Journalist
Lee Hugh
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Sika deer at play in the snowy Mt. Halla JEJU, February 09 (AJP) -A herd of sika deer bounds across a snow-covered horse grazing field on Mount Hallasan in Jeju on Monday, after heavy overnight snowfall blanketed the region in white. As the snow eased earlier in the day, the deer emerged to roam freely across the quiet landscape, their gentle movement bringing life to the stillness of winter. 2026-02-09 15:48:39 -
Hanwha Aerospace posts record 3 trillion won operating profit in 2025 Hanwha Aerospace said in a regulatory filing on Monday that it posted 26.6078 trillion won ($26,607.8 billion) in revenue last year and 3.0345 trillion won ($3,034.5 billion) in operating profit. The figures were up 137% and 75%, respectively, from a year earlier, marking a third straight year of record results. The company attributed the gains to steady growth in its ground defense and aerospace businesses, as well as the full-year consolidation of Hanwha Ocean into its financial statements. In ground defense, Hanwha Aerospace reported 8.1331 trillion won ($8,133.1 billion) in revenue last year, about double the level of two years earlier. Operating profit rose to 2.0129 trillion won ($2,012.9 billion), topping 2 trillion won for the first time. Overseas, it secured exports including K9 self-propelled howitzers to Norway and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers with advanced guided missiles to Estonia. In South Korea, it won a 705.4 billion won ($705.4 million) mass-production contract for the Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile, or L-SAM, and a 225.4 billion won ($225.4 million) mass-production contract for the Cheongeom air-to-ground guided missile for light armed helicopters. As of the end of last year, its ground defense order backlog stood at about 37.2 trillion won ($37,200 billion). The aerospace unit posted 2.5131 trillion won ($2,513.1 billion) in revenue last year, extending its growth streak to three years, helped by a sharp rise in defense orders. Operating profit came to 2.3 billion won ($2.3 million), returning to the black. Subsidiary Hanwha Ocean was included in consolidated results for a full 12 months for the first time last year. Hanwha Ocean reported annual revenue of 12.6884 trillion won ($12,688.4 billion) and operating profit of 1.1091 trillion won ($1,109.1 billion). A Hanwha Aerospace official said last year marked the first year the company fully incorporated Hanwha Ocean’s performance, calling it a starting point for its push to become an integrated defense and shipbuilding group. The official said the company will seek sustainable growth this year through a diversified product portfolio, while working to expand in global markets and contribute to South Korea’s security.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-09 15:45:18 -
Samsung Elec gets head start in HBM4 race, SK hynix plays it cool SEOUL, February 09 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has moved a step ahead in the race to commercialize next-generation high-bandwidth memory, shipping early samples of its HBM4 chips and preparing for mass supply, according to industry sources. In the sixth-generation memory standard expected to power future artificial intelligence accelerators from Nvidia and Google, Samsung appears to have gained an early edge over local rival SK hynix, which currently dominates the HBM market. A source familiar with the matter said Samsung completed sample shipments of HBM4 products to customers late last year and is now entering what amounts to the early commercialization phase. “Samples were already supplied by late December, and what comes next is essentially the process of shipping mass-produced products,” the source said. “Preparations for shipments are in the final stages.” The source added that delivery schedules remain closely tied to customers’ product road maps. “Even with detailed planning, schedules can shift depending on customers,” the person said. “But given the current situation, it would not be far off to view shipments as starting after the Lunar New Year holiday.” If Samsung begins commercial supply ahead of competitors, it would become the first memory maker to move HBM4 beyond the sample stage and into early customer shipments, industry officials said. Kim Deok Kee, a professor of electronic engineering at Sejong University, said Samsung would indeed be the first in the industry if it begins mass production ahead of its rivals. “There are only three major players in this market. Micron, Samsung Electronics, and SK hynix,” Kim said. “If Samsung moves first, it would be the first in the industry.” Kim said the early start carries symbolic weight for Samsung, which has lagged behind SK hynix in the HBM market. “Samsung has been playing catch-up in HBM, and taking the lead in HBM4 mass production could be seen as a chance to regain momentum,” he said. “It suggests the company has resolved key technical hurdles such as heat management.” SK Hynix Downplays Timing Gap SK hynix, however, has played down the significance of Samsung’s early move, saying it is already prepared for mass production and that supply timing ultimately depends on customers. “We announced last September that we had built a mass-production system after completing customer samples,” a company official said. “As for final supply, we and our competitors are at similar stages. It largely depends on customer timelines.” The company said it has finished sample deliveries and stands ready to move into full-scale supply once demand materializes, but declined to give a precise timetable. The contrasting messages reflect a shift in competition from technology development to commercialization speed, as chipmakers seek to align deliveries with Nvidia’s next-generation “Rubin” AI platform. Speed vs. Relationships Samsung is widely seen as leveraging its vertically integrated structure — spanning DRAM manufacturing, logic-die production and advanced packaging — to accelerate commercialization. HBM4 marks a major leap from the current HBM3E generation, doubling the input-output interface to 2,048 bits and sharply boosting bandwidth per stack. The upgrade is designed to ease the so-called “memory wall” that increasingly constrains AI system performance. SK hynix, meanwhile, continues to benefit from its long-standing partnership with Nvidia, built during the rapid expansion of HBM3 and HBM3E for AI workloads. Market Share Battle Intensifies SK hynix overtook Samsung as the world’s top memory supplier last year amid explosive demand for AI chips, driven largely by Nvidia’s platforms. In 2025, SK hynix generated 47.2 trillion won in chip operating profit on sales of 97.15 trillion won, compared with Samsung’s 24.9 trillion won. The three dominant memory makers — Samsung, SK hynix and Micron — which control most of the global memory supply, have sent memory prices across the board soaring as they increasingly shift capacity toward premium HBM products. Counterpoint Research estimates SK hynix will hold about 54 percent of the global HBM4 market this year, compared with 28 percent for Samsung and 18 percent for Micron. The firm previously put SK hynix’s HBM3 share at 62 percent in mid-2025. Investment banks also expect SK hynix to maintain its lead. Goldman Sachs forecasts the company will dominate HBM3 through at least 2026, while UBS estimates it could capture around 70 percent of HBM4 demand tied to next-generation AI platforms. Despite Samsung’s early push, SK hynix remains confident. “Our commercialization capabilities and product quality, which have earned customer trust, cannot be overtaken in a short period,” Song Hyun-jong, president of SK hynix’s corporate center, said during a recent earnings call. “As with HBM and HBM3, we aim to secure overwhelming leadership in HBM4.” Samsung Electronics shares closed at 166,400 won ($123), up 4.92 percent, while SK hynix ended at 887,000 won ($657), up 5.72 percent. 2026-02-09 15:42:56 -
Bukwang Pharmaceutical tops 200 billion won in annual sales for first time; operating profit up 775% Bukwang Pharmaceutical said Monday that its consolidated operating profit for last year rose 775.2% from 2024 to 14.1 billion won. Revenue increased 25.4% to 200.7 billion won, topping 200 billion won in annual sales for the first time since the company was founded. On a conference call, the company said stronger sales of its diabetic neuropathy treatments Dexid and Thioctacid, along with the antipsychotic drug Latuda, drove the improvement. Sales of the Dexid- and Thioctacid-centered product group rose about 40% year over year, while its central nervous system strategy products, including Latuda, grew about 90%. R&D progress continued as well. Subsidiary Contera Pharma said CP-012, which it is developing as a treatment for morning akinesia in Parkinson’s patients, produced positive topline results in a Phase 1b trial. Bukwang Pharmaceutical said the sharp rise in consolidated operating profit was also due to an upfront payment tied to its contract with Lundbeck. Contera Pharma previously signed a research and development collaboration with the global drugmaker to jointly study ribonucleic acid (RNA)-based therapies for severe nervous system diseases. Separately, Bukwang Pharmaceutical was selected on Jan. 5 as the final bidder to acquire Korea Union Pharmaceutical. It is proceeding with the acquisition under the ongoing rehabilitation process, and expects the deal to close in early April after the Fair Trade Commission completes its merger review.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-09 15:42:00 -
Shinhan Bank Weighs Hiring Outside AI Mentors to Train Staff Shinhan Bank is moving to strengthen employees’ digital skills as it continues recruiting outside information technology talent, judging that external hires alone cannot keep pace with the fast-changing financial environment. According to the financial industry on Monday, the bank is reviewing plans to bring in full-time professors for artificial intelligence transformation, or AX, and technical mentors from outside organizations, including the Financial Supervisory Service. The AX professors and technical mentors would teach internal staff AI theory and hands-on skills. Training would also cover use cases for large language model-based AI agents and generative AI. With competition among banks intensifying over digital transformation and AX, Shinhan Bank is seeking to build expertise by developing its own workforce rather than relying only on outside recruitment. Shinhan Financial Group created an AX and digital division in the second half of last year, placing units such as an AX Promotion Center, a digital strategy team, a digital market-sensing unit and an information security team under it, declaring a push for digital innovation. As anti-money laundering, or AML, has become more important during digital transformation, the move is also seen as an effort to bring regulatory expertise into staff training through hires from financial authorities. “Bankers have limits in IT expertise, and outside digital hires often have weaker capabilities than in the past, so it can be more advantageous to build internal employees’ expertise,” a financial industry official said. The bank has also been active in recruiting outside executives. Shin Young Pil, appointed last year as head of the tech innovation unit, is an IT-focused expert who has worked at Samsung Electronics and NCSoft. Lee Guk Hee, who oversees the tech innovation group, joined Shinhan Bank after working at KT Cloud, Amazon and Microsoft. Jin Young Gyu, head of the customer experience innovation center, and Jeon Seong Ik, head of the customer platform division, are also from Samsung Electronics. Similar hiring trends are spreading across the banking sector. Lee Kyung Jong, head of KB Financial Group’s Financial AI 2 Center, is an external hire who previously led NCSoft’s AI center. Woori Financial Group appointed Choi Yong Min, who led Mirae Asset Management’s AI solutions division, as head of its holding company’s AI strategy center, and this year named Jung Eui Cheol, from Samsung Electronics’ MX business division, as head of Woori Bank’s digital sales group, with the rank of deputy bank president. 2026-02-09 15:36:00 -
Lee congratulates Japan's PM on landslide election win SEOUL, February 9 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung on Monday congratulated Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on her party's landslide victory in a snap election the previous day. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Lee said he "sincerely congratulates" the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)-led coalition on securing a majority in Japan's House of Representatives. Wishing for Japan's continued development under Takaichi's leadership, he recalled his summit with her in Nara in January marked a "strong step forward" toward another 60 years of bilateral relations. Lee expressed hope for continued "broader and deeper cooperation" between the two neighbors, saying he will look forward to welcoming Takaichi in Seoul soon for the next round of shuttle diplomacy. According to public broadcaster NHK, the LDP secured 316 of 465 seats in the Diet, up 128 from its previous 198, surpassing the two-thirds threshold of 310 needed to propose constitutional amendments. The island country's first female prime minister had called the election just four months after becoming party leader in a bid to further consolidate her power. 2026-02-09 15:20:18 -
Hundreds of fat cats at major businesses to face axe in 1st half SEOUL, February 9 (AJP) - Nearly half of outside directors at major businesses in South Korea will see their terms expire in the first half of this year, a study shows. Corporate tracker Korea CXO Institute surveyed the country's 50 largest companies and found they had around 1,235 outside directors as of this month. Of them, 543 or 44 percent are scheduled to have their terms end in the first half of this year. Among conglomerates, SK Group had the most with 85, followed by Lotte with 75, NongHyup with 74, Samsung and Hyundai Motor with 72 each, and KT with 52. About 100 serve at more than one company. Under relevant regulations, companies with assets over 2 trillion won can retain outside directors for up to six years, meaning about half will have to step down around their shareholders' meetings in March. Of these directors, about 103 who began their terms before June 2020 will no longer be eligible to serve. Around 40 of these fat cats are affiliated with the country's top 10 companies such as Samsung and SK hynix. Most had academic backgrounds, with 30 serving as university presidents, professors or researchers, followed by 27 bureaucrats and 20 from legal and financial institutions. "With selection criteria for outside directors becoming stricter, companies are expected to face growing concerns," said Oh Il-seon, head of the institute. 2026-02-09 14:43:37 -
HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore posts 2025 operating profit of 3.9045 trillion won, up 172.3% HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore, the intermediate holding company for HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding business, said Monday in a regulatory filing that its 2025 consolidated revenue rose 17.2% from a year earlier to 29.9332 trillion won, while operating profit jumped 172.3% to 3.9045 trillion won. Fourth-quarter revenue increased 13.8% to 8.1516 trillion won, and operating profit rose 108% to 1.0379 trillion won from the same period a year earlier, it said. By affiliate, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries posted 2025 revenue of 17.5806 trillion won and operating profit of 2.0375 trillion won. HD Hyundai Samho reported revenue of 8.0714 trillion won and operating profit of 1.3628 trillion won. HD Hyundai Mipo reported third-quarter cumulative revenue of 3.7186 trillion won and operating profit of 358.7 billion won. Ship-engine affiliate HD Hyundai Marine Engine reported revenue of 402.4 billion won and operating profit of 75.9 billion won, citing higher engine volumes and increased parts sales. Solar affiliate HD Hyundai Energy Solutions posted revenue of 492.7 billion won and operating profit of 41.2 billion won on higher domestic and overseas sales volumes and a recovery in selling prices. By business segment, the shipbuilding unit reported revenue up 13.4% to 25.0365 trillion won and operating profit up 119.9% to 3.3149 trillion won, driven by higher build volumes, a larger share of high-priced ship sales and continued productivity gains from process efficiency. The engine and machinery segment reported revenue of 4.2859 trillion won and operating profit of 774.6 billion won, supported by increased marine-engine sales, a higher share of eco-friendly, high value-added engines and improved results in engine parts. The offshore plant segment posted revenue of 1.2436 trillion won and operating profit of 137.9 billion won, returning to profit from a year earlier as work expanded on existing projects. “Solid performance is continuing across affiliates, including shipbuilding and engines, based on competitiveness in each business area,” a company official said. “With a stable order backlog, we will enhance profitability through a selective order strategy.” 2026-02-09 14:15:00 -
NH NongHyup Bank to Expand Venture Capital Investment in K-Food Startups NH NongHyup Bank said Monday it held a strategy meeting at its headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, chaired by its CEO, to boost venture capital investment in K-food. The meeting was aimed at moving beyond traditional loan-centered financing by expanding venture investment in promising agri-food startups and growth companies, strengthening what the bank called “productive finance.” The bank said it is developing strategic investment plans focused on key agricultural industries drawing global attention, including food tech and agtech, with support extending beyond funding to business expansion and market entry. NH NongHyup Bank said it is the country’s largest agri-food fund manager, operating eight funds totaling 344.1 billion won. It plans to expand assets under management to more than 500 billion won within three years to support the broader agri-food investment ecosystem. It also said it will link its efforts with an agtech youth entrepreneurship campus and the 2026 Agri-Food Tech Startup Expo (AFPRO), now in its fourth year, to build a cycle from identifying promising companies to attracting investment and supporting growth. “K-food venture capital investment is a key task for strengthening the future competitiveness of South Korea’s agriculture,” NH NongHyup Bank CEO Kang Tae Young said. “We will act as a responsible partner that helps shape industry trends, going beyond the role of finance, so bold venture investment can lead to real growth.” 2026-02-09 14:08:47 -
National Museum of Korean Literature chief pushes to broaden public access to K-literature "If a museum’s main work is collecting and researching materials, a literature museum is a place that should be shared with the public," Im Heon-young, director of the National Museum of Korean Literature, said. "I want to make it a space where everyone — not only writers — can enjoy literature." Im made the remarks on Feb. 9 at a news conference in Seoul’s Jongno district marking his first month in office, repeatedly stressing the goal of making literature more accessible to the public. Im took office in January as the museum’s third director. The National Museum of Korean Literature is scheduled to officially open in spring 2027, next to Jingwansa temple in Seoul’s Eunpyeong district, near where King Sejong is said to have set up a secret study room to create the Korean alphabet. Im said he has adopted the catchphrase, "Every citizen memorizes one poem," and argued that the concept of literature must broaden to help meet the Culture Ministry’s goal of building a 300 trillion won K-culture industry. He said literature can encompass history, philosophy and even parts of science, and pledged to create more opportunities for people to enjoy literature across politics, society and religion. As a first step, the museum will name an "Author of the Month" to highlight writers who left a major mark on Korean literary history and hold joint commemorative events with related organizations. The next month’s selection will be made around the 25th of each month. The museum also plans to develop a literary travel product, "Korean Literature Journey," with public agencies such as the Korea Tourism Organization, local governments and the travel industry. The program is intended to let readers experience literature by visiting writers’ birthplaces, places they worked and sites that served as settings for their works. It will be linked with literary festivals and regional tourism events nationwide. Im also said the museum is focusing on collecting original materials, with plans to gather works spanning 5,000 years of literary history from classical literature to modern and contemporary writing. The museum has built an archive of about 120,000 items. Its "Korean Literature Materials Management System" includes a chatbot and OCR tools that can convert visual materials into documents. The system will also link to author information to provide authoritative profiles. The museum plans to include Korean literature from all periods and in all formats, from handwritten manuscripts to typewritten pages. Designed from the start for shared use with literature museums nationwide, it is expected to be converted around 2030 into a "Korean Literature Heritage Portal" that anyone can use. "Our job is to spread literature widely to all citizens," Im said, adding that he would pursue popularization by applying what Minister Choi Hwi-young has called looking at things "15 degrees off-center." 2026-02-09 14:08:21