Samsung Elec estimates best-ever revenue and 3-year high OP for Q3 SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics signaled a strong comeback in the latter half of the year, well beating market expectations with an estimated three-year high operating profit of 12.1 trillion won ($9.1 billion) and record-breaking revenue, fully riding on the chip boom driven by artificial-intelligence engines. Revenue reached a historic quarterly high of 86 trillion won in the three months ended September, up 15 percent from 74.6 trillion won in the previous quarter, according to the earnings guidance released Tuesday by the South Korean tech giant whose businesses range from semiconductors to smartphones and consumer electronics. It marks the first time the company’s quarterly sales have surpassed the 80-trillion-won threshold. Although Samsung does not disclose divisional details in its preliminary figures, market analysts project record-high sales from its Device Solutions division, which includes the memory and foundry businesses. Based on the stronger-than-expected headline numbers, operating profit from the semiconductor segment is estimated to approach 6 trillion won, up from 400 billion won in the second quarter. Shares of Samsung Electronics opened strong, up 2.8 percent at 95,900 won as of 9:10 a.m. Seoul. 2025-10-14 08:20:32

Samsung Electronics Q3 profit set to double from last qtr on chip rebound SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is expected to report third-quarter operating profit of 10.14 trillion won ($7.6 billion), more than doubling from the previous quarter and marking its strongest July–September performance, fueled by a sharp recovery in memory chip prices and progress in landing contracts for AI chips. The South Korean tech giant, due to release preliminary earnings before market open Tuesday, is projected to have logged a 10.4 percent on-year gain in operating profit and more than doubled from 4.68 trillion won in the second quarter, according to market consensus compiled by FnGuide. The estimate has been revised upward by over 20 percent as DRAM prices recovered sharply. The main driver of the turnaround is the Device Solutions division, which encompasses the memory and foundry businesses. Analysts attribute the rebound to a steep rise in DRAM contract prices, higher shipments of HBM chips for AI servers, and improved utilization at fabrication plants. According to TrendForce, prices of mainstream DRAM chips used in servers, smartphones, and PCs surged 172 percent year-on-year in the third quarter. Samsung has been working to narrow the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) gap with SK hynix, which dominates supply to AI chip leader Nvidia. While Samsung has yet to finalize a deal to provide HBM products to Nvidia, its broader memory and foundry momentum has underpinned the earnings recovery. In the previous quarter, SK hynix surpassed its longtime rival with an operating profit of 9.2 trillion won on revenue of 22.2 trillion won, dethroning Samsung for the first time in memory profitability. Despite lagging in HBM, analysts expect strong quarters ahead for Samsung and other chipmakers as global AI and data infrastructure demand remains robust. Morgan Stanley last week raised its price target for Samsung by 14 percent to 111,000 won, citing “improvement in memory prices and AI server demand” as well as Samsung’s “competitiveness in AI-related semiconductors.” Still, some analysts warn that memory prices could face renewed pressure in the fourth quarter as supply expands. Samsung also faces external risks such as potential U.S. tariff hikes on semiconductors, which could push up device costs and dampen global demand. Samsung shares closed at 93,300 won on Monday, nearing the psychologically significant 100,000-won mark for the first time in months ahead of its earnings release. 2025-10-13 17:13:29

LG Elec Q3 results beat forecasts, raising fanfare ahead of India stock debut SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - South Korea’s top consumer goods maker LG Electronics posted stronger-than-expected third-quarter earnings on Monday, driven by record automotive electronics sales, setting the stage for its Indian unit’s stock market debut on a buoyant note. According to its preliminary earnings release on Wednesday, the home appliance and consumer goods giant reported an operating profit of 688.9 billion won ($515 million) for the July–September period, surpassing the market consensus of 605 billion won. Revenue came to 21.88 trillion won, down 1.4 percent from a year earlier but up 5.5 percent from the previous quarter. Operating profit fell 8.4 percent on year, weighed by U.S. tariffs and restructuring costs, yet exceeded forecasts thanks to strong vehicle component sales and stable appliance performance. Shares of LG Electronics rose 2.53 percent to 81,000 won in Seoul trading Monday following the results. The upbeat earnings come as the company’s Indian subsidiary prepares to debut on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Tuesday through a $1.3 billion initial public offering expected to value the unit at up to $8.7 billion. The 71.3 million-share offering was fully subscribed on the first day, drawing anchor investors including sovereign wealth funds from Abu Dhabi, Norway, and Singapore, along with asset managers such as BlackRock. India, with its 1.4 billion population and low household appliance penetration, is viewed as one of LG’s key growth markets. The company operates two factories there and is building a third at Sri City. The vehicle component division was the standout performer, recording its highest quarterly profitability on the back of rising demand for premium infotainment systems as the business pivots from hardware to automotive content platforms. The home appliance division maintained its premium leadership while expanding subscription-based services to offset pricing pressures amid weak global demand. The media and entertainment unit, however, booked one-time costs tied to a voluntary retirement program and higher marketing expenses in a fiercely competitive TV market. LG said increased U.S. tariffs also dented profitability but that it is optimizing production and expanding direct-to-consumer online sales to mitigate the impact. Meanwhile, the HVAC business secured multiple large-scale contracts for AI data center cooling systems across major regions and is accelerating commercialization of liquid cooling technology, viewed as essential for next-generation AI infrastructure. LG Electronics will release detailed divisional results and net income on October 31. 2025-10-13 16:04:54

Chuseok Now and Then: Pleasure Weighs Over Tradition in Korea SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - Highways once jammed with cars crawling toward ancestral hometowns, kitchens filled with the labor of preparing feast tables, and families dressed in hanbok to perform rites of thanksgiving for the harvest—these were the defining images of Chuseok in South Korea. Today, in a depopulating society, the holiday looks very different. Many households skip or shorten the traditional observances, instead choosing leisure and travel. Incheon International Airport expects 2.45 million passengers during this year’s seven-day Chuseok holiday, averaging 223,000 travelers a day. That figure not only surpasses pandemic lows but also exceeds pre-2020 levels, when daily traffic averaged around 180,000 to 200,000 passengers. A survey by Lotte Members’ Lime service found that 47 percent of respondents plan to travel during Chuseok, with 30.5 percent choosing domestic trips and 16.9 percent going abroad. Hotels.com data shows most will travel with family or groups (60 percent), while 35 percent travel as couples and 5 percent solo. Among overseas travelers, Japan remains the top destination at 43.1 percent, followed by Vietnam (13.2 percent) and China (9.6 percent). “Traditional Chuseok and today’s Chuseok are completely different,” said Kim Eun-sook, 55, a Seoul housewife. “In the past, I visited my husband’s family and worked my bones to prepare songpyeon and jeon. These days, we plan a trip a year in advance.” The shift reflects broader changes in household burdens and gender roles. Preparing food for charye—ancestral memorial rites—has historically fallen on women. Families also traveled for seongmyo, visiting ancestral graves. “It’s more comfortable now, with less burden. People may age, families may change, but fewer than 10 percent still perform charye,” Kim noted. Scholars point to westernization and shifting values. “Past traditions have weakened and disappeared, while the meaning of holiday as leisure has become more prominent,” said Lee Byung-hoon, professor emeritus of sociology at Chung-Ang University. For younger generations, Chuseok is more about rest than ritual. “Everyone around me travels during Chuseok. It’s the longest holiday of the year, so people want to rest,” said Kim Jung-yeon, 31, from Gyeonggi Province. Tourism data reflects the cultural pivot. During the 2024 Chuseok holiday, domestic visitors to Jeju Island totaled 235,089, down from 247,519 the year before, while international arrivals climbed sharply to 31,258 from 20,891. Professor Lee predicts the trend will deepen. “Unless families reunite as nuclear or extended families like in the past, traditional holidays will likely evolve into more individualistic or free holidays. In five to ten years, this shift will intensify depending on how family relationships change.” The numbers stand in sharp contrast to the pandemic years. In 2020, Incheon Airport handled just 964 international flights during Chuseok, and 995 in 2021. By 2023, flights had rebounded to 3,699, surpassing 2018’s 3,273. This year’s surge signals that travel demand has fully recovered—and that cultural practices around the centuries-old harvest festival are moving steadily toward leisure and away from obligation. 2025-10-03 09:11:35

Samsung Elec's watershed tri-fold display to share APEC spotlight SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will seize the global stage of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea to unveil the world’s first tri-fold smartphone. Tentatively named the Galaxy G Fold, the device features a 9.96-inch infolding display, up to 16 gigabytes of RAM, and as much as 1 terabyte of storage, according to market sources. It runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and comes with a 200-megapixel main camera, alongside telephoto and ultrawide lenses. The battery capacity is estimated at under 5,000 milliamp-hours—smaller than Huawei’s Mate XT launched in September with a 5,600 milliamp-hour cell—as Samsung opted for thinness over size. The phone supports “Split Trio” multitasking, enabling three apps to run simultaneously, and introduces a revamped cover screen mirroring function. Initial shipment is expected at about 50,000 units, with a limited rollout in South Korea and China later this year. Pricing is likely to hover near $3,000, well above current foldables, though Samsung has yet to confirm final details. The debut comes as Samsung’s chip and smartphone leadership faces mounting competition at home and abroad. By aligning its showcase with APEC—where U.S. and Chinese leaders will gather alongside tech executives from Nvidia and OpenAI—Samsung is blending its traditional Galaxy Unpacked strategy with high-level diplomacy. Rivals are also stepping up in the foldables race. Huawei unveiled its second-generation Mate XT last month, while Motorola and Oppo have launched new models this year. Xiaomi is preparing another flip design for release later in 2025. Market reaction so far has been mixed. Enthusiasts on Reddit praised multitasking upgrades but voiced concerns over battery life and the hefty price tag, noting foldables remain a niche compared with mainstream smartphones. 2025-10-01 16:57:36

Entropy plays to the Korean beat in Seongsu's hip mecca SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - Seongsu-dong, the capital of trendiness in Seoul brimming with warehouse galleries, hep cafes, and fashion-forward crowd, has been drawing international brands to pilot their newest products on Korea’s style-savvy consumers. Entropy Makeup was the latest to join the wave, opening its first standalone pop-up store at LECT in Seongsu last weekend. The two-week event spotlights the brand's new Slide Up Dough Cheek blush, a retro slide-phone–inspired design co-developed with creator Kim Sumi, also known as the spouse of Dynamic Duo rapper Gaeko. The launch drew influencers, models, and hip-hop fans alike. “The space is well-decorated, and seeing the products displayed at the event felt different from just looking at package designs,” said Eva, a beauty YouTuber with 740,000 subscribers. “Entropy's charm is very trendy and distinctive. The brand's unique concept stands out.” “We are strongly pushing our global strategy, which is designed for those who have already experienced our brand. As we mark four years since our first pop-up, we wanted to give something back to the customers who have supported us," said Sohee Park, CEO of Entropy. "We will pursue the same path globally. Many overseas buyers have discovered Entropy on their own, and we plan to hold events worldwide for them,” Park added. When asked if consumers should expect more global moves, Baek replied confidently: “Of course.” Agency model Kim Gyu-han, in his twenties, agreed the format elevated the experience. “I’m often invited to these types of events, but today’s performance element made it much more interesting,” he said. True to Seongsu’s hip-hop credentials, rapper Locco also made an appearance, to the delight of fans. “I couldn’t help but scream,” said Rosina K, 21, from Ukraine. “I’ve never seen this kind of concert happen inside a beauty store—it was refreshing.” The event even drew passersby. Karina, 22, from Singapore, and Shin Yi, 24, from Malaysia, said they noticed the store while shopping. “I’ve seen TikToks of their swatches, so it was fun to see them up close,” Karina said. Marking Entropy’s fourth anniversary, the pop-up runs through Oct. 14. ALX Design, an interior arm of Leferi, led the design, construction, and on-site operations, styling the venue around a “DIY beauty mood” concept with hands-on programs for visitors. 2025-10-01 16:15:17

Korean Auto Eyes Diversification, Localization Amid Tariff Stalemate SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - South Korea’s government and automaking conglomerate are tapping alternative markets and local sourcing as tariff talks with the United States drag on without conclusion. Hyundai Motor Group has rolled out contingency measures while negotiations remain in limbo. The automaker is leaning more on domestic suppliers, adjusting dealer incentives to avoid immediate consumer price hikes, and accelerating model launches in Europe. Hyundai Mobis, the group’s parts arm, last week hosted the inaugural Auto Semicon Korea forum with 23 companies and research institutes—a move widely seen as part of a broader push to localize auto semiconductor production. “In the short term we are adjusting dealer incentives to avoid raising consumer prices, while in the longer term we are focusing on local sourcing and expanding production in the United States,” a Hyundai official said. Seoul and Washington reached a provisional deal to cut U.S. tariffs on Korean cars from 25 percent to 15 percent, but a final agreement has yet to be signed. Korean brands remain disadvantaged, facing a 25 percent levy compared with the 15 percent rate applied to Japanese and European cars. The industry ministry has rolled out low-key support, including a “Trade Law Caravan” program to help small and medium-sized suppliers navigate U.S. regulations and prepare contingency plans. Cars are a pillar of Korea’s exports. Last year, Korea shipped $43 billion worth of cars to the U.S., dwarfing $2.5 billion in imports. Exports to Europe totaled $2.7 billion against $7.85 billion in imports, while shipments to Japan hit nearly $3 billion—triple its imports from Japan. “The tariff burden will likely cut Hyundai Motor Group’s operating margin by about 1 percentage point this year and up to 2 percentage points if fully applied,” said Lee Jae-il of Eugene Investment & Securities. “But basic product competitiveness remains intact, so there will be no sudden shift in demand toward Japanese or European cars.” The global auto chip market is projected to expand 9 percent annually to reach $138 billion by 2030, underscoring why Hyundai Mobis is aiming to boost the share of locally developed semiconductors to 10 percent by that year. “We are expanding joint development with fabless firms and design houses while strengthening ties with major foundries,” said Lee Kyu-seok, president of Hyundai Mobis. “We will also encourage IT and mobile companies to enter the auto sector, helping build a domestic ecosystem.” Executive vice president Park Chul-hong added that optimizing chips with controllers and conducting real-car testing will “speed up development and enhance competitiveness.” 2025-09-30 17:46:50

Major battery pack fires pose setback to Korean battery makers' ESS bet SEOUL, September 29 (AJP) - A fire from an aging lithium battery storage system that triggered a nationwide disruption of South Korea’s electronic public services has cast a shadow over its maker, LG Energy Solution (LGES), and the government’s renewable transition drive centered on energy storage systems (ESS). LGES, the country’s top battery producer, has been betting heavily on ESS to offset a slowdown in electric vehicle demand. According to Mirae Asset Securities, its ESS revenue is expected to reach 2.7 trillion won ($2.0 billion) in fiscal 2025, accounting for 11.3 percent of total sales, up from 7.15 percent last year. The shift underscores how reliant the company has become on storage projects, making the latest fire especially sensitive for both investors and policymakers. The company has already been struggling. Consolidated revenue slid 24 percent year-on-year to 25.6 trillion won in 2024, with operating profit plunging 74 percent. While LGES does not disclose detailed ESS revenue, it cited “substantial growth from grid-scale projects” in its Q3 2024 earnings and has pinned high hopes on storage to shore up profits amid weakening EV demand. The business, however, remains fraught with safety concerns. In January 2025, a blaze ripped through the 300-megawatt Moss Landing facility in California—once the world’s largest storage site—equipped with LG’s nickel manganese cobalt cells. Operator Vistra Corp wrote down $400 million in losses. In Europe, two German residential fires raised alarms. A November 2024 basement fire in Werne involving an LGES module led to precautionary replacements in 77 homes. In February 2025, an explosion in Schönberg destroyed part of a newly built home. In Australia, regulators have tracked multiple home-battery fires and recalls since 2020, affecting around 18,000 units, with 15 incidents causing property damage. While not all incidents were conclusively tied to LG cells, the repeated accidents have intensified scrutiny of the company’s technology and manufacturing standards. "In automotive battery packs, we design systems to prevent domino-effect failures by containing thermal runaway to one or two cells," said Kim Jin-yong, a mechanical engineering professor at Hanyang University ERICA. "ESS manufacturers need to develop similar safety-focused designs, including thermal insulation between batteries, to prevent these recurring accidents." Global ESS installations, however, are still set to accelerate. BloombergNEF forecasts annual additions will reach 94 gigawatts and 247 gigawatt-hours in 2025, growing at a 14.7 percent compound rate through 2035. “Such high-profile accidents are unlikely to derail ESS growth, but what matters is how operators manage the risk,” said Han Byung-hwa, senior analyst at Eugene Investment & Securities. “There is no alternative to ESS today. The challenge is rapid detection, containment, and revenue protection through tools like AI-based monitoring.” Competition is also intensifying. Chinese producers, which dominate in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells—cheaper and considered safer than nickel-based chemistries—are quickly capturing share in stationary storage. Samsung SDI and SK On, also pivoting toward ESS to offset sluggish EV sales, face similar headwinds. LGES stressed that maintenance and replacement of the government’s UPS battery were the operator’s responsibility, adding that it continues to strengthen safety protocols. “We have no further comment as we only supplied the battery pack to CNS, the contractor responsible for the installation,” an LGES official said. The latest fire—three years after the 2022 “Kakao blackout” spurred calls for stronger safeguards—has reignited debate over whether Korea’s ESS ambitions can advance without renewed focus on safety and redundant backup systems. 2025-09-29 17:36:30

K-beauty popularity props up Busan's tourism and retail market BUSAN, September 25 (AJP) - South Korea’s southern port city of Busan is riding a surge of foreign arrivals as more visitors venture beyond the capital region — and beauty chain Olive Young is reaping the rewards. According to Busan metropolitan authorities, foreign tourist arrivals reached 2.03 million through July, up 23 percent from a year earlier. The influx has delivered a welcome boost to the local retail market. International purchases at Busan Olive Young outlets totaled 758,385 as of August, up 70 percent from a year earlier — and a staggering leap from just 19,439 in 2022. Olive Young’s test bed outside Seoul Busan carries strategic importance for Olive Young, serving as the brand’s first franchising test bed beyond the Seoul metropolitan area. Starting with its Busan National University Station branch in 2008, the chain now operates 85 stores across the city. A field visit to three flagship locations highlighted strategies tailored to diverse foreign shoppers. “We came to Busan because our social media Xiaohongshu recommended the area to us,” said Jesse Wang, 37, from China, browsing at Olive Young’s Delight Project Store. “We came here to pick up snacks for our friends back home.” At the Seomyeon 1st Street store, product names are displayed in both Korean and English, while shelves mix K-beauty items with instant noodles and snacks promoted alongside Netflix hit K-pop Demon Hunters. Foreign customers account for 65 percent of this location’s revenue. Nearby, the Seomyeon Town branch — spanning 270 pyeong (about 8,900 square feet) — stands as the largest Olive Young store outside Seoul. During June’s Olive Young sale, daily visitors topped 10,000. Global draw, local twists Tourists from 170 countries visited Busan Olive Young stores in 2024, representing 88 percent of UN member nations. In the Haeundae tourism district, foreign purchases jumped 105 percent year-on-year between January and August. Just blocks from the Town branch, the Seomyeon Bujeon Central store operates until 11 p.m., the latest hours among all Olive Young outlets nationwide. The extended schedule makes it the top location for product tester usage, as late-night shoppers from nearby bars and entertainment venues sample skincare lines. “We’ve been to many Olive Young stores during our trip, but this one stood out,” said Janet Yim, 30, and Hira Qureshi, 31, from Chicago at the Jeonpo Station branch. “We even got our skin analyzed by a machine — like a fun dermatology test. We didn’t know we had dry skin until then.” The Jeonpo Station outlet caters to younger shoppers in their 20s and 30s with skin analysis and personal color consultation services. Olive Young has expanded such experiential features nationwide, designating more than 110 stores as “Global Tourism Commercial Districts” with multilingual signage, foreign-language staff, and immediate tax refunds on purchases over 15,000 won. Local flavors, new frontiers Region-specific products drive much of the foreign enthusiasm. The Delight Project Haeundae store, the first standalone branch for Olive Young’s health snack brand, features Busan-themed specialties such as Seed Hotteok Dalgona and the Haeundae Red Pepper Cake Gift Collection. Olive Young aims to cement its role as a tourist retail magnet by fusing experiential content with merchandising — positioning itself at the crossroads of K-beauty, tourism, and local flavor. 2025-09-25 16:06:20

Korean memory giants await super bumper years on AI harvest SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) - South Korea’s memory giants and investors are betting on a looming chip super cycle that could prove the most lucrative and enduring yet, fueled by the surging appetite for artificial intelligence (AI). SK hynix is poised to lead the AI-driven memory race, having leapt ahead in conventional DRAM and seized the initiative in high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a critical component for powering AI chips. The company is expected to command at least half of the global HBM market through 2027 under its contract with NVIDIA. Its stock, already at historic highs, is projected to climb further as demand for HBM is forecast to grow more than 50 percent next year. Samsung Electronics, dethroned by SK hynix in the HBM market due to its slower move, has nevertheless secured milestone foundry contracts that could lift its chip division earnings close to pandemic-era peaks. Samsung has won orders to produce 7-nanometer chips for IBM’s data center processors and 2-nanometer chips for Tesla’s sixth-generation AI processors. Chip super cycles typically emerge every three to four years when breakthrough technologies spark sustained demand surges lasting 18 to 24 months. The smartphone revolution of 2010–2011 marked the first major super cycle, driven by explosive demand for mobile DRAM and NAND flash memory. Cloud computing and cryptocurrency mining underpinned the 2017–2018 cycle, while the pandemic-driven remote work boom fueled the 2020–2022 surge, sending memory prices soaring amid supply shortages. The upcoming bull cycle differs fundamentally from past booms, which were driven by supply shortages or consumer electronics adoption. AI data centers require specialized HBM chips capable of processing massive datasets with minimal latency, creating what industry executives describe as a structural shift toward higher-value products. “This AI boom has a bigger effect than data centers alone,” said Lee Seung-woo at Eugene Investment Securities. “We expect this cycle could break records that haven’t been touched since around 2016, roughly 10 years ago.” HBM shipments are projected to rise about 70 percent year-on-year, with global sales jumping from an estimated $38 billion in 2025 to $58 billion in 2026, according to TechInsights and JPMorgan. In a report titled “Memory Supercycle — Rising AI Tide Lifting All Boats”, Morgan Stanley named Korean chipmakers as prime beneficiaries, designating Samsung Electronics as its “top pick” and raising SK hynix’s target price by 58 percent to 410,000 won. The AI-driven cycle may also last longer than the typical two-year span, depending on transitions by big-data giants Google, Amazon, and Meta. Recent developments suggest the cycle may have more momentum than initially expected, with Oracle's September 11 earnings announcement helping to dispel "AI peak" concerns. Lee noted that mobile and PC manufacturers are now actively requesting increased supply, while the latest iPhone model launch has shown strong sales performance, suggesting pent-up smartphone demand may be emerging alongside AI growth. TechInsights projects more than 2.5 million AI models will be deployed in 2025—nearly double the number in 2024—while datacenter NAND demand could grow over 30 percent as operators shift from hard disk drives to high-capacity solid-state storage for faster data access. 2025-09-23 16:38:52