SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) -- The global memory chip market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 7.3 percent till 2021, on the back of solid demand and higher prices, data showed Monday.
The global market size for DRAM and NAND flash is forecast to reach US$109.9 billion in 2021, up from last year's estimated $77.3 billion, according to the data compiled by industry tracker IC Insights and other industry sources.
The DRAM market, which was the catalyst for the overall memory market growth in 2013 and 2014, tumbled 3 percent in 2015, dragging the global memory market down, according to the data.
But recently, the demand for DRAM and NAND flash memory remains firm, heralding a boon for South Korean companies, such as Samsung and SK hynix Inc.
"The boom in the global memory chip market will help South Korean companies, such as Samsung and SK hynix, further expand their presence for the time being," an industry source said.
The two South Korean chip giants currently dominate the global DRAM market with a combined 75 percent market share.
The two companies' combined presence in the global NAND flash market is estimated at some 47 percent.
Driven by solid demand and higher prices, Samsung Electronics logged a record operating income of 4.95 trillion won ($4.24 billion) from its chip business during the fourth quarter of last year, and SK hynix also enjoyed a 1.5 trillion-won operating income during the cited period.
Samsung has been expanding its capacity with an investment of 15.6 trillion won, while SK hynix said earlier it will pour 2.2 trillion won into boosting its NAND flash memory output.