Journalist

Lee Hugh
  • Navers sovereign AI plan questioned over use of Chinas open-source technology
    Naver's sovereign AI plan questioned over use of China's open-source technology SEOUL, Jan. 8 (AJP) - Naver’s push to develop a so-called “sovereign AI” model has come under scrutiny after disclosures that its government-backed foundation model incorporated components from Alibaba’s open-source Qwen system, raising questions about South Korea’s technological independence and its ambition to build advanced artificial intelligence from scratch. Industry sources said on Thursday that Naver Cloud’s HyperCLOVA X Seed 32B Sync model used a vision encoder from Alibaba’s Qwen. Vision encoders convert visual data into numerical representations that allow AI systems to process images and other non-text inputs. Naver Cloud defended the decision, saying the integration was a strategic choice aimed at ensuring compatibility with the global AI ecosystem and improving overall performance. The revelation, however, has challenged the domestic industry narrative that South Korea’s sovereign AI initiatives are fully homegrown. Several industry officials said reliance on global open-source models was a pragmatic response to tight deadlines and limited resources under government-led projects. “Given the compressed timelines and performance requirements, developers had little choice but to rely on proven open-source tools to deliver functioning multimodal AI,” one industry official said, declining to be named. Chinese open-source models have gained traction globally by offering open-weight architectures that allow developers to modify and optimize systems freely. In contrast, leading U.S. models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini operate largely as closed systems. Data from developer platform OpenRouter and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz show that usage of Chinese-developed open-source models rose sharply, from 1.2 percent in late 2024 to about 30 percent by August last year. Even U.S.-based companies such as Nvidia and Perplexity, as well as Stanford University, have reportedly used Alibaba’s Qwen for specific applications. At the same time, the performance gap between Chinese and Western models is narrowing. Stanford University’s Human-Centered AI institute said in its AI Index 2025 report that the U.S. lead in benchmarks such as Massive Multitask Language Understanding shrank from double digits in late 2023 to between 0.3 and 3.7 percentage points by the end of 2024. Research firm Epoch AI estimated that leading Chinese models now trail top Western systems by an average of about three months. “China is strengthening its position in the open-source AI ecosystem through large-scale state support and regulatory easing,” another industry official said. “Firms developing sovereign models may need selective collaboration to remain competitive.” Performance data has also tempered expectations. In December, a Sogang University research team tested five government-backed AI models using university entrance exam-style questions, including South Korea’s CSAT mathematics section. While startup Upstage scored 58 points, other domestic models recorded results in the 20-point range. By contrast, leading global systems such as GPT-5.1 and DeepSeek V3.2 scored above 70, highlighting the gap that remains despite state-backed efforts. 2026-01-08 17:31:42
  • Stray Kids to perform at star-studded charity concert in France later this month
    Stray Kids to perform at star-studded charity concert in France later this month SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - K-pop boy band Stray Kids will attend at a charity concert in France later this month. The eight-member band will perform along with global stars such as American singer-songwriter and actress Christina Aguilera, American rapper A$AP Rocky, and South Korean rapper G-Dragon at Le Gala des Pièces Jaunes, also known as the Yellow Coins Gala, slated to be held at a multipurpose indoor arena in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris on Jan. 22. Organized by a charity foundation run by France's first lady Brigitte Macron, the concert has been held almost annually since 1989 to raise funds for children with illnesses and young people in need. It will be Stray Kids' second consecutive appearance at the event, after stopping in Paris as part of their world tour in July last year, which drew 120,000 fans. 2026-01-08 16:37:13
  • Samsung regains top spot in global DRAM, NAND markets
    Samsung regains top spot in global DRAM, NAND markets SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has regained the top global position in both DRAM and NAND flash memory following stronger-than-expected preliminary fourth-quarter results, according to data from industry researcher Counterpoint Research, released on Thursday. The research firm estimated that Samsung’s memory semiconductor revenue rose 34 percent from the previous quarter to $25.9 billion in the fourth quarter. DRAM accounted for $19.2 billion of the total, while NAND flash contributed $6.7 billion. Over the same period, SK hynix posted total memory revenue of $22.4 billion, including $17.1 billion from DRAM and $5.3 billion from NAND, Counterpoint said. The figures put Samsung back in the No. 1 spot in the global DRAM market after a year. Samsung had dominated the segment for about three decades through the fourth quarter of 2024, before losing the top position to SK hynix for the first time in the first quarter of 2025. Choi Jeong-gu, a research director at Counterpoint, said Samsung has responded effectively to shifts in demand by steering its commodity DRAM output toward server applications, while adopting advanced manufacturing nodes. These include a 4-nanometer logic process for next-generation high-bandwidth memory, or HBM4, which he said has delivered improvements in speed and thermal performance. Choi added that Samsung’s efforts to address internal issues, including an earlier focus on short-term results, and to refocus on technological competitiveness are now translating into improved market performance. 2026-01-08 15:55:30
  • [CES 2026] Seoul startups vie for attention at CES, powered by student talent
    [[CES 2026]] Seoul startups vie for attention at CES, powered by student talent LAS VEGAS, January 08 (AJP) - CES 2026 is not just a stage for global tech giants. For many startups, it serves as a debut platform or a critical stepping stone — and at the Seoul Pavilion this year, university students have emerged as unlikely stars. At the Seoul Pavilion at CES 2026, hosting 69 startups, student talent has become a defining feature. The pavilion is operated by the Seoul Business Agency (SBA), which set up a 743-square-meter space inside Eureka Park, CES' dedicated startup hub. Orange-themed booths line the floor, while Haechi — Seoul's mascot — roams the aisles, drawing curious glances from international visitors. The pavilion brings together 19 organizations, including four district offices, five startup support agencies and nine universities. Participating companies span artificial intelligence, mobility and healthcare sectors. Among the exhibitors, AI startup A.PLA demonstrated its proprietary motion-capture technology. The system extracts human movements from ordinary webcam footage or YouTube videos, converting them into training data for robots. The company had planned to bring a humanoid robot from Unitree Robotics for live demonstrations, but battery restrictions during air transport forced a change of plans. "We're not a robotics manufacturer," said A.PLA co-founder Jake Hong. "We help robot makers produce high-quality training data at scale. That's what we came here to show the world." Nearby, mental-health startup ATLO drew crowds with its emotion-sensing AI companion. Equipped with cameras, the robot reads facial expressions, gestures and vocal tones to gauge a user's emotional state and respond accordingly. The company offers the technology both as a mobile app and as a physical robot. The robot demonstrated its capabilities on the show floor, recognizing hand gestures and engaging in conversation. "Many people struggling with mental health don't want to be treated as patients at hospitals or counseling centers," said ATLO CEO Park Sung-hyun. "They want to be treated as individuals. Our AI companion serves as a friend who listens." Park, who attended CES with a three-member team, praised the pavilion's support system. "Each company gets a dedicated university student who handles interpretation and booth logistics," he said. "They've been outstanding." The student volunteer program has emerged as a hallmark of Seoul's CES presence. Drawn from nine Seoul-based universities and the University of Nevada Las Vegas, volunteers are matched with participating companies months in advance. According to SBA CEO Kim Hyun-woo, students undergo extensive preparation before arriving in Las Vegas, studying their assigned companies' products, analyzing competitors and learning the broader industry landscape. "The goal is simple: get one more investor, one more buyer in front of these startups," Kim said. It took four years, he added, to persuade universities and government agencies to join forces under a single pavilion. "When everyone came separately, it cost more and made less impact," Kim said. "Together, we punch above our weight." Visually, the Seoul Pavilion stands out among national booths at Eureka Park. Kim pointed to deliberate design choices aimed at maximizing foot traffic, including a dedicated media center where journalists can file stories on site. "If you don't have deep insight into a particular industry, you won't seek out those booths," he said. "We need to catch people's eyes first, then create an interface for conversation." The results, Kim noted, speak for themselves. Of the 69 participating companies, 17 received CES Innovation Awards — a ratio he called the best in the world, crediting months of pre-show consulting and post-show follow-up. "Other pavilions might bring 100 companies and win eight or nine awards," he said. "We're running at a different level." Kim also observed that CES itself is evolving. With fewer Chinese companies participating in recent years, Korean firms have gained greater visibility. Still, he cautioned that the exhibition's global standing may be shifting. "We'll evaluate after this show ends and plan accordingly," he said. For now, the focus remains firmly on the show floor. "For students, it's invaluable experience. For startups, it's a lifeline," Kim said of the volunteer program. CES 2026 runs through Jan. 9. 2026-01-08 15:46:36
  • Lees approval rating inches up to 61%
    Lee's approval rating inches up to 61% SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has inched up to 61 percent, up 2 percentage points from two weeks ago, a fresh poll showed on Thursday. Some 29 percent of respondents disapproved of Lee's performance, down 3 percentage points. But Lee gained support across the country overall except in the traditional conservative stronghold of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, where his approval rating stood at 49 percent. This was attributed to more respondents shifting to a favorable view. In particular, among people in their 20s and younger, opponents outnumbered supporters two weeks ago, with 48 percent versus 31 percent, but the figures have now reversed, with 41 percent in favor versus 32 percent opposed. The ruling Democratic Party (DP) garnered 39 percent of support, down 2 percentage points, while the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) edged up slightly to 23 percent, up 3 percentage points. The minor Reform Party and Rebuilding Korea Party each earned 3 percent of support. The joint poll, conducted fortnightly by Embrain Public, Kstat Research, Korea Research International, and Hankook Research, surveyed about 1,005 people aged 18 and older earlier this week. 2026-01-08 15:43:05
  • Hanwha chairman visits Jeju space center, underscores private space ambitions
    Hanwha chairman visits Jeju space center, underscores private space ambitions SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn visited the firm's Jeju Space Center on Thursday, underscoring the conglomerate’s push to build a private-sector space industry ecosystem. The Jeju center, located in Seogwipo on Jeju Island, is a key base for the group's space business. Kim toured satellite production and testing facilities and received briefings on this year’s business plan and Hanwha’s broader space operations. “The Jeju Space Center is not just a workplace, but the present and future of Hanwha’s space ambitions,” Kim said during the visit, adding that space “opens a path only to those who never stop challenging.” The chairman's son, Hanwha Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, who oversees the group’s space business, joined senior executives for the visit. After touring an exhibition hall, Kim Seung-youn met researchers working at the center and inspected clean-room facilities while wearing protective gear. Speaking to employees, Kim said Hanwha’s goal of launching satellites built with its own technology had been realized through the successful fourth launch of South Korea’s Nuri space rocket. He added that following work on a lunar orbiter, the group is now developing a propulsion system for a lunar lander, positioning Hanwha as a leading private-sector player in South Korea’s space industry. Kim urged employees to help develop the Jeju Space Center into a forward base for the country’s space industry, working alongside regional space clusters in Jeju, Goheung, Suncheon and Changwon. He said their efforts would help lay the foundation for South Korea to become one of the world’s top five space powers. Hanwha said its investments have expanded space-related operations at Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Systems, spanning launch vehicles, satellites and lunar exploration. Hanwha Aerospace is building on Nuri launch-vehicle technology, while Hanwha Systems is focusing on satellite systems and related technologies. 2026-01-08 14:55:42
  • North Korea keeps mum on leaders birthday
    North Korea keeps mum on leader's birthday SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - North Korea's state media made no mention of leader Kim Jong-un's birthday, believed to fall on Thursday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said there has been "no coverage at all by the country's state-run news agencies, and no related activity has been identified." Instead, North Korean media have focused on preparations for the Workers' Party's upcoming key congress, expected to take place early this year, with the official newspaper Rodong Sinmun running a front-page editorial urging officials to heighten their loyalty and ideological soundness by achieving major accomplishments. The secretive country has never officially disclosed Kim's birth date, but it is widely thought to be Jan. 8, 1984. North Korea has observed its leaders' birthdays as state holidays to promote a personality cult, celebrating Kim Jong-un's grandfather and regime founder Kim Il-sung on April 15 and his father Kim Jong-il on Feb. 16. 2026-01-08 14:55:41
  • Shinsegae Casa completes acquisition of Jaju, targets 500 bln won in revenue this year
    Shinsegae Casa completes acquisition of Jaju, targets 500 bln won in revenue this year SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - Shinsegae Casa said on Wednesday it has completed the acquisition of the operating business of lifestyle brand Jaju, finalizing the transaction on Dec. 31 as it moves to broaden its portfolio beyond furniture. The company said the deal will help expand its business scope from home interiors to everyday lifestyle categories such as household goods and fashion, reducing earnings volatility tied to housing cycles and construction market conditions. Shinsegae Casa, which posted revenue of 270 billion won ($200 million) last year on the back of its flagship furniture brand Casamia, said it now aims to lift sales to 500 billion won this year as Jaju and its newly launched fashion label Jaa are added to the group. The company said it will operate six lifestyle brands and platforms — Casamia, Materasso, Cucine Lella, Good.com, Jaju and Jaa — while stepping up efforts to generate synergies across product planning, distribution, marketing and sourcing. In a statement, a Shinsegae Casa official said, “This acquisition provides a solid foundation for us to scale up our business and emerge as a leading player in South Korea’s home-furnishing market. Going forward, we will redefine the industry landscape by delivering a differentiated value proposition centered on premium lifestyle sensibilities.” 2026-01-08 14:49:46
  • PHOTOS:Evergreen in Seoul, even in icy winter
    PHOTOS:Evergreen in Seoul, even in icy winter SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - While Arctic-level cold grips Seoul, the greenhouse at Seoul Botanic Park in Magok remains lush, green and humidly warm. Beneath the glass dome, temperatures stay steady, and dense foliage retains its vivid color, offering a striking contrast to the wintry landscape outside. Located in Gangseo-gu, Seoul Botanic Park stands next to Magoknaru Station, where Subway Line 9 and the Airport Railroad intersect. The surrounding Magok district, once known as one of Seoul’s last agricultural areas, has been redeveloped into a large-scale botanic park combining gardens and open green space. During winter, visitor movement concentrates around the themed greenhouse, as activity in outdoor areas naturally declines. The exhibition greenhouse introduces plants and plant cultures from 12 cities worldwide, arranged by climate zone. Designed in a concave, dish-like form, the structure allows open sightlines and filtered light, creating a space that feels both enclosed and expansive. The facility also serves as a base for plant conservation, species preservation and research, while supporting public programs related to urban gardening and education. Seasonal displays shift with the colder months. Orchids and poinsettias form the core of the winter exhibition, presented under the theme Winter Garden. Around 40 orchid species and nine poinsettia varieties developed in Korea are on view through Jan. 25. Tropical orchids rarely seen domestically are shown alongside locally bred cultivars, highlighting both diversity and ongoing research. Seoul Botanic Park in Gangseo District, Seoul. AJP Yoo Na-hyun Even in midwinter, the greenhouse continues to draw a steady stream of visitors. Residents pause to observe and record, families move unhurriedly through the space, and professionals in garden culture study the displays. Within the city, the greenhouse serves not only as a refuge from the cold, but as a place where nature is observed, documented and sustained throughout the winter season. 2026-01-08 14:44:04
  • Samsung Electronics record Q4 may be just the start of red-hot streak
    Samsung Electronics record Q4 may be just the start of red-hot streak SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics’ record fourth-quarter results may mark the start of a two-digit, billion-dollar earnings run, as AI infrastructure — from data centers to humanoid robots — drives memory prices into uncharted territory. In preliminary earnings guidance released Thursday, the South Korean tech giant said operating profit for the October–December period reached 20 trillion won ($14 billion), more than tripling from a year earlier and surpassing the market consensus of 19.6 trillion won compiled by FnGuide. Revenue rose 22.7 percent to 93 trillion won, also an all-time quarterly high. For the full year, Samsung posted 43.53 trillion won in operating profit and 332.8 trillion won in revenue, up 33 percent and 10.6 percent, respectively. Samsung will release final figures with divisional breakdowns on Jan. 29, but based on headline numbers and prevailing market conditions, analysts estimate that semiconductors accounted for more than 70 percent of fourth-quarter earnings. Investment banks put operating profit at Samsung’s chip division at roughly 17 trillion won, reflecting sharp gains in average selling prices — about 36 percent quarter-on-quarter for DRAM and 15 percent for NAND. Memory prices enter a “hyper-bull” phase The earnings surge coincides with a rapid acceleration in memory prices toward year-end. Market tracker TrendForce said mass-market DRAM prices jumped 45–50 percent in the fourth quarter, while overall DRAM prices — including high-bandwidth memory (HBM) — rose 50–55 percent. NAND flash prices climbed 33–38 percent over the same period. Research firm Counterpoint described the market as entering a “hyper-bull” phase, forecasting that memory prices, after rising 40–50 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025, are likely to increase another 40–50 percent in the first quarter of 2026 and around 20 percent in the second quarter. “The current memory rally is eclipsing the 2018 peak,” Counterpoint said in a recent report. “Demand for AI infrastructure is fundamentally reshaping supply dynamics, giving suppliers unprecedented pricing power.” The rally reflects a strategic shift by major chipmakers toward products servicing AI accelerators and data centers, tightening supply across the board — from legacy DRAM to NAND flash — amid aggressive stockpiling by customers. A late start in HBM turns strategic Samsung, which initially lagged behind rivals such as SK hynix and Micron in the HBM race, is now finding that late start strategically opportune. Unlike SK hynix, whose HBM output is heavily committed to Nvidia, Samsung can serve a broader client pool — including Broadcom for Google’s tensor processing units used in AI inference, AMD, and other challengers to Nvidia’s dominance in AI accelerators. Losses in Samsung’s foundry business are also narrowing, helped by rising demand for customized AI chips and advanced packaging solutions. CES spotlight: memory as the “robot brain” The importance of memory was underscored this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where “physical AI” — robots and humanoids capable of perceiving, reasoning and acting in the real world — took center stage. “We finally have the core ingredient to build the missing piece of robots, which was the robot brain,” said Rev Lebaredian, vice president of Omniverse and simulation technology at Nvidia. “Once we had that, it started making sense to build the robot bodies.” Robotics producers put 2028 to 2030 as the window for mass commercialization. “We think you need to start on industry first,” said Robert Playter, CEO of Boston Dynamics, robotics arm of Hyundai Motor. “We think it’s going to be 2028 or 2030 when robots are deployed in factories, and probably another five years before they’re really affordable in the home.” Humanoid robots are semiconductor systems in disguise What often looks like an AI miracle is, at its core, a semiconductor system packaged in humanoid form. Each robot requires multitude packages of HBM, DRAM and NAND chips to support human-like sensors and motor movements. As mass production approaches, demand is converging on just three global suppliers — Samsung, SK hynix and Micron — making it increasingly unlikely that supply can keep pace in the near term. That imbalance helps explain the surge of investor enthusiasm for Korean chipmakers during CES week, which pushed the KOSPI to record highs. Chae Min-sook, an analyst at Korea Investment & Securities, said the earnings boom reflects a structural shift in the memory market. “Conventional DRAM is entering a phase where profitability could exceed that of high-bandwidth memory from early 2026,” Chae wrote in a report on SK hynix. “Tight memory supply will be difficult to resolve in the short term.” She forecast that SK hynix’s operating profit this year could reach 128 trillion won, up 58 percent from her previous estimate, citing accelerating price gains across both DRAM and NAND. Analysts say the same dynamics underpin Samsung’s outlook. FnGuide projects Samsung’s full-year operating profit at around 106.7 trillion won, while Citi has put the figure as high as 155 trillion won, citing accelerating HBM shipments, expanding foundry capacity and a pipeline of new flagship products including the Galaxy S26 and next-generation foldables. 2026-01-08 14:24:19