Korea's exports hit record $709.7 billion in 2025 as chip shipments surge to all-time high SEOUL, January 01 (AJP) - South Korea’s exports hit an all-time high in 2025, surpassing $700 billion for the first time, driven by record semiconductor shipments despite weakening demand in key overseas markets. According to data released Thursday by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, exports rose 3.8 percent from a year earlier to $709.7 billion, topping the previous record set in 2024. Average daily exports also reached a historic high of $2.64 billion. Semiconductor exports — the country’s largest item — climbed 22.2 percent to $173.4 billion, setting another annual record as global AI investment pushed up memory prices. Automotive exports edged up 1.7 percent to $72 billion, also a record despite tariff-related declines in U.S.-bound shipments. Other major gainers included bio/health (+7.9%), ships (+24.9%), computers (+4.5%), and wireless devices (+0.4%). Exports of agricultural and fisheries goods, cosmetics and electrical equipment all reached historic highs amid growing global interest in K-food and K-beauty. By contrast, petroleum products (-9.6%), petrochemicals (-11.4%), and steel (-9.0%) declined due to lower oil prices and global oversupply. Shipments to China — Korea’s biggest market — fell 1.7 percent, while exports to the United States dropped 3.8 percent, weighed down by tariffs on Korean automobiles and machinery. Exports to ASEAN rose 7.4 percent, to the EU 3.0 percent, and to CIS countries 18.6 percent. Total imports were nearly flat at $631.7 billion, with reduced energy purchases offsetting increased imports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. As a result, Korea posted a $78 billion trade surplus for 2025. In December alone, exports grew 13.4 percent to a monthly record $69.6 billion, marking the 11th straight month of year-on-year gains. Chip exports in December surged 43.2 percent to a historic monthly high of $20.8 billion. Industry Minister Kim Jeong-gwan said Korea must use the momentum to upgrade export competitiveness, citing “manufacturing AI transformation” and accelerated investment in advanced sectors including AI semiconductors. 2026-01-01 11:50:25

K-haircare push expands in US as LG H&H's Dr. Groot draws crowds in New York SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - South Korea’s K-beauty influence is extending into the hair-care sector as LG Household & Health Care’s derma scalp-care brand Dr. Groot drew nearly 1,700 visitors during a pop-up event in New York earlier this month, reflecting growing overseas interest in Korean premium hair-care products. Dr. Groot operated a two-day “pop-up truck” in Manhattan on Dec. 11–12, offering scalp-analysis services and product trials that the brand said were designed to introduce its treatment-focused hair-care concept to US consumers. The event attracted long queues despite sub-zero temperatures, according to the company on Wednesday. The activation comes amid rapid sales momentum in North America, where Dr. Groot posted year-on-year growth of about 800 percent in the first half of 2025. LG H&H has been expanding its presence in the region as global demand rises for scalp-care products marketed under the “K-haircare” banner. The pop-up also drew attention from major social-media influencers, including Bretman Rock, who visited on both days and generated online content that helped push total impressions related to the event to around 30 million as of Dec. 30, LG H&H said. Other beauty creators, such as Matt Loves Hair and Via Lia, also shared content from the site. “We will continue expanding overseas activations to strengthen global awareness of our hair-care brands,” an LG H&H official said. “Competition in the US is growing, and building consumer familiarity remains a priority.” 2025-12-31 15:30:31

Samsung to highlight regional startups as it expands C-Lab presence at CES 2026 SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will expand its startup program footprint at next year’s CES by bringing 15 C-Lab startups — including the largest number of regional teams to date — to the global tech show, signaling the company’s continued shift toward broader ecosystem-building rather than in-house product promotion. The companies will showcase AI, robotics and digital-health technologies inside Eureka Park at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, where Samsung will operate a dedicated C-Lab booth from Jan. 6 to 9. Of the 15 teams, seven are based in Daegu, Gwangju and North Gyeongsang Province, marking the highest level of regional participation since the program began exhibiting at CES in 2016. C-Lab — Samsung’s startup incubation initiative launched in 2012 — now encompasses internal ventures, external startups and region-specific programs. The 2026 lineup includes eight C-Lab Outside startups, two C-Lab Inside projects, one team fostered with the Daegu Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, and four startups selected through Samsung Financial Networks’ incubation scheme. Startup teams will present services ranging from automated cooking robots and multimodal AI language models to pet-health analytics, digital scent solutions and cyber-risk assessment tools. Several C-Lab affiliated firms also won CES 2026 Innovation Awards this year, including two that received the show’s top honors. Samsung has expanded C-Lab Outside into Daegu, Gwangju and North Gyeongsang since 2023, aiming to create a pipeline that enables regional startups to grow without relocating to Seoul. The company provides workspace, consulting support and access to Samsung’s broader business network. To date, 40 regional startups have been incubated under the program. The exhibition will also feature two internal C-Lab Inside projects focused on AI-driven video editing and expert-based product-recommendation engines. Samsung says it views CES as a testing ground for early-stage concepts developed by employees before commercial viability is assessed. Since its launch, C-Lab has supported 959 internal and external teams, a figure projected to surpass 1,000 next year. 2025-12-29 16:45:29

In AI power game, China has the edge — at least for now, as U.S. makes energy a top priority Editor’s Note AI is no longer defined solely by algorithms. As large-scale deployment accelerates, data centers and power infrastructure have become decisive constraints. AJP examines how energy capacity is reshaping the U.S.–China AI rivalry — and what lessons South Korea must draw as time tightens in the global race. SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - AI is no longer constrained mainly by algorithms or chips. As data centers scale to industrial size, electricity has emerged as the decisive bottleneck shaping global competition. In that race, China currently holds a structural advantage, while the United States is scrambling to realign its energy policy to sustain its lead in artificial intelligence. AI-focused data centers already consume as much electricity as heavy industries such as steel or petrochemicals, and their demand is projected to more than double by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency. By the end of the decade, global AI infrastructure is expected to require more than 700 terawatt-hours (TWh) of power annually — exceeding Japan’s total electricity consumption today. China enters this phase with unmatched scale. In 2023, it generated about 8,900 TWh of electricity, nearly twice the U.S. total of roughly 4,500 TWh. Its installed power capacity stands at about 3.75 terawatts, supported by simultaneous expansion across coal, solar, wind and nuclear energy. Beijing is pushing ahead with nuclear construction at a pace unmatched globally, with 34 reactors under construction and nearly 200 more in planning. It also installs more than 100 gigawatts of solar capacity and about 60 gigawatts of wind capacity each year. China’s solar manufacturing capacity alone exceeds 1,000 gigawatts, compared with about 26 gigawatts in the United States. This expansion is reinforced by an extensive ultrahigh-voltage transmission network stretching more than 45,000 kilometers, enabling electricity to flow from inland power bases to coastal data-center clusters. Under the government’s “East Data, West Computing” strategy, regions such as Inner Mongolia offer long-term power contracts at around 3 cents per kilowatt-hour, far below typical U.S. rates. China now adds more electricity demand each year than the total annual consumption of Germany. Entire rural provinces are blanketed with rooftop solar, and in some cases a single province generates power on a scale comparable to India’s nationwide output. The United States, meanwhile, is attempting to realign its AI competitiveness around energy availability rather than only compute. Washington’s new approach centers on three pillars: expanding natural-gas generation near data centers, accelerating next-generation nuclear such as small modular reactors (SMRs), and positioning the Department of Energy (DOE) as the coordinating hub for AI-energy infrastructure. Hyperscale companies including Amazon, Microsoft and Google have begun planning or acquiring natural-gas plants directly adjacent to AI clusters to secure long-term baseload power, an approach meant to bypass local grid congestion. In parallel, the DOE is funding SMR development to supply 24/7 nuclear power to future AI facilities, treating nuclear as a strategic enabler for compute scaling. The Biden administration has also released regulatory orders to speed up grid-modernization projects, reduce transmission permitting timelines, and create “AI-energy corridors” capable of supporting multi-gigawatt demand. These measures reflect a broader shift: U.S. policymakers increasingly view electricity as part of national AI security, not just industrial infrastructure. The United States, by contrast, remains the global center of AI model development and advanced semiconductor ecosystems, but its energy system is increasingly a constraint. The country has roughly 1.2 terawatts of installed generating capacity and benefits from abundant natural gas and nuclear resources. Yet more than 70 percent of U.S. transmission lines are over 25 years old, and renewable-energy projects face permitting backlogs exceeding 2,000 gigawatts. Data-center growth is also highly concentrated geographically. Nearly half of U.S. capacity is clustered in Northern Virginia, Dallas, Phoenix and Silicon Valley, raising grid congestion risks as hyperscale facilities increasingly require between 100 and 500 megawatts each. As AI models scale toward trillion-parameter systems and continuous real-time training, electricity — not chips — is becoming the binding constraint. Training GPT-4 alone is estimated to have consumed more than 50 gigawatt-hours of electricity, roughly enough to power San Francisco for three days. By 2028, AI-related activity is projected to consume electricity equivalent to 22 percent of all U.S. households. Recognizing these limits, Washington has begun reframing AI competitiveness around energy infrastructure. Recent executive orders on artificial intelligence and energy call for removing regulatory barriers and accelerating the buildout of power systems needed to support large-scale computing. The Department of Energy has launched a plan to co-locate data centers with energy infrastructure through public–private partnerships. Under the initiative, AI facilities would be developed on DOE-managed sites offering land, grid access and proximity to national laboratories, which play a central role in energy and materials research. The department is seeking input from data-center operators, utilities and the public through a formal request-for-information process, with the aim of launching the first operational AI infrastructure hubs by the end of 2027. Officials argue that closer coordination between energy developers and computing firms will be essential to sustain AI growth while maintaining grid stability and affordability. Co-locating data centers near research facilities is also expected to accelerate advances in next-generation power systems and computing hardware. As artificial intelligence becomes embedded across the global economy, the competitive frontier is shifting from algorithms to kilowatts. Countries capable of delivering stable, low-cost, multi-gigawatt power at scale will hold a decisive advantage in shaping the next phase of AI development. China’s centralized planning model allows rapid mobilization of land, transmission and generation capacity. The United States, by contrast, must navigate fragmented permitting regimes and aging infrastructure even as demand surges. The widening gap underscores how energy — once a background input — is fast becoming a core determinant of leadership in the AI era. 2025-12-29 16:32:59

Samsung to showcase unified AI vision in standalone CES 2026 exhibit SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - For the first time in its CES history, Samsung Electronics will operate a fully standalone exhibition space, breaking away from its long-established practice of presenting its products in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s Central Hall. The move underscores Samsung’s push to position itself as a leader in connected AI ecosystems ahead of next year’s show. Samsung has secured a 4,628-square-meter venue at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel, separate from the main CES grounds. The company said the location will allow it to present an “AI living platform” — a curated environment linking TVs, appliances, mobile devices and services through unified software and artificial intelligence. Unlike previous years, Samsung will structure the space around thematic experiences rather than product-by-product displays. The standalone format will consolidate demonstrations, technical briefings, partner meetings and a newly introduced “Samsung Tech Forum,” featuring panels on AI, devices, services and design between Jan. 5–6. A Samsung official said the decision to leave the LVCC was deliberate. “We previously showcased most of our systems in the Central Hall, but this year we wanted a larger, more private space,” the official said. “By operating a dedicated hall, visitors — whether consumers or business partners — can move seamlessly from product displays to announcement events and technology forums in one place.” Samsung said the shift reflects the need to demonstrate its AI capabilities across its entire device portfolio rather than as isolated features. The standalone venue is also intended to minimize congestion and offer guided, structured sessions. Ahead of the official CES opening, the company will host “The First Look,” an event used to preview new hardware and technologies. It will also hold two media briefings outlining its AI strategy and product roadmap. “Our goal at CES 2026 is to show how AI can blend into everyday routines through tightly connected hardware–software experiences,” said a representative. 2025-12-26 14:41:00

Samsung moves to develop in-house GPU for next-generation AI devices SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics plans to introduce its first fully in-house graphics processing unit (GPU) as part of a new Exynos application processor scheduled for release in 2027, marking a major step in the company’s efforts to strengthen control over on-device AI performance. According to industry sources on Thursday, Samsung’s System LSI division is developing a proprietary GPU architecture to be integrated into the tentatively named Exynos 2800. This would shift Samsung away from its long-running reliance on partner technologies such as AMD’s graphics architecture, which the company currently uses in its Exynos 2600 chip. The push reflects the growing centrality of GPUs in the AI era. GPUs handle parallel processing for graphics, video, gaming and neural-network operations, and serve as auxiliary accelerators to on-device NPUs. Optimizing GPU behavior for Samsung’s own software and hardware is seen as increasingly critical as devices adopt more advanced generative-AI features. Industry officials say the company’s U.S. semiconductor research organizations — including Samsung Austin Research Center and the Advanced Computing Lab — have recruited senior GPU engineers in recent years in preparation for full in-house development. Samsung has also sought to strengthen its design capabilities to compete with global GPU leaders such as Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Apple and Qualcomm. By internalizing GPU technology, Samsung aims to extend its AI ecosystem beyond smartphones to emerging form factors such as smart glasses, autonomous-vehicle infotainment systems and humanoid robotics. The in-house GPU is also expected to support the company’s longer-term ambitions in ASIC development, where customized chips are designed for external clients. A successful rollout would represent a milestone for Samsung’s System LSI business, bringing the unit closer to competing as a top-tier fabless player in advanced AI silicon design. 2025-12-26 10:29:25

K-fashion looks flat. The power shift is anything but. Editor's Note: This is the fifth installment in AJP's 2026 outlook series on South Korea's key industries. SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - By the numbers, K-fashion is barely moving. Beneath the surface, however, control of the industry is shifting rapidly from department-store legacy brands to platform-born labels that now define how younger Koreans dress. Korea’s overall fashion market grew only about 2–3 percent in 2024 and is estimated to have expanded at a similar pace in 2025, according to the Samsung Fashion Institute. Yet that headline stagnation masks a sharp redistribution of growth toward online platforms and the brands they incubate. The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry projects industry output will rebound to 52.2 trillion won in 2026, reversing an estimated 2.5 percent decline to 51.8 trillion won this year. Exports are expected to rise 2 percent to $9.96 billion next year after a 6.7 percent fall in 2025 — a recovery driven largely by platform-led expansion. At the center of that shift is Musinsa, which recorded gross merchandise volume of about 4.5 trillion won in 2024. Revenue surpassed 1.24 trillion won for the first time, and operating profit topped 100 billion won. Rival platforms are scaling quickly: Ably reached roughly 2.5 trillion won in GMV last year, while Zigzag nearly doubled transaction volume year on year and exceeded its full-year 2023 GMV in the first half of 2025 alone. Much of that growth is coming from brands born on — or propelled by — these platforms. Musinsa’s private label Musinsa Standard has become one of Korea’s best-selling basics brands, while labels such as thisisneverthat, LMC and Matin Kim now anchor online rankings and offline pop-ups alike. Matin Kim’s trajectory captures the shift. Launched online, the brand has expanded into department stores, select shops and overseas markets, targeting annual sales of around 200 billion won in 2025 as it pushes into Japan, China and the United States. Department stores, by contrast, are increasingly split. Imported luxury houses and global sportswear brands continue to post double-digit growth, but long-established Korean suit and casual labels remain stuck in stagnation or decline. “Department-store brands no longer feel distinctive,” said Lee Eun-hee, emeritus professor of consumer studies at Inha University. “The quality gap that once justified them has largely disappeared. Younger consumers now seek brands that express individuality rather than standardized offerings.” Social media has accelerated that shift. Korea’s 20s and 30s, raised in an SNS-saturated environment, increasingly avoid looking ordinary — pushing them toward platform-based labels that signal visible differentiation. Survey data show younger shoppers now treat platforms such as Musinsa, Ably and Zigzag as their default destination for everyday clothing, using department stores mainly for luxury or special occasions. Domestic department-store brands are often associated with parents’ or office seniors’ wardrobes, while global SPA chains like Zara and H&M are viewed as complements rather than trendsetters. Zigzag’s internal data also reflect the platform-driven shift. Searches for key fashion categories such as puff cardigans (+202 percent), one-piece dresses (+524 percent) and flare pants (+105 percent) surged this year. “While Zigzag serves a wide age range, the surge in activity among users in their 20s and 30s has been especially noticeable this year,” a Zigzag representative said. For the new generation of K-fashion brands, department stores are no longer the end goal. Labels that built their audiences online now negotiate from a position of strength, using pop-ups, limited collaborations and direct-to-consumer channels to retain control over pricing and brand identity. Some bypass domestic wholesale altogether, moving directly into overseas select shops and online marketplaces. Legacy brands face mounting pressure. Analysts say rigid seasonal cycles, heavy wholesale structures and conservative design languages make it difficult to compete with platforms that can test dozens of micro-trends weekly and scale winners almost instantly. With the overall market growing only in the low single digits — and fashion imports estimated at $19.17 billion this year and $19.44 billion next year — the implication is clear. Every point of growth captured by platform-born brands is coming at someone else’s expense. For now, that cost is being borne by the legacy domestic labels that once defined the department-store floor. 2025-12-24 17:47:02

Samsung contains brief smoke incident at Hwaseong plant; no injuries, no production impact SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - A brief smoke incident was quickly contained at Samsung Electronics’ Hwaseong plant on Wednesday, with no injuries or impact on production, the company said. Local fire authorities received a report at 10:01 a.m. that smoke was detected in a research building, caused by carbonization in a pump unit. Samsung’s onsite emergency team extinguished the source within about 10 minutes before firefighters arrived. Around 120 employees evacuated in accordance with safety guidance, while fire crews deployed more than 30 vehicles and 80 personnel to conduct ventilation as a precaution. Samsung officials said the smoke originated from carbonization inside a pump unit, but the issue was contained immediately. The company noted that operations were unaffected and no injuries occurred. 2025-12-24 15:19:58

Lee Jae-yong reviews next-generation chip technologies at Samsung R&D and manufacturing hubs SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong visited the company's Giheung and Hwaseong semiconductor campuses on Monday to review research progress and manufacturing readiness for upcoming memory and system semiconductor technologies. Lee toured the NRD-K complex in Giheung, Samsung's advanced R&D hub dedicated to next-generation memory, foundry and system semiconductor development. The facility focuses on overcoming scaling limits in cutting-edge process nodes and strengthening design capabilities for future chip architectures, according to the company. He later visited the Hwaseong campus to examine the rollout of manufacturing automation systems incorporating digital-twin and robotics technologies, as well as ongoing applications of AI in production processes. During the visit, Lee held discussions with senior semiconductor executives, including Jun Young-hyun, head of the DS division, and CTO Song Jae-hyuk, on global market trends and the company's mid- to long-term strategy. Lee also met engineers involved in commercializing Samsung's latest products—including HBM, D1c-class DRAM and V10-generation NAND—to hear feedback on development, manufacturing and quality challenges. "We must restore our fundamental technological competitiveness through bold innovation and investment," Lee said during the visit. 2025-12-22 21:15:00

Samsung HBM4 scores well with Nvidia, unnerving memory end users amid tight supply SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is poised to share next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM) orders for Nvidia’s upcoming Rubin artificial-intelligence accelerator with SK hynix, after earning strong evaluations in final sample testing by Nvidia, people familiar with the matter said. Samsung is said to have received one of the most favorable assessments in early system-in-package (SiP) validation for its HBM4, marking a sharp turnaround from earlier hurdles in supplying HBM3 to Nvidia. The results position Samsung as a credible second supplier alongside SK hynix, the pioneer of AI-optimized HBM. According to industry sources, Samsung’s HBM4 performance gains stem from its use of a next-generation base die built on the D1c process node, compared with the D1b nodes used by rivals, as well as its in-house 4-nanometer logic technology. “There are speed requirements the product must meet, and ours is performing well,” a Samsung official said. “Using the D1c base die gives us stronger characteristics, and our 4-nanometer process further enhances performance when integrated.” Samsung acknowledged that expanding HBM production inevitably competes with conventional DRAM wafer capacity, but said recent investments should help cushion the impact. “HBM does take up a substantial amount of DRAM capacity,” the spokesperson said. “But we have expanded overall capacity significantly over the past two years — nearly doubling it — so the impact should be smaller than the market fears.” HBM relies on three-dimensional stacking, with multiple memory dies placed vertically and connected through through-silicon vias (TSVs). The architecture allows memory to sit closer to CPUs and GPUs via interposers, sharply reducing latency while improving bandwidth and power efficiency. Conventional DDR memory, by contrast, uses a two-dimensional layout in which chips are arranged side-by-side. As hyperscale data-center investment accelerates, South Korea’s newest fabs are increasingly being dedicated to HBM production, heightening supply concerns across the broader memory market. Device makers — from automakers to PC manufacturers — have begun stockpiling mainstream DRAM amid fears of shortages. “The effect is already visible,” said Yangpaeng Kim, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade. “DDR5 fixed-transaction prices have risen roughly fivefold from a year earlier, and this appears closely linked to capacity shifts toward HBM. Price volatility is likely to remain elevated.” Spot prices for standard DRAM have climbed more than 60 percent over the past six months and are expected to reach $500 in the first quarter of 2026 — double the level of a year earlier — according to market researcher TrendForce. Ahn Ki-hyeon, executive director at the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, said HBM demand is likely to continue exerting upward pressure on mainstream memory. “Demand-side momentum remains strong, giving DRAM prices a high likelihood of moving higher,” he said. While SK hynix retains a technological edge in stacking — including advanced 16-high TSV architectures — Samsung’s improving SiP-level stability, spanning thermal management, power behavior and GPU-package signal integrity, is seen as a meaningful step toward potential qualification for Nvidia’s Vera Rubin platform. With memory prices expected to rise into early 2026, the balance between HBM expansion and conventional DRAM supply is emerging as a critical industry fault line. Whether Samsung can scale HBM4 production while preserving adequate capacity for DDR5 and LPDDR is likely to shape pricing, supply stability and competitiveness across the next cycle of AI infrastructure and consumer electronics. 2025-12-22 18:04:43