Made-in-Korea brands epitomise the rise of Asia's integrated value chain SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - A Samsung Galaxy phone can no longer be described as “made in Korea” in any literal sense. Battery materials mined in Indonesia, memory chips manufactured in Korea, components sourced from Japan and final assembly in Vietnam or India all feed into a device that takes weeks to complete and crosses multiple borders before reaching a consumer. The smartphone illustrates how Samsung Electronics has secured its position at the premium end of the global market. Rather than relying on domestic production, the company has stitched together a regional value chain that balances cost pressures with technological quality — and reflects the increasingly interdependent nature of Asian manufacturing. Korean companies, once squeezed by the swift ascent of China’s state-backed industries, have instead leaned into the strengths of neighboring economies. The result is not a retreat of Korean competitiveness but its reinvention through a wider Asian production system. One smartphone, many countries: the reality of “Made by Asia” In an era of geopolitical contest, the notion of a single “country of origin” has become increasingly anachronistic. It also explains why trade restrictions aimed at one country generate outsized uncertainty for global producers. A high-end Korean smartphone today is a composite of the region’s industrial capacities. The application processor is developed through advanced foundries in Korea and Taiwan; memory is produced in Korean cleanrooms; Indonesia supplies key battery minerals; displays are engineered using Korean technology but assembled overseas; and the final product is put together largely in Vietnam and India. Samsung now manufactures roughly 80 per cent of its smartphones outside Korea, with Vietnam as its largest base and India expanding rapidly as a second hub. According to Kyung-hyun Koo, a researcher at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), this overseas production structure has long been central to Korea’s industrial success. “This is not a recent phenomenon but has been the core success formula of Korea’s key industries since the 2000s,” Koo said. “Korean firms have expanded production networks to overseas locations where low-cost manufacturing is possible, while focusing domestically on higher value-added processes. Given Korea’s limited resources and production capacity, building production partnerships abroad and making efficient use of global networks has been an inevitable and important strategy — and one that remains essential going forward.” He added that heavy concentration in a single production base inevitably carries risks. “It is difficult to quantify precisely, but if production in Vietnam were to be completely disrupted, the impact would be very significant,” Koo said. “From that perspective, excessive reliance on one country carries inherent risks, which is why continuously expanding and diversifying production networks is so important.” No longer “Made in Korea”: TVs follow a similar trajectory Korea’s television industry underscores the same shift. Samsung and LG continue to dominate the upper tier of the global market, yet few of their high-end sets are produced onshore. Core display panel production has moved offshore, while assembly lines are concentrated in Vietnam, Mexico and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Koo said this should be understood as a structural reorganization rather than industrial decline. “Without such a shift, it would be difficult to maintain price competitiveness,” he said. “The real challenge lies in how Korea continues to secure higher value-added processes domestically. The idea that everything must be produced in Korea belongs to the past, and building and effectively utilizing overseas production networks will remain a long-term task for Korean industries.” Korea and Japan: from industrial rivals to research partners Perhaps the sharpest illustration of Asia’s evolving industrial architecture lies in the changing relationship between Korea and Japan. The two were once fierce competitors in semiconductors and displays. Today, their supply chains are increasingly intertwined. Japanese strengths in foundational materials and specialized components now complement Korea’s expertise in mass production, system integration and chip design. Recent government-backed initiatives have accelerated joint work in next-generation semiconductors, AI-related technologies and advanced materials — areas both countries view as critical for maintaining technological relevance. ASEAN and India: from low-cost bases to strategic pillars Southeast Asia has moved well beyond its reputation as a low-cost manufacturing zone. Vietnam alone accounts for an estimated 14 per cent of Korea’s total exports, thanks largely to Samsung’s vast operations. Indonesia, meanwhile, has become a crucial supplier of nickel and other battery minerals vital to Korea’s EV and energy-storage ambitions. India is emerging as both an alternative production base to China and a major consumer market. Korean companies that once looked primarily to Nasdaq are now weighing Indian IPOs, while expanding their local footprints to tap long-term demographic and digital growth. Koo noted that ASEAN countries are also seeking to move beyond low value-added production. “ASEAN economies are themselves recognizing the limits of remaining in low value-added manufacturing and are aiming to upgrade,” he said. “There are areas where the needs of both sides align, even as challenges related to workforce skills and industrial infrastructure remain.” On India, he added, “many major Korean companies now view India as one of their most promising export markets going forward,” Koo said. “Given its large population and stage of industrial development, it is a market Korea cannot afford to overlook, even though challenges remain.” Asia as a coherent production bloc, not fragmented economies With the US and China erecting new barriers across trade and technology, Korea’s competitiveness increasingly depends on the strength of its regional partnerships. What is emerging is not a set of isolated players but an integrated Asian production bloc — one in which supply chains, investment flows and technological capabilities reinforce one another. “Made in Korea” has become less a territorial label than a shorthand for an industrial ecosystem rooted in Asia’s collective strength. “As Asia’s overall economic value increases, the roles played by different parts of the region are also expected to grow,” Koo said. “What matters most going forward is a strategic approach in which each country identifies areas of comparative advantage, focuses its investments accordingly and builds long-term partnerships rather than seeking quick gains.” 2025-12-01 20:16:06

K-pop may have to lose the "K" as it sits as a genre, not a category SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - K-pop has broken a historic barrier at the Grammy Awards — one of the highest measures of global music recognition — entering a "Big Four" category for the first time. Since the Grammys began in 1959, no Korean artist had ever been nominated in any of the major categories. That changed when the Recording Academy announced its 68th Grammy nominees in early November, naming BLACKPINK's Rosé, the OST "Golden" from Netflix's animated film "KPop Demon Hunters," and global girl group KATSEYE — jointly launched by HYBE and Geffen Records — in major categories, which are Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. For years, the Grammys have been seen as conservative, prioritizing musical craftsmanship over commercial popularity. BTS attended as presenters in 2019 and earned multiple nominations over three consecutive years, but never broke into the Big Four. Now, attention turns to next February's awards, where the industry is watching to see whether K-pop converts nominations into its first major-category win. K-wave thrives in the social media age According to the 2024 National Image Survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korea's global favorability has risen steadily for six years — from 71.1 percent in 2018 to 79 percent in 2024. Among sectors such as sports, education, human rights, healthcare, and science, culture and entertainment emerged as the most influential contributor, rising from 35.3 percent in 2018 to 43.9 percent in 2024. The pandemic further accelerated the trend. With digital media consumption soaring, 89.3 percent of respondents said they first encountered Korea through YouTube, and 60.8 percent through Netflix — confirming streaming as the primary gateway to Korean pop culture. K-idol training sets a global standard for star-making KATSEYE was formed through the global audition program "The Debut: Dream Academy," which selected six multinational members from more than 120,000 applicants via evaluations and fan voting. The group trained under what is now widely recognized as the K-pop system — a long-term, intensive regimen that includes daily vocal and dance training, performance rehearsals, and moral education. "We have long wanted to develop diverse global talent based on the methodology of K-pop and build global groups in the K-pop style," HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk said. The audition program was not only a debut project; it was a test of whether Korea’s star-making system could be exported intact. In the United States, talent is discovered, not groomed. The idea of multi-year training and development (T&D) — shaping multidimensional artists before debut — is still unfamiliar. Korean agencies build performers step by step — crafting group concepts, curating artistic direction, and supporting long-term branding. A crucial part of the system is extensive vocal coaching across multiple genres, equipping trainees to deliver synchronized choreography. The trainee system, which can last from six months to ten years, is built to cultivate potential rather than select only fully formed performers. To ensure a stable debut, agencies provide mental and emotional support programs, including language education for foreign trainees, life coaching, and professional counseling. Even in global audition formats, companies maintain private trainee pools that undergo monthly evaluations — a high-pressure system that explains the scale of the recent fallout between NewJeans and HYBE. At the end of the day, music drives the momentum The breakout success of Netflix's animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" encapsulates how K-pop expands globally. The film follows fictional girl group Huntrix, who use their songs to protect their fans from supernatural threats. Its OST tracks — including "Your Idol" by the group's rival Saja Boys and "Golden" by Huntrix — climbed Billboard's global charts soon after the film's June release. Cover videos and challenge trends spread rapidly across social platforms, creating a loop in which music fuels content, and content boosts music streams. A recent study by Korea University's College of Media and Communication — based on keyword analytics from the Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation — found that the two most frequently mentioned terms in online discussions were "song" and "Korea." Many viewers described replaying scenes while looping the soundtrack, responding strongly to the film's musical peaks. The inclusion of Korean lyrics in the OST was particularly striking, with global listeners singing along phonetically. Professor Baek Hyun-mi, the author of the study, noted that the recent wave of success brings not only pride but also unresolved questions. "This success leaves us with more than just a sense of pride," Baek said. "Within global platforms, the question of who truly owns this culture remains unanswered. The creative origins lie in Korea, but it is still unclear who ultimately controls the outcomes and reaps the benefits." Industry power shift: Toward a new 'Big 4' "K-pop is entering the early stage of mainstream globalization," said pop culture critic Ha Jae-keun. K-pop's industrial scale is now reshaping the global music hierarchy. HYBE's market value has climbed to fourth worldwide, edging closer to Warner Music Group and challenging the decades-old dominance of the "Big Three" — Universal Music Group, Sony Music, and Warner Music Group. Music Business Worldwide founder Tim Ingham recently predicted that Warner's revenue may gradually converge with HYBE's, signaling a structural shift in global music capitalism. Between 2020 and 2024, HYBE recorded a 29 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) — far outpacing Sony (18.3 percent), Universal (12.5 percent), and Warner (9.5 percent). "Along with BTS's full-group comeback next year, we see this moment as pivotal for strengthening both our market reach and long-term growth potential," a senior HYBE official said. Critic Kim Hern-sik notes that K-pop must now secure its position as a genre, not just a cultural category. "It should establish itself the way Britpop once did. Today, young people around the world see K-pop as a space where they can feel agency, dream, and achieve something. For many, it is the only arena where that possibility feels real — and that is why its power is so strong." 2025-12-01 20:15:32

South Koreans attempt catchup in AI race between U.S.–China with early-adoption strategy SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - South Koreans are the world’s second largest paid users of ChatGPT after Americans and six out of ten young employees daily incorporate AI assistance for their tasks, which explains why AI frontier players Nvidia and OpenAI value Korea as a crucial market despite its humble standing between superpowers U.S. and China. Despite its IT advances and heavy R&D spending ratio against GDP, South Korea has not a single domestically developed model to boast, apart from the memory mounting on U.S.-designed chips. As with earlier innovations, Korea makes an early adopter of AI, but not a breakout innovator. The adoption gap A Bank of Korea survey from May and June found that 63.5 percent of Korean workers had experimented with generative AI, while 51.8 percent deployed it in their professional tasks. In contrast, a Federal Reserve survey reported only about 28 percent of American workers using AI at work in 2024, with the figure climbing to about 55 percent by August 2025. The penetration rate in China is around 36.5 percent. The country counted 515 million generative AI users as of June 2025, with the user base doubling within six months, according to a report from the China Internet Network Information Center. Usage patterns reveal similar intensity in Korea. Workers integrating AI into their jobs dedicate five to seven hours weekly — roughly 12 to 17 percent of a typical work week. Daily engagement shows an even wider gap: 78.5 percent of Korean AI users log at least one hour per day, a rate 2.5 times higher than the 31.8 percent recorded in the United States. Korean use of ChatGPT reached 60 percent three years after the generative AI commercial debut, which is exceptionally fast when considering internet usage in Korea stopped at 7.8 percent three years after introduction in the 1990s. "China and U.S. are well ahead in R&D but in usage and awareness, South Korea is at the top," said Kwon Jae-jin, professor of Industrial Management Engineering at Induk University and CEO of private institution Korea AI Edu Center. The model race: U.S. dominance, Chinese challengers ChatGPT dominates 67.8 percent of the generative AI app market in Korea and Google's Gemini 19.5 percent, although the latter's share may change given the hyped reception of the 3.0 update. OpenAI reports Korea holds second place worldwide for paid ChatGPT subscriptions after the U.S. The U.S. currently dominates the AI narrative — OpenAI with the ChatGPT series, Anthropic's Claude, Google's Gemini, and Meta's Llama. China is fast rising. DeepSeek, a startup backed by quantitative hedge fund High-Flyer, stunned the industry in January 2025 when its R1 reasoning model matched the performance of OpenAI's offerings at a fraction of the cost — reportedly $5.6 million for training. Moonshot AI's Kimi represents another Chinese success story. The Beijing-based startup's chatbot surpassed 15 million users in China by late 2024, and its Kimi K2 model, released in July 2025 with one trillion parameters, achieved state-of-the-art performance in coding benchmarks while being open-sourced under a modified MIT license. By late 2024, Kimi ranked among the top three most-used AI assistants in China. Established tech players also are eagerly fielding their candidates — Alibaba's Qwen, Baidu's Ernie, and ByteDance's Doubao each command significant domestic user bases. Korea's sovereign AI gap Seoul has been making strides in the catch-up game under the ambitious goal to join the top three powerhouses in AI, although lacking a star player. Last August, South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT designated five consortia to spearhead sovereign AI development. The ministry selected Naver Cloud, SK Telecom, LG AI Research, NC AI, and startup Upstage from a pool of 15 candidates, committing roughly $390 million in public funding through 2027. The government's total pledge reaches 530 billion won — about $383 million — with 450 billion won targeting GPU infrastructure. Yet none of these domestic initiatives have achieved the global reach or performance benchmarks set by ChatGPT and similar platforms. The sheer difference in spending matters as the economics of scale define the AI race. For Kwon Min-gu, a 27-year-old Korean freelancer juggling nine AI services supporting his workflow — from Gemini and ChatGPT for research to Midjourney for image generation — only two originated domestically. "The performance and accessibility differences remain vast," he said. Hardware strengths, software gaps Korea has some leverage over hardware. Samsung and SK hynix jointly represent roughly 70 percent of global DRAM manufacturing and nearly 80 percent of global revenue in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) that powers AI accelerators. During the first quarter of 2025, SK hynix held 70 percent of worldwide HBM market share, with its HBM3E chips generating over half of all HBM revenue. Korea currently ranks third globally in GPU infrastructure holdings, positioned behind only the United States and China, according to Ha Jung-woo, presidential chief of staff for AI Future Planning. Under an agreement with Nvidia, 260,000 GPUs will reach South Korea by 2030, with 50,000 units allocated to government facilities and the remaining 210,000 divided among Samsung, SK Group, Hyundai Motor Group, and Naver. But hardware prowess alone cannot secure leadership. U.S.-based Nvidia commands nearly 80 percent of GPU markets. Korea relies on key imports to produce chips and batteries to run data centers. The vast electricity capacity required in power-short Korea is another matter. U.S. big techs can afford to solve the energy issue. Microsoft signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Constellation Energy to restart Three Mile Island's Unit 1 reactor, which will supply 835 megawatts exclusively to its data centers by 2028. Amazon committed about 1.9 gigawatts, Google partnered with Kairos Power to deploy 500 megawatts, and Meta followed with a 20-year agreement for 1.1 gigawatts. China’s approach is entirely government-led. The East Data, West Compute initiative funnels data center construction into eight western provinces where renewable energy is abundant and land is cheap. The project aims to power new data centers with 80 percent green energy by 2025 — a dramatic shift from the current 70 percent coal reliance in eastern coastal regions. Government response The momentum behind Korea's AI push reflects an administration betting heavily on technological transformation. President Lee Jae Myung, who assumed office in June, has positioned AI as central to his economic agenda. In his budget pitch at the National Assembly in November, Lee called the spending plan "Korea's first budget for the AI era," allocating 10.1 trillion won for AI — more than triple this year’s level. The administration has also secured international backing. In September, Lee met with Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock, in New York. The two signed a memorandum of understanding to develop hyperscale AI data centers powered by renewable energy. Fink pledged to help make Korea the "AI capital of Asia" by drawing global investment into the country's AI infrastructure. At the APEC summit in Gyeongju last month, Lee outlined Korea's AI governance framework to world leaders. "We are building an AI highway and are about to implement the Basic Act on AI, which will balance industrial development with responsible use of artificial intelligence," he said. The talent question Korea’s long-term viability in AI competitiveness hinges on its ability to secure and retain talent. The 2024 Global AI Index from Tortoise Media placed South Korea sixth among 83 nations in overall AI competitiveness — yet the country dropped to 13th place in talent metrics. To address the gap, the Education Ministry unveiled its inaugural national AI talent blueprint this November, committing 1.4 trillion won to develop expertise from elementary school through postgraduate research. One initiative creates a fast-track program enabling exceptional students to earn bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in 5.5 years, rather than the typical eight-plus. "But to say our people are using the full potential of AI, that would be a different story," said Kwon Jae-jin. "Around six or seven out of ten users use AI as search engines, so many are unfamiliar with basic prompting concepts." A lack of shared understanding of why AI is needed — or broader consensus around AI applications — may prove an obstacle. "Ever since the first AI models' launch, humans have focused on learning about AI," Kwon said. "Now, we believe AI will try to understand humans. Learning what AI does and how it functions will be crucial in the next era soon to come." 2025-12-01 20:15:19

PHOTOS: South Korea enters winter season SEOUL, December 1 (AJP) – South Korea is entering the full winter season, with cold northern air sweeping across the country. Seoul’s morning low stood at 3.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday, a drop of 6 degrees from the previous day. Signs of winter have begun to appear across the capital as well. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said a stronger surge of cold air from the north will bring a pronounced cold wave from the middle of the week, with brisk winds further lowering the wind chill. On Wednesday (Dec. 3), rain or snow is forecast for the Chungcheong and Jeolla regions, while Jeju Island is expected to see rain from Wednesday through Thursday morning. Temperatures will bottom out around midweek before gradually returning to near-seasonal levels. 2025-12-01 18:23:48

LG Electronics named best TV brand in Europe SEOUL, December 01 (AJP) - LG Electronics said on Monday it was selected as best TV brand at the Euroconsumers Awards 2025, an honor determined by expert testing and consumer satisfaction surveys across Europe. The awards are jointly hosted by consumer media outlets from Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Brazil, all members of ICRT, an alliance of 37 consumer organizations including U.S.-based Consumer Reports and UK-based Which?. This marks the first year the seven-year-old awards selected winners by product category. LG scored highly in expert product tests conducted in labs and in consumer satisfaction and reliability surveys conducted across Europe, including the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Denmark, Austria, Slovenia and Hungary beyond the five host countries. The recognition is attributed to LG's OLED TV, which the company first commercialized in 2013. Cumulative OLED TV sales in Europe surpassed 10 million units this year, doubling at twice the previous pace after reaching five million units in 2021. European consumers favor high-quality content and value OLED TV's infinite contrast ratio and color reproduction. The thin design without backlighting appeals as an interior element in Europe's living room-centered culture. The TV's fast response time and high refresh rate provide optimal viewing for sports broadcasts popular in Europe. In North America, LG OLED TV swept Consumer Reports' rankings across all screen size categories where OLED TVs are available, including over 70 inches, 65 inches, 55-60 inches, 46-52 inches and 39-43 inches. "This is recognition of strong leadership in Europe, a representative premium TV market," said Lee Chun-kook, executive vice president and head of LG Electronics Europe. "We will deliver the best viewing experience to customers worldwide with self-emissive high-quality picture and thin, simple design of LG OLED TV." 2025-12-01 18:05:36

Fast-track immigration at Inchon Airport now available for travelers from 18 countries SEOUL, December 1 (AJP) - Eighteen countries are now eligible for automated immigration clearance, up from four, the Ministry of Justice said on Monday. The move aims to shorten waiting times for foreign visitors entering the country. The newly eligible countries include Australia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the U.K., and others. The ministry said, "We selected countries based on reciprocal immigration agreements, the scale of bilateral human exchanges, diplomatic ties, and other criteria." The number of booths for automated immigration clearance at Inchon International Airport will also be increased to improve accessibility for foreign visitors. About 40 percent of foreign arrivals are expected to use automated immigration, with the ministry planning to expand the service to other airports across the country. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-01 17:31:00

Asian markets mixed as BOJ rate-hike fears hit Tokyo shares SEOUL, December 01 (AJP) - Asian stock markets closed mixed on Monday, with Japanese shares tumbling on renewed speculation that the Bank of Japan may soon raise interest rates. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI slipped 0.2 percent to 3,920.37, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ rose 1.1 percent to 922.38. Institutional investors offloaded a net 233 billion won ($158 million) worth of shares, outweighing net purchases of 53 billion won by retail investors and 216 billion won by foreigners. The KOSPI opened 1.1 percent higher at 3,967.92 and climbed to 3,977.31 early in the session, but momentum faded after BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda signaled the possibility of a rate increase. The index fluctuated between gains and losses before ending slightly lower. Large-cap chipmakers were mixed. Samsung Electronics edged up 0.3 percent to 100,800 won ($69), and SK hynix gained 1.5 percent to 538,000 won. Battery maker LG Energy Solution advanced 1.2 percent, while Samsung Biologics rose 2.6 percent. Automakers underperformed: Hyundai Motor fell 2.7 percent to 254,500 won, and Kia dropped 1.6 percent to 112,300 won. Shares of e-commerce giant Coupang, hit by the largest-ever consumer data leak, tumbled in New York pre-market trading, falling about 9 percent to $25.60 as of 3:30 a.m. EST. Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 1.9 percent to 49,303.28, pressured by broad declines in major blue chips. Toyota fell 1.6 percent, Sony lost 3.5 percent, SoftBank slipped 1.7 percent, Nintendo dropped 1.6 percent, and Honda slid 2.4 percent. Market expectations for a BOJ policy shift intensified after Ueda said he would “make an appropriate judgment” on a rate hike. The central bank meets on Dec. 18–19. Local media reported that a move from the current 0.5 percent benchmark to 0.75 percent is under consideration. Ueda’s remarks pushed bond yields higher, strengthened the yen and weighed on equity markets. China’s Shanghai Composite Index bucked the regional trend, rising 0.7 percent to 3,914.01. 2025-12-01 17:28:24

Korean memory makers set to benefit whoever wins in GPU vs TPU SEOUL, December 01 (AJP) - As Google’s tensor processing unit (TPU) rises as a formidable challenge to Nvidia’s near-monopoly in AI computing, the clearest signals of how the rivalry is unfolding may not be found in the chips themselves, but in the earnings and order books of Korea’s two memory giants: Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. Samsung is said to have supplied more than 60 percent of the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in Google’s TPU designs through Broadcom, Google’s chip-design partner, and is expected to expand its share next year with sixth-generation HBM4. Until the first half of this year, SK hynix had been the primary supplier of HBM3E chips for Google’s Ironwood TPU, but that dynamic may shift in the second half and into next year, analysts say. Each TPU, typically equipped with six to eight HBM stacks, is also believed to come at up to 80 percent lower cost than Nvidia’s H100 GPU — a key reason hyperscalers are accelerating adoption. A structural shift beneath the GPU–TPU rivalry Behind the GPU-versus-TPU debate lies a broader transformation in how artificial intelligence infrastructure is being built. According to Kyung Hee-kwon, a senior researcher at the Korea Industrial Research Institute, the global AI transition is increasingly being shaped not by chipmakers, but by big tech platforms designing computing systems around their own data and workloads. “AI today is being led by platform companies — what many refer to as the Magnificent Seven,” Kyung said. “These firms are focused on agentic AI that enables large-scale automation, rather than fully autonomous human-like intelligence.” For years, Nvidia’s GPUs were seen as indispensable for AI computation. But semiconductors, Kyung noted, are tools — not ends in themselves. “If a chip delivers better power efficiency and performance for a specific purpose, there is no inherent reason it must be a GPU,” he said. Google’s TPU, developed over several years and now deployed at scale in its data centers, exemplifies this shift. Unlike Nvidia, Google is not bound by the CUDA software ecosystem and instead operates a vertically integrated stack, allowing TPU accelerators to demonstrate efficiency gains in targeted workloads. Kyung emphasized that TPUs and GPUs serve complementary roles. “This is not about GPUs being replaced altogether. GPUs remain critical for training and general-purpose computing. What we are seeing is the emergence of alternative accelerators — especially where power efficiency and supply constraints matter.” Supply bottlenecks push platforms toward custom silicon With global foundry capacity stretched and delivery lead times extending into years, hyperscalers are increasingly unwilling to wait for GPUs. “AI has become a technology tied to national competitiveness and security,” Kyung said. “If GPU supply cannot meet immediate demand, companies will seek viable alternatives that can be deployed now.” This pressure has accelerated a wave of custom-silicon development far beyond Google, including Amazon’s Trainium, Microsoft’s Maia, and in-house AI accelerators at Tesla and other platforms. Memory remains the constant, regardless of who wins For Korea’s memory makers, the implications are structurally favorable regardless of which accelerator architecture gains ground. “Whether computing shifts from GPUs to custom accelerators, Korea’s role fundamentally remains the same,” Kyung said. “High-bandwidth memory, advanced mobile DRAM and graphics memory are essential across all AI architectures. What changes is the route to market, not the underlying demand.” This explains why Samsung Electronics and SK hynix sit at the center of both GPU- and TPU-driven ecosystems — and why their contrasting exposures offer a clearer lens into the AI race than any single chip announcement. According to Park Yu-ak, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities, Samsung’s growing presence in custom accelerators reflects its broader footprint across memory and foundry, while SK hynix continues to anchor the high-end GPU market through its HBM leadership. Analysts say Samsung’s relative composure also reflects expectations of a sharp earnings rebound beyond the current cycle. KB Securities projects Samsung Electronics’ operating profit to reach 64 trillion won in 2026- more than double 2024 levels — driven by tighter memory supply conditions and rising demand for high-bandwidth memory as AI infrastructure expands. 2025-12-01 17:23:15

Coupang's meteoric rise meets its most serious stress test yet SEOUL, December 01 (AJP) - Coupang’s latest data leak has renewed scrutiny of the South Korean e-commerce giant, underscoring concerns that its operational systems have not kept pace with its rapid expansion. The company said on Monday that 33.7 million user accounts were affected — an extraordinary figure showing the breach could have affected nearly the country's entire population. The disclosure comes as Coupang remains under pressure over workplace safety following a string of deaths among night-shift workers at its logistics facilities. On Nov. 26, a man in his 50s was found dead during an overnight shift at a center in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. Five days earlier, a worker in his 30s suffered cardiac arrest at a facility in Hwaseong and later died in hospital. They were the third and fourth night-shift fatalities at Coupang this year. Since 2020, at least 27 deaths among the company’s warehouse and delivery workers have been reported by South Korean media. Despite the mounting operational controversies, Coupang has grown into one of the most valuable companies in Asia. The company’s market capitalization reached $51.4 billion as of Monday, far outpacing the $35 billion valuation of Hyundai Motor Group. If listed domestically, Coupang would rank as South Korea’s fourth most valuable firm, behind Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and LG Energy Solution. Coupang reported record third-quarter revenue of 13.6 trillion won ($9.2 billion) in 2025, along with operating profit of 238 billion won. Active customers — defined as those making at least one purchase — rose 10 percent from a year earlier to 24.7 million, driven by increased spending in its core Rocket Delivery service. Founded in 2010 by Korean-American entrepreneur Bom Kim, Coupang began as a social commerce startup selling discounted attraction tickets before pivoting to full e-commerce. The launch of Rocket Delivery in 2014 — backed by massive investments in proprietary logistics centers — reshaped Korea’s retail landscape with next-day and overnight fulfillment. The model initially generated widening losses but delivered exponential growth, helping the company build an 80-percent nationwide coverage footprint and a logistics network spanning 55 million square feet. Rocket Delivery and its offshoots — Dawn Delivery and Rocket Fresh, launched in 2018 — have driven sharp increases in customer loyalty and order volume. Coupang posted its first annual profit in 2023 after 13 consecutive years of losses. Revenue reached an all-time high of 41.3 trillion won ($28.1 billion) in 2024 — more than 86 times its 2013 disclosure of 477.8 billion won. Active customers grew from 14.85 million in 2020 to 22.8 million in 2024. Coupang entered the Fortune 200 in 2023 and 2024 and advanced into the Fortune 150 in 2025 — cementing its status among the world’s largest companies even as it confronts intensifying scrutiny over data security and labor practices. 2025-12-01 17:23:00

NewJeans drop social media moniker ahead of comeback after legal dispute SEOUL, December 1 (AJP) - K-pop girl group NewJeans has deleted their short-lived social media account used during their dispute with management agency ADOR, sparking anticipation for their impending comeback. The account under the name of "NJZ," which served as the quintet's main channel to communicate with fans, is no longer accessible as of Monday. The girls created the account earlier this year under their own new name to rebrand themselves amid escalating tensions with ADOR, following their decision to terminate their contract with the agency over alleged breaches of obligation and negligence. But after a court in October upheld ADOR's exclusive contract with the girls as valid, they expressed their intention to return to the agency, effectively ending the legal battle. Meanwhile, Min Hee-jin, the former ADOR CEO who mentored NewJeans, recently launched a new agency, signaling her move toward an independent path. 2025-12-01 16:57:51