AI race to be defined by entrepreneurial spirit The global artificial intelligence market is exploding in size. Precedence Research projects that AI will swell from $757.6 billion to $3.7 trillion by 2034. An annualized growth of 19.2 percent is pronounced: AI is not just another fast-growing technology. It will reshape the very structure of the world economy. But in this era of relentless innovation, the decisive factor is no longer the technology itself. AI is becoming widely accessible—almost a public good. What will truly separate winners from laggards is the ability to turn that technology into new business models, new industries, and new value. In other words, the entrepreneurial spirit. Entrepreneurship is often reduced to the romantic image of a lone founder with a great idea. But the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor defines it differently: as a behavioral capacity that combines opportunity recognition, risk-taking, innovativeness, and the power to execute. It is the ability to see what others overlook, accept that failure is part of progress, and move boldly when uncertainty is high. My own research across 16 metropolitan regions confirms this. Regions that scored higher in opportunity perception, risk tolerance, self-belief, and innovativeness did not simply produce more startups. They produced more economic growth. What mattered was not the rate of new business creation, but the mindset that turns ideas into impact. Growth, in other words, was driven less by technology and capital than by human intention and action. This is why the real battleground of the AI race will not be technical capability alone. The differentiator will be entrepreneurial leadership powerful enough to reshape markets using the tools of AI. OpenAI is a case in point. The company did not win global attention merely because it built a sophisticated model. It reoriented the investment landscape, reorganized industrial ecosystems, and triggered a rethinking of how economies will function in an AI-first era. “Technology + capital + execution” is the formula that defined its rise. That is entrepreneurship in its purest form. Countries and companies hoping to lead the AI era need to understand this shift. Investing in AI research is necessary, but insufficient. Without systems that reward risk-taking, channels that move ideas from laboratory benches into commercial use, and a culture that respects and protects innovators, AI spending becomes little more than a pile of capital stacked on fragile ground. Only with such foundations, AI becomes transformative—not only advancing technology, but accelerating national competitiveness. AI is sweeping the world with the force of a storm. Yet its direction will not be dictated by algorithms or machines. It will be shaped by the people daring enough to wield them. In the AI age, advantage will not belong to those who merely possess technology. It will belong to those who spot the opening first—and seize it. The author is a columnist of Aju Media Corporation. 2025-12-05 14:12:04

Kia marks 80th anniversary with pledge to lead future mobility SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Kia President Song Ho-sung pledged to accelerate innovation across electric and purpose-built vehicles as the automaker marked its 80th anniversary on Friday. “We will continue to innovate with various electric and purpose-built vehicle models to become a centennial company,” Song said at a commemorative event held in Yongin, south of Seoul. Reflecting on Kia’s evolution to a global brand, Song credited the company’s resilience to founder Kim Chul-ho’s vision of advancing national industrial capability through technology. He noted that Kia endured multiple crises by introducing new models and pursuing fresh business directions. Since joining Hyundai Motor Group, Kia has expanded its global presence under successive leadership. Song highlighted Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-koo’s emphasis on quality and Chairman Chung Eui-sun’s focus on design and innovation as key drivers of growth. He also underscored the company’s efforts to strengthen organizational culture and lead in next-generation mobility solutions. Song cited ongoing challenges, including shifting global trade policies, supply-chain disruptions, rapid advances in AI-based mobility technology, and rising competition from Chinese automakers. Kia, he said, plans to address these pressures by doubling down on its core mission of providing innovative mobility solutions. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-05 13:57:39

KITA forecasts record exports for South Korea this year SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea's exports are on track to top $700 billion for the first time in history, with the recovery expected to continue into 2026, according to a report released on Dec. 5 by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA). KITA's Institute for International Trade said exports are projected to rise 3.0 percent this year to $704 billion, while imports are expected to slip 0.3 percent to $630 billion. That would leave the country with a trade surplus of $74 billion. Semiconductors and shipbuilding are the main drivers behind the record performance. Chip exports have climbed sharply on growing demand for AI-related components such as high-bandwidth memory, paired with limited global production capacity that has pushed up prices. Shipments of vessels are also set to increase more than 22 percent as high-value LNG carriers ordered in 2022 and 2023 are delivered. Automobile exports, which were hit earlier in the year by increased U.S. tariffs, are expected to grow 1.6 percent as South Korea shifts more shipments to Europe and other non-U.S. markets. KITA said exports to the United States rebounded in November with a 13.7 percent increase, helped by expectations of tariff reductions following recent bilateral negotiations. Steel and petroleum products, however, are expected to remain weak through the end of the year due to higher duties and falling crude prices. For 2026, KITA projects that exports will continue on a positive track, increasing 1.0 percent to $711 billion. Imports are forecast to edge up 0.5 percent to $633 billion, keeping the trade balance in surplus. Information-technology products are expected to lead next year's growth. Semiconductor exports are forecast to rise 5.9 percent as AI-related demand remains strong. SSD exports are expected to increase 10.4 percent on the back of expanding enterprise-level storage needs. Wireless communication devices are projected to grow 5.4 percent as foldable smartphones gain ground and memory-chip prices rise. Display exports are likely to post a small gain as OLED panels continue to expand in IT devices and premium smartphones. Other sectors face a more challenging outlook. Automobile exports may fall 1.0 percent due to base effects and gradual expansion of U.S. local production. Petroleum products are projected to decline 13.3 percent as crude prices settle in the mid-50-dollar range. Petrochemical exports are expected to drop 6.1 percent amid continued global oversupply, while steel exports may fall 2.0 percent under ongoing U.S. tariffs and subdued demand. KITA said next year's import trends will largely reflect weaker energy prices, though higher imports of semiconductor components and manufacturing equipment could offset some of the reduction. 2025-12-05 13:44:25

Naver teams up with Netflix for Culinary Class Wars Season 2 push SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Naver unveiled a joint marketing campaign with Netflix, leveraging its map and membership services to promote the streaming giant's upcoming cooking competition series Culinary Class Wars Season 2. The South Korean tech firm said on Friday its Naver Map application now features a curated list of restaurants operated by chefs appearing in the Netflix show, which premieres on Dec. 16. A internationally beloved series which pit 80 unknown chefs against celebrity chefs in a culinary competition last season, Culinary Class Wars was the first Korean unscripted series to lead Netflix’s Global Top 10 (Non-English) TV list for three consecutive weeks. About 30 establishments run by contestants including Michelin two-star chef Lee Jun, Son Jong-won and Raymon Kim are accessible through the app's saved list function. The collaboration builds on a year-long partnership between the two companies, Naver saying that the initiative aims to strengthen ties between Netflix's global content and its domestic digital services while offering enhanced user experiences. Starting Dec. 18, the app will expand its offerings to include the complete roster of Season 2 chef restaurants. Naver Map will also exclusively feature hidden gem recommendations from Season 1 fan favorites, including celebrity chefs Choi Hyun-seok, Yeo Kyung-rae and viral sensation Lim Tae-hoon. Naver Plus membership subscribers who select Netflix as their digital content benefit can enter the "NaNet Dining" promotion running from Dec. 9 through Jan. 18. Ten winners will receive dinner invitations prepared personally by chefs featured in the new season. An additional 1,000 participants will be selected through a lottery to receive 5,000 won in Naver Pay points, the company said. 2025-12-05 12:28:55

Asian stocks mostly down early Friday ahead of FOMC week SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Asian stocks were mostly lower in early Friday trading as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of next week’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting, which is expected to set the tone for U.S. rate policy in 2025. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI rose 0.5 percent to 4,047.41, while the KOSDAQ slipped 0.7 percent to 923.70 as of 10:05 a.m. Samsung Electronics gained 1.9 percent to 107,050 won ($72.8), whereas SK hynix fell 0.7 percent to 538,000 won. Large-caps were broadly higher. LG Energy Solution, the market’s third-largest stock, advanced 3.1 percent to 422,500 won, and Hyundai Motor jumped 6.4 percent to 301,750 won. Hyundai Motor surpassed its previous intraday record of 299,000 won set on January 11, 2021, extending a four-day rally after Washington confirmed a retroactive reduction in tariffs on Korean auto imports to 15 percent. Samsung Biologics, the fourth-largest by market value, declined 1.4 percent to 1,656,000 won. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.4 percent to 50,329.03. Among the country’s three largest firms by market capitalization, Toyota Motor declined 2.3 percent to 3,033 yen ($19.6); Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group dropped 0.9 percent to 2,492 yen; and Sony Group slid 2 percent to 4,328 yen. As of 10:40 a.m., 39 of the top 40 large-cap stocks were down, with SoftBank Group the sole gainer, rising 1.7 percent to 18,510 yen. In China, the Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.2 percent to 3,867.04, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.6 percent to 25,787.66. 2025-12-05 11:47:07

Korea's C/V surplus halves, outbound stock invest outsized inbound by a factor of 6 SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea posted its 30th straight monthly current account surplus in October, but the headline figure shrank to a six-month low as reduced factory activity during the Chuseok holiday dampened trade, according the central bank data, which also showed Korean outbound stock purchases overwhelming foreign inflows by a factor of six to explain the stubbornly weak Korean won against the U.S. dollar. The Bank of Korea said Friday that the country recorded a $6.81 billion current account surplus in October, down sharply from $13.47 billion in September and from $9.4 billion a year earlier. Korea’s September–October trade patterns typically hinge on the timing of the Chuseok holiday, with exports front-loaded ahead of factory shutdowns. Even with the pullback, the cumulative surplus for the first 10 months reached a record $89.58 billion—17 percent higher than a year earlier—putting Seoul on track to hit the $115 billion milestone for 2025. The services account logged a $3.75 billion deficit despite a record influx of inbound tourists. The travel balance swung deeper into the red, widening to $1.36 billion from $910 million in September, as a stronger dollar inflated Koreans’ overseas spending. The goods account recorded a surplus of $7.82 billion, half of September’s $14.24 billion. The Bank of Korea said the drop largely reflected the normalization of consumption tax flows, which had surged ahead of the Chuseok holiday. Customs-cleared exports rose 3.5 percent on year to $59.5 billion. Semiconductor shipments jumped 25.2 percent to $15.86 billion, while vessel exports soared 135.8 percent to $4.62 billion. Petroleum products also posted an 11.7 percent gain to $3.84 billion, despite intensifying low-cost competition from China. The primary income account booked a $2.94 billion surplus, buoyed by Koreans’ growing investment income overseas. Dividend income alone reached $2.29 billion, underscoring heavy equity allocations abroad. In the financial account, net assets increased by $6.81 billion as outbound investment continued to dominate. Direct overseas investment totaled $1.88 billion, far outpacing the $150 million that foreigners invested in Korea. Korean nationals’ overseas equity purchases surged to $18 billion in October—more than double September’s $8.5 billion and six times the $2.93 billion foreign investors deployed into Korean stocks. Reserve assets rose by $6.67 billion, up from $4 billion in September, suggesting stepped-up efforts by authorities to counter won weakness after the currency moved past 1,450 per dollar and continued south in October. As of 9:30 a.m. Friday, the won was trading at 1,474 per dollar. 2025-12-05 11:28:45

South Korea's finance chief rules out using pension fund for FX intervention SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea’s finance chief pushed back against speculation that the government might lean on the National Pension Service to help stabilize the weakening won, saying market fundamentals — not state intervention — should guide currency movements. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol, speaking in a radio interview Friday, said the government has no intention of directing the NPS, one of the world’s largest institutional investors, to adjust its dollar holdings for exchange-rate purposes. “The pension fund requires dollars for overseas investments and converts them back during payouts,” he said. “We intend to establish a new framework that reflects these structural realities, not one based on government intervention.” Koo said the administration is focused on balancing foreign-exchange supply and demand in the near term but argued that the only durable solution lies in strengthening the competitiveness of Korean companies and the broader economy. “Our goal is to build an economic structure in which foreign exchange flows naturally,” he said. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-05 11:12:40

Five Hanjin airlines adopt Starlink high-speed Wi-Fi across fleets SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Five airlines under South Korea’s Hanjin Group will adopt SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service to provide high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi, Korean Air said on Friday. The move, which includes Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul, marks the first deployment of Starlink by a South Korean carrier. Starlink operates a network of more than 8,000 low-earth orbit satellites and offers speeds of up to 500 Mbps, allowing passengers to stream video, play online games, shop, send messages and transfer large files with minimal delay. The service will be available across all cabin classes. Testing and certification will begin this year, with commercial service expected to launch as early as the third quarter of 2026. Korean Air and Asiana will first equip their long-haul Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A350-900 aircraft, with full fleet installation targeted by the end of 2027. Jin Air plans to start with its Boeing 737-8, while Air Busan and Air Seoul are finalizing their rollout plans. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-05 10:43:22

Hotel Shilla CEO's son earns near-perfect score on university entrance exam SEOUL, December 5 (AJP) - Hotel Shilla president Lee Boo-jin has garnered fresh attention this week as it was revealed that her son earned a near-perfect score on last month's university entrance exam, creating a buzz among many parents. With this year's exam being one of the toughest as only five students achieved perfect scores, her son reportedly missed just one question. The news spread shortly after former conservative lawmaker Park Sun-young shared it on social media on Thursday. "Lee's son got only one question wrong on the exam. In fact, he never lost first place throughout his school years," Park said, adding that online communities of mothers interested in their children's education have been buzzing as they try to figure out how she raised her son. Praising Lee, Park added, "These days, many affluent parents often rush to send their children to English kindergartens or to international schools abroad. Yet the Samsung heiress chose to keep her son entirely in South Korea for his education. She even plans to have him attend a domestic university." Lee's son is reportedly not considering medical school, unlike many top scorers who typically pursue that path. "It seems that Lee wants her son to avoid all the fuss and pressure that would come with pursuing medicine," Park speculated. "I hope her example helps our troubled education system improve, even just a little." Meanwhile, her dedication to her son's education, much like that of any devoted parent, was revealed earlier last month when it emerged that she lived in Daechi-dong, the capital's upscale district of Gangnam clustered with crammers, throughout her son's middle and high school years to support his studies. She has now returned to Yongsan, the tony neighborhood traditionally known as an enclave for the conglomerate's family members. Lee drew a great deal of publicity in 1999 when she married a "humble" man, but the couple divorced in 2020 after a lengthy legal battle. Lee gained custody of their son, while her ex-husband received a substantial portion of the couple's assets. 2025-12-05 10:29:54

Korea–Syria forum explores post-civil war reconstruction, economic partnership SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea and Syria held their first joint business forum in Damascus on Dec. 4, marking a rare step toward expanded economic engagement as Syria seeks partners for reconstruction and modernization efforts. The forum, hosted by the foreign ministries of both countries and organized by KOTRA and the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, took place at the Sheraton Hotel in central Damascus. According to KOTRA, around 100 government officials, business leaders and journalists attended. Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry Mohammad Nidal Alshaar called for deeper strategic cooperation with South Korea in advanced industries, technology transfer, smart infrastructure and education. He said Syria is working toward a more export-oriented and globally integrated economy through stabilization measures and legal reforms. Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdulsalam Haykal lauded South Korea’s economic rise, citing companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK Telecom as models. He expressed interest in attracting a Samsung data center to Syria, highlighting the country’s potential as a logistics base with a skilled workforce. Representing Seoul, Jung Kwang-yong, Director-General for the Middle East and Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted opportunities for cooperation in trade, energy and infrastructure. Jeon Gyu-seok, South Korea’s ambassador to Lebanon, said the forum underscores Seoul’s commitment to supporting Syria’s stability, reconstruction and economic recovery. * This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-05 10:09:35