Journalist
Lee Hugh
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KAIST develops flexible ultrasound sensor that can diagnose and treat without surgery SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - KAIST researchers have developed a new flexible ultrasound sensor that can both capture medical images and deliver noninvasive therapy without the need for surgery or external beamforming. The breakthrough could open new possibilities for wearable medical devices and home-based treatment systems. The team led by Professor Hyunjoo Lee of the KAIST School of Electrical Engineering announced on November 12 that it has created a flex-to-rigid (FTR) capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) using a semiconductor-based MEMS process. The device can freely adjust its curvature to match the contours of the human body while maintaining high output performance, making it suitable for both diagnosis and treatment. At the core of the design is a low-melting-point alloy (LMPA) inserted inside the sensor. When an electrical current is applied, the alloy melts, allowing the transducer to reshape; once cooled, it solidifies and retains the desired curvature. This mechanism enables the device to form precise ultrasonic focus points without any electronic beam steering, ensuring stable imaging and stimulation even under repeated bending. Unlike conventional polymer-based CMUTs, which often produce weak acoustic output and lose focus due to low stiffness, KAIST’s FTR structure combines a rigid silicon base with flexible elastomer bridges. The result is a highly durable, adaptable sensor that retains its electrical and acoustic stability even after multiple deformations. In laboratory tests, the output power reached levels equivalent to or higher than low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU), a therapeutic ultrasound used to stimulate nerves and organs without damaging tissue. When applied to animal models, the sensor successfully delivered noninvasive stimulation to the spleen, reducing inflammation and improving movement in arthritic mice. Professor Lee said the technology could play a key role in future wearable and home medical systems, enabling real-time diagnosis and treatment without surgical intervention. “By integrating the flexibility of wearable devices with the precision of high-performance ultrasound, we’re moving closer to truly personalized, hands-free healthcare,” she said. The research, co-led by Dr. Sangmok Lee and Ph.D. candidate Xiaojia Liang as first authors, was published online in npj Flexible Electronics on October 23 under the title “Flexible ultrasound transducer array with statically adjustable curvature for anti-inflammatory treatment.” 2025-11-12 14:52:47 -
Hanwha Aerospace earns top global certification for R&D excellence SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace said on Wednesday that it has received the highest possible rating in a global assessment of research and development capabilities. The company earned a Level 5 certification under Version 3.0 of the Capability Maturity Model Integration, or CMMI, a global standard developed by Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute at the request of the U.S. Department of Defense. The designation represents a benchmark for advanced quality management and continuous improvement in complex engineering and software systems. Level 5 certification, rarely achieved even among top-tier defense contractors, indicates that Hanwha Aerospace operates with highly optimized R&D processes and a culture of systematic performance improvement, the company said. The certification covers the company’s core defense operations, including ground weapon systems, precision-guided munitions, and energy storage systems for submarines — all key components of South Korea’s growing defense export portfolio. “The quality of defense products is directly tied to national security, making rigorous management systems as vital as technical innovation,” Hanwha Aerospace said in a press release. “We will continue to strengthen our R&D management to become a trusted global defense partner.” Hanwha Aerospace has emerged as a central player in South Korea’s efforts to expand its defense and aerospace industries. The company supplies engines, propulsion systems, and precision components to both domestic and international defense programs, while also investing in next-generation technologies such as space launch vehicles and urban air mobility. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-12 14:09:07 -
PHOTOS: Ancient ginkgo trees enduring centuries SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - In Jangsu-dong, Incheon, and Banggye-ri, Gangwon Province, two ancient ginkgo trees stand as witnesses to time. Their vast canopies cast golden shadows across the ground, glowing under the thin autumn light. The ginkgo in Jangsu-dong grows in the middle of the city. An overpass runs beside it, yet the tree holds its ground as if untouched by concrete and steel. The bark is coarse and timeworn, its surface cracked and uneven. Wooden pillars now support its enormous trunk, but its branches remain perfectly balanced, spreading outward in quiet symmetry. From its base, multiple limbs diverge like rivers from a single source, shaping a dome of branches that seem deliberately composed. Designated as Natural Monument No. 562, the tree stands 28 meters tall, with a circumference of nearly 9 meters and an estimated age of about 800 years. Beyond the low fence surrounding it, fallen leaves lie thick on the ground. Each gust of wind scatters them like yellow rain, and visitors lift their phones to capture the fleeting sight. Many have come deliberately for this — to see the tree at its brightest before winter dulls its color. The parking lot under the overpass fills easily, yet the crowd moves slowly, reverently, around the stillness of the tree. At a distance, standing apart from the flow of people, the tree’s size and composure feel almost solemn. While everything moves and changes, it alone remains unmoved. The ginkgo in Banggye-ri tells a different story. Standing before it, one feels age more than scale. Its massive trunk splits into thick limbs that stretch in every direction, some propped by supports. The surface is deeply creased, like folded fabric, and parts of its roots rise above the soil, tangled and exposed. From a distance, the tree resembles a cluster of trees rather than one. When the wind blows, yellow leaves lift into the air all at once, and for a moment, the entire landscape falls still. Designated as Natural Monument No. 167, the Banggye-ri ginkgo is said to be around 1,300 years old, tracing its roots back to the Unified Silla period. Standing 26 meters high and more than 14 meters in girth, it towers above the surrounding rice fields, a solitary figure in open land. For centuries, villagers have regarded it as sacred. Old tales speak of a white serpent that once lived beneath its roots — a spirit said to guard the tree. No one dared to cut or harm it, and through storms, droughts, and the slow touch of time, it has survived. To stand before it is to feel not sentiment, but awe — the weight of endurance itself. The small parking area often overflows, a quiet proof of how many come to see it. Leaving both trees behind, one remembers Jangsu-dong for its balance and stillness, and Banggye-ri for its scale and history. The first shows how nature can endure within a city; the second, how humankind grows smaller before the passing of time. At the edge of November, as yellow leaves drift through the cold air, both trees meet the same season again — as they have for centuries. 2025-11-12 14:03:18 -
Kakao Mobility launches autonomous ride service in Seoul SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - Kakao Mobility, the transportation arm of South Korea’s internet giant Kakao, has introduced a new autonomous ride service in Seoul’s Sangam area, integrating self-driving technology into everyday transportation. The service, part of the Kakao T platform, offers what is known as Demand Responsive Transport, or DRT — a flexible form of public transit that adjusts its routes and schedules based on passenger demand. Unlike traditional buses, DRT vehicles stop only at designated stations within a defined service zone. Users can request, board, and pay for rides through the Kakao T app, selecting routes, stops, and departure times, and tracking vehicle locations and waiting times in real time. Kakao Mobility developed the system using data and operational experience from pilot programs in Seoul’s Gangnam area, the city of Sejong, and Jeju Island. Since being named a private operator for Seoul’s autonomous vehicle transport platform in September last year, the company has been working to fold autonomous services into its existing app-based mobility ecosystem. The new service, operated in partnership with the self-driving technology company SWM, will run on the A02 route in the Sangam area in Mapo-gu. Two vehicles, including one equipped for wheelchair access, will serve the route. The pilot service will be free of charge during its initial testing phase, operating on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon and from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. near Sangam DMC Station. Kakao Mobility said it plans to gradually expand the service to rural, suburban, and aging communities, where public transportation is often limited. “We hope more citizens will experience the convenience of autonomous DRT through the Kakao T app,” Ryu Gung-seon, the company’s chief executive, said in a press release. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-12 13:53:13 -
Asian stocks mixed early Wed amid conflicting US factors, USD/KRW near 1,470 SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - Asian stocks were mixed in early Wednesday trading as investors sidelined for a breakthrough in the U.S. fiscal standoff. In Seoul, the KOSPI swung the positive and negative before settling 0.6 percent higher at 4,133.36 by midday. The KOSDAQ rose 1.8 percent to reclaim the 900 level. Foreign investors continued to sell, pushing the Korean won down to near 1,470 per U.S. dollar. Analysts cited conflicting forces — hopes for a U.S. fiscal settlement and lingering pressure from the overnight drop in major American tech stocks — as key drivers of the early volatility. Among heavyweights, Samsung Electronics fell 1.6 percent to 101,800 won ($69), and SK hynix declined 2.8 percent to 602,000 won, following losses in U.S. chip and AI shares. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index slid 2.5 percent. The Nasdaq Composite dipped 0.3 percent to 23,468.30, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 gained 1.2 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively. NVIDIA sank 3 percent after reports that SoftBank Group had sold its entire stake, reviving concerns about an “AI bubble” and stretched valuations. Sentiment toward chipmakers remains divided. Worries about overinvestment continue to fuel bubble fears, even as strong earnings expectations attract buyers. Bloomberg estimates U.S. tech giants will spend roughly $320 billion this year on AI infrastructure, more than double the $151 billion invested in 2023, with the figure projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2031. Venture capital funding for AI startups surpassed $100 billion last year, hitting a record high. Morgan Stanley maintained an upbeat view on Korean memory shares, recently raising its price targets for Samsung Electronics to 175,000 won and SK hynix to 850,000 won, citing solid AI-driven memory demand. Automakers and defense names outperformed. Hyundai Motor rose 2.2 percent to 275,000 won, and Hanwha Aerospace gained 2.3 percent to 970,000 won. NCSoft jumped 6.3 percent to 244,000 won on enthusiasm for its upcoming Aion 2 title. Hana Securities lifted its target price by 15.4 percent to 300,000 won, citing strong earnings leverage. Analyst Lee Jun-ho said Aion 2 is “well-positioned to deliver explosive profit growth upon success,” noting NCSoft plans additional launches through 2026, including Limit Zero Breakers, Time Takers and Cinder City. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 edged up 0.03 percent to 50,857.50 as markets digested SoftBank’s unexpected NVIDIA divestment. SoftBank Group shares tumbled 4.8 percent to 21,600 yen ($140) after confirming it sold all 32.1 million NVIDIA shares last month for $5.83 billion. CFO Kazuhiko Fujihara said the sale was not driven by doubts about NVIDIA but to reallocate capital into new AI investments. Founder Masayoshi Son — who had previously lamented missing out on $150 billion in gains after an earlier NVIDIA exit — now faces fresh scrutiny over group strategy. SoftBank’s market cap, which had tripled by late October during the AI boom, has fallen more than 20 percent in the past week. At its peak on Oct. 29, SoftBank’s valuation reached ¥40.15 trillion ($260bn), narrowing the gap with Toyota to less than ¥10 trillion. Excluding SoftBank, most Japanese blue chips advanced. Toyota rose 1.8 percent to 3,203 yen, Honda climbed 2.3 percent to 1,559 yen, Sony gained 3.1 percent to 4,662 yen, and Fast Retailing edged up 0.2 percent to 58,760 yen. In China, the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.2 percent to 4,010.88, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.7 percent to 26,878.97. 2025-11-12 12:14:45 -
Korea's Oct job data flags persistent weakness in youth employment, record idled MZ SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - South Korea’s headline job figures for October extended their steady growth but also underscored persistent cracks in youth hiring and a record number of economically idled people in their 30s — a troubling sign for a country already strained by a fast-aging population and chronically low birth rate. According to data released Wednesday by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the number of employed people added 193,000 from the same month a year ago to reach 29.04 million in October. Employment among those aged 40 to 49 saw the most notable improvement, with the employment rate rising 0.9 percentage point to 80.4 percent. In contrast, the rate for people aged 15 to 29 — a key barometer of youth labor conditions — fell 1 percentage point to 44.6 percent, marking the 18th straight month of decline. The slide coincides with the job slump in manufacturing, which remains critical for hiring. The overall unemployment rate stood at 2.2 percent, down 0.1 percentage point from a year earlier. But the seasonally adjusted jobless rate, regarded as a clearer gauge of underlying trends, inched up 0.1 percentage point on-year to 2.6 percent. Employment trends also diverged by gender. The rate for men slipped 0.3 percentage point to 76.4 percent, while that for women climbed 0.8 percentage point to 63.5 percent. By industry, health and social welfare services added the most positions, up 280,000. Arts, sports and leisure-related services posted the fastest growth pace, increasing 13.9 percent, or by 70,000 jobs. Service-sector activity strengthened overall, supported by government stimulus vouchers distributed to most households. Manufacturing shed 51,000 jobs, down 1.2 percent. Construction lost 123,000 positions, a 6 percent drop, while agriculture, forestry and fisheries decreased by 124,000, or 7.8 percent. By employment type, full-time jobs rose by 286,000 and temporary roles by 79,000, while day labor fell by 55,000. The economically inactive population — those outside the labor force by choice or due to discouragement — reached 16.12 million, up 38,000 from a year earlier. While inactivity due to childcare or old age declined, the number of people “idled” without a clear reason for not working — typically those who have given up looking — jumped 5.5 percent, or 135,000. People in their 30s saw the steepest increase among core working-age groups, up 7.7 percent, or 13,000, to 334,000 — the highest level on record. Idling was even more pronounced among those in their 20s, totaling 402,000, up 15,600 from a year earlier. The number of people who have given up job hunting despite wanting employment rose to 366,000, up 21,000. Active job seekers fell sharply by 38,000, or 6 percent, to 598,000. 2025-11-12 12:10:58 -
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 ultraviolet (DUV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment as well as a training facility for advanced technology transfer, according to ASML. The Dutch firm holds a near monopoly in the production of EUV lithography machines, indispensable tools for fabricating the most advanced semiconductors. Each unit, costing more than $150 million, is supplied to a select group of companies, including Samsung, SK hynix, and Taiwan’s TSMC. Officials from the South Korean government said it is expected to help localize technology expertise and promote a stronger ecosystem for materials, parts, and equipment suppliers. ASML said it plans to expand collaboration with Korean chipmakers on process development and to build closer partnerships with domestic suppliers to establish a “symbiotic ecosystem” within the country’s semiconductor value chain. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-12 11:23:38 -
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 Europe’s leading quantum computing startups. The company develops photon-based quantum computers and currently employs about 150 researchers and engineers worldwide. It has delivered four quantum systems to the EuroHPC initiative, a major European Union program advancing high-performance computing. Quandela’s Seoul branch will focus on research and development, helping the South Korean capital build its credentials in a field expected to transform industries from logistics to pharmaceuticals. The signing ceremony was attended by Seoul Deputy Mayor Kim Tae-kyun, Quandela’s chief executive Niccolo Somaschi, French Ambassador Philippe Bertoux, and Kim Yoo-seok, head of Quandela Korea. City officials said the investment aligns with the city’s broader plan to foster a quantum industry ecosystem in Seoul. The initiative includes establishing a joint R&D network, supporting companies specializing in quantum materials and components, and training a new generation of researchers. Future projects include the creation of the Seoul Quantum Campus and a Quantum Technology Convergence Support Center in Hongneung by 2027, followed by the Seoul Quantum Hub in 2030. The city also plans to work with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to attract additional foreign investment and offer incentives for global tech firms. “Seoul’s investment in Quandela is a strategic choice, given our city’s strengths in talent, infrastructure, and innovation,” Deputy Mayor Kim said in a statement. “We will continue to support global companies that invest in Seoul as we grow our quantum ecosystem.” * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-12 11:00:21 -
Ex-spy chief arrested over alleged involvement in martial law debacle SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - Cho Tae-yong, a former head of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), was arrested on charges of allegedly being involved in disgraced ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle last year. The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for him, citing concerns he could destroy or tamper with evidence. Cho is accused of failing to notify the National Assembly of Yoon's plan to declare martial law, despite being aware of it. Cho faces perjury charges for testifying to the National Assembly and Constitutional Court that he had not seen related documents before the Dec. 3 debacle. But CCTV footage from an emergency meeting with key officials at the presidential office that day showed him pocketing what appeared to be documents related to the debacle. Earlier arrest warrants for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae were denied, but Cho's arrest is expected to give independent investigators probing Yoon's case new momentum. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-12 10:58:34 -
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 a new holding company created by Australia’s Mineral Resources for $765 million, or roughly 1 trillion won. The deal gives POSCO access to 270,000 tons of lithium concentrate a year from the Wodgina and Mt. Marion mines in Western Australia — enough to produce 37,000 tons of lithium hydroxide, sufficient for about 860,000 electric vehicles. Beyond securing supply, the investment allows POSCO to take part in mine management and receive dividends, with an eye toward eventually expanding into refining lithium concentrate as global demand rises. In a separate move, POSCO said it will invest $65 million to acquire full ownership of the Argentine subsidiary of Lithium South, a Canadian resource developer that holds mining rights in the Hombre Muerto salt flat, one of the world’s richest lithium brine deposits. The Argentine acquisition, announced on Nov. 5, will give POSCO additional land and resources in the region, where it already operates lithium extraction projects. The company expects the deal to create operational synergies by leveraging its existing infrastructure and expertise in the area. “Securing raw material competitiveness is crucial to becoming the world’s leading lithium company,” POSCO Group Chairman Jang In-hwa said in a press release. “We will continue to diversify our global lithium supply chain through active investment.” POSCO’s latest push comes as demand for battery materials surges amid the accelerating shift to electric vehicles. Major producers from China to the United States are racing to lock in access to lithium deposits, a strategic resource expected to face supply constraints over the next decade. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-12 09:56:04