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Lee Hyo-jeong hyo@ajunews.com

Korea's two largest chipmakers to report earnings and HBM plans on same day this week SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, the world's two largest memory makers based in South Korea, are set to report record earnings on the same day - Thursday - this week in full display of the strength of the current semiconductor upcycle. Instead of numbers, the market would be watching what the leading chipmakers would reveal about their high-bandwidth memory (HBM) strategies and capacity plans during conference calls. It will be the first time the two companies announce earnings on the same day. Industry watchers suspect SK hynix, which has traditionally reported after Samsung, adjusted its schedule to limit advance disclosure of sensitive information, including HBM supply plans. Samsung on Jan. 8 released preliminary fourth-quarter results showing revenue of 93 trillion won and operating profit of 20 trillion won, both quarterly records. The figures marked year-on-year increases of 22.7 percent and 208.2 percent, respectively. The strong performance was driven by Samsung’s Device Solutions (DS) division, centered on memory chips. Securities analysts estimate DS operating profit exceeded 16 trillion won, with the memory business alone generating more than 17 trillion won in operating profit. In contrast, Samsung’s Device eXperience (DX) division, which includes consumer electronics, underperformed amid sluggish demand and cost pressures linked to memory chips. Operating profit at the Mobile eXperience (MX) unit is estimated to have fallen to around 1.5 trillion won, down from 3.6 trillion won in the previous quarter. SK hynix is also expected to renew quarterly record, just one quarter after joining the “10 trillion won club” for the first time in its history. According to financial data firm FnGuide, SK hynix’s fourth-quarter consensus forecast calls for revenue of 30.519 trillion won and operating profit of 16.062 trillion won, up 54.39 percent and 98.72 percent from a year earlier. The estimate would mark its first quarter surpassing 30 trillion won in revenue, with some brokerages expecting operating profit to exceed current projections. Consensus estimates for full-year operating profit in 2025 stand at 43.53 trillion won for Samsung and 44.4 trillion won for SK hynix. As semiconductors enter what the market describes as a “super cycle,” some analysts project the two companies’ combined operating profit could reach 200 trillion won this year, with Samsung alone estimated to post 120 trillion won. Investors are closely watching commentary on next-generation HBM, including supply plans for HBM4 and mass production timelines for HBM4E, a seventh-generation product. SK hynix will begin its conference call at 9 a.m., followed by Samsung at 10 a.m. During third-quarter earnings calls in October, both companies said all HBM production capacity for 2026 had already been sold out. Competition is expected to intensify this year after Samsung — previously seen as trailing SK hynix in HBM — confirmed shipments of its 12-layer HBM3E products to Nvidia. “Their HBM guidance will offer important clues about the future direction of their semiconductor strategies,” a semiconductor industry official said. 2026-01-26 07:19:18
AI storage demand lifts South Korea's FADU with record contracts SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - Data center semiconductor firm FADU said on Thursday it has secured a 47 billion won ($35 million) order for finished solid-state drive (SSD) products from Taiwan-based Macnica Galaxy, marking the largest single contract in the company’s history. In a regulatory filing, FADU said the deal revises a previously disclosed 21.5 billion won contract announced on Nov. 5, reflecting a larger supply volume and higher SSD prices. The company said the order exceeds its total annual revenue of 43.5 billion won and underscores rising demand for its data center storage products. Under the contract terms, half of the contract value will be paid in March, with the remaining amount expected to be recognized as revenue in the second half of this year. Earlier this month, FADU disclosed it had signed a separate 20.3 billion won supply contract for enterprise SSD controllers with an overseas NAND flash memory manufacturer, also its largest single controller supply deal to date. Together, the two contracts total 67.3 billion won, close to FADU’s cumulative revenue of 68.5 billion won recorded through the third quarter of last year. The company said it expects to return to profitability from the first quarter, supported by a growing pipeline of large orders. FADU added that it secured five contracts worth 10 billion won or more in the second half of last year. Chief Executive Lee Ji-hyo said performance bottlenecks in artificial intelligence data centers are increasingly concentrated in storage and SSDs. “Our technology and customer trust are starting to deliver results,” Lee said. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-22 09:47:11
Xiaomi targets budget segment with Poco M8 5G launch in Korea SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - Xiaomi Korea said on Monday it will release the POCO-brand smartphone Poco M8 5G in South Korea on Jan. 26, with a list price of 339,900 won ($250). Preorders will run through Jan. 25 via Xiaomi’s official online store, Mi.com, as well as major online retail platforms, the company said. The Poco M8 5G is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 Mobile Platform, according to Xiaomi. The device supports artificial intelligence features including Google Gemini and Circle to Search. It features a 50-megapixel main camera and a 20-megapixel front-facing camera. The phone supports 45-watt fast charging, memory expansion of up to 16 gigabytes of RAM, and up to 1 terabyte of external storage. Xiaomi said the handset adopts a durability-focused design that passed comprehensive shock and drop tests conducted by testing firm SGS. It also carries an IP66 rating for water and dust resistance. The Poco M8 5G measures 7.35 millimeters in thickness, weighs 178 grams and is equipped with a 5,520 milliampere-hour battery. It will be sold in a single configuration with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Xiaomi said first-time buyers between Jan. 26 and Feb. 8 will receive a Xiaomi 22.5-watt, 10,000mAh power bank, along with a two-month YouTube Premium subscription and additional promotional benefits. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-19 15:20:57
Samsung hires former Microsoft executive to bolster EU policy response SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has hired Jeremy Rollison, a U.S.-born European Union digital policy specialist who previously worked at Microsoft, as an executive director-level official, in a move widely seen as aimed at strengthening the company’s response to tightening EU digital regulation. Rollison, 46, has begun work with Samsung’s Europe external relations team in Brussels, the hub of EU policymaking. He spent more than a decade at Microsoft handling EU government and policy affairs. Samsung is expected to draw on his experience in artificial intelligence and cloud policy, as well as cybersecurity, along with his network in Brussels, as it navigates an increasingly complex EU regulatory environment. Rollison graduated from the University of Richmond in Virginia and earned a master’s degree in European studies from Sciences Po in France. After starting his career at Nokia, he joined Microsoft in 2014, where he worked on EU external relations and most recently served as head of the company’s EU policy team for European external relations. The European Union is a key market for Samsung, accounting for about 17 percent of its annual global revenue, or roughly 50.1 trillion won. However, concerns have been growing as the bloc rolls out stricter regulations and protectionist measures. One of the most significant rules is the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which designates certain large companies as “gatekeepers” and subjects them to special obligations to curb abuses of market power. Samsung narrowly avoided being designated as a gatekeeper in 2023. Seven companies are currently classified as gatekeepers under the act: Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft, along with China’s ByteDance and the Netherlands-based Booking.com. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-19 10:01:21
South Korea's stock market cap jumps 76 percent in 2025 SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - South Korea’s stock market capitalization surged nearly 80 percent over the past year, propelled by sharp gains in Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. Total market capitalization rose by 1,718 trillion won ($1.3 trillion) to 3,972 trillion won at the start of this year, from 2,254 trillion won a year earlier, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the Korea CXO Institute. The rally also broadened the ranks of large-cap stocks. The number of listed companies with market capitalizations exceeding 1 trillion won climbed by 88 over the year to 318, up from 236 in the first quarter of last year. Samsung Electronics recorded the largest increase in market value, adding more than 440 trillion won to reach about 760 trillion won at the start of this year, compared with 318 trillion won a year earlier. SK hynix followed closely, with its market capitalization rising by more than 360 trillion won to 492 trillion won from 124 trillion won. Together, the two semiconductor giants accounted for a substantial share of the broader market’s gains. Several other companies also posted sizable increases. SK Square added about 41 trillion won in market value, while Doosan Enerbility rose by roughly 37 trillion won. Hanwha Aerospace, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean each recorded gains exceeding 20 trillion won over the period. Oh Il-seon, head of the Korea CXO Institute, said the market’s resilience in the face of lingering global uncertainties reflected investors’ early pricing of expectations for artificial intelligence-driven growth and a cyclical rebound in semiconductors. 2026-01-14 08:43:46
[[CES 2026]] LG Innotek showcases autonomous driving, EV solutions LAS VEGAS, January 06 (AJP) - South Korea's LG Innotek unveiled future mobility solutions combining autonomous-driving and electric-vehicle technologies at CES 2026, the world’s largest technology trade show, on Tuesday. Exhibiting at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, the components maker gave a preview to South Korean reporters one day before the show opened. The company set up a roughly 330 square-meter booth near the entrance of the West Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center. LG Innotek centered its exhibition on mobility, highlighting next-generation convergence solutions for the “AI-defined vehicle” era. The company displayed a concept mock-up for autonomous driving, moving beyond a parts-only showcase to present integrated solutions combining hardware and software. The mock-up features 16 advanced driver-assistance system components, including cameras, LiDAR and radar. A key highlight was a fusion sensing solution that integrates multiple sensing functions into a single camera module. LG Innotek demonstrated a camera combining heating and active-cleaning functions, with a cleaning module capable of removing moisture or dust from the lens in about one second. The company said the system, combined with its in-house software, improves sensing performance for autonomous driving. The company also showcased an ultra-compact LiDAR developed in collaboration with U.S. sensor firm Aeva. The LiDAR can detect objects at distances of up to 200 meters, addressing limitations of camera-based sensing. Visitors were able to experience the sensing performance from a test seat designed to simulate a vehicle ride. In-cabin technologies were also on display, including a next-generation under-display camera module, which LG Innotek said was shown for the first time at CES. Installed behind an instrument panel, the module uses AI-based image restoration to enable facial recognition without obstructing the display, while also supporting dual cabin recording during driving. The company also presented a separate electric-vehicle-focused mock-up, displaying 15 electronic components including an 800-volt wireless battery management system and its “B-Link” solution, which integrates a battery and junction box to improve weight reduction and system integration. “This CES is a place to seek new business opportunities in autonomous driving and EVs,” Chief Executive Officer Moon Hyuk-soo said. 2026-01-06 08:55:55
Samsung unveils Exynos 2600 chip, expected to power Galaxy S26 series SEOUL, December 19 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics on Friday unveiled its Exynos 2600 mobile application processor, a chip widely expected to power the company’s next flagship Galaxy smartphone lineup, set for release early next year. According to Samsung Electronics’ website, the Exynos 2600 was designed by Samsung’s System LSI Business and manufactured by Samsung Foundry, both part of the company’s Device Solutions (DS) division. The chip is produced using a 2-nanometer process incorporating gate-all-around (GAA) transistor technology. An application processor serves as the primary computing chip in smartphones, handling tasks ranging from system operations to artificial intelligence workloads. Industry watchers view the Exynos 2600 as a likely candidate for the Galaxy S26 series, although Samsung has not formally confirmed this. Samsung lists the Exynos 2600’s status as “mass production” on its website, a designation generally interpreted as indicating that manufacturing yields have reached a level suitable for large-scale output. The company said the Exynos 2600 is the first mobile system-on-a-chip in the industry to incorporate a heat pass block, a technology designed to reduce thermal resistance by up to 16 percent and maintain stable internal temperatures under heavy workloads. Built on the latest Arm architecture, the deca-core central processing unit delivers up to 39 percent higher computing performance compared with its predecessor, the Exynos 2500, Samsung officials said. The chip also features a more powerful neural processing unit, boosting generative artificial intelligence performance by 113 percent. 2025-12-19 13:53:06
Samsung Tri-Fold sells out in Korea despite hefty price SEOUL, December 12 (AJP) - The priciest handset-to-date Galaxy Z Tri-Fold landed across South Korea on Friday with much fanfare, selling out on the day one as consumers lined up to try the new concept phone whose dual display wings unfold into a 10-inch tablet-like screen. The device debuted through Samsung.com and 20 stores nationwide, including Samsung Gangnam, where initial online inventory sold out almost immediately, leaving only restock notifications available. The Galaxy Z Tri-Fold adopts an “in-folding” structure that allows both sides of the screen to fold inward, converting between a compact 6.5-inch bar-type display and a 10-inch tablet-like screen. When fully opened, the device measures just 3.9 millimeters thick — the slimmest profile in the Galaxy Z lineup — and houses a 5,600mAh battery distributed across three cells to balance weight and maintain durability. It supports up to 45W fast charging. Samsung equipped the device with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, the same chipset used in the Galaxy Z Fold7, along with a 200-megapixel wide-angle camera to enhance shooting, editing, and multitasking performance. The model comes with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage in a single “Crafted Black” configuration. Priced at 3.59 million won ($2,500), the Tri-Fold is Samsung’s most expensive foldable to date — even higher than Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max 2TB, which sells for 3.19 million won. Samsung executives argue the new device reflects a leap in foldable engineering since the company introduced its first model in 2019. After its domestic rollout, the Tri-Fold will expand to China, Taiwan, Singapore, the UAE, and the United States as Samsung seeks to widen its global footprint in an increasingly competitive category. Samsung foldable fleet led by Galaxy Z7 series has made remarkable strides this year, expanding the market share to 64 percent. 2025-12-12 14:32:08
INTERVIEW: China's Roborock challenges Samsung, LG with high-end robot vacuums SEOUL, December 04 (AJP) - Roborock is upending South Korea’s home appliance market — long dominated by Samsung and LG — by rapidly expanding its foothold with high-end robot vacuums. Priced at around 2 million won ($1,370), the company’s premium models have won over consumers and helped propel the robot vacuum segment to a 1 trillion won market. Roborock’s strategy of moving beyond cleaning into full home automation is setting a new benchmark for the industry. Since entering South Korea in 2020, Roborock has held the No. 1 market share for three straight years beginning in 2022. The company plans to release new technology-driven products next year as it seeks to widen its lead. “Our mission is to lead the industry through annual technological innovations amid accelerating global competition,” Dan Cham, Roborock’s Asia-Pacific Marketing Head, told Aju Business Daily on Dec. 3. “We aim to drive continuous growth under our motto, ‘A brand that surpasses itself through innovation.’” Cham described Roborock as a technology-centered company founded in 2014 by engineers from Microsoft, Intel and Baidu. “Over 50 percent of our staff are engineers, and we invest more than 7 percent of annual revenue into R&D,” he said. The company develops smart robot vacuums, wet-dry vacuums and other home devices. Roborock entered South Korea in November 2020, and by 2022 captured more than half of the local market share. Cham said the company intends to further strengthen its brand presence through continuous innovation. On competition with domestic manufacturers, Cham said market expansion is a positive sign. “Competition accelerates technological advancement,” he said. Roborock tailors its products to local needs and has maintained global leadership for 10 consecutive quarters. The company is also expanding consumer touchpoints through pop-up stores and promotional events that allow customers to test its technologies firsthand. With more brands entering the sector — many offering low-cost devices under 600,000 won — Roborock is doubling down on premium offerings such as its “S Series.” The flagship Saros Z70 features high-end performance and an “Omnigrip” robotic arm capable of lifting objects weighing up to 300 grams, enabling basic tidying functions beyond vacuuming. “This extends beyond cleaning to organizing, opening new possibilities for home automation,” Cham said. “We will continue introducing premium innovations across a range of price points.” Cham expects competition to sharpen around automation capabilities. Roborock last year launched its “AdaptLift Chassis,” enabling robot vacuums to climb thresholds up to 4 centimeters. Its devices can also perform self-cleaning and self-maintenance functions. “We will continue investing in technology to provide advanced smart home products,” he said. Cham highlighted a continued focus on robotic arm features, adaptive height adjustment and software reliability. “We have industry-leading algorithms,” he said, adding that the company will enhance compatibility with major platforms such as Apple Home and Google Home. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-04 09:08:02
India's Mukesh Ambani to visit Korea for meeting with Lee Jae-yong SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - Mukesh Ambani, chairman of India’s Reliance Group known as Asia’s wealthiest individual, is scheduled to visit South Korea next week for discussions on artificial intelligence and next-generation communications technology with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong. Industry sources said Ambani will arrive on Nov. 25 for a two-day visit accompanied by his son, Akash Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm. The trip will include a tour of Samsung’s Suwon complex and a dinner meeting with Lee. The two sides are expected to explore deeper cooperation in AI data centers and the development of 6G technologies, areas where both companies have been accelerating investment. Reliance Group has diversified businesses spanning telecommunications, petrochemicals, steel, finance and retail. Ambani’s personal wealth is estimated at about $80 billion, securing his position as Asia’s richest individual. Reliance Jio, India’s largest mobile operator, is rolling out a nationwide 5G network while advancing early 6G research and expanding its AI infrastructure — moves that have fueled expectations of closer collaboration with Samsung. Lee, who has stepped up engagement with global tech leaders including Nvidia, Tesla and Meta, is seen as eager to strengthen Samsung’s AI and telecom footprint in India through its ties with Reliance. The Samsung chief has maintained close personal relations with the Ambani family and was the only South Korean business leader invited to the weddings of Ambani’s children, including the youngest son’s ceremony last year. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-19 14:39:09