Journalist

Kim Na-yoon
  • SK hynix wins IEEE Corporate Innovation Award, bolstering HBM leadership
    SK hynix wins IEEE Corporate Innovation Award, bolstering HBM leadership SK hynix has won the Corporate Innovation Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE, an honor often likened to a Nobel Prize in the electrical and electronics field. It is the first time a South Korean company has received the award for technology in the pure memory segment, the company said Sunday. SK hynix said it received the award at the “2026 IEEE Awards” ceremony held in the United States. IEEE is a leading academic society with more than 400,000 engineering and science professionals in 160 countries. The Corporate Innovation Award is decided through a strict review of technical achievement and the technology’s impact on industry and society. IEEE recognized SK hynix for its work on high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, including stable mass production across generations since it began full-scale development in 2009 and its contribution to building the global artificial intelligence ecosystem, the company said. The company said it was the first South Korean firm in the semiconductor field to receive an IEEE award. It was credited with addressing data bottlenecks that had long challenged AI computing and pushing past technical limits, earning high marks from academia and industry. Samsung Electronics won the same IEEE Corporate Innovation Award in 2010 for its WiMAX (WiBro) technology, the article said. SK hynix’s HBM first appeared in December 2013 through joint research with AMD. Early on, it was viewed as a niche technology with low profitability because of demanding processes and technical constraints. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won backed long-term investment, providing continued research and development support worth tens of trillions of won, the article said. SK hynix later developed proprietary process innovations including through-silicon vias, or TSV, and MR-MUF, and became a key partner to global big tech companies including Nvidia. In February, Chey said at the U.S. Trans-Pacific Dialogue event, “This monster chip (HBM) is making our company a lot of money, and our current margin is over 60%,” adding, “We need to make more monster chips.” The article said the company’s focus has translated into results. SK hynix posted first-quarter revenue of 52.5763 trillion won and operating profit of 37.6103 trillion won, setting record highs for a fourth straight quarter. According to securities-industry consensus forecasts cited in the article, SK hynix’s annual revenue this year is projected at 358.0370 trillion won, with operating profit expected to reach as high as 277.7000 trillion won. If those estimates are realized, the company would rank around fourth globally, ahead of Microsoft (245 trillion won) and Alphabet (240 trillion won), the article said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-26 18:03:19
  • Samsung Holds GSAT Aptitude Test for Entry-Level Hiring Applicants
    Samsung Holds GSAT Aptitude Test for Entry-Level Hiring Applicants Samsung said April 26 it administered its Samsung Aptitude Test (GSAT) for entry-level recruitment applicants over two days starting April 25. A total of 18 affiliates held the test, including Samsung Electronics, Samsung Display, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung SDI, Samsung SDS, Samsung Biologics, Samsung Bioepis, Samsung C&T, Samsung Heavy Industries, Samsung E&A, Samsung Life Insurance, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, Samsung Securities, Samsung Asset Management, Cheil Worldwide, Samsung Global Research, S-1 and Samsung Welstory. Samsung began its first-half open recruitment process in March with the application period. After GSAT, it plans to select new hires through interviews in May, health checks and other steps. Applicants for software development and design positions will be evaluated through an SW competency test and a design portfolio review, respectively, instead of GSAT. GSAT is designed to assess creative thinking and flexible problem-solving. It was first introduced in the second half of 1995 and marks its 31st anniversary this year. Samsung has administered GSAT online since 2020, a shift made during the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants can take the test on a PC in an independent location. Samsung introduced South Korea’s first open recruitment system for new employees in 1957 and has maintained it for 70 years. The company has announced a plan to hire 60,000 people over the next five years as it seeks to accelerate investment in future growth businesses. A Samsung official said the company will continue expanding efforts to identify talent in artificial intelligence to lead the global AI era, adding that it plans to actively foster future growth businesses and contribute to the national economy. 2026-04-26 13:03:16
  • SK hynix wins IEEE Corporate Innovation Award for HBM advances in AI computing
    SK hynix wins IEEE Corporate Innovation Award for HBM advances in AI computing SK hynix said April 26 it won the Corporate Innovation Award at the '2026 IEEE* Awards' ceremony hosted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. IEEE, a leading global organization of technology professionals, has presented the IEEE Awards for more than 100 years. The program honors recipients in three categories — medals, technical field awards and recognition awards — for technological innovation and contributions to society. The Corporate Innovation Award, part of the recognition awards, has been given since 1986 to companies credited with advancing industry and society through innovative technology. It is the first time SK hynix has received the honor. SK hynix said it was recognized for reliably mass-producing every generation of high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, and for contributing to the growth of the global AI computing ecosystem. The company said it aims to provide memory solutions that help overcome performance limits in AI platforms and to strengthen its position as a trusted partner in the global AI market. The company said the award reflects its role in expanding AI computing through HBM innovation and applications, including by proposing HBM solutions early and responding to customer demand in a timely way. The company also cited its efforts to broaden AI infrastructure partnerships with major global technology companies in the United States, under SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won's management focus on securing long-term technological competitiveness. Ahn Hyun, president and chief development officer, attended the ceremony and accepted the award on the company's behalf. Ahn said he was honored to accept the award on behalf of SK hynix employees who have continually challenged and overcome technological limits. He said the company will work closely with global customers and partners to create value ahead of market needs and become a top-tier company leading AI innovation. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-26 10:25:02
  • SK hynix Profit Surge Fuels Bonus Pressure as Big Chip Investments Loom
    SK hynix Profit Surge Fuels Bonus Pressure as Big Chip Investments Loom SK hynix has posted a record first-quarter operating profit of more than 37 trillion won, prompting talk that it could climb into the world’s No. 4 spot on an annual basis. But as earnings surge, management faces rising pressure from the labor union over performance bonuses, adding to the company’s burden. According to securities-industry consensus estimates released on April 23, SK hynix is projected to post 358.037 trillion won in revenue this year, with operating profit as high as 277.7 trillion won. If those forecasts are realized, SK hynix would rank around fourth globally, ahead of Microsoft (245 trillion won) and Alphabet (240 trillion won). Even with record results, executives are increasingly concerned as bonuses of “hundreds of millions of won per employee” come into view, potentially squeezing management flexibility. Under a labor-management agreement to allocate 10% of operating profit to profit-sharing bonuses, the company would already need to set aside about 3.76 trillion won based on first-quarter operating profit of 37.6103 trillion won. Divided among about 35,000 employees, that works out to an average bonus of about 100 million won per person based on first-quarter results alone. If annual operating profit exceeds 270 trillion won, the average payout would be about 650 million won per employee. That level would surpass the cost of building a single advanced production base. SK hynix on the previous day officially broke ground on its advanced packaging plant, P&T7, in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, with a total budget of 19 trillion won. The projected annual bonus pool would exceed the cost of constructing a next-generation flagship production site. The gap is also large compared with spending meant to secure the company’s future. SK hynix’s R&D investment last year totaled 6.7325 trillion won. The projected bonus pool would also exceed by more than 10 times the company’s total dividends of 2.1 trillion won for more than 1.19 million shareholders. SK hynix has major projects awaiting funding, including its new M15X fab in Cheongju and the Yongin semiconductor cluster, both requiring investments in the trillions of won. The company also needs sustained funding to develop and mass-produce next-generation high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, to meet demands from global customers including Nvidia. Industry experts say the semiconductor sector’s volatility means the company should focus on capital allocation for long-term survival rather than becoming complacent amid record earnings, prioritizing preparation for future downturns and investment in next-generation processes. Ahn Ki-hyeon, executive director of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, said, “Since semiconductors are a national security asset, the union also needs cooperation at a broader level for the company’s sustainable growth, rather than focusing on short-term gains in performance bonuses.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 18:05:12
  • SK hynix unveils HBM4 roadmap at TSMC symposium, deepening AI memory partnership
    SK hynix unveils HBM4 roadmap at TSMC symposium, deepening AI memory partnership SK hynix used a technology event hosted by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest foundry, to lay out a detailed roadmap aimed at strengthening its lead in next-generation high-bandwidth memory, or HBM. The company said it took part in the “TSMC 2026 Technology Symposium” held April 22 (local time) in San Jose, California, where it presented development progress on sixth-generation HBM and its next-generation packaging capabilities. SK hynix highlighted HBM4, a key component for the artificial intelligence era, and underscored a change in how the “base die” will be made starting with HBM4. Up to the fifth generation, SK hynix produced the base die using its own process. For HBM4, it plans to use TSMC’s advanced leading-edge logic process to manufacture it. The base die connects to a GPU and controls the overall memory stack. Applying an advanced process can enable a wide range of customer-specific functions, the company said. The cooperation is aimed at moving beyond parts supply to jointly target the market for customized HBM. SK hynix said it plans to optimize the combination of TSMC’s advanced packaging technology, CoWoS, with its own HBM technology to offer solutions that meet varied requirements from global big tech companies. Along with HBM4, SK hynix displayed products it described as essential for building AI infrastructure, including a 256GB 3DS RDIMM memory module for high-performance servers and data centers and GDDR7, its next-generation graphics memory. SK hynix said it plans to begin mass production of HBM4 in 2026, and to strengthen a close cooperation ecosystem linking customers, foundries and memory makers as it seeks to solidify its position as a total AI memory provider. Ahn Hyun, SK hynix president and chief development officer, said, “A key obstacle for AI technology today is a memory bottleneck, where bandwidth limits prevent rapidly processing the growing volume of data.” He added, “We will go beyond supplying standard HBM to provide ‘custom HBM’ tailored to specific customer needs, and expand to full solutions spanning DRAM and NAND flash.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 16:19:43
  • LG Electronics CEO Ryu Jae-cheol vows push into global robot actuator market
    LG Electronics CEO Ryu Jae-cheol vows push into global robot actuator market Ryu Jae-cheol, CEO of LG Electronics, said the company will accelerate efforts to secure an early lead in the actuator market, a key component that functions as a robot’s joints. In a social media post on the 23rd, Ryu said, “This year, we plan to complete the buildout of a mass-production system for actuators and apply them directly to the intelligent home robot ‘LG Cloi.’” He added, “Next year, we will supply key components to global partners and move in earnest into external markets,” and said LG aims to expand “to the industrial high-torque segment by 2030” to position the company as a “global total actuator solution provider.” Ryu previously stressed at last month’s regular shareholders meeting that LG would move fully into actuator design and production. At the time, he said the company would establish a mass-production system within the year based on “Axiom,” the actuator brand introduced at CES 2026 in January. LG’s robot business is one of the CEO’s four key priorities, along with AI data center (AIDC) cooling solutions, smart factories and AI home initiatives. LG has designed and produced motors in-house since 1962 and has infrastructure to manufacture 45 million motors a year across seven production sites in five countries. Ryu said that scale allows LG to offer durability, reliability and price competitiveness that rivals find difficult to copy. He said the company has internalized both design and production of motors and drivers and is continuing to strengthen in-house capabilities in reducers.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 14:03:15
  • LG Display Q1 Operating Profit Jumps 338%, Extends Profit Streak to Three Quarters
    LG Display Q1 Operating Profit Jumps 338%, Extends Profit Streak to Three Quarters LG Display said Thursday it posted first-quarter consolidated revenue of 5.534 trillion won and operating profit of 146.7 billion won. Operating profit surged 338% from a year earlier on cost-cutting technologies and improved operating efficiency, marking a third straight profitable quarter. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) came to 1.141 trillion won, with a margin of 20.6%. Despite the seasonal off-peak period, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) products accounted for 60% of revenue, up 5 percentage points from a year earlier. As a result, the average selling price per area rose 55% year over year. By revenue, the sales mix was 16% TV panels, 37% IT panels such as monitors and laptops, 37% mobile panels and other products, and 10% automotive panels. The company said it is strengthening competitiveness around OLED while accelerating cost innovation and operational efficiency to build a sustainable profit structure. In its small-panel business, LG Display said it plans to use its production infrastructure more efficiently, supported by technology leadership and stable supply capabilities, while continuing preparations for the future. For large panels, it said it will bolster its premium lineup based on what it called world-leading and first-to-market technologies, while expanding products with improved price competitiveness. It added that in monitors, where the shift to OLED is accelerating, it will broaden its gaming lineup using proprietary technologies to maximize opportunities and win customers. Kim Seong-hyeon LG Display CFO said the company is strengthening competitiveness in high-spec products where it has an advantage, raising technological barriers as well. “Through companywide efforts, we will reinforce technological differentiation to secure financial soundness and strive to deliver sustainable results that meet the expectations of the market and customers,” he said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 13:36:16
  • Samsung Electro-Mechanics Steps Up Push for AI Data Centers, CEO Says Components Drive System Edge
    Samsung Electro-Mechanics Steps Up Push for AI Data Centers, CEO Says Components Drive System Edge Samsung Electro-Mechanics said April 23 it is hosting its overseas customer event, the 2026 SEMCO Component College (SCC), in Busan. First held in 2004, SCC is the company’s annual global customer outreach program. This year’s event, themed “The Core of AI Future,” is aimed at highlighting the importance and competitiveness of key components for the AI era and strengthening cooperation with customers. The company said 160 overseas customers and about 300 participants are attending, its largest turnout to date, spanning areas including AI servers, networks, power, next-generation optical communications, IT, automotive electronics, humanoids and aerospace. Seminar sessions cover requirements for high-reliability, high-voltage MLCCs as autonomous driving and electric vehicles expand; component technology shifts tied to the growth of AI servers and data centers; and component adoption trends in AI-based IT devices. The program also includes hands-on training based on product analysis and explanations of how components operate within circuits. In the exhibition area, Samsung Electro-Mechanics showcased products including high-capacitance MLCCs used in automotive SoCs, high-reliability MLCCs for powertrains, MLCCs for AI servers and networks, and ultra-thin power inductors. CEO Jang Deok-hyeon, who attended the event, said, “In the AI era, component performance and reliability determine the competitiveness of the overall system.” He added, “As the world’s only company able to supply the core component solutions essential for AI data centers, we will support our customers’ success.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 11:00:50
  • SK hynix posts Q1 earnings surge as analysts lift annual revenue outlook above 300 trillion won
    SK hynix posts Q1 earnings surge as analysts lift annual revenue outlook above 300 trillion won SK hynix posted a first-quarter earnings surge, reporting revenue of 52.5763 trillion won and operating profit of 37.6103 trillion won, results the company said set a new benchmark for the chip industry. Analysts said the performance suggests growth that could extend into the second half, rather than a brief upswing. In a regulatory filing Thursday, SK hynix said first-quarter operating profit rose 405.5% from a year earlier to 37.6103 trillion won. Revenue climbed 198.1% to 52.5763 trillion won. High-bandwidth memory, or HBM, was a key driver of profitability, the report said. With demand for AI server memory surging, fifth-generation HBM (HBM3E) and next-generation HBM have been in short supply. As a higher-value product than conventional DRAM, HBM helped lift overall operating profit, it said. Experts said SK hynix is widening its technology lead and raising barriers to entry. They cited close partnerships with customers and a customized production system that reduces inventory burdens while improving profitability. Ahn Ki-hyeon, executive director of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, said SK hynix’s customized strategy has built resilience despite external economic volatility. He called it a signal the company has moved away from a structure centered on commodity products to a model focused on higher-profit, qualitative growth. The report said concerns seen in past memory cycles — often described as a “winner’s curse” or a “chicken game” — have eased. It attributed that to explosive AI demand reinforcing a supplier-favorable market and to advanced process transitions, reshaping the industry toward profits supported by technology barriers. The company’s second-half results are expected to rise further as the industry enters a seasonally strong period, the report said. It pointed to mass production of sixth-generation HBM4 supplies for Nvidia, a recovery in the enterprise SSD (eSSD) market and demand tied to new IT products as potential tailwinds. With SK hynix’s Cheongju M15X set to begin full operations within the year, the report said expanded output could also lead to direct and indirect job creation and increased local spending. Brokerages raised their market consensus for SK hynix’s annual revenue to more than 300 trillion won and lifted operating profit expectations to a level exceeding 230 trillion won, the report said. Kim Rok-ho, an analyst at Hana Securities, said global big tech companies appear willing to accept some memory price increases despite cost pressures. He said that could give SK hynix an opportunity to use a rising-price environment to expand market share. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 09:32:19
  • Samsung Electronics Union Plans Rally, Signals Possible May General Strike
    Samsung Electronics Union Plans Rally, Signals Possible May General Strike Samsung Electronics’ labor union is signaling a new confrontation, announcing plans for a large rally and warning of a general strike. The move has revived concerns of a repeat of the company’s first-ever strike two years ago, which disrupted its semiconductor operations, as global competition intensifies and critics warn the dispute could benefit rivals. According to the industry on April 22, the union’s joint struggle headquarters will press ahead with a rally on April 23 at the company’s Pyeongtaek campus as a prelude to a planned general strike in May. The hard-line stance has heightened tensions by recalling conditions from two years ago, when management uncertainty and worsening chip results were at their peak. In July 2024, the union launched a 25-day strike, demanding higher wages, expanded vacation and changes to the performance-bonus system. At the time, Samsung’s Device Solutions division — including memory, foundry and System LSI — was in an unusually deep downturn. Among shareholders and investors, worries circulated that Samsung Electronics could be in serious trouble. With the technology gap narrowing and profitability weakening, the strike further damaged confidence, the article said. The latest strike threat could be more damaging than the one two years ago, industry officials said. Even as the chip market enters a supercycle, competition is so intense that any disruption could push Samsung out of the front ranks. If a strike occurs, losses could reach the trillions of won and undermine trust among global customers, the article said. Kim Dae-jong, a professor in the business administration department at Sejong University, said timely supply is critical in high-bandwidth memory and the foundry business. He warned that partnerships Samsung has built over decades with global big-tech companies could be weakened by internal labor-management conflict. Rivals, by contrast, are focused on technology and expansion under what the article described as nonunion management. Taiwan’s TSMC, the world’s top foundry, along with U.S. chipmakers Intel and Micron, are expanding production lines and accelerating research and development with strong government support in a stable labor environment, it said. The companies are closely watching Samsung’s labor moves and appear to be positioning for potential gains. Intel and Tesla have been recruiting memory engineers in South Korea with what the article called unusually generous terms. Micron has also begun stepping up communications efforts in South Korea this month to expand its presence in the market. Major foreign media have warned that a strike at Samsung could hurt the global semiconductor supply chain. Bloomberg called it a serious setback at a time when competition for leadership in artificial intelligence is reaching a peak. China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency said it could have ripple effects across industries that use semiconductors, including autos, computers and smartphones. Lee Jong-hwan, a professor in the system semiconductor engineering department at Sangmyung University, said Samsung is the only chip company in the world with capabilities in both memory and non-memory businesses. He said allowing internal conflict to hold the company back could become a self-defeating choice that undermines what it has built in semiconductors.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 18:49:18