Reliance on short-term visas exposes weak link in Korean projects in US

SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - Korean companies building some of the largest industrial facilities in the United States are bracing for construction delays that could stretch up to two years, after stepped-up immigration enforcement exposed widespread reliance on short-term business visas for technical staff. Industry data compiled in the aftermath of last week’s raid on a Hyundai–LG Energy Solution battery plant in Georgia show that 22 projects worth about 145 trillion w

September 8, 2025

Trump administration's immigration crackdown puts Korean firms in US on edge

SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - Korean companies with sprawling manufacturing projects in the United States are bracing for major disruptions as the Trump administration intensifies its immigration crackdown, now extending its reach to foreign-led construction sites. The detention of hundreds of workers last week at a Hyundai Motor–LG Energy Solution battery plant under construction in Bryan County, Ga., has jolted South Korean executives and policymakers. Though officials in

September 8, 2025

Defense company LIG Nex1 establishes European hub in Munich

SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - South Korean defense firm LIG Nex1 said Monday that it has opened a representative office in Munich, establishing its first operational hub in Europe. The office was inaugurated on Sept. 4 with a ceremony attended by LIG Nex1’s chief executive, Shin Ick-hyun, along with German officials and executives from European defense firms. The company said the Munich office will serve as a platform for deeper collaboration with European partners in resea

September 8, 2025

E-cigarette users show higher nicotine addiction than traditional smokers, study finds

SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - Users of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products may be more dependent on nicotine than conventional cigarette smokers, according to a government-commissioned study released Monday, challenging industry claims that the alternatives are less addictive or less harmful. The research, conducted by the Korea Association on Smoking or Health at the request of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, surveyed 800 smokers between the ages of 20 and 69 nation

September 8, 2025

Labor strife deepens at GM Korea amid speculation over company's future

SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - General Motors Korea resumed formal wage negotiations with its labor union on Monday, the first such talks in nearly two months, as disputes over restructuring and persistent speculation about the automaker’s long-term presence in South Korea add to rising tensions. Talks began at 2 p.m., marking the 14th round of bargaining this year and the first since July 15. In the interim, the two sides had engaged in lower-level discussions without reaching

September 8, 2025

Korean firms experiment with four-day workweek amid fierce debate

SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - Some of South Korea’s biggest corporations are experimenting with shorter workweeks and flexible schedules, as the nation debates sweeping labor reforms that include cutting the workweek to four days and extending retirement ages. President Lee Jae Myung has pledged to phase in a 4.5-day workweek as a first step toward a four-day schedule without a reduction in pay. Labor unions have embraced the idea: both the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions a

September 8, 2025

Matcha finds new home in Korea's old tea culture

SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - On a damp but sunlit Friday evening in Seoul’s Bukchon Hanok Village, a narrow stairway leads to a sleek three-story building tucked among winding alleys. As the door swings open, a cool breeze and a faint herbal scent rush out to meet the line of visitors. Inside, the walls are washed in green. Foreign tourists crowd the hall, perched on moss-colored couches and sipping lattes so vibrantly green they look almost painted. At the center of the roo

September 8, 2025

Immigration crackdown leads Korean firms to cancel business trips to US

SEOUL, September 07 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Company has canceled all scheduled business trips to the United States after hundreds of South Korean workers were arrested in Georgia on charges of illegal stay and employment. Industry sources confirmed Sunday that the automaker had notified employees that all travel to the U.S. was suspended. The decision comes after a raid on a joint battery plant operated by LG Energy Solution and Hyundai Motor Group on Sept. 4 led to the detention of

September 7, 2025

Samsung plans to embed AI across 90 percent of its business by 2030

SEOUL, September 07 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics plans to integrate artificial intelligence into nearly all of its operations within the next five years, a sweeping transformation that the company says will redefine how it makes and markets everything from smartphones to home appliances. Roh Tae-moon, the acting head of Samsung’s DX Division, which oversees consumer electronics and mobile devices, said at a news conference at the IFA 2025 trade show in Berlin that the company

September 7, 2025

Charter flight to bring home Korean workers held in US

SEOUL, September 07 (AJP) - The South Korean government said on Sunday that it had successfully negotiated the release of over 300 of its citizens who were detained by American immigration authorities at a construction site in Georgia. The workers were building a joint battery plant for Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution. Lee Hun-sik, the chief of staff to President Lee Jae Myung, announced that “negotiations for the release of the detained workers have been compl

September 7, 2025