Journalist
Lee Hugh
=
-
SMEs Ministry Launches K-Startup AI League, Offers Top Prize of 500 Million Won The Ministry of SMEs and Startups has created an artificial intelligence league under the pan-government startup competition “K-Startup of the Year” and is recruiting participants. The ministry said on April 22 that “K-Startup of the Year” is a major national startup competition run jointly by nine ministries. It serves as a platform to discover promising startups and provide opportunities to grow. This year’s event is being promoted under the new name “K-Startup of the Year,” replacing “Challenge! K-Startup.” The ministry said it plans to refocus the competition on early-stage startups to better identify companies with strong growth potential. A total of 130 teams selected through preliminary rounds will advance to the integrated main competition. The final 20 early-stage startups will compete in a year-end championship round in December. Winners in the championship round will receive prize money of up to 500 million won and preferential consideration for follow-up support programs, including the Early-Stage Startup Package. To discover and nurture AI startups, the ministry newly established an AI League. The AI League targets startups less than three years old that have products in the AI field. The top 10 companies chosen through preliminaries will advance to the integrated main round alongside top firms from other leagues. The ministry is also recruiting for an “Innovative Startup League,” open to any startup less than three years old with strong technology and business potential, regardless of sector. It will select 22 companies. Cho Kyung-won, the ministry’s director general for startup policy, said, “With the launch of the AI League, we hope the growth of innovative AI companies like Wrtn Technologies, which grew through ‘K-Startup of the Year,’ will accelerate further.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 14:30:56 -
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shares jump on icebreaker, generator orders HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shares rose on April 22 after the company reported back-to-back large orders. According to the Korea Exchange, the stock was trading at 624,000 won as of 2:22 p.m., up about 8.33% from the previous session. The company said it won a 514.8 billion won contract from the Swedish Maritime Administration to build one dedicated icebreaking vessel. The ship will be 126 meters long with a displacement of 15,000 tons, and will have PC4-class icebreaking capability and an electric propulsion system. Delivery is scheduled by 2029. The high-spec vessel can continuously break through about 1 to 1.2 meters of ice to secure shipping lanes and will be deployed in polar operations, including the Baltic Sea. The win was seen as demonstrating the company’s technical competitiveness in a market where Nordic shipbuilders have been strong. The company also disclosed that it signed a 627.1 billion won contract the same day with U.S.-based Aperion Energy Group to supply engine generators. The deal is equivalent to 3.57% of revenue, with a contract period running through 2030. The equipment will be used for power plant construction projects in the United States, under milestone-based payments that include a 20% advance payment. Market participants said the expanded order book across shipbuilding and energy equipment supports efforts to diversify the company’s business portfolio. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 14:30:15 -
Trump’s Iran War Drags On as China Tariff Fight Remains Unresolved Nearly two months after the Iran war began, U.S. President Donald Trump’s early prediction that it would end in four to six weeks has been overtaken by events. The timeline has already passed his stated “deadline,” and the Middle East remains clouded by unresolved tensions and uncertainty over further destruction. Trump’s repeated promises that an end to the fighting was close have also slipped. After unilaterally extending a two-week ceasefire that had been set to expire on the 21st by one day, he said a day later that the ceasefire would be postponed indefinitely “until Iran presents a unified proposal.” Trump opened the conflict in tandem with Israel, but now appears unable to say when or how it will end. The delay cannot be attributed solely to Washington. In Iran, divisions between hard-liners and moderates over how to respond to the United States have complicated efforts to form a single negotiating position. Still, the deeper problem is that the war began without a clear rationale or strategic objective. The United States had been moving forward with nuclear talks with Iran before abruptly shifting to military action, and it offered no clear blueprint for war aims, a postwar order or an exit strategy. With goals unclear, an end remains difficult to define. Trump has often cited “The Art of War,” which argues that the best course is to avoid war and, if it begins, to end it quickly. His current course has moved in the opposite direction. The Iran war has slid into a prolonged conflict without a clear victory, raising the risk of draining U.S. power and intensifying global geopolitical instability. Iran is not the only conflict Trump has struggled to bring to a close. The trade war with China, though pushed to the background, continues to weigh on the global economy as an unfinished fight. The dispute began after Trump, soon after taking office last year, imposed steep tariffs on China. It then stalled as China countered with retaliation involving rare earths, leaving Washington without a clear solution. A one-year truce agreed to reluctantly at an October summit in Busan last year amounted to a pause, not a win. About half of that truce period has now passed. As November approaches, the world faces a growing possibility of being pulled back into a new round of “tariff shocks” and supply-chain disruption. With the Russia-Ukraine war still unresolved after more than four years, the overlap of the Iran war and a U.S.-China economic conflict could also push global affairs toward an uncontrollable “compound crisis.” Against that backdrop, President Lee Jae-myung’s recent meetings with foreign leaders and his trip to India and Vietnam carry added significance. Efforts to build strategic buffers with middle powers against future shocks from Trump-driven conflicts are encouraging. The government should follow through so that economic and security outcomes from the trip translate into practical cooperation and reduce South Korea’s risks. 2026-04-22 14:27:20 -
SK hynix breaks ground on Cheongju advanced packaging plant to bolster AI memory output SK hynix has begun construction of an advanced packaging production facility in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, as it moves to strengthen its position in the artificial intelligence memory market. The company held a groundbreaking ceremony on the 22nd at a 230,000-square-meter (about 70,000-pyeong) site in the Cheongju Technopolis industrial complex for the new fab, named P&T7. SK hynix said the plant will have about 150,000 square meters (about 46,000 pyeong) of cleanroom space, combining roughly 60,000 square meters (about 18,000 pyeong) across three floors of process lines and about 90,000 square meters (about 28,000 pyeong) across seven floors of wafer test (WT) lines. The company is targeting completion of the WT lines in October next year and completion of the wafer-level packaging (WLP) lines in February the following year. P&T7 is a dedicated facility for advanced packaging, a key step for producing AI memory such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM). Packaging, part of the back-end semiconductor process, has gained importance as a way to overcome limits of chip miniaturization and improve performance and power efficiency. SK hynix said it chose the site to maximize synergy with its existing Cheongju production base, including the operating M11, M12 and M15 fabs and the M15X fab now under construction, to improve logistics and operations. The company plans to link DRAM produced at M15X to P&T7 to complete final HBM products under an integrated production system. SK hynix said P&T7 is more than an expansion of production capacity, calling it “the result of trust built together by the region and the company.” It added that it will work closely with the local community and aim to set “a successful milestone” for balanced national development.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 14:16:08 -
Democratic Party lawmaker Ahn Ho-young rushed to hospital on 12th day of hunger strike Democratic Party lawmaker Ahn Ho-young, who has been on a hunger strike for 12 days while alleging unfairness in the party’s North Jeolla governor primary, was rushed to an emergency room. Ahn entered the primary but lost to candidate Lee Won-taek. Since then, he has demanded a renewed inspection into allegations that Lee’s meal expenses were paid on his behalf. According to Ahn’s side, at about 1:40 p.m. on the 22nd he was transported by ambulance to Noksaek Hospital in Jungnang-gu, following recommendations from presidential political affairs aide Cho Jung-sik and medical staff. Earlier, senior party officials Lee Eon-ju and Kang Deuk-gu held an emergency news conference at the National Assembly urging Ahn to end the fast. Also present was North Jeolla Gov. Kim Kwan-young, who was expelled over allegations involving the distribution of cash-filled envelopes and was unable to take part in the primary. Kim has voiced support for Ahn’s protest. Lee Eon-ju said the party leadership held a heated debate after controversy involving Lee Won-taek surfaced but failed to push through a delay of the primary. “It hurt to see Ahn demanding a fair process through a hunger strike,” she said, adding that Ahn’s condition was not good. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik also visited Ahn’s tent protest site the previous day and urged him to stop fasting. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 14:15:18 -
LG Innotek hits record intraday high on expectations for strong substrate business growth LG Innotek set an intraday record high on expectations that a boom in its substrate business will lift earnings. As of 2 p.m. on Tuesday, LG Innotek was trading at 489,500 won, up 64,500 won, or 15.18%, from the previous session, according to the Korea Exchange. The stock rose as high as 505,000 won during the session, marking a new all-time high. Brokerages said market conditions are improving quickly for high value-added substrates such as multilayer boards (MLB) and flip-chip ball grid array (FCBGA). They said a trend of higher supply prices that began with FCBGA is spreading across the broader substrate lineup. U.S. big-tech customers are reported to be placing orders early and offering investment support to secure FCBGA supply. As global substrate makers focus on expanding FCBGA capacity and developing technology, supply of some lower-end substrates is becoming constrained, the report said. The supply limits are also spreading to other products, including system-in-package (SiP) substrates, adding to upward pressure on prices. The industry expects benefits to widen in stages, from high-layer FCBGA to general-purpose and low-priced FCBGA, and then to SiP substrates. Park Hyeong-woo, an analyst at SK Securities, said LG Innotek’s substrate division is expected to post about 1.4 trillion won in revenue and about 200 billion won in operating profit this year. He said the company’s current valuation is undervalued compared with domestic substrate makers with similar earnings scale. Park added that growth prospects for SiP substrates remain intact after FCBGA, and that considering the largest customer’s 2027 production expansion plan, year-on-year profit growth is likely to continue for six consecutive quarters. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 14:12:57 -
Aluminum Stocks Jump in South Korea on Fears U.S.-Iran Truce Talks Could Collapse Aluminum-related shares surged in South Korea on Tuesday, as concerns that U.S.-Iran truce talks could fall apart fueled expectations of supply disruptions and higher prices. According to the Korea Exchange, Sam-A Aluminum was up 23.08% at 72,000 won as of 1:56 p.m., from the previous session’s close. The stock rose as high as 76,000 won during the session. Other aluminum-linked shares also gained, including Choil Aluminum, up 12.94%, Namsun Aluminum, up 2.90%, and Aluko, up 2.53%. In a report Tuesday, Samsung Futures researcher Ok Ji-hoe cited global commodities broker Mercuria as saying the global aluminum market is facing a severe “black swan” risk this year due to the war in the Middle East. Mercuria estimated the aluminum market could face a supply shortfall of at least 2 million tons by the end of this year. The Middle East has about 7 million tons of annual aluminum smelting capacity, about 9% of expected global supply this year. Ok said the U.S. aluminum premium hit a record high of $2,521.5 per ton, while the European aluminum premium rose to $599 per ton, the highest in about four years.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 14:12:18 -
Automakers to recall over 500,000 vehicles due to defective parts SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - About half a million vehicles will be recalled due to defective parts, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on Wednesday. The country's largest automaker Hyundai Motor will recall about 239,683 units across four models including the Santa Fe sport utility vehicle (SUV), the Ioniq 6 electric sedan, as well as its luxury brand Genesis' G90. The recall, set to begin on June 4, follows a similar recall in the U.S. earlier this month affecting about 294,000 vehicles over the same issue, a defect that could cause seat belt anchors to detach, increasing the risk of injuries in a crash. Its affiliate Kia will also recall 220,059 units of its square-shaped Ray compact starting next week after a flaw was found in a software program that could cause the engine to shut off while driving. KG Mobility, formerly Ssangyong, has already begun recalling 51,535 units across six models including the Torres SUV earlier this week, while Japanese automaker Toyota is set to recall 2,132 vehicles including the Prius front-wheel-drive version due to faulty rear doors, starting Thursday. 2026-04-22 14:09:19 -
Samsung’s Harman Doubles Sales in a Decade, Expands Auto Tech and Audio Business Harman, acquired by Samsung Electronics, has become a core growth engine built around automotive electronics and audio over the past decade, with sales more than doubling since the deal. Samsung said on April 22 that Harman posted record annual revenue and operating profit last year. Operating profit totaled 1.5311 trillion won, and the operating margin was 9.7%, close to 10%. Harman first topped 10 trillion won in annual revenue in 2019, reaching 10.08 trillion won. Last year, revenue rose to 15.7833 trillion won. That is more than double the 7.1034 trillion won recorded in 2017, shortly after Samsung completed the acquisition. Samsung announced the Harman deal in November 2016 and finalized the acquisition in March 2017. The purchase price was $8 billion, about 9.4 trillion won at the time, then the largest overseas merger and acquisition by a South Korean company. Samsung described the move as a push beyond smartphones and home appliances into automotive electronics, a key field for next-generation vehicles. Harman is now positioned as a major pillar of Samsung’s non-semiconductor growth. Samsung said Harman has maintained the No. 1 global position in digital cockpits and car audio as of last year, and more than half of its revenue is known to come from automotive electronics. As in-vehicle infotainment and connected-car markets expand, Samsung expects Harman’s role to grow. Samsung said collaboration has strengthened competitiveness by combining Harman’s automotive solutions with Samsung’s semiconductors, displays and 5G technology. The companies are expanding work in areas such as in-car digital cockpits, driver experience and online connectivity. Samsung said the partnership also supports expansion of its Exynos Auto chips and SmartThings platform. In audio, Harman holds brands including JBL, AKG, Mark Levinson and Lexicon. Last year it acquired Masimo’s audio business for 500 billion won, adding premium brands such as Bowers & Wilkins, Denon and Marantz. Samsung said the lineup now spans mass-market Bluetooth speakers to ultra-premium high-end audio. This year marks JBL’s 80th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of Samsung’s announcement of the Harman acquisition. JBL, founded in 1946, has been a leading brand across venues ranging from movie theaters and concert halls to home audio, the company said. Samsung said Harman grew into the world’s largest audio company and broadened its reach further after joining Samsung by adding automotive electronics. Harman is continuing investment aimed at long-term growth. Late last year, it acquired German supplier ZF’s advanced driver-assistance systems business for 1.5 billion euros, about 2.6 trillion won. It is also making additional investments in Hungary to expand autonomous-driving research and development and production bases, Samsung said, to strengthen sensor and camera capabilities. Samsung said it plans to continue research and development by combining Harman’s audio expertise with Samsung Electronics’ innovation capabilities so customers worldwide can enjoy high-quality sound in everyday life. 2026-04-22 14:06:18 -
Memorial Marks 4th Anniversary of Human Rights Lawyer Han Seung-heon’s Death April 20, 2026, marked the fourth anniversary of the death of Han Seung-heon, a figure remembered not only in mourning but as a measure of conscience for his era. His guiding line was simple: “Even if you can’t live proudly, don’t live in shame.” Supporters said it was not a slogan but a way of life. Han was wary even of the label “human rights lawyer,” saying, “All lawyers are human rights lawyers.” Those who knew him said he treated the law not as a tool for the powerful but as a last safeguard for the vulnerable. He was also known for humor that colleagues described as a form of resistance. When someone at a gathering asked for a show of hands from people defended by Han who had not gone to prison, he replied: “That’s right — but raise your hand if you went to prison and didn’t say goodbye to me.” He also joked, “Prosecutors call me anti-American, but I only drink Americanos.” In the last year of his life, he continued to share poetry and laughter, and died at Woosuk University Hospital in his hometown of Jeonju, the article said. A memorial service held at Chinsu Hall at Jeonbuk National University, led by President Yang Oh-bong, brought together people who said Han devoted his life to the weak and persecuted, lived with integrity, and defended human dignity. Attendees included Kwon Noh-kap, chairman of the Kim Dae-jung Foundation; Father Song Gi-in; and singer Jang Sa-ik. Speakers also recalled that while his arguments could sound effortless, he repeatedly revised his work and prepared meticulously. Han’s pen name, “Sanmin,” was described as meaning heavy like a mountain and humble like the people. The article said he understood it as a call to stay with ordinary people, choosing the margins of suffering over the center of power. His courtroom, it said, was “always the place of the weak,” and his advocacy “the voice of conscience.” The article described three pillars of his life as self-discipline, autonomy and self-reliance, citing passages from the I Ching, the moral autonomy associated with Immanuel Kant, a Confucian ideal of following one’s heart without breaking rules, and a Zen teaching about being one’s own master wherever one stands. Han was described as a rare figure in Korea’s judicial history to have served as a prosecutor and a lawyer and to have experienced the system as a suspect, a witness and a law professor. During military rule, the article said, he served as defense counsel in many political and conscience-prisoner cases and in cases involving torture victims. It said he challenged the logic of power in major cases including the Kim Dae-jung “insurrection conspiracy” case, and faced detention and repression but did not retreat. At the memorial, his poem “My Path” was read, including the line, “I will go my way in silence.” Another poem included the vow to “become a single candle and light the darkness,” the article said. The article also recounted an anecdote in which a journalist expressed surprise that Han was not a Seoul National University law graduate but a Jeonbuk National University law graduate, prompting a senior journalist to respond: “Throw away the two dogs called prejudice and preconception.” The article added that Han graduated first in his class at Jeonju High School and judged people not by labels but by how they lived. Looking at today’s legal profession, the article said, large law firms, capital and the pursuit of material success risk turning law into technique and making justice seem relative. It argued that Han held to a basic principle: the law must exist for people. It concluded by returning to his line — “Don’t live in shame” — as a question it said today’s legal community must face. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 13:58:44