Global solid-state battery market projected to reach $20 billion by 2032 SEOUL, February 16 (AJP) - The global solid-state battery market is projected to grow more than tenfold to nearly $20 billion by 2032, driven by expanding applications in electric vehicles and robotics, according to a market research report released Monday. South Korean battery makers are accelerating development efforts as commercialization of the next-generation technology draws closer. The worldwide solid-state battery market is expected to expand from $1.97 billion last year to $19.97 billion in 2032, representing a compound annual growth rate of 39.2 percent, according to market research firm Coherent Market Insights. Solid-state batteries use solid electrolytes instead of the liquid electrolytes found in conventional lithium-ion batteries, reducing fire and explosion risks while enabling higher energy density, the report said. Initial demand is expected to come from small electronics including home appliances, wearables and medical devices. Applications are projected to expand to electric vehicles and robots as technology matures and manufacturing processes stabilize, according to the report. However, high manufacturing costs and complex processes remain key constraints. The ability to establish mass-production systems and achieve stable yields will be critical in determining commercialization timing, the firm said. Coherent Market Insights identified U.S.-based Solvay, Cymbet and Solid Power, along with Japan's Panasonic, as companies leading solid-state battery technology. Samsung SDI was the only South Korean company included in the list. Samsung SDI built South Korea's first solid-state battery pilot line in 2023 and has been supplying samples to customers for performance verification. In late 2025, the company agreed with BMW and Solid Power to jointly pursue a technology verification project for vehicle applications. In an earnings conference call earlier this month, Samsung SDI said it is preparing next-generation solid-state batteries with a mass production target for next year and proceeding with planned investment to expand production lines this year. LG Energy Solution aims to commercialize graphite-based solid-state batteries for electric vehicles in 2029 and plans to apply anodeless solid-state batteries to humanoid robots in 2030. SK On, targeting commercialization in 2029, is considering the defense sector as an initial application. The company has built a pilot plant at its Daejeon Future Technology Institute to develop sulfide-based solid-state batteries and lithium-metal batteries in parallel. It is also collaborating with Solid Power on cell design and process technology while receiving supplies of sulfide-based solid electrolytes to accelerate development. 2026-02-16 17:08:33

Olympic Snowboard Gold Medalist Choi Ga-on Returns to South Korea After Halfpipe Win Choi Ga-on, wearing her gold medal from the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, returned home on the 16th. Choi, who delivered the first gold medal for the South Korean team, met reporters at the arrivals hall of Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 2 and said it still felt unreal. “I was in Milan until yesterday, so it didn’t really sink in,” she said. “But coming into Korea and being welcomed makes it feel more real, and I’m happy.” She added, “I didn’t expect so many people to come, so I’m flustered and embarrassed,” saying she was grateful. Choi won the women’s snowboard halfpipe final held in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 13 (Korean time). She was 11th out of 12 before her third and final run, then posted a 90.25 to surge to a dramatic victory. Her win also stopped Chloe Kim, considered the event’s biggest star, from winning a third straight Olympic title, drawing global attention. Choi has been on an upswing, including three wins on the International Ski Federation World Cup circuit in the 2025-2026 season. She raised concern after taking a hard fall on her first run and appearing to limp. “My knee is much better,” she said, adding she plans to undergo a hospital checkup. Asked what she wanted to eat most after returning, Choi said yukjeon made by her grandmother, adding she also wanted “Dujjonku and malatang,” prompting laughter. Choi also thanked Shin Dong-bin, chairman of Lotte Group, who helped cover surgery costs after she badly injured her back at a World Cup event in Switzerland in January 2024. “His support and encouragement at the hardest time made it possible for me to be here,” she said. At the athletes’ village, she said she met short track star Choi Min-jeong. “I watched her race and she was so impressive that I said I wanted to meet her, and I got the chance,” Choi said. “We kept telling each other we were amazing.” For her schedule back home, Choi said she planned a celebration party with her family and a pajama party with friends. Choi said she would work to show a wider range of skills. “In halfpipe, the most important thing is to enjoy riding,” she said. “I hope younger athletes can have fun and not get hurt.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-16 17:06:00

Expressways see heavy traffic ahead of Lunar New Year holiday SEOUL, February 16 (AJP) - South Korea's expressways experienced heavy congestion on Monday morning as travelers headed to their hometowns ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. As of 8 a.m., travel time from Seoul to major cities reached 6 hours and 20 minutes to Busan, 6 hours to Ulsan, 5 hours and 20 minutes to Daegu, 4 hours and 40 minutes to Mokpo, 4 hours and 20 minutes to Gwangju, 3 hours and 10 minutes to Gangneung, and 2 hours and 20 minutes to Daejeon, according to the Korea Expressway Corporation. Return trips to Seoul took 5 hours and 30 minutes from Busan, 5 hours and 10 minutes from Ulsan, 4 hours and 30 minutes from Daegu, 3 hours and 50 minutes from both Mokpo and Gwangju, 2 hours and 40 minutes from Gangneung, and 1 hour and 50 minutes from Daejeon. While travel times from Seoul to provincial cities remained similar to Sunday or slightly decreased, return trips to the capital took 10 to 30 minutes longer depending on the destination. Major bottlenecks formed on the Gyeongbu Expressway heading to Busan, with congestion stretching 6 kilometers near Manghyang Rest Area to Cheonan Junction, 11 kilometers from Cheonan Junction to Cheonan Hodu Rest Area, and 17 kilometers from Oksan Junction to Cheongju Junction. On the Jungbu Naeryuk Expressway toward Changwon, traffic slowed along a 10-kilometer stretch from Yeoju Junction to Gamgok. The corporation projected 5.05 million vehicles would travel nationwide on Monday, with 410,000 vehicles moving from the Seoul metropolitan area to the provinces and the same number in the opposite direction. 2026-02-16 15:46:58

Samsung Electronics eyes quarterly operating profit of 30 trillion won SEOUL, February 16 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is expected to reach 30 trillion won in quarterly operating profit for the first time in the January-March period, driven by surging demand for AI-related memory chips. The South Korean tech giant posted a record 20 trillion won in operating profit in the October-December quarter, becoming the first domestic company to reach that milestone. Analysts now project it will add another 10 trillion won in just one quarter. According to brokerage estimates, Samsung's first-quarter operating profit is forecast at 32.5 trillion won, up 386.6 percent from 6.7 trillion won a year earlier. Revenue is expected to reach 111.4 trillion won, a 40.8 percent increase from 79.1 trillion won in the same period last year. Rival SK Hynix is also projected to approach the 30 trillion won mark, with analysts estimating first-quarter operating profit of 28.3 trillion won, up 280.2 percent year-on-year. The company's sales are forecast at 42.9 trillion won, a 143.1 percent jump from the previous year. SK Hynix posted an operating profit of 19.2 trillion won in the fourth quarter, just short of the 20 trillion won threshold. However, analysts say the company could reach 30 trillion won in the current quarter, with its operating margin expected to hit 66 percent, exceeding the record 58 percent achieved in the previous quarter. The exceptional performance stems from explosive demand for high-bandwidth memory and DRAM chips used in AI servers, as well as NAND flash memory for data centers. Memory chip prices have surged as hyperscalers rush to secure supply for AI infrastructure buildouts. Market research firm Counterpoint Research projects memory prices will rise 80-90 percent in the first quarter compared to the previous quarter. Prices for 8GB DDR4, a standard PC memory chip, are expected to jump 91 percent after a 35 percent increase in the fourth quarter. Server-grade 64GB DDR5 prices are forecast to surge 99 percent following a 76 percent gain in the previous quarter. Global investment bank Morgan Stanley estimates Samsung's operating profit will reach 245.7 trillion won this year and 317.4 trillion won next year. For SK Hynix, the bank projects 179.4 trillion won this year and 225.4 trillion won in 2027. Nomura Securities raised its target price for Samsung to 290,000 won from 220,000 won, and for SK Hynix to 1.56 million won from 1.25 million won. The brokerage projected Samsung's operating profit at 243 trillion won this year and 322 trillion won next year. KB Securities analyst Kim Dong-won noted that memory supply shortages have intensified in February compared to the fourth quarter, with major customers' demand fulfillment rates at around 60 percent. "AI data center companies are absorbing 70 percent of Samsung's memory shipments, establishing a solid structural demand base," Kim said in a recent report on Thursday. "Considering the limited expansion of memory supply through 2027, maximum production capacity will emerge as a core competitive advantage." Industry sources say both companies have already sold out their memory production for this year, with global big tech firms lining up with advance payments to secure supply, providing unprecedented earnings visibility and stability compared to previous boom cycles. 2026-02-16 14:29:16

HuonsN Launches Lunar New Year Supplement Discounts on HuonsN Mall HuonsN said Monday it is running a “Lunar New Year health gift” promotion around the holiday period, offering discounts on its HuonsN Mall through Feb. 28. The company said it has prepared a limited quantity of specially packaged gift sets, including “InjiCore Stick” for cognitive function, “6-Year Real Red Ginseng Stick 57.5” made with 100% domestically produced 6-year-old red ginseng concentrate, and “Black Bellflower Pear Juice Stick” containing domestically produced black bellflower and domestic pear concentrate. Discounts also apply to products such as “Menolacto Premium” for women’s menopausal health and high-dose vitamin items including “MeritC Acid 3000mg,” “MeritC Liposome Vitamin C Triple Shot” and “MeritC Multi Vitamin Gummies,” the company said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-16 13:09:00

Korean Botulinum Toxin Makers Pivot Overseas as Domestic Prices Collapse South Korea’s botulinum toxin market has effectively hit saturation as prices have collapsed, squeezing profitability and pushing companies to focus on exports. As firms pivoted overseas, exports of Korean-made toxin reached a record high, signaling the industry’s center of gravity has shifted from domestic sales to global markets. Industry data showed that in the third quarter of 2025, exports of Korean botulinum toxin totaled $114.59 million (about 1.655 trillion won), the highest on record. With limited room for domestic growth, the sector has structurally moved toward an export-driven model. The main driver is a price structure that has become difficult to sustain. The number of sellers, including global companies, has risen to about 18, intensifying competition. Average selling prices for a 100-unit product have fallen from about 40,000 to 50,000 won to the low 10,000-won range. With more choices, repeated price cuts have entrenched a dynamic in which margins shrink as sales rise. Demand growth at home is also constrained. South Korea has one of the world’s highest procedure rates per capita, but its small population limits market expansion. With the United States, Europe and China accounting for about 80% of the global toxin market, companies see overseas share as essential for sustainable growth. The United States is viewed as the biggest battleground. The U.S. botulinum toxin market is estimated at 6 trillion to 7 trillion won, and higher prices translate directly into stronger profitability. Allergan products currently hold the largest share, benefiting from an early lead. Daewoong Pharmaceutical said it became the first company in Asia to win U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for a botulinum toxin in 2019. It launched its product, Nabota, in the U.S. under the brand name Jeuveau and ranked No. 2 in U.S. aesthetic toxin market share in the first half of last year. Nabota has partnerships in more than 80 countries. China is also expanding quickly as middle-class purchasing power rises and demand grows for higher-quality products. China’s botulinum toxin market was about 1.9 trillion won as of 2024, about 10 times the size of South Korea’s. In the third quarter of last year, China was the top destination for Korean toxin exports. Because regulatory review is stringent, relatively few companies have approvals. In 2020, Hugel’s Letybo became the first Korean product to enter China, and in January this year, Huons’ Hutox received approval. Chong Kun Dang Bio has also completed a Phase 3 trial aimed at winning approval from Chinese health authorities. Companies are also widening pipelines in emerging markets such as the Middle East, Latin America and Southeast Asia, which are seen as having long-term growth potential as incomes rise and access to lower-priced products improves. Daewoong Pharmaceutical recently signed an export deal for Nabota with Mexican distribution partner M8. Medytox affiliate NewMeco obtained approval for “Newlux” in El Salvador. Korean companies are seen as strong at offering products that balance quality and price. “Overseas, competition is not just about price but about value based on quality,” a pharmaceutical industry official said, adding that competitiveness has been confirmed even at higher price points than in South Korea. As exports rise, manufacturers are expanding capacity. Hugel said it has built a system capable of producing more than 13 million vials a year by operating a third plant. Daewoong Pharmaceutical is also building a third plant to expand Nabota output, investing more than 100 billion won; once completed, it will be able to produce up to 18 million vials. Fortune Business Insights forecasts the global botulinum toxin market will grow to $24 billion (about 34 trillion won) by 2034. Growth is expected to continue as aesthetic procedures become more common and uses expand to areas such as migraine and pain treatment. An industry official said potential demand is still rising, citing more male patients and a broader recommended age range, and added that growth could accelerate as the global consumer base expands. 2026-02-16 13:03:00

Dong-A Pharmaceutical’s SelfRX Supplements Launch on Baemin B-Mart Dong-A Pharmaceutical said on the 16th that four products from its health supplement brand SelfRX will be newly available on Baemin B-Mart, the quick-commerce service run by Delivery Hero Korea’s Baedal Minjok. The lineup includes a multivitamin, probiotics, lutein and zeaxanthin, and supercritical rTG omega-3. Each is packaged as a one-month supply and will be sold at a flat price of 5,000 won. The company said the partnership is aimed at making health supplements easier to buy quickly when needed. The SelfRX products are designed around key functions such as basic nutrition, gut health, eye health and blood circulation, and were developed by Dong-A Pharmaceutical, which cited its pharmaceutical-grade quality control as a strength. Dong-A Pharmaceutical said it plans to keep working with everyday platforms to make health care more familiar to consumers.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-16 12:57:00

Daewoong Pharmaceutical’s Enerthistle Focus Shot Tops 5 Million Sold Daewoong Pharmaceutical said Sunday that cumulative sales of its health-food division’s exam-season snack, “Enerthistle Focus Shot,” have surpassed 5 million sticks. Enerthistle Focus Shot is a stick-type jelly classified as a general food product (candy). It contains milk thistle, three B vitamins and guarana extract, a plant-based natural caffeine ingredient. The product blends theanine and guarana extract at a 2-to-1 ratio. Each stick includes 100 mg of plant-based caffeine, 2,000 mg of arginine, 1,000 mg of taurine and three B vitamins. In addition to the original orange flavor, a Shine Muscat flavor has been added. Daewoong Pharmaceutical said it collaborated in January with admissions-focused creator Mimiminu on YouTube content for “N-suiui Sin.” The video drew attention after Choi Jang-woo, a Gwangju Seoseok High School student who ranked first in total standardized score among perfect scorers on the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test, mentioned the product. An official in Daewoong Pharmaceutical’s health functional foods division said, “We developed Enerthistle Focus Shot as an energy-boosting snack that’s easy to carry and eat.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-16 12:39:00

Boryung Opens 2026 First-Half Hiring for New Graduates and Experienced Staff Boryung said Sunday it is accepting applications for its 2026 first-half open recruitment. The company is hiring entry-level employees for sales and experienced hires for clinical development, product development, sales, marketing and IT. Applications will be accepted through Feb. 22 on Boryung’s recruitment website. Boryung said it runs preferential hiring policies for women returning to the workforce after career breaks, people with disabilities and veterans. It plans to expand opportunities so candidates from diverse backgrounds can compete through fair, job-competency-based evaluations. The company also said it is focusing on recruiting candidates with strong English communication skills to respond to a global business environment. The experienced-hire track is aimed at securing key talent to support continued growth and more advanced business operations, the company said. Boryung said it will evaluate practical experience and expertise required for each role, including project experience, cross-department collaboration and the ability to work in global settings, to select candidates who can perform reliably and contribute to organizational results. For entry-level hiring, Boryung will use a “traveling recruitment” format for first-round interviews to reduce applicants’ burden and identify strong regional talent. Interviews will be held in four regions: Seoul; Chungcheong (Daejeon); Jeolla (Gwangju); and Gyeongsang (Busan). Applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree; those expected to graduate in August are eligible, regardless of major.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-16 12:24:00

JTBC Apologizes After Japanese Flag Graphic Airs During Korea-Japan Curling Match JTBC, which holds exclusive broadcast rights to the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, issued an official apology after a Japanese flag graphic aired during the women’s Korea-Japan curling match. In a statement posted on its website on Feb. 16, JTBC said that at about 11:23 p.m. on Feb. 15, a Japanese national flag graphic briefly appeared on an advertising screen during a live broadcast of the match. JTBC said the error was the production team’s fault and apologized for causing discomfort to viewers. It said it would strengthen checks and oversight to prevent a repeat. The incident occurred during the live broadcast of the women’s curling round-robin fifth match between South Korea and Japan at the Cortina Curling Stadium in Italy. After the fifth end ended, an unrelated Japanese flag graphic aired for about 10 seconds during a commercial break.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-16 12:18:00