Agriculture minister dismisses further tariff-related pressure from US SEOUL, February 9 (AJP) - South Korea is unlikely to be pressed to open its agricultural market further beyond the scope of last fall's broader tariff-related deal with the U.S. Dismissing doubts, Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryeong made the remarks during a press briefing at the government complex in Sejong on Monday, when reporters asked whether South Korea's move to expand imports of American potatoes was made at Washington's request. She clarified that the imports from about a dozen U.S. states were part of an extension of quarantine procedures that began in 2019 and brushed off farmers' concerns, saying the impact would be minimal. Song argued that domestically grown potatoes are more competitive in both quality and price than American ones, citing that previous imports from 22 U.S. states did not affect the domestic market. On the controversial plan to relocate the Korea Racing Authority, the country's equestrian agency, for housing development, which has sparked violent protests from locals in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, she said the government will work with relevant ministries, including Land, Infrastructure and Transport, to find a solution. Addressing concerns over rising rice prices, she pledged that the government would intervene promptly should prices surge including the immediate release of stockpiles to stabilize the market. Regarding the government's proposed tax on sugar, Song said the government is still reviewing various scenarios, adding that if the levy only targets sweetened beverages, the impact on inflation would likely be limited. 2026-02-09 16:57:26

MrBeast Posts Super Bowl Photos With Rosé, IShowSpeed and Kim Kardashian YouTuber MrBeast, who has the most subscribers worldwide, shared a photo with singer Rosé at the NFL Super Bowl. On Sunday, MrBeast posted the picture on social media with the caption, “I like football.” In the photo, MrBeast and Rosé look into the camera, smiling. MrBeast also posted photos with YouTuber IShowSpeed and U.S. model Kim Kardashian. In the Super Bowl on Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13, earning payback after 11 years and winning the franchise’s second Super Bowl title. 2026-02-09 16:51:00

Korea joins global AI bet, tripling spending in 2026 SEOUL, February 09 (AJP) - The bill for artificial intelligence is stretching at a staggering pace, and South Korea is joining the race by tripling government spending on AI to 10.1 trillion won ($6.9 billion) this year. Even so, Seoul's commitment is a small splash in a rapidly deepening global pool. Big Tech alone is poised to pour roughly $650 billion into AI-related capital expenditure in 2026. Amazon, Alphabet, Meta and Microsoft plan between $635 billion and $665 billion in spending on data centers and AI chips this year — about 67 percent more than their combined outlay in 2025. In a November report, JPMorgan Chase warned that the industry would need to generate roughly $650 billion in annual revenue through 2030 to secure a 10 percent return on projected investment. Against this backdrop, South Korea — home to memory chip leaders Samsung Electronics and SK hynix — is waging its own costly campaign to build sovereign AI capabilities. "It's about locking in users early," said Park Han-woo, a professor at Yeungnam University. "Companies are investing aggressively despite limited short-term returns." President Lee Jae Myung has made AI the centerpiece of his economic agenda, calling the 2026 budget "Korea's first AI-era budget." Of the 10.1 trillion won allocated — up from 3.3 trillion won in 2025 — about 7.5 trillion won will go toward infrastructure and talent development, including the addition of 15,000 GPUs to bring the government's total to 35,000. Another 2.6 trillion won will fund AI adoption across industries and public services. "In the AI age, being a day late means falling a generation behind," Lee told parliament. The "Sovereign AI Foundation Model" Push At the core of Seoul's strategy is the government-backed "sovereign AI foundation model" competition, aimed at developing homegrown large language models that can rival ChatGPT and Gemini. The Ministry of Science and ICT selected five consortia in August 2025 — led by LG AI Research, SK Telecom, Naver Cloud, NC AI and Upstage — each receiving substantial computing resources and official "K-AI" developer status. The first evaluation round in January delivered a surprise: Naver Cloud, widely seen as a front-runner, was eliminated after evaluators found it had relied on fine-tuning a model developed by Alibaba rather than training a fully original system. NC AI, a unit of NCSoft, was also cut. LG AI Research, SK Telecom and Upstage advanced, with LG ranking first across all criteria. The government plans to narrow the field to two finalists by the end of 2026. Previously eliminated companies, including Kakao and KT, will be eligible to re-enter, though none have signaled interest. Korea's private sector is also ramping up. Naver and Kakao roughly doubled facility investment in the third quarter of 2025 year-on-year. Naver's capital expenditure on data centers and servers climbed to 389.5 billion won, with server spending alone jumping from 146.5 billion won to 350 billion won. The company has pledged over 1 trillion won in GPU investments in 2026. Kakao, which partnered with OpenAI to develop AI agents for its messaging platform, is investing 600 billion won through 2029 to build a dedicated AI data center in Namyangju, while trimming affiliates to redirect capital toward AI. SK Telecom appears to be making the boldest bet. The carrier reported a 73 percent drop in net income for fiscal 2025 as it funneled capital into AI data centers, yet its shares traded near a 52-week high following its Feb. 5 earnings release. The company is building a 1-gigawatt AI data center in Ulsan with Amazon Web Services and plans to expand across Southeast Asia, starting with Vietnam. "SK Telecom is positioned for profit recovery in 2026," said Kim Hong-sik, analyst at Hana Securities, citing a low base and potential inflows if selected as a national AI project operator. Still, the biggest question looms: profitability. While Amazon generates more than $700 billion in annual operating cash flow, Naver's total revenue for 2025 was about 12 trillion won and Kakao's roughly 8.9 trillion won — figures that pale beside the hundreds of billions being committed to AI infrastructure worldwide. Experts say the cost burden may ease only when the industry shifts from GPUs — essential for training and running large models — to less power-hungry NPUs capable of deploying lighter models at lower cost. "GPUs, especially Nvidia's, are advancing faster than the models themselves," said Kong Duk-jo, professor of AI policy and strategy at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology. "If fabless NPU firms can build competitive chips, it could open new markets across hardware and software." He added that on-device AI, already demonstrated by Samsung, shows potential for broad commercial applications. 2026-02-09 16:26:34

South Korea Auto Industry Urges Fast Passage of U.S. Investment Special Act Amid Export Uncertainty The South Korean auto industry urged lawmakers to quickly pass the proposed “Special Act on Strategic Investment Management Between South Korea and the United States.” The Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAIA) said in a statement Monday that the industry is increasingly uneasy after reports that the U.S. government is considering raising tariffs on major items, including automobiles, from 15% back to 25%. KAIA said the move is being discussed because of delays in passing the special act and other factors, despite a bilateral agreement reached in November last year. KAIA said the possibility of higher tariffs is “amplifying uncertainty” across the auto industry’s investment and export environment, and it expressed “serious concern.” As the shift to future mobility accelerates, KAIA said, companies need a predictable and stable business environment to support large-scale investment aimed at securing global leadership. It warned that prolonged uncertainty over potential tariff hikes would weaken companies’ willingness to invest and could erode competitiveness across the broader industrial ecosystem. KAIA called for swift passage of the special act so companies can reduce external risks and continue investment and exports in a stable environment.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-09 16:24:00

BTS Comeback D-40: Police to deploy task force as Seoul concert expected to draw 260,000 SEOUL, February 09 (AJP) - Seoul police are bracing for a massive influx of up to 260,000 people next month as K-pop band BTS returns to the stage for a high-profile comeback performance in the heart of the capital. Park Jeong-bo, commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, announced Monday that a dedicated task force led by the deputy commissioner for public safety has been established to manage the event. During a regular press briefing, the commissioner said every department within the force is currently focused on securing the venue. The concert, "BTS Comeback Live: ARIRANG," is set for March 21 at 8 p.m. (1100 GMT) at Gwanghwamun Square. The event marks the first time the full group will perform together in nearly four years since completing their mandatory military service. Gwanghwamun Square serves as the historical and political center of South Korea. Situated at the northern end of Sejong-ro, the site is home to the statues of King Sejong the Great and Admiral Yi Sun-sin and serves as the gateway to Gyeongbokgung Palace. The square has long been a focal point for South Korean public life, hosting everything from the 2002 World Cup street cheering to the 2016 candlelight vigils. Police estimate that 230,000 people could pack the area between the main stage and Daehanmun, the main gate of Deoksugung Palace located about 700 meters (0.5 miles) south of the square. If crowds spill over toward Sungnyemun, South Korea's "Great South Gate" and National Treasure No. 1, situated another 600 meters further south, the total could climb to 260,000, based on a density of two people per square meter. While the square has a formal capacity of about 34,000 for seated events, its open layout and connection to major boulevards allow for significantly higher numbers. To maintain order, authorities will divide the area into four major zones and 15 sub-sections, each overseen by a police superintendent. Security efforts will extend beyond crowd control to include 13 violent crime teams from nine local stations and specialized anti-terrorism units tasked with conducting explosives sweeps. "We are preparing with all-out measures so that citizens can watch the performance safely," Park said. The agency's cyber unit is also tracking online threats and illegal activities, including the use of macro programs to manipulate ticket sales and scams involving fraudulent accommodation bookings. While the event organizer, Hybe, has hired 3,500 private safety personnel, Park noted that police may request more staff depending on the turnout. The concert follows the March 20 release of the group's new album, also titled "ARIRANG," and will be streamed globally on Netflix. 2026-02-09 16:20:20

KAI Signs $101.4 Billion-Won FA-50PH Support Contract With Philippines Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said Monday it has signed a performance-based logistics (PBL) contract with the Philippine Department of National Defense for FA-50PH fighter jets. The contract is worth about 101.4 billion won and runs through 2028, the company said. KAI said it previously signed a one-year PBL pilot contract worth 27 billion won with the Philippines in December 2024, the first such deal with an export customer. It said the pilot delivered stable operations and high aircraft availability, leading to the three-year agreement. PBL provides logistics support based on operational performance such as aircraft availability and maintenance reliability. KAI described it as an advanced support model designed to ensure stable support over an aircraft life cycle of 30 to 40 years. KAI said it has run PBL programs for about 15 years, starting with the South Korean Air Force’s KT/A-1 in 2010 and expanding to the T-50 and Surion aircraft families. The Philippines is a key FA-50 operator for KAI. It first introduced 12 FA-50PH aircraft in 2014 and has built a close relationship with KAI through follow-on support and logistics assistance over about 10 years, the company said. Based on that relationship, the Philippines last year signed contracts to acquire an additional 12 FA-50PH aircraft and to upgrade the performance of the FA-50PHs exported in 2014, KAI said. KAI said the Philippines deal follows a PBL contract signed with Thailand in April last year and reflects a pattern in which aircraft exports are followed by sustained support, then expanded through additional purchases and upgrade projects. Park Kyung-eun, executive vice president and head of KAI’s CS division, said the company will build tailored follow-on support systems optimized for each country’s operating environment and needs. “Through this, we will secure sustainable export competitiveness and further expand our presence in the global aerospace and defense market,” Park said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-09 16:09:18

Krafton posts record Q4 revenue on mobile game growth SEOUL, February 09 (AJP) - South Korean game developer Krafton reported a 49 percent growth in fourth-quarter revenue a year earlier, driven by strong performance from its mobile titles and cross-platform collaborations. Revenue for the final quarter of 2025 reached 919.7 billion won ($628.5 million), up from 617.6 billion won a year earlier, according to a regulatory filing released Monday. Operating profit plunged to 2.4 billion won from 215.5 billion won as the company set aside 81.6 billion won for employee welfare funds ahead of its office relocation. For the full year, Krafton posted revenue of 3.33 trillion won, up about 23 percent from 2.71 trillion won in 2024. Operating profit fell to 1.05 trillion won from 1.18 trillion won, though the company maintained profitability above 1 trillion won for the second straight year. The maker of "PUBG: Battlegrounds" attributed the growth to successful brand collaborations and expanded user-generated content offerings across its franchises. PC platform revenue jumped about 24 percent in the quarter to 287.4 billion won, fueled by a November tie-up with luxury carmaker Porsche that marked the franchise's most successful supercar collaboration to date. Mobile revenue climbed on the back of PUBG Mobile and its India-specific version BGMI, which saw paying user numbers rise 5 percent and 27 percent respectively for the year. The company also benefited from consolidating results from acquisitions ADK Group and Neptunus, which drove other revenue up more than tenfold. "We are building a long-lifecycle franchise ecosystem anchored by PUBG IP while expanding into new territories with AI-driven innovation," the Seongnam-based company said. Krafton said it plans to release new titles including Subnautica 2, Palworld Mobile and others this year, promising to upgrade its existing IP into title games of each genre. 2026-02-09 15:53:15

Sika deer at play in the snowy Mt. Halla JEJU, February 09 (AJP) -A herd of sika deer bounds across a snow-covered horse grazing field on Mount Hallasan in Jeju on Monday, after heavy overnight snowfall blanketed the region in white. As the snow eased earlier in the day, the deer emerged to roam freely across the quiet landscape, their gentle movement bringing life to the stillness of winter. 2026-02-09 15:48:39

Hanwha Aerospace posts record 3 trillion won operating profit in 2025 Hanwha Aerospace said in a regulatory filing on Monday that it posted 26.6078 trillion won ($26,607.8 billion) in revenue last year and 3.0345 trillion won ($3,034.5 billion) in operating profit. The figures were up 137% and 75%, respectively, from a year earlier, marking a third straight year of record results. The company attributed the gains to steady growth in its ground defense and aerospace businesses, as well as the full-year consolidation of Hanwha Ocean into its financial statements. In ground defense, Hanwha Aerospace reported 8.1331 trillion won ($8,133.1 billion) in revenue last year, about double the level of two years earlier. Operating profit rose to 2.0129 trillion won ($2,012.9 billion), topping 2 trillion won for the first time. Overseas, it secured exports including K9 self-propelled howitzers to Norway and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers with advanced guided missiles to Estonia. In South Korea, it won a 705.4 billion won ($705.4 million) mass-production contract for the Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile, or L-SAM, and a 225.4 billion won ($225.4 million) mass-production contract for the Cheongeom air-to-ground guided missile for light armed helicopters. As of the end of last year, its ground defense order backlog stood at about 37.2 trillion won ($37,200 billion). The aerospace unit posted 2.5131 trillion won ($2,513.1 billion) in revenue last year, extending its growth streak to three years, helped by a sharp rise in defense orders. Operating profit came to 2.3 billion won ($2.3 million), returning to the black. Subsidiary Hanwha Ocean was included in consolidated results for a full 12 months for the first time last year. Hanwha Ocean reported annual revenue of 12.6884 trillion won ($12,688.4 billion) and operating profit of 1.1091 trillion won ($1,109.1 billion). A Hanwha Aerospace official said last year marked the first year the company fully incorporated Hanwha Ocean’s performance, calling it a starting point for its push to become an integrated defense and shipbuilding group. The official said the company will seek sustainable growth this year through a diversified product portfolio, while working to expand in global markets and contribute to South Korea’s security.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-09 15:45:18

Samsung Elec gets head start in HBM4 race, SK hynix plays it cool SEOUL, February 09 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has moved a step ahead in the race to commercialize next-generation high-bandwidth memory, shipping early samples of its HBM4 chips and preparing for mass supply, according to industry sources. In the sixth-generation memory standard expected to power future artificial intelligence accelerators from Nvidia and Google, Samsung appears to have gained an early edge over local rival SK hynix, which currently dominates the HBM market. A source familiar with the matter said Samsung completed sample shipments of HBM4 products to customers late last year and is now entering what amounts to the early commercialization phase. “Samples were already supplied by late December, and what comes next is essentially the process of shipping mass-produced products,” the source said. “Preparations for shipments are in the final stages.” The source added that delivery schedules remain closely tied to customers’ product road maps. “Even with detailed planning, schedules can shift depending on customers,” the person said. “But given the current situation, it would not be far off to view shipments as starting after the Lunar New Year holiday.” If Samsung begins commercial supply ahead of competitors, it would become the first memory maker to move HBM4 beyond the sample stage and into early customer shipments, industry officials said. Kim Deok Kee, a professor of electronic engineering at Sejong University, said Samsung would indeed be the first in the industry if it begins mass production ahead of its rivals. “There are only three major players in this market. Micron, Samsung Electronics, and SK hynix,” Kim said. “If Samsung moves first, it would be the first in the industry.” Kim said the early start carries symbolic weight for Samsung, which has lagged behind SK hynix in the HBM market. “Samsung has been playing catch-up in HBM, and taking the lead in HBM4 mass production could be seen as a chance to regain momentum,” he said. “It suggests the company has resolved key technical hurdles such as heat management.” SK Hynix Downplays Timing Gap SK hynix, however, has played down the significance of Samsung’s early move, saying it is already prepared for mass production and that supply timing ultimately depends on customers. “We announced last September that we had built a mass-production system after completing customer samples,” a company official said. “As for final supply, we and our competitors are at similar stages. It largely depends on customer timelines.” The company said it has finished sample deliveries and stands ready to move into full-scale supply once demand materializes, but declined to give a precise timetable. The contrasting messages reflect a shift in competition from technology development to commercialization speed, as chipmakers seek to align deliveries with Nvidia’s next-generation “Rubin” AI platform. Speed vs. Relationships Samsung is widely seen as leveraging its vertically integrated structure — spanning DRAM manufacturing, logic-die production and advanced packaging — to accelerate commercialization. HBM4 marks a major leap from the current HBM3E generation, doubling the input-output interface to 2,048 bits and sharply boosting bandwidth per stack. The upgrade is designed to ease the so-called “memory wall” that increasingly constrains AI system performance. SK hynix, meanwhile, continues to benefit from its long-standing partnership with Nvidia, built during the rapid expansion of HBM3 and HBM3E for AI workloads. Market Share Battle Intensifies SK hynix overtook Samsung as the world’s top memory supplier last year amid explosive demand for AI chips, driven largely by Nvidia’s platforms. In 2025, SK hynix generated 47.2 trillion won in chip operating profit on sales of 97.15 trillion won, compared with Samsung’s 24.9 trillion won. The three dominant memory makers — Samsung, SK hynix and Micron — which control most of the global memory supply, have sent memory prices across the board soaring as they increasingly shift capacity toward premium HBM products. Counterpoint Research estimates SK hynix will hold about 54 percent of the global HBM4 market this year, compared with 28 percent for Samsung and 18 percent for Micron. The firm previously put SK hynix’s HBM3 share at 62 percent in mid-2025. Investment banks also expect SK hynix to maintain its lead. Goldman Sachs forecasts the company will dominate HBM3 through at least 2026, while UBS estimates it could capture around 70 percent of HBM4 demand tied to next-generation AI platforms. Despite Samsung’s early push, SK hynix remains confident. “Our commercialization capabilities and product quality, which have earned customer trust, cannot be overtaken in a short period,” Song Hyun-jong, president of SK hynix’s corporate center, said during a recent earnings call. “As with HBM and HBM3, we aim to secure overwhelming leadership in HBM4.” Samsung Electronics shares closed at 166,400 won ($123), up 4.92 percent, while SK hynix ended at 887,000 won ($657), up 5.72 percent. 2026-02-09 15:42:56