Steelmakers Eye Humanoid Robots as New Growth Market for Specialty Steel Humanoid robots are emerging as a potential new growth market for South Korea’s steel industry, as demand is expected to increase for specialty steel and electrical steel sheets used in key drive components such as reducers, joint shafts and motor cores. Analysts say steel demand, long centered on construction and shipbuilding, could broaden to robots and other automation equipment. Industry officials said Feb. 18 that Korean steelmakers could strengthen a two-track strategy: adopting hum February 18, 2026

Shinhan Bank, Hyundai Engineering & Construction Sign Deal to Expand Productive Finance Shinhan Bank said Tuesday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Engineering & Construction to expand cooperation aimed at boosting what it called “productive finance.” The signing ceremony was held at Hyundai E&C’s headquarters in Seoul and attended by Shinhan Bank CEO Jeong Sang-hyeok and Hyundai E&C CEO Lee Han-woo. The companies said they will jointly review financing options tailored to each project’s characteristics and funding needs and set up a working-l February 18, 2026

Bank Credit Loan Rates Return to 4% Range After 14 Months, Raising Borrower Costs Minimum interest rates on credit loans at major South Korean commercial banks have climbed back above 4% for the first time in 14 months, adding pressure on borrowers who have relied on debt to invest or buy homes. According to the financial sector on Tuesday, credit-loan rates at the four biggest commercial banks — KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana and Woori — stood at 4.010% to 5.380% as of Feb. 13 for top-tier borrowers with one-year maturities. The lower end of the range, which had stayed i February 18, 2026

Doosan Enerbility, Doosan Skoda Power sign $240 million steam turbine deal for Czech nuclear plant Doosan Enerbility said Tuesday it signed a 320 billion won ($240 million) contract with its subsidiary Doosan Skoda Power to supply steam turbines and turbine control systems for the Dukovany nuclear power plant units 5 and 6 in the Czech Republic. A signing ceremony was held in Prague on the 16th (local time) with the industry ministers of South Korea and the Czech Republic in attendance. The Czech government last June signed the main contract for the Dukovany 5 and 6 construction project February 18, 2026

Report: Hyundai, Tesla Lead AI Robotics Push, but Profitability and Ethics Remain Hurdles AI-powered robots are expected to reshape manufacturing and boost efficiency across industrial processes, and analysts say the auto industry is especially well positioned to scale the technology. The report said advanced control and driving technologies already used in vehicles could be combined with robotics, expanding business opportunities across many areas of human mobility and helping build a next-generation mobility ecosystem. But it said commercialization will require progress on February 18, 2026

Hyundai Tops 1 Million Eco-Friendly Vehicle Sales in U.S., Hybrids Lead Hyundai Motor Co. has surpassed 1 million cumulative sales of eco-friendly vehicles in the U.S. market. The automaker said Feb. 18 that since it began selling the Sonata Hybrid in the United States in 2011, it has sold a total of 1,014,943 eco-friendly vehicles through January, including hybrids, electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Sales have climbed sharply in recent years, reaching 75,009 units in 2021 — more than triple the prior year — then 98,443 in 2022 and 159,549 February 18, 2026

South Korean Airlines Had 441 Aircraft at End of Last Year; 15% Were Over 20 Years Old South Korean airlines had about 450 aircraft at the end of last year, according to data submitted to the government. Rep. Lee Yeon-hee of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, said Feb. 18 that figures provided via the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport by 12 South Korean carriers showed they held a total of 441 aircraft at year’s end: 401 passenger planes and 40 freighters. That was up 25 aircraft from a year February 18, 2026

Genesis Extends PGA Tour Genesis Invitational Title Sponsorship Through 2030 Genesis will remain the title sponsor of the PGA Tour tournament the Genesis Invitational through 2030. Genesis said it held a contract-signing ceremony on Feb. 17 (local time) at Riviera Country Club in California with the PGA Tour and the Tiger Woods Foundation, extending the title sponsorship through 2030. Attendees included PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp; Tiger Woods, whose foundation runs the event; Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun; Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon; Hyundai Motor CE February 18, 2026

South Korea’s Lee Hae-in sets season best in Olympic short program debut South Korean figure skater Lee Hae-in (Korea University) set a season-best score in the short program at her first Winter Olympics, saying she handled the moment despite nerves. Competing at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Italy on Feb. 18 (Korea time), Lee scored 70.07 points in the women’s singles short program, with 37.61 in technical elements (TES) and 32.46 in program components (PCS). She improved her previous season best of 67.06 by 3.01 points and secured a spot in the free skate February 18, 2026

South Korea’s Kim Jin-su 13th, Seok Young-jin 19th in Olympic two-man bobsled South Korea’s men’s two-man bobsled teams led by Kim Jin-su and Seok Young-jin finished outside the top 10 at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Pilot Kim Jin-su and brakeman Kim Hyeong-geun, both of Gangwon Provincial Office, placed 13th with a four-run total of 3 minutes, 43.60 seconds at the Cortina Sliding Center in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Kim’s sled was 12th among 26 teams after the first two runs in 1:51.69, but slipped a spot after a 55.90 in Run 3. The team posted 56.0 February 18, 2026