Journalist

SEONGJUN JO
  • Why SK Group Is Channeling More Capital to SK hynix: HBM4 Supply and Long-Term Lead
    Why SK Group Is Channeling More Capital to SK hynix: HBM4 Supply and Long-Term Lead SK hynix has cemented its role as a core profit engine for SK Group after posting record results again in the fourth quarter of 2025. As demand tied to artificial intelligence accelerates, industry watchers say the group’s growth strategy is increasingly being reshaped around SK hynix, not just short-term earnings. According to the industry on Tuesday, SK Group has secured about 80 trillion won through asset sales and business restructuring and is focusing that money on future growth areas such as AI and semiconductors. A large share is being spent on SK hynix, linking the group’s divestments directly to the chipmaker’s capital spending and efforts to strengthen its technology edge. The funding push tracks SK hynix’s recent performance. From the first through third quarters of 2025, the company set new quarterly records for revenue and operating profit each quarter. Preliminary fourth-quarter results announced Tuesday also marked all-time quarterly highs for both revenue and operating profit, and full-year 2025 revenue and operating profit hit record levels as well. The steady rise has fueled views that the company has moved beyond a cyclical rebound into a more structural growth phase. SK hynix is widely said to account for about 80% of SK Group’s operating profit. The group’s earnings base, once led by telecom and energy, is now increasingly anchored by semiconductors, pushing investment priorities toward SK hynix. That shift is reflected in capital spending. SK hynix is expected to expand this year’s capital investment to the 30 trillion won range, aiming to get ahead of surging demand for high-value memory used in AI servers. The approach contrasts with past, more cautious moves tied to swings in the memory market, as the company prioritizes long-term market leadership over near-term profitability. A key focus is high-bandwidth memory, or HBM. SK hynix is seeking to extend its lead from HBM3E into next-generation HBM4. It is widely reported to have signed supply deals with major big tech customers, including Nvidia, securing a significant share of HBM4 volumes. Some in the industry estimate it has more than half, with others putting the figure at about 70%. Industry assessments attribute the momentum not only to pricing but also to mass-production yields, stable quality and supply reliability. SK hynix is also investing in early development for post-HBM4 products and strengthening joint validation and customized development with customers, aiming to position itself as a key partner in AI infrastructure rather than a simple supplier. “SK Group’s money is flowing to hynix not because of short-term results, but because it has the clearest growth engine for the next 10 years,” an industry official said. “As long as it maintains leadership in HBM4 and the AI memory market, the group’s investment strategy is likely to keep revolving around hynix.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 17:30:15
  • SK hynix posts record annual and fourth-quarter revenue and operating profit
    SK hynix posts record annual and fourth-quarter revenue and operating profit According to a filing on the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure system on Tuesday, SK hynix posted annual revenue of 97.1467 trillion won and operating profit of 47.2063 trillion won last year. That was up 46.8% and 101.2%, respectively, from a year earlier, setting record highs for both revenue and operating profit on an annual basis. Fourth-quarter revenue totaled 32.8267 trillion won, and operating profit was 19.1696 trillion won. The figures rose 66.1% and 137.2% from the same period a year earlier, also marking quarterly records for both revenue and operating profit. The company attributed the gains to surging demand for high-performance semiconductors such as high-bandwidth memory, as the AI era accelerates. By business line, DRAM revenue from HBM more than doubled from a year earlier, while the company maintained competitiveness in mainstream DRAM by moving into full-scale mass production of 10-nanometer-class sixth-generation (1c-nanometer) DDR5. In NAND, it completed development of 321-layer QLC products in the first half and focused on demand for enterprise SSDs in the second half, achieving record annual revenue for the segment. Market expectations compiled earlier by financial data firm FnGuide had projected revenue of 95.2590 trillion won and operating profit of 44.5024 trillion won, meaning SK hynix beat forecasts on both measures. 2026-01-28 16:54:31
  • SK hynix posts record quarterly operating profit of 19.2 trillion won in Q4
    SK hynix posts record quarterly operating profit of 19.2 trillion won in Q4 SK hynix posts 19.2 trillion won in Q4 operating profit, a quarterly record* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 16:45:00
  • SK hynix posts record annual revenue of 97.1 trillion won and operating profit of 47.2 trillion won
    SK hynix posts record annual revenue of 97.1 trillion won and operating profit of 47.2 trillion won Breaking: SK hynix posts record annual revenue of 97.1 trillion won and operating profit of 47.2 trillion won* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 16:42:24
  • SK hynix Q4 revenue tops 32 trillion won, a quarterly record
    SK hynix Q4 revenue tops 32 trillion won, a quarterly record SK hynix Q4 revenue tops 32 trillion won, a quarterly record SK hynix said its fourth-quarter revenue topped 32 trillion won, setting a record for the company’s quarterly sales.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 16:39:00
  • SK hynix posts record annual operating profit of 47.2 trillion won
    SK hynix posts record annual operating profit of 47.2 trillion won SK hynix reported an annual operating profit of 47.2 trillion won, its highest on record. 2026-01-28 16:36:18
  • South Koreas LS Electric sees record orders, earnings on power infrastructure boom
    South Korea's LS Electric sees record orders, earnings on power infrastructure boom SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - South Korean power equipment company LS Electric said on Tuesday it posted record revenue and operating profit in 2025, driven by strong growth in its North American business and rising demand for power infrastructure. The company said consolidated revenue rose 9 percent from a year earlier to 4.96 trillion won, while operating profit increased 9.6 percent to 426.9 billion won. Fourth-quarter revenue climbed to a record 1.52 trillion won, with operating profit also reaching an all-time high of 130.2 billion won. LS Electric attributed the gains to expansion in its global business, led by power systems for large technology companies’ data centers in North America and its ultra-high-voltage transformer operations. The company also cited a selective order strategy focused on higher-margin projects. Orders related to data center power systems exceeded 1 trillion won last year as it expanded sales in the North American power distribution market. The ultra-high-voltage transformer business also recorded an increase in new orders, mainly in the United States, supported by expanded production capacity following the completion of its second plant in Busan. Revenue from North America surpassed 1 trillion won for the first time in 2025, rising about 30% from a year earlier and emerging as a key growth driver, the company said. LS Electric also reported solid performance in Southeast Asia, citing increased power infrastructure investment in markets such as Vietnam and Indonesia. Simpors, an Indonesian power equipment company acquired in 2023, posted double-digit growth in operating profit. The company said its order backlog reached a record level of about 5 trillion won at the end of 2025. Ultra-high-voltage transformer orders accounted for roughly 2.7 trillion won, more than half of the total. New orders during the year totaled about 3.7 trillion won, the highest annual level in the company’s history. An LS Electric official said the data center power systems and ultra-high-voltage transformer businesses in North America marked the company’s entry into an era of 1 trillion won in regional revenue. The official said LS Electric plans to strengthen its position as a global total power solutions provider in 2026 by focusing on next-generation businesses such as high-voltage direct current systems and energy storage systems, while expanding into Europe and the Middle East. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-27 13:45:29
  • Samsung heir to participate in multinational exercise in Thailand
    Samsung heir to participate in multinational exercise in Thailand SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) - Lee Ji-ho, the son of Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong, will participate in his first overseas combined exercise next month since being commissioned as an ensign in November last year. According to military sources on Friday, Lee junior is expected to be dispatched to Cobra Gold, the largest multinational combined exercise held annually in Thailand since 1982, hosted by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. This year's exercise, slated to be held from Feb. 24 to March 6, is expected to be one of the biggest including various drills such as amphibious landings and other operations, with more than 8,000 personnel from 30 countries including about 300 South Korean Navy personnel and marines. Ji-ho, who serves as an interpreter officer, is expected to help facilitate communication among the multinational forces during the exercise. He gave up his U.S. citizenship to fulfill his military duty in South Korea by enlisting as a naval officer candidate in September. After completing 10 weeks of combat training, he was commissioned as an ensign in November, with the entire Samsung family including his grandmother Hong Ra-hee gathering to congratulate him. His rare move drew attention in South Korea, where most scions of conglomerate or chaebol families are mysteriously exempt from mandatory military service. 2026-01-23 16:06:03
  • Samsung Display supplies OLED cockpit, rear screens for Zeekrs flagship SUV
    Samsung Display supplies OLED cockpit, rear screens for Zeekr's flagship SUV SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Samsung Display said Wednesday it is supplying three types of automotive OLED displays for the flagship luxury SUV from Chinese electric-vehicle brand Zeekr. The Zeekr 9X has ranked first in China’s large-SUV segment priced at around 500,000 yuan ($70,000) for two consecutive months since November, according to the company. Under the deal, Samsung Display is providing a 16-inch center information display, a 16-inch front passenger display and a 17-inch rear-seat entertainment display. The center and passenger displays are positioned side by side across the front cockpit, extending from the driver’s seat to the front passenger seat. With slim bezels and OLED’s true-black image quality, the two front displays can visually appear as a single wide panel while operating independently, improving usability for both the driver and front passenger, the company said. The 17-inch rear-seat display features a wing-style sliding mechanism. The screen can move up to 88 centimeters along interior rails, addressing the limited visibility of fixed rear-seat displays for third-row passengers. Samsung Display said the large screen size, wide viewing angles, high contrast and deep-black performance are designed to enhance the cabin experience in the six-seat SUV. “Our automotive OLEDs deliver high brightness along with true-black image quality,” said Choi Yong-seok, vice president in charge of automotive sales at Samsung Display. “We will continue to strengthen partnerships with global automakers and drive growth in the automotive OLED market through differentiated, high-performance products.” Samsung Display first supplied OLED panels for Zeekr’s 009 model in 2024 and has since expanded the partnership to include the 9X, the company said. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-21 08:35:47
  • Samsung working with US labs to develop next-generation clothes dryer
    Samsung working with US labs to develop next-generation clothes dryer SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics said on Thursday that its research into next-generation clothes-drying technology has been selected for official support by the U.S. Department of Energy. The South Korean electronics giant said the project aims to develop a high-performance dryer that sharply reduces energy use while maintaining drying efficiency. Samsung is working with Oak Ridge National Laboratory of the U.S. and the University of South Carolina’s department of chemical engineering on the research. The project focuses on applying a high-efficiency dehumidifying material, known as a desiccant, to clothes dryers. The technology is designed to cut electricity consumption during drying to about 35 percent of that used by conventional vented dryers, while delivering comparable drying performance. Vented dryers are valued for their shorter drying times because they expel humid air outdoors. However, Samsung said their low energy efficiency makes them difficult to operate in typical U.S. homes using 120-volt power, often requiring separate 240-volt electrical work. They also require external ducting to vent air outside. Samsung said commercializing the new technology would allow high-performance dryers to run on standard 120-volt power without the need for external venting, reducing installation constraints. Such improvements could expand the use of dryers in a wider range of housing, including multiunit residential buildings and small apartments, the company said. Samsung said it plans to apply the research findings across multiple product lines, including standalone dryers and all-in-one washer-dryer units. Moon Jong Seung, a vice president in Samsung Electronics’ Digital Appliances Business Division, said the project represents “a practical opportunity to connect innovative energy-saving technology to value consumers can feel.” "We aim to expand appliances that support sustainable daily life through collaboration with global research institutions," Moon said. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-15 08:52:44