Journalist

김혜준
Candice Kim
  • Chipflation (2): Winners — component makers; losers — consumers
    Chipflation (2): Winners — component makers; losers — consumers Editor’s Note: This is the second installment in AJP’s Chipflation series, examining how explosive AI demand and South Korea’s dominance in memory chips are reshaping the global technology supply chain — from Silicon Valley data centers to everyday consumer electronics. SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - Chipflation is, at its core, a story about economic rents. When demand concentrates on a scarce, indispensable input, the suppliers of that input capture returns well above competitive norms. In the current AI cycle, high-bandwidth memory has become precisely such a bottleneck. The result is a redistribution of profits along the semiconductor value chain — and South Korea sits at the point of rent capture. The latest financial disclosures from Dell Technologies illustrate the scale. The company reported a $43 billion AI server backlog, more than double the previous quarter. Nvidia, meanwhile, generated $62.3 billion in quarterly data center revenue. The architecture is increasingly clear: Nvidia designs the AI processors, Dell assembles the servers, and Korean firms supply the high-density memory modules without which those systems cannot function. In such an ecosystem, pricing power migrates upstream. Rent extraction as export engine The macroeconomic implications are visible in South Korea’s trade data. Customs figures for the first 20 days of February show semiconductor exports surging 134.2 percent year-on-year to $15.1 billion. This surge is not simply a volume expansion. It reflects rent extraction driven by scarcity. HBM3E and HBM4 modules now command prices six to ten times higher than standard DDR5 memory. Enterprise SSD prices have risen nearly 40 percent over the past six months. These are not incremental adjustments; they are structural repricings of critical components. Unlike past memory cycles — dominated by volatile consumer PC demand — today’s AI infrastructure buildout provides longer-term visibility. Massive pre-orders from hyperscalers and enterprise server vendors create forward revenue certainty. In some AI memory segments, industry estimates suggest operating margins exceeding 40 percent. For Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, this marks a transformation from commodity suppliers subject to cyclical oversupply to rent-earning bottleneck providers. At the national level, the impact is profound. With automobiles and steel facing softer global demand, semiconductors have become the principal engine of export growth. The sector now accounts for a record share of South Korea’s trade surplus. Yet rent concentration carries risk. When one sector disproportionately underwrites national growth, exposure to investment cycles intensifies. Should AI capital expenditure moderate, the same rent dynamics currently lifting the economy could reverse. The downstream squeeze Economic rents do not vanish. They are financed somewhere. In this case, downstream device manufacturers — and eventually consumers — bear the cost. A new report from Gartner projects that combined DRAM and SSD prices will surge 130 percent by the end of 2026. As memory becomes a larger share of bill-of-materials costs, PC and smartphone makers must either absorb margin compression or raise retail prices. Most are choosing the latter. Gartner forecasts that average selling prices will rise 17 percent for PCs and 13 percent for smartphones this year. Shipments are projected to decline 10.4 percent and 8.4 percent, respectively. "The shipments of PCs and smartphones this year are projected to hit their lowest levels in over a decade," said Ranjit Atwal, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner. "Price increases are narrowing the range of products available to consumers and forcing them to extend the life of existing devices, fundamentally shifting upgrade cycles." In effect, AI servers — backed by corporate capital budgets — are crowding out consumer devices in the competition for scarce high-performance memory. The pressure is most acute at the lower end of the market. Memory accounted for roughly 16 percent of a PC’s production cost in 2025. Gartner expects that share to rise to 23 percent by 2026. For manufacturers operating on thin margins, absorbing such increases is unsustainable. The sub-$500 laptop segment, Gartner warns, could largely disappear by 2028 as vendors prioritize profitability over shipment volume. "PC manufacturers must prioritize maintaining profitability over shipment volume, instead of sacrificing margins to capture price-sensitive demand," said Atwal. He added that companies "need to take proactive measures before the full impact of component price hikes hits in the second quarter." The likely outcome is a prolonged “device freeze.” Consumers extend replacement cycles. Entry-level offerings narrow. Technology diffusion slows among price-sensitive buyers. Latest cycle differs from prior semiconductor booms not merely in scale but in structure. AI infrastructure represents capital expenditure by hyperscalers and corporations capable of paying premium prices for performance gains. Consumer electronics represent discretionary spending constrained by household budgets. When supply tightens, the higher-value application captures the rent. For Korea, the immediate effect is positive. The country supplies one of the most critical inputs in the global AI expansion. Memory has become the strategic choke point — and choke points generate rents. But history chart in semiconductors shows, scarcity is self-correcting. Today’s rent concentration finances tomorrow’s capacity — and with it, eventual oversupply. 2026-02-27 15:42:39
  • SK hynix, Sandisk launch joint effort to standardize HBF memory for AI
    SK hynix, Sandisk launch joint effort to standardize 'HBF' memory for AI SEOUL, February 26 (AJP) - South Korean chipmaker SK hynix and U.S. data storage company Sandisk have partnered to standardize a next-generation memory technology dubbed High Bandwidth Flash (HBF) to target the expanding artificial intelligence inference market. The two companies held a kick-off event for the HBF standardization consortium on Thursday at Sandisk's headquarters in Milpitas, California. To advance the initiative, they will form a dedicated joint workstream under the Open Compute Project (OCP), a global data center technology cooperative. The collaboration comes as the AI industry's focus rapidly shifts from training large language models (LLMs) to the inference stage, which powers actual user services. Existing memory structures face limitations in simultaneously handling the massive data loads and power efficiency required for surging, concurrent AI requests. HBF is positioned as a new memory tier sitting between ultra-fast High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and high-capacity Solid State Drives (SSDs). It is designed to bridge the gap by offering capacity scalability and power efficiency, ultimately aiming to lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) for AI systems. While HBM will continue to handle maximum bandwidth requirements, HBF will serve a complementary role. "The core of AI infrastructure goes beyond the performance competition of a single technology; it is about optimizing the entire ecosystem," said Ahn Hyun, Chief Development Officer at SK hynix. Industry demand for such complex, hybrid memory solutions is projected to see significant growth around 2030. SK hynix and Sandisk plan to utilize their combined expertise in memory design, packaging, and mass production to accelerate the standardization and commercialization of the product. 2026-02-26 17:20:08
  • Galaxy S26: a phone with nunchi – and a price to match
    Galaxy S26: a phone with "nunchi" – and a price to match SEOUL, February 26 (AJP) - “Nunchi” is one of those Korean words that resists direct translation. It refers to a kind of social intuition — the ability to read the ambience, anticipate needs, and move before being asked. Those who lack it are considered daft; those who possess it are quick, nimble, perceptive. With the new Samsung Galaxy S26, Samsung Electronics is attempting to embed that instinct into hardware. After nearly three decades of phone-making, Samsung’s latest flagship is framed less as a device that waits for commands and more as one that anticipates them — an invisible hand moving ahead of its user. “Now Nudge”: AI that steps in While texting a friend to set up plans, the phone’s “Now Nudge” feature quietly cross-checks the calendar and surfaces a reminder about a conflicting appointment. No separate query required. Even Bixby has grown more agile. “My eyes are tired — how should I change the settings?” Instead of directing users to menus, the assistant applies “Eye Comfort Shield” directly within the chat interface, eliminating the friction of navigation. The aim is compression: fewer taps, fewer searches, fewer interruptions. Privacy, built in If anticipation is one pillar, privacy is the other. For Seoul’s tightly packed subway commuters, the standout feature may be “Privacy Display,” available exclusively on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Unlike aftermarket privacy films, the Ultra integrates the technology at the display-panel level, diffusing light pixel by pixel. Activated through the quick panel, the screen remains clear to the user while appearing black from side angles — top, bottom, left, and right. Security has also been upgraded. An AI-driven “Call Screening” function answers unknown numbers on the user’s behalf, summarizes the caller’s intent in real time, and analyzes live conversations to flag potential voice-phishing attempts. Visual AI: Circle to Search evolves Visual AI — bypassing even voice and text — continues to expand. Samsung’s upgraded “Circle to Search” recognizes multiple elements simultaneously. Draw a circle around a celebrity’s outfit — top, pants, and bag — and the phone retrieves shopping results for all items at once. What once required multiple searches is compressed into a single gesture. The camera as canvas In the AI era, cameras are no longer confined to capturing reality. With the upgraded “Photo Assist” tool, users can select a full-body photo, choose a jacket saved in the gallery, and type: “Put these clothes on me.” The AI image signal processor (ISP) modifies the wardrobe seamlessly, preserving a history log that allows edits and reversions without creating duplicate files. Daytime photos can also be transformed into nighttime scenes with natural lighting adjustments — turning static images into editable environments. Comforts come at a cost Automation, however, carries a premium. Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, the S26 lineup enters new pricing territory. The base Galaxy S26 starts at 1,254,000 won (about $940). The Galaxy S26 Ultra begins at 1,797,400 won. The 512GB Ultra model surpasses the two-million-won threshold for the first time in the series, priced at 2,050,400 won. The question now is not whether the phone is capable. It is whether users — particularly younger consumers — will view AI-driven anticipation as liberation from friction or as an over-eager assistant that intrudes too often. Samsung has given its phone nunchi. Whether consumers welcome that instinct — and pay for it — will determine whether anticipation becomes the next default in the smartphone era. 2026-02-26 17:08:06
  • Musinsa goes offline to challenge beauty Goliath on Seouls beauty street
    Musinsa goes offline to challenge beauty Goliath on Seoul's beauty street SEOUL, February 26 (AJP) - Musinsa, the online fashion platform that has grown into a household name in K-fashion, is venturing into brick-and-mortar cosmetics — a field long dominated by CJ Olive Young under CJ Group. The move is being watched closely, either as a possible overreach or as a necessary step in Musinsa’s bid to scale beyond fashion. Musinsa said it will open its first permanent offline beauty flagship, “Musinsa Megastore Seongsu,” between April and June in Seongsu-dong, one of Seoul’s trendiest commercial districts. The large-format store will house about 800 beauty brands and target Gen Z consumers and foreign tourists — a scale that rivals even Olive Young’s largest outlets. Beauty has emerged as Musinsa’s next major growth category as the company looks beyond apparel. Its total transaction volume reached 4.5 trillion won ($3.08 billion) in 2024, generating revenue of 1.24 trillion won and operating profit of 102.8 billion won. The beauty segment has been a standout, with overseas transaction volume surging 161 percent in 2025. The challenge now is whether those online clicks can be converted into sustained offline sales. "Cosmetics fundamentally require a physical space where consumers can test products before making a firm purchase decision," said Kim Ju-deok, a professor of beauty industry at Sungshin Women's University. The elephant in the room: Olive Young Any push into physical beauty retail must confront a dominant incumbent. CJ Olive Young operates more than 1,300 stores nationwide and controls an estimated 68.3 to 90 percent of Korea’s health and beauty (H&B) market, depending on measurement standards. Its financial scale underscores the gap. While Musinsa’s revenue grew from about 993 billion won in 2023 to 1.24 trillion won in 2024, Olive Young’s sales expanded from 3.86 trillion won to nearly 4.8 trillion won over the same period. The retailer is widely expected to surpass 5 trillion won this year, supported by an operating margin of around 12.7 percent — unusually high for a brick-and-mortar chain. The trap of fixed costs Musinsa’s offline bet also comes at a structural price. By opening a flagship in Seongsu, the company is giving up one of its biggest advantages as an online platform: low fixed costs. Commercial rents in Seongsu-dong rose about 15 percent in the year to October 2025, driven by heavy foot traffic from young consumers and tourists. Property transaction prices in the area have surged more than tenfold over the past 15 years, exceeding 300 million won per pyeong (3.3 square meters). For Musinsa, this means high upfront investment, rising operating costs and pressure to deliver consistently strong store traffic. Pressure from below: Daiso’s rise Musinsa is not only challenging Olive Young at the top. It is also facing growing competition from below. Daiso has rapidly expanded its low-priced beauty lineup, turning its stores into major destinations for budget-conscious consumers. Daiso’s cosmetics sales jumped 85 percent in 2023 and 144 percent in 2024, and are estimated to be growing at 70 to 80 percent annually in 2025. By offering viral indie brands such as VT Cosmetics at rock-bottom prices, Daiso expanded its beauty portfolio from seven brands in late 2022 to more than 140 by late 2025. The strategy has drawn price-sensitive young shoppers away from conventional H&B chains. Betting on fashion-beauty synergy Still, Musinsa is betting on differentiation rather than direct imitation. The company plans to leverage its fashion-centric user base, proprietary data and influencer-driven ecosystem to blend apparel and cosmetics in ways traditional H&B stores cannot easily replicate. By combining fashion intellectual property with curated beauty zones, Musinsa hopes to turn its flagship into a lifestyle destination rather than a conventional drugstore-style outlet. Executives have also emphasized cross-selling, using online fan communities to drive traffic into physical stores. "Operating both online and offline channels is no longer optional; it is essential," Kim added. "Gen Z relies heavily on the convenience of online shopping, but the physical experience completes the purchase—a dual-channel formula Olive Young has already proven highly effective." Whether the Seongsu megastore becomes a “Trojan horse” that disrupts Korea’s beauty hierarchy, or falls victim to the “winner’s curse” that often hits fast-growing platforms entering the mainstream, remains uncertain. What is clear is that South Korea’s cosmetics competition is no longer confined to apps and algorithms. With Musinsa moving offline, Olive Young defending its turf, and Daiso pressing from below, the country’s beauty war has now moved decisively from screens to streets. 2026-02-26 08:09:14
  • Samsung Electronics ushers in agentic AI phone era with Galaxy S26
    Samsung Electronics ushers in agentic AI phone era with Galaxy S26 SEOUL, February 26 (AJP) -The drizzle over the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco did not stop more than 1,200 journalists and influencers from crowding into the domed venue Wednesday for Samsung Electronics’ latest Unpacked event — a return to the same stage where the company once declared it was preparing for a “new decade” of mobile. This time, instead of dazzling hardware theatrics, Samsung framed the Galaxy S26 series as its first truly “agentic” AI phone: a device that does not wait for commands but gently intervenes. Not assistance. Not automation. But what executives repeatedly called a “nudge.” When CEO TM Roh took the stage, he did not begin with chip speeds or camera sensors. Instead, he showcased a simple text exchange: “Beer on the 27th?” Before a reply could be typed, a subtle banner surfaced above the keyboard: “27th — All-day event at Phoenix Park.” The feature, called Now Nudge, does not require a request. It reads context — across messages, calendar and gallery — and surfaces the right action at the right moment. Samsung is betting that this shift — from reactive AI to anticipatory AI — defines the next phase of the smartphone wars. For years, Samsung’s Unpacked events led with displays, sensors and silicon. The S26 series still delivers on that front. The Ultra model runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, promising double-digit CPU, GPU and NPU gains. Thermal redesigns and Super Fast Charging 3.0 round out the hardware upgrades. But those specifications were deliberately secondary. Samsung’s narrative emphasized something more intangible: AI that “fades into the background.” A single press of the side key can summon Gemini or other integrated agents to complete multi-step tasks — from ordering an Uber to placing food deliveries — without switching apps. The distinction Samsung is drawing is clear: this is not AI as a chatbot. It is AI as a silent coordinator. The most enthusiastic response inside the hall was reserved for a different innovation: Privacy Display — described as the world’s first built-in side-view blocking screen for mobile. Unlike stick-on privacy filters, Samsung’s solution disperses light at the pixel level. When activated during sensitive moments — PIN entry, banking apps, messaging — it limits visibility from side angles while preserving brightness and clarity for the user. In an era of AI-driven personalization, Samsung is pairing proactivity with containment. And for a company unveiling its 26th-generation flagship, the devil is in those details. While Apple’s iPhone ecosystem emphasizes privacy branding and vertical integration, Samsung is introducing hardware-level visual discretion. Against Chinese competitors such as Huawei and Xiaomi — which are rapidly integrating AI features at aggressive price points — Samsung is differentiating not merely through AI capability, but through AI governance embedded into hardware. The strategy suggests Samsung sees the next battleground not just as performance, but trust. The S26 Ultra widens apertures for improved low-light capture and introduces support for a professional-grade APV video codec. AI ISP improvements refine skin tones even on the selfie camera. But again, the headline is workflow integration. With the upgraded Photo Assist suite, users can simply describe edits: “Make it night.” “Add more strawberries.” “Change the outfit.” Edits unfold within the native gallery — no third-party app, no export/import friction. For creators accustomed to hopping between apps — including Google tools or other generative platforms — the frictionless editing could become Samsung’s practical edge. The S26 series arrives amid intensifying competition. Apple continues refining on-device AI within iOS while tightly guarding ecosystem control. Chinese brands are pushing hardware innovation and aggressive pricing. Generative AI models are turning smartphones into gateways for cloud intelligence. Samsung’s counter-position is distinct: agentic AI embedded system-wide, not siloed in one assistant, hardware-backed privacy, not just software encryption, cross-agent flexibility (Gemini, Perplexity, Bixby), rather than a single locked ecosystem, and seven years of security updates, reinforcing long-term device value. The choice to spotlight “nudging” over megapixels signals Samsung believes smartphone competition is shifting — from a hardware race to behavioral intelligence. 2026-02-26 07:52:30
  • LGs smart home robot Cloi, ultra-thin OLED TV take home iF Design awards
    LG's smart home robot 'Cloi', ultra-thin OLED TV take home iF Design awards SEOUL, February 25 (AJP) - South Korean tech giant LG Electronics announced it has won 26 awards at the iF Design Award 2026, taking home accolades across multiple categories including product design, user experience, and architecture. The company's key award-winning products include the "LG Cloi," a home robot designed to interact with users by responding to human facial expressions, voice commands, and gestures. LG also won an award for its "LG OLED evo W6," a wireless wallpaper television featuring a thickness in the 9-millimeter range. Other recognized consumer electronics include the "LG gram Pro" laptop, which utilizes a novel aerospace material called aerominium, and the curved "LG UltraGear OLED evo" monitor. Three models of LG XBOOM audio products, the minimalist "Whisen Objet Collection Cool" air conditioner, and the "LG Puricare Bath Air System" for indoor air and humidity management also received honors. Beyond traditional hardware, LG's "Flagship D5" showroom in Seoul's Gangnam district won in the architecture category. The company also received recognition for an "easy-to-read book" manual designed to help slow learners and children with developmental disabilities understand appliance operations, a project noted for promoting social inclusion and sustainability. Additionally, an AI agent user experience (UX) developed for LG employees was awarded. "We will continue customer-centric design innovation by strengthening our core businesses from a future-preparedness perspective and discovering new growth opportunities," said Chung Wook-jun, head of LG Electronics' Design Management Center. 2026-02-25 15:30:20
  • Chipflation (1): Korean memory makers seize pricing power in AI boom
    Chipflation (1): Korean memory makers seize pricing power in AI boom Editor’s note: This is the first installment in AJP’s Chipflation series, which examines how explosive demand for artificial intelligence and South Korea’s dominance in memory chips are triggering a ripple effect of price hikes across the global tech supply chain — from Silicon Valley data centers to everyday consumer electronics. This installment looks at how Korean memory makers have gained the upper hand in price-setting. SEOUL, February 24 (AJP) - South Korea’s semiconductor export prices have more than doubled over the past year, data showed, underscoring the reality of “chipflation” as the country’s memory giants levy what industry insiders call a growing “Korea Tax” on Silicon Valley’s AI boom. According to data released Feb. 13 by the Bank of Korea, export prices for computer, electronic and optical products jumped 34.2 percent on year in January. The surge was overwhelmingly driven by memory chips, with DRAM and flash memory prices soaring 102.7 percent and 115.1 percent, respectively. Behind the headline numbers lies a structural bottleneck known in the industry as the “wafer penalty.” As global technology giants rush to secure High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) for AI servers, production capacity for conventional DRAM is being crowded out. Market tracker TrendForce estimates that manufacturing a single HBM4 wafer consumes capacity equivalent to roughly three standard DRAM wafers. This trade-off has sharply tightened supplies of commodity memory chips, creating a severe supply-demand imbalance across the market. "Building a new semiconductor line takes at least two to three years, and expanding an existing one requires one to two years," said Lee Jong-hwan, a professor of system semiconductor engineering at Sangmyung University. "Since memory makers are already profiting from high-margin HBM, they are unlikely to rush investments for commodity DRAM even as its supply shrinks and prices rise." Contract prices double in 90 days The impact has been swift and dramatic. Standard 64GB RDIMM server memory contract prices have doubled from about $450 to more than $900 in just three months. With inventories at SK hynix reportedly falling below four weeks, Samsung Electronics has effectively regained near-absolute pricing power as the world’s largest DRAM producer. Riding this seller’s market, Samsung is said to be negotiating prices for its next-generation HBM4 chips — which entered mass production this month — at around $700 per unit, a roughly 30 percent increase from the previous generation. The pricing surge is unfolding against the backdrop of an unprecedented AI investment cycle. The four largest U.S. hyperscalers — Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft — are projected to spend a combined $650 billion on capital expenditures in 2026. Combined with the Bank of Korea’s inflation data and Samsung’s aggressive pricing strategy, the figures suggest that a sizable portion of that investment will flow directly into the margins of Korean memory makers as an unavoidable “Korea Tax” in the AI era. "With explosive demand, Samsung holds significant pricing power, which will place a heavy financial burden on U.S. Big Tech," said Kim Deok-ki, a professor at Sejong University. "These skyrocketing costs could inevitably delay the buildup of AI infrastructure and eventually be passed down to consumers through higher AI subscription fees." Fierce stockpiling by AI leaders such as Nvidia, which dominates AI accelerators, has further strained supply chains. Cleanroom capacity at front-tier manufacturers — including Samsung, SK hynix and TSMC — is increasingly allocated to high-margin AI products, leaving fewer resources for commodity chips. "U.S. Big Tech companies are software-driven and lack their own fabrication plants," Prof. Lee added. "They can design the chips, but for production, they ultimately depend on the limited foundry and cleanroom capacities of companies like TSMC and Samsung." As inventories thin, shortages are spilling over into components used in smartphones, laptops and household electronics. Apple is reportedly exploring the use of Chinese-made memory chips in place of Korean LPDDR products to offset rising costs. Even Samsung, despite its in-house memory production, has raised smartphone prices in response to higher component expenses. Investors have responded accordingly. Shares of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have been scaling fresh highs almost daily, underscoring investor confidence that Korean memory makers will remain the primary beneficiaries of the AI-driven supply squeeze. With wafer capacity increasingly locked into high-margin HBM production and hyperscaler demand showing little sign of cooling, industry analysts say chipflation is likely to persist. In equity markets, the narrative is shifting accordingly — from the long-cited “Korea discount” to what some now describe as a rising “Korean premium” attached to Seoul-listed semiconductor stocks. 2026-02-24 17:38:17
  • For 2026 rematch with Apple, Samsung fields AI photo studio for short-form gen
    For 2026 rematch with Apple, Samsung fields AI photo studio for short-form gen SEOUL, February 23 (AJP) - Familiar scenes were repeated at the 2026 Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics: medalists capturing once-in-a-lifetime moments by flipping open pocket-sized Samsung phones. Despite strong sales of its foldable fleet, Samsung Electronics lost its decade-long position as the world’s top smartphone vendor last year to Apple, buoyed by the popularity of the iPhone 17 lineup. Samsung readies a rematch with the unveiling of its flagship Galaxy S26 series in San Francisco on Thursday. Moving away from traditional hardware specification battles, Samsung is repositioning its top-tier Ultra model — expected to approach 2 million won (about $1,500) — as a fully autonomous “AI Studio” aimed at short-form video creators on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Rather than competing solely on camera sensors, display resolution and processing speed, the company is shifting its focus to software-driven creativity, automation and personalization. The move reflects a long-standing challenge in the domestic market. According to Gallup Korea, more than 60 percent of South Koreans in their 20s use iPhones, while older generations remain more loyal to Galaxy devices. “For younger demographics, a smartphone is a status symbol that must be instantly recognizable,” said Lee Eun-hee, professor emeritus of consumer science at Inha University. “Samsung has historically struggled to match Apple’s strong design identity that creates this sense of pride.” To loosen Apple’s grip on young users, Samsung is positioning the Galaxy S26 as a mobile production suite. Powered by an upgraded neural processing unit (NPU) with a claimed 113 percent performance increase, the device introduces “EdgeFusion,” an on-device generative AI model that allows users to generate images and perform professional-level edits through simple text prompts — without requiring an internet connection. The system enables automatic background generation, lighting adjustment, object removal and style conversion, reducing the need for external editing apps. The Ultra model is also expected to feature an industry-first “Privacy Display,” using Samsung Display’s Flex Magic Pixel technology to restrict side viewing angles. The feature targets young users who frequently consume and produce content in public spaces such as subways, cafés and campuses. Additional upgrades include an improved f/1.4 aperture for low-light photography and a first-ever 60-watt fast-charging system, allowing creators to shoot, edit and upload content throughout the day. “Younger consumers are highly responsive to AI,” Lee said. “Having an autonomous AI agent feels like carrying a personal assistant — or even a digital companion — in your pocket. That appeal could be decisive.” The central question is whether younger consumers are willing to pay the premium. Amid rising global semiconductor and component costs, all S26 models are expected to see price increases of about 99,000 won ($75). Industry estimates suggest the base model will start at around 1.25 million won ($940), with the Plus and Ultra versions beginning at roughly 1.45 million won ($1,090) and 1.8 million won ($1,350), respectively. The top 512GB Ultra model could approach the 2 million won threshold. For many Gen Z consumers, already facing high living costs and stagnant income growth, the higher price point may pose a hurdle. Yet Samsung is betting that advanced AI features will justify the increase by transforming smartphones from communication devices into portable studios. In K-pop, gaming and short-form video culture, smartphones increasingly function as tools for self-branding and content production. Samsung’s strategy reflects an effort to align its flagship devices with this shift. If successful, the Galaxy S26 could help the company reclaim relevance among younger users and narrow the gap with Apple in key markets. If not, higher prices and software-heavy features may struggle to overcome entrenched brand preferences. As the industry watches the San Francisco launch, the Galaxy S26 will serve as an early test of whether consumers are ready to accept higher prices — and what some analysts call a “chipflation tax” — in exchange for next-generation AI capabilities. 2026-02-23 16:50:58
  • Samsung Electronics launches high-capacity, AI-powered ice water purifier
    Samsung Electronics launches high-capacity, AI-powered ice water purifier SEOUL, February 23 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics announced the release of its new "Bespoke AI Ice Water Purifier" for the domestic market, integrating voice recognition and high-capacity ice production into its home appliance lineup. Priced at 2.39 million won ($1,780), the countertop appliance is designed to produce up to 8 kilograms of ice per day—equivalent to approximately 1,000 ice cubes—and can store about 100 cubes simultaneously. The new model focuses heavily on automated hygiene and water safety. It features a four-stage filtration system certified by NSF International, which Samsung states can remove 82 types of harmful substances, including microplastics, heavy metals, and microcystin. To address maintenance, the purifier employs an AI-based sterilization system that learns users' drinking patterns to automatically sanitize its stainless-steel water pipes and ice trays during non-use hours. It also utilizes UV sterilization at the ice dispenser. In a push to expand its smart home ecosystem, Samsung has integrated its voice assistant, Bixby, with a new "Voice ID" feature. The system can distinguish between different family members' voices and automatically dispense water based on their pre-set volume and temperature preferences. Users can save up to 20 custom presets, adjusting water volume in 10-milliliter increments and temperature up to 90 degrees Celsius. The premium water purifier market in South Korea is highly competitive, traditionally dominated by rental-based companies like Coway, alongside archrival LG Electronics. Samsung's integration of voice-recognition AI and heavy-duty ice making in a single countertop unit is a strategic move to capture the growing segment of consumers willing to purchase high-end, smart kitchen appliances outright rather than opting for traditional rental services. 2026-02-23 16:15:10
  • Expressways see heavy traffic ahead of Lunar New Year holiday
    Expressways see heavy traffic ahead of Lunar New Year holiday SEOUL, February 16 (AJP) - South Korea's expressways experienced heavy congestion on Monday morning as travelers headed to their hometowns ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. As of 8 a.m., travel time from Seoul to major cities reached 6 hours and 20 minutes to Busan, 6 hours to Ulsan, 5 hours and 20 minutes to Daegu, 4 hours and 40 minutes to Mokpo, 4 hours and 20 minutes to Gwangju, 3 hours and 10 minutes to Gangneung, and 2 hours and 20 minutes to Daejeon, according to the Korea Expressway Corporation. Return trips to Seoul took 5 hours and 30 minutes from Busan, 5 hours and 10 minutes from Ulsan, 4 hours and 30 minutes from Daegu, 3 hours and 50 minutes from both Mokpo and Gwangju, 2 hours and 40 minutes from Gangneung, and 1 hour and 50 minutes from Daejeon. While travel times from Seoul to provincial cities remained similar to Sunday or slightly decreased, return trips to the capital took 10 to 30 minutes longer depending on the destination. Major bottlenecks formed on the Gyeongbu Expressway heading to Busan, with congestion stretching 6 kilometers near Manghyang Rest Area to Cheonan Junction, 11 kilometers from Cheonan Junction to Cheonan Hodu Rest Area, and 17 kilometers from Oksan Junction to Cheongju Junction. On the Jungbu Naeryuk Expressway toward Changwon, traffic slowed along a 10-kilometer stretch from Yeoju Junction to Gamgok. The corporation projected 5.05 million vehicles would travel nationwide on Monday, with 410,000 vehicles moving from the Seoul metropolitan area to the provinces and the same number in the opposite direction. 2026-02-16 15:46:58