Leading chip equipment maker ASML sets up major campus in South Korea

SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - ASML, the Dutch maker of the world’s most advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment, has completed construction of a new campus in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. The complex is designed to support South Korea’s leading chipmakers, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, while strengthening local technical capabilities and supply chain stability. The new site will serve as ASML’s key Asian hub, housing a remanufacturing center for deep

November 12, 2025

Seoul City secures another investment from French quantum firm

SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - Seoul City is deepening its ambitions to become a global hub for quantum technology, securing a $57 million investment from Quandela, a French company specializing in photonic quantum computing. The deal, signed Wednesday at Seoul City Hall, marks the city’s second major quantum-related investment agreement in recent months, following a similar deal with Pasqal, also from France. Founded in 2017 near Paris, Quandela has emerged as one of Europ

November 12, 2025

POSCO ramps up lithium investments as EV battery race heats up

SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - South Korea's POSCO Holdings is expanding its global footprint in lithium, the critical ingredient for electric vehicle batteries, with new investments worth 1.1 trillion won, or about $800 million, in Australia and Argentina. The move is part of the steel and battery materials company’s drive to secure key resources as global competition for battery metals intensifies. The company said Wednesday that it will acquire a 30 percent stake in

November 12, 2025

LG Energy Solution moves into aerospace battery market with US partner

SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - LG Energy Solution, one of the world’s leading electric-vehicle battery makers, is pushing into the aerospace sector through a new partnership with an American startup specializing in next-generation energy storage. The South Korean company said Wednesday that it has entered into a strategic collaboration with South 8 Technologies, a San Diego-based firm known for developing liquefied gas electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries. The technology, wh

November 12, 2025

K Bank readies third and possibly final KOSPI bid, betting on sustained market rally

SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - K Bank may become the first company to debut on the KOSPI in 2026 as the country’s pioneering internet-only bank files its third — and likely final — preliminary prospectus, hoping the market’s bullish momentum lasts another two to three months. According to the filing, K Bank plans to offer 60 million shares out of its 405.7 million total. The Korea Exchange’s review normally takes two to three months, putting an early-2026 listing wit

November 11, 2025

AI detectors questioned for efficacy while Korean universities wrestle with AI use

SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - South Korean universities and companies are increasingly adopting detecting tools to identify AI cheats to prevent foul plays in admissions and evaluations, especially after the large-scale AI-employed test cheating that recently disgraced one of the country’s top elite universities — but many find the services largely lacking. Tools are used randomly and trusted blindly, while most universities have yet to reach any consensus on AI usage for

November 11, 2025

Carbon-neutral hydrogen seaport eyed in South Korea's Pyeongtaek

SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group has signed an agreement with the municipal government of Pyeongtaek City in Gyeonggi Province to build South Korea’s first carbon-neutral hydrogen port. Under the agreement, the city government plan to introduce hydrogen fuel cell generators, expand the use of eco-friendly port vehicles and equipment, and promote the import of green ammonia — a potential source of clean hydrogen. The project will also explore hydrogen

November 11, 2025

Asian stocks give up morning gains; KOSPI barely holds positive terrain

SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - Asian markets ended a volatile Tuesday mostly lower, with Korea’s main index the lone outlier that managed to stay in positive territory despite surrendering most of its early jump. Morning gains faded as lingering doubts over the U.S. Federal Reserve’s rate path outweighed relief over progress toward ending the U.S. government shutdown. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI rose 0.81 percent to 4,106.39 after surging nearly 3 percent earlie

November 11, 2025

South Korea's Auros Technology to provide chipmaking tools to Samsung

SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - Auros Technology, a South Korean maker of semiconductor measurement equipment, has won new contracts from Samsung Electronics to supply tools used in hybrid bonding and post-process inspection. The deal marks a notable expansion for Auros, which until recently was primarily known as a supplier to SK hynix. The company will now provide Samsung with precision tools used in both the front-end and back-end stages of chip production. According to investm

November 11, 2025

South Korea's HD Hyundai targets naval contracts in India

SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said Tuesday it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Cochin Shipyard, India’s largest state-owned shipbuilder, to help the country modernize its maritime capabilities. The agreement centers on the Indian Navy’s Landing Platform Dock (LPD) project, part of New Delhi’s effort to strengthen domestic shipbuilding. Under the accord, the two companies will cooperate on design, construction and technology

November 11, 2025