ASIA INSIGHTS: Robots on Chunwan stage: What China is signaling to Asia China’s Spring Festival Gala, known as Chunwan, is more than a television program. At 8 p.m. on Lunar New Year’s Eve, nearly 1.4 billion people turn their eyes to television and mobile screens at the same time. That moment functions as a national ritual and a shared narrative. It is a cultural event, a political message and an entertainment program — and also a showcase of industrial strategy. Each year, China uses this stage to declare where it is heading. The 2026 Chunwan was especially symbolic. Humanoid robots and artificial intelligence stood at the center of the stage. Traditional performances — classical dance, opera, comedy sketches and cross-talk — remained, but the driving force of the production was AI, XR, 5G and swarm-control technologies. This was not merely visual spectacle. It was a display of industrial capability. The most talked-about segment was the humanoid martial arts performance presented by Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics. Robots executed drunken boxing and swordplay, exchanged dialogue with human actors and shifted formations in synchronized groups. It went beyond entertainment. It resembled a technological declaration. Behind the choreography lay reinforcement learning, precision actuator control and vision-language-based cognition. Key robotic technologies were integrated into a single performance. The message was clear: China is moving directly toward the era of physical AI. From Liquor to Technology: A Generational Shift in Sponsors Another striking change was visible in advertising. For years, baijiu brands had dominated Chunwan sponsorship. This year, their presence declined sharply. In their place stood AI companies. Alibaba promoted its large language model “Qwen.” Tencent highlighted its “Yuanbao” AI platform. ByteDance emphasized the advancement of its AI-driven content and recommendation systems. This was more than a marketing shift. It symbolized a change in the center of gravity of the Chinese economy — from traditional consumption to advanced technology. If baijiu once symbolized wealth, AI and robotics now symbolize future power. Chunwan became a ceremonial marker of that transition. China’s AI development does not stop at applications. It spans large language models, video-generation systems, industrial robots and autonomous driving platforms. Alibaba and Tencent expand AI services on the back of massive cloud infrastructure, while startups pursue aggressive experiments in hardware and control systems. In physical AI, China fully leverages its manufacturing base. Mass production of precision motors, batteries, sensors, drones and industrial robot components accelerates hardware development. Government-led robot clusters and local subsidies strengthen the industrial foundation. Chunwan is where this entire ecosystem is condensed and displayed. Technological Rivalry and Asia’s Position AI leadership has become a core arena of U.S.-China competition. The United States dominates chip design, cloud platforms and open AI ecosystems. China counters with market scale, data volume and manufacturing strength. Chunwan functions as technological diplomacy in cultural form — a stage for external signaling. It is soft power through engineering. Where Does Korea Stand? Korea cannot afford to remain a spectator. The country possesses three structural advantages. First, manufacturing. Strength in semiconductors, automobiles, shipbuilding and batteries can translate directly into physical AI competitiveness. Robots are built in factories, and Korea’s factories are globally competitive. Second, digital infrastructure. Ultra-fast networks and high digital utilization enable large-scale experimentation and data accumulation. Physical AI improves through repeated failure and correction, and Korea’s industrial and urban environments are ideal testbeds. Third, execution speed. The “ppalli-ppalli” culture is often criticized, but it represents problem-solving speed and adaptability. When combined with strategy, speed accelerates innovation. Physical AI remains incomplete. It advances through falling, breaking and malfunctioning. What China showed on Chunwan reflects years of accumulated trial and error. Korea must build an environment that tolerates failure. Public institutions, military facilities, disaster sites, hospitals and logistics centers should serve as testbeds. Data from these experiments must be treated as industrial assets. At the same time, hardware and software firms must form deep alliances. Without integration of manufacturing and algorithms, global competitiveness is impossible. Korea’s cooperative models in semiconductors and batteries should be extended to robotics and AI. Chunwan was China’s declaration. It declared technology as national identity. But leadership is not built on declarations alone. Technological competition is also a contest of talent, capital, standards and ethics. Only countries that develop technology within frameworks of trust, transparency and values earn long-term credibility. Korea now stands at a crossroads. As Asia’s technological landscape is being reshaped, will Korea remain on the periphery — or move to the center? The potential exists. Manufacturing strength, digital infrastructure and execution capacity can support leadership in physical AI. What is required is determination. The robots on Chunwan’s stage were not merely performers. They were signals. Asia is moving. Now it is Korea’s turn to respond. *The author is a columnist for AJP. 2026-02-18 11:26:52

U.S. surges in 5G standalone adoption as South Korea holds second in download speeds, report finds SEOUL, February 18 (AJP) - The United States is rapidly consolidating its lead in 5G standalone (SA) deployment, while South Korea continues to rank among the world's fastest networks by download speed, according to a report released Wednesday by global network intelligence firm Ookla. The report, which assessed the state of 5G SA and 5G Advanced worldwide, said U.S. standalone adoption surged 8.2 percentage points over the past year to reach 31.6 percent, driven by the sequential rollout of SA networks across all three of its Tier-1 carriers. The pace of expansion outstripped every other major market tracked in the study. South Korea, meanwhile, posted a median 5G SA download speed of 767 megabits per second (Mbps) in the fourth quarter of 2025, placing second globally behind the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The country's standing is largely attributed to its wide 3.5 GHz channel bandwidth, though overall deployment progress has remained broadly stagnant. The GCC delivered the world's fastest 5G SA median download speeds at 1.13 gigabits per second (Gbps) — about five times that of Europe — with the UAE alone recording 1.24 Gbps. The United States, despite its rapid adoption gains, registered a median download speed of 404 Mbps. Europe trailed sharply, posting just 205 Mbps, though that figure still represented a 45 percent improvement over non-standalone networks. The region's overall 5G SA sample share stood at 2.8 percent in the fourth quarter, trailing North America by 27 percentage points, with Austria, Spain, the United Kingdom, and France leading the bloc's gradual acceleration. Globally, 5G SA connections delivered a median download speed of 269.51 Mbps, about 52 percent faster than legacy non-standalone networks, as overall SA sample share reached 17.6 percent — meaning roughly one in six 5G speed tests worldwide now occurs on a standalone network. "5G SA is being recognized not merely as a connectivity evolution, but as national-level infrastructure for AI supremacy," Ookla said, adding that considerations of digital sovereignty and AI readiness are reshaping telecom investment priorities across major markets. 2026-02-18 11:06:47

South Korea Falls to No. 9 in U.S. Import Market as Trump Tariffs Bite South Korea’s position in the U.S. market weakened compared with major competitors, reflecting the impact of U.S. tariffs, according to an analysis of U.S. government trade data. An analysis of U.S. Commerce Department import and export statistics released Tuesday on the Korea International Trade Association’s statistics service showed the United States imported $113.4 billion in goods from South Korea last year through November. That was down 5.9% from the same period a year earlier. South Korea accounted for 3.6% of total U.S. imports, ranking ninth among the top 10 suppliers. That was down two places from a year earlier. It was South Korea’s lowest ranking since 1988, the earliest year tracked in the association’s analysis. South Korea held steady at No. 6 or No. 7 for 15 years starting in 2009, and in 2024 it ranked seventh with a 4.0% share, just before the Donald Trump administration took office. The top U.S. import sources last year through November were Mexico ($492.5 billion, 15.7%), Canada ($351.2 billion, 11.2%), China ($287.3 billion, 9.2%), Taiwan ($176.7 billion, 5.6%), Vietnam ($175.3 billion, 5.6%), Germany ($140.8 billion, 4.5%), Japan ($133.8 billion, 4.3%) and Ireland ($129.7 billion, 4.1%). The drop suggests South Korea was hit harder than rivals by the Trump administration’s broad tariff policy. Taiwan and Ireland, which ranked below South Korea in 2024, moved ahead last year. Taiwan, a key competitor to South Korea in foundry chip manufacturing, jumped from No. 8 in 2024 (3.6%) to No. 4 last year (5.6%). Taiwan has been temporarily subject to a 20% reciprocal tariff because it has not completed a trade deal with the Trump administration, but semiconductors, its main export, are not subject to separate product-specific tariffs, limiting the direct impact on exports. South Korea, by contrast, took a bigger hit because major exports such as automobiles, steel and machinery were subject to high tariffs. Japan, which is seen as having a similar trade structure to South Korea due to its strong manufacturing base in autos and semiconductors, also slipped two places, from No. 5 to No. 7. 2026-02-18 10:42:00

Report: Hyundai, Tesla Lead AI Robotics Push, but Profitability and Ethics Remain Hurdles AI-powered robots are expected to reshape manufacturing and boost efficiency across industrial processes, and analysts say the auto industry is especially well positioned to scale the technology. The report said advanced control and driving technologies already used in vehicles could be combined with robotics, expanding business opportunities across many areas of human mobility and helping build a next-generation mobility ecosystem. But it said commercialization will require progress on cutting costs, improving productivity, building data sets and addressing ethical concerns. On Feb. 18, the Export-Import Bank of Korea’s Overseas Economic Research Institute released a report titled “The auto industry’s entry into AI robotics and risk factors.” It forecast the global AI robotics market will grow 46% annually through 2034 to $375.9 billion (544 trillion won). The institute said automakers including Hyundai Motor and Tesla are currently driving the market. It said Hyundai’s Atlas is being advanced for use in industrial sites, focusing on manufacturing processes, while Tesla’s Optimus aims to secure leadership through development of general-purpose AI robotics. Tesla plans to integrate its own algorithms into robot systems and gradually deploy intelligent control systems in factories so robots can perceive and make decisions, the report said. It said Tesla is training Optimus on real-time driving data and pursuing a strategy to capture labor-replacement markets through mass production. Optimus units deployed at Tesla plants are being used in practical tasks such as moving battery cells to improve autonomous decision-making, it said. The report said Hyundai’s open-API strategy is designed as a platform that allows broad participation by partners. It said an end-to-end value chain could help Hyundai secure real-world data based on its own demand and build a vertically integrated data structure, giving it strong potential to lead its own intelligent mobility market. The report defined an end-to-end value chain as a supply chain that integrates and manages the entire process of delivering products and services to customers. Hyundai plans to invest 50.5 trillion won in AI robotics by 2030, exceeding Tesla’s AI investment of 13.5 trillion won, the report said. It added Hyundai is building a robot-dedicated plant in the United States with annual capacity of 30,000 units. The institute estimated the price of Hyundai’s Atlas at $130,000 and projected the investment could be recovered within two years after adoption. It said deploying Atlas in production sites could raise productivity by up to threefold by improving assembly efficiency. “Hyundai is internalizing AI robotics control technology through its acquisition of Atlas (Boston Dynamics) technology, and is pushing a practical strategy that applies its capabilities on site to move beyond simple mechanical movement and shift manufacturing toward unmanned operations,” the report said. “High-performance AI robotics will play a key role in that process.” The report also cited hurdles. It said Hyundai has gained flexibility through its open-API strategy to adopt a vision-language-action (VLA) model with language-based reasoning, but the total volume of real-time data being accumulated is not sufficient, limiting the speed of AI self-learning. Other challenges include malfunction risks in complex situations, building data for unexpected events, delays in generating profits due to technical constraints, and defining the operating scope of AI robots that can collaborate with humans, it said. “AI robotics has limited ability to respond to situations outside specific scenarios, and high upfront investment costs are a major burden on short-term profitability,” the report said. “In addition, because responsibility for AI robotics working with humans is not clearly established, legal disputes between manufacturers and operators and difficulties in compensation systems are also expected in the event of accidents.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 10:30:00

Hyundai Tops 1 Million Eco-Friendly Vehicle Sales in U.S., Hybrids Lead Hyundai Motor Co. has surpassed 1 million cumulative sales of eco-friendly vehicles in the U.S. market. The automaker said Feb. 18 that since it began selling the Sonata Hybrid in the United States in 2011, it has sold a total of 1,014,943 eco-friendly vehicles through January, including hybrids, electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Sales have climbed sharply in recent years, reaching 75,009 units in 2021 — more than triple the prior year — then 98,443 in 2022 and 159,549 in 2023. In 2024, Hyundai sold 204,115 eco-friendly vehicles in the U.S., topping 200,000 for the first time. Their share of Hyundai’s U.S. sales rose to 22.4%, also the first time it exceeded 20%. Last year, Hyundai set an annual record with 259,419 eco-friendly vehicles sold, lifting the share to 26.4% — about one out of every four vehicles it sold in the U.S. In January, eco-friendly vehicle sales rose more than 30% from a year earlier to 17,408, the highest January total on record, the company said. By type, hybrids accounted for 759,359 units, or 75% of cumulative eco-friendly sales. EVs totaled 253,728, followed by 1,856 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Hyundai’s best-selling eco-friendly model in the U.S. was the Tucson Hybrid. Since its U.S. debut in 2021, it has sold 233,793 units through January. Next were the Sonata Hybrid with 205,420 and the Ioniq 5 with 150,618. Hyundai currently sells four hybrid models, seven EV models and one hydrogen fuel cell model in the U.S. The Palisade Hybrid, launched locally last year, won the utility category at the “2026 North American Car of the Year” awards in January, Hyundai said. Hyundai is expanding eco-friendly vehicle production at its Alabama plant (HMMA) and at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA). Eco-friendly vehicle sales from the two plants totaled 132,533 last year, about 50 times higher than in 2022, the first year of mass production. The company plans to add hybrid production by introducing a mixed-model production system at HMGMA, its EV manufacturing hub. It also plans to expand annual capacity from 300,000 units to 500,000.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 10:27:00

South Korean Airlines Had 441 Aircraft at End of Last Year; 15% Were Over 20 Years Old South Korean airlines had about 450 aircraft at the end of last year, according to data submitted to the government. Rep. Lee Yeon-hee of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, said Feb. 18 that figures provided via the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport by 12 South Korean carriers showed they held a total of 441 aircraft at year’s end: 401 passenger planes and 40 freighters. That was up 25 aircraft from a year earlier (416). Passenger planes increased by 27, while freighters fell by two. The combined fleet stood at 414 aircraft in 2019, then dropped to 366 in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has climbed since, reaching 370 in 2022 and 393 in 2023, as passenger demand recovered and newer airlines expanded. By carrier, Korean Air had 167 aircraft at the end of last year — 144 passenger planes and 23 freighters — up two from a year earlier. Its fleet included 45 Boeing 777s, 27 Boeing 787s, 24 Boeing 737s and 19 Airbus A321s. Asiana Airlines, which is preparing to merge with Korean Air, operated 68 passenger aircraft, down 15 from the previous year. Asiana sold its cargo business unit in August to cargo-only carrier Air Zeta (formerly Air Incheon). Among low-cost carriers, T’way Air had the largest passenger fleet with 46 aircraft, up eight, helped by the introduction of Boeing’s next-generation 737-8. Jeju Air followed with 45 aircraft — 43 passenger planes and two freighters — up four. The airline has not sharply expanded its fleet as it focuses on modernization after a passenger-plane accident. Hanjin Group’s three low-cost carriers — Jin Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul — maintained their fleet sizes at 31, 21 and six passenger aircraft, respectively. Eastar Jet expanded to 20 passenger planes after adding five 737-8s last year. Air Zeta held 15 freighters after adding 11 aircraft transferred from Asiana, including 10 Boeing 747s and one Boeing 767. Aero K and Air Premia each had nine passenger aircraft, up three apiece. Parata Air, a new airline that began flying in September, operated four aircraft. The data also showed 67 aircraft — 15.2% of the total — were more than 20 years old and classified as aging aircraft subject to special oversight by the transport ministry. Those aircraft were operated by Korean Air (28), Air Zeta (15), Jin Air (8), Jeju Air (6), Asiana (5), Aero K (3) and Air Busan (2). Airlines are bringing in newer aircraft and retiring older planes to reduce safety concerns and improve passenger satisfaction and fuel efficiency. They reported to the ministry plans to add 55 aircraft this year and dispose of 32, including aging planes.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 10:09:00

S.Korea's curling team slip to fourth after Switzerland defeat, bobsled pairs finish outside top 10 SEOUL, February 18 (AJP) - South Korea's women's curling team dropped to fourth place in the round-robin standings after falling to world No. 1 Switzerland 5-7 on Wednesday, putting their semifinal push under increased pressure at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Skip Kim Eun-ji, third Kim Min-ji, second Kim Su-ji, lead Seol Ye-eun and fifth Seol Ye-ji — the squad known as "Team 5G" — were edged out at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d'Ampezzo, sliding from a joint second-place position just one day earlier. The match remained tight through the opening ends. South Korea drew first blood in the first end, and the two teams held level through the third, but Switzerland broke the game open by scoring three in the second end to wrest control of the momentum. The sides traded single points through the middle stages. The decisive blow came late. Switzerland posted two more in the ninth end off a double takeout, stretching their lead beyond reach. South Korea chased hard in the final end but could not close the gap. With the loss, South Korea now stand at 4-3, tied with Canada for fourth. Sweden leads the table at 6-1, with Switzerland and the United States both at 5-2. The team's campaign is at a critical crossroads. South Korea face Sweden — the tournament's frontrunner — next, before a pivotal showdown against Canada on Thursday that will largely determine whether they advance to the knockouts. The top four teams of the ten-nation field proceed to the semifinals, with medal rounds scheduled for Feb. 20 to 22. "Team 5G," which went unbeaten at the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games, has been one of the more closely watched sides in Cortina. The team is aiming to improve on the silver medal won by "Team Kim" at the 2018 PyeongChang Games — South Korea's only Olympic curling medal to date. South Korea's broader Olympic campaign has yielded six medals through Day 12 — one gold, two silver and three bronze — though the country remains without a gold in short track, a discipline that has driven the medal count at every Winter Games since 1992. Curling now stands as one of the remaining paths to the podium. Bobsled pairs finish well off the pace South Korea's two men's bobsled entries wrapped up their two-man campaigns outside the top 10 at the Cortina Sliding Center on Wednesday. The pairing of pilot Kim Jin-su and brakeman Kim Hyung-geun posted a combined four-run time of 3 minutes 43.60 seconds to finish 13th among 26 teams. The sled had shown early promise — clocking 55.53 seconds in the opening run for fifth overall — but gradual slippage through subsequent runs cost them positions. They sat 12th after two runs before fading to 13th by the end. Pilot Suk Young-jin and brakeman Chae Byung-do finished 19th with a combined time of 3:44.61. Germany swept all three medals for the second consecutive Games, having done the same at Beijing 2022. Johannes Lochner and Georg Fleischhauer claimed gold in 3:39.70, ahead of Francesco Friedrich and Alexander Schuller in silver and Adam Ammour and Alexander Schaller in bronze. Meanwhile, both South Korean sleds are entered in the four-man event, scheduled for Feb. 21 to 22. 2026-02-18 09:49:37

Genesis Extends PGA Tour Genesis Invitational Title Sponsorship Through 2030 Genesis will remain the title sponsor of the PGA Tour tournament the Genesis Invitational through 2030. Genesis said it held a contract-signing ceremony on Feb. 17 (local time) at Riviera Country Club in California with the PGA Tour and the Tiger Woods Foundation, extending the title sponsorship through 2030. Attendees included PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp; Tiger Woods, whose foundation runs the event; Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun; Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon; Hyundai Motor CEO Jose Munoz; North America chief Randy Parker; and Genesis head Lee Si-hyuk, among others. The Genesis Invitational traces its roots to the LA Open, founded in 1926, and marks 100 years of history this year. The PGA Tour event has been tied to milestones such as Jack Nicklaus’ pro debut and Woods’ first PGA Tour appearance. Genesis became title sponsor in 2017, when the tournament was known as the Genesis Open, and continued through its elevation to the Genesis Invitational in 2020. “PGA Tour is proud that Genesis has continued to support the Genesis Invitational, where the world’s best players compete,” Rolapp said. Woods said the partnership with Genesis “was an opportunity to find new ways to grow the tournament,” adding that he appreciated the company’s continued interest and support for both the event and the Tiger Woods Foundation. Chung said it was meaningful to expand the partnership with the PGA Tour, Woods and the Tiger Woods Foundation and to continue sponsoring the tournament through 2030. He called the century-old event a symbol of golf’s tradition and heritage and said it also reflects Genesis values of authenticity, respect and excellence. He added that the milestone would help partners carry on the tournament’s legacy and contribute to creating value for local communities and future generations beyond golf. Genesis has been expanding its global golf sponsorships, including a deal signed in May last year with the PGA Tour through 2030 as its first official automotive sponsor, and an extension in July last year of its title sponsorship of the Genesis Scottish Open through 2030. The 2026 Genesis Invitational, the first held after the renewal, will be played Feb. 19-22 (local time) at Riviera Country Club, which also marks its 100th anniversary this year. The total purse is $20 million; the winner will receive $3.5 million and a GV80 Coupe Black model. Genesis said it plans to display 18 vehicles at key locations such as the Genesis Lounge and Genesis Skybox, including the GV60 Magma model, the X Gran Equator concept, the Electrified GV70 model and the GV80 Coupe, to showcase its products to spectators and TV viewers.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 09:36:00

South Korea’s Lee Hae-in sets season best in Olympic short program debut South Korean figure skater Lee Hae-in (Korea University) set a season-best score in the short program at her first Winter Olympics, saying she handled the moment despite nerves. Competing at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Italy on Feb. 18 (Korea time), Lee scored 70.07 points in the women’s singles short program, with 37.61 in technical elements (TES) and 32.46 in program components (PCS). She improved her previous season best of 67.06 by 3.01 points and secured a spot in the free skate. “Up until yesterday, I thought I wouldn’t be nervous, but that wasn’t the case,” Lee said. “Even while nervous, I focused more on the feeling of my feet on the ice. I don’t think I made any big mistakes, so I think I did well.” She said she was disappointed she could not fully show a transition she had practiced after her first triple combination jump because her blade caught in the ice on the landing. Lee said she was pleased to see the season-best mark. “I want to praise myself for trying to earn points on every element,” she said. “I was happy when the score came up and it was a season best.” Looking ahead to the free skate, Lee said she needs to pay closer attention to every element. “Since there were parts that felt lacking today, I’ll show everything I prepared in the free skate without leaving anything out,” she said, adding that while there are more elements to focus on and she expects to be nervous, she hopes to enjoy it more.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 07:39:00

South Korea’s Kim Jin-su 13th, Seok Young-jin 19th in Olympic two-man bobsled South Korea’s men’s two-man bobsled teams led by Kim Jin-su and Seok Young-jin finished outside the top 10 at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Pilot Kim Jin-su and brakeman Kim Hyeong-geun, both of Gangwon Provincial Office, placed 13th with a four-run total of 3 minutes, 43.60 seconds at the Cortina Sliding Center in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Kim’s sled was 12th among 26 teams after the first two runs in 1:51.69, but slipped a spot after a 55.90 in Run 3. The team posted 56.01 in the final run to finish 13th. Kim had been fifth-fastest in Run 1 at 55.53. Seok Young-jin, also of Gangwon Provincial Office, and brakeman Chae Byeong-do of Catholic Kwandong University finished 19th in 3:44.61. Both teams will also compete in the men’s four-man event Feb. 21-22. Kim’s crew will add Lee Geon-woo and Kim Seon-uk of the Gangwon Federation, while Seok’s team will be joined by Lee Do-yoon of Korea National Sport University and Jeon Su-hyeon of the Gangwon Federation. Germany swept the men’s two-man medals again, as it did at the 2022 Beijing Games. Johannes Lochner and Georg Fleischhauer won gold in 3:39.70. Francesco Friedrich and Alexander Schueller took silver in 3:41.04, and Adam Ammour and Alexander Schaller won bronze in 3:41.52. Friedrich, who won this event at Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022, fell short in his bid for a third straight two-man title and will try for gold again in the four-man race.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 07:18:00