor supply chain.
The investigation has already triggered significant market volatility. Shares of Montage Technology, which holds a leading market share in the sector, plummeted by over 20% on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange following the news. The company has stated it is cooperating with authorities while maintaining that its operations comply with all relevant regulations.
This probe adds to existing international scrutiny of the sector. Reports indicate that the US Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division initiated a separate investigation into Montage Technology regarding similar price-fixing concerns in January 2026. Legal experts are now monitoring whether South Korean and US authorities will synchronize their efforts, potentially leading to a broader global enforcement action similar to the landmark DRAM price-fixing cases of the mid-2000s.