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Prices for RAM from South Korea are rising rapidly, soaring well above any previous expectations. According to Chosun Biz, the export price of Korean DRAM has increased 12.5-fold compared to the lowest level recorded 3 years and 7 months ago. Currently, 1 kg of this product costs 41.7 times more than the same amount of silver.
Journalists vividly illustrate the rapid rise in DRAM prices by comparing it to precious metals: 1 kg of South Korean-made DRAM can now buy approximately 620 g of gold. The price of gold has also risen significantly due to falling yields on U.S. Treasury securities and the weakening of the dollar; however, over the same period, it has risen only 2.4 times, which is significantly lower than the growth rate of DRAM.
This massive, jump-like growth is confirmed by recent foreign trade reports. According to data from the Korea Institute for the Promotion of Trade Statistics (TRASS), cited by Chosun Biz, from August 1–20, the export price of South Korean DRAM (excluding finished modules) reached $92,183 per kilogram (127.4 million won), representing a 401.0% increase year-over-year. At the same time, the total value of exports rose by 504.8%, reaching $9.807 billion (13.56 trillion won).
This price increase is partly attributable to the release of products with higher storage density; however, this factor alone cannot account for such a dramatic jump. The capacity of mass-market DRAM chips doubled – from 8 GB (1 GB) to 16 GB (2 GB) – thanks to improvements in manufacturing processes and increased component density.
In key segments of the DRAM market, the most notable growth in contract prices has been observed for server solutions, which are critical for cloud service providers. According to TrendForce, in the second half of 2025, the cumulative increase in contract prices for these products was 64%, and an additional jump of 270% is expected in 2026. Following a 53–58% increase in the price of DDR5 server memory in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the previous three-month period, a further rise of 13–18% is projected for the third quarter, and in the fourth quarter – by 3–8%, indicating that the stable upward trend is continuing.
The repercussions of this price shock are already extending far beyond South Korea. Citing German hardware experts from 3D Center, the Chosun Ilbo reports that the German retail price index for DDR5 rose to 486% in August, adding 41 percentage points compared to July’s figure of 445%. If July 2025 is taken as the base level of 100%, this means that retail prices for DDR5 in Germany have jumped 4.86 times in just over one year.
A similarly tense situation is observed in other major global markets. In the U.S., 32 GB DDR5 kits, which were offered last year for $100–$200, currently cost $350 or more when in stock. In Japan, the minimum price for a 128 GB DDR5 kit – consisting of two 64 GB modules – has risen to approximately 300,000 yen.