Seoul readies "wartime" contingency plans including export curb option and extra budget SEOUL, March 17 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday ordered the government to prepare for worst-case scenarios, including "wartime" extra budget, export curbs, and nationwide energy-saving measures, as the Middle East conflict threatens to disrupt global oil supplies. “The Middle East situation is expanding beyond expectations,” Lee said in a cabinet meeting. “At this rate, gasoline prices — which have stabilized under price control measures — could turn volatile again and send shockwaves through people’s daily lives.” Lee warned that prolonged instability following U.S. strikes on Iran could reignite energy price volatility, calling for contingency planning on the assumption that the crisis may drag on. Seoul has imposed a temporary price cap on wholesale and retail fuel prices for the first time in nearly 30 years when prices at gas stations surged last week. The president urged ministries to prepare a broad range of emergency responses, including demand control and supply-side measures. “If necessary, we must consider curbing exports and increasing the operating rates of nuclear power plants,” Lee said.He also called for a nationwide energy-saving campaign, suggesting the revival of vehicle restriction schemes such as leaving cars at home once a week or adopting odd-even driving systems. His remarks mark one of the strongest signals yet that Seoul is preparing for deeper disruptions in energy markets as the Strait of Hormuz — a key global oil transit route — remains under threat. South Korea is among key users of the Strait of Hormuz under pressure by the Trump administration to join a maritime coalition to restore the waterway crippled by Iranian attacks. Lee emphasized the need to mobilize diplomatic resources to secure alternative crude supplies, citing recent efforts to procure additional oil from the United Arab Emirates. “We must make all-out efforts to discover additional supply lines by leveraging our diplomatic capabilities and assets,” he said. South Korea imports virtually all of its crude oil, with more than 70 percent sourced from the Middle East, leaving the economy highly exposed to geopolitical shocks in the region. The president also instructed the government to accelerate the preparation of a supplementary budget, describing it as a “war-time” fiscal response aimed at cushioning the economic impact. 2026-03-17 13:27:28

Daehan Shipbuilding Wins $1.3 Billion Won Order for One Suezmax Crude Oil Tanker Daehan Shipbuilding said it is continuing a strong run of new orders since the start of the year. The company said Tuesday it signed a shipbuilding contract on March 16 with an Oceania-based shipping company to build one Suezmax-class crude oil tanker worth about 130 billion won. Including the latest deal, Daehan Shipbuilding said it has won orders for a total of nine vessels so far this year, surpassing 82% of its annual order target. The customer first signed with Daehan Shipbuilding in 2023 and has placed additional orders each year since then, the company said. It described the latest order as an example of turning global geopolitical risks into business opportunities, as rising tensions in the Middle East, including Iran, have pushed ships onto longer detour routes and sharply increased crude transport distances. Daehan Shipbuilding said that trend is driving demand and prices higher for Suezmax tankers, which are suited to long-haul operations, and is supporting new orders for the company, which it said has strong competitiveness in the segment. "The fact that an existing customer returns every year shows the market fully recognizes our shipbuilding capabilities and premium value," a Daehan Shipbuilding official said. The official added that demand for high-efficiency Suezmax vessels is expected to rise amid recent Middle East-driven changes in logistics conditions, making it possible to reach the company’s annual order goal early. 2026-03-17 11:48:16

Asian markets broadly higher, KOSPI led by Nvidia partners SEOUL, March 17 (AJP) — Asian stock markets traded higher Tuesday as easing oil prices and renewed optimism over AI-driven semiconductor demand boosted investor sentiment across the region. All members of the “Magnificent Seven” closed higher overnight. Nvidia rose 1.65 percent, Tesla gained 1.11 percent, Amazon advanced 1.96 percent, Meta Platforms climbed 2.33 percent, Alphabet added 1.09 percent, Microsoft rose 1.11 percent and Apple edged up 1.08 percent. Sentiment was buoyed after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang projected that demand for its Blackwell and Vera Rubin AI platforms could reach as much as $1 trillion by 2027, reinforcing expectations for sustained semiconductor demand driven by artificial intelligence. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose 1.96 percent, while Micron Technology gained 3.68 percent after announcing plans to build a second semiconductor fabrication facility in Taiwan. Nvidia’s key memory partners also shared the momentum. SK hynix rose 2.26 percent to 996,000 won, approaching the 1 million won mark and the highest level in 11 sessions, while Samsung Electronics gained 3.90 percent to 196,050 won, nearing the 200,000 won level. Also riding the Nvidia wave, Hyundai Motor and Kia said they will expand cooperation with Nvidia in autonomous driving and software-defined vehicles. The companies plan to apply Level 2+ autonomous driving technologies to selected models and aim to extend collaboration toward Level 4 robotaxis. The partnership is also expected to strengthen AI integration, with the group building an end-to-end data and learning system to enhance its autonomous driving capabilities. Reflecting the optimism, Hyundai Motor rose 4.55 percent to 529,000 won and Kia gained 3.58 percent to 167,800 won in morning trading. As of 10:51 a.m., the benchmark KOSPI rose 2.49 percent to 5,688.22, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ gained 1.07 percent to 1,150.49. Institutions were net buyers, purchasing 180.5 billion won ($135 million), while individuals and foreign investors were net sellers, offloading 109.0 billion won and 58.6 billion won, respectively. Among other heavyweights, SK Square surged 6.05 percent to 596,000 won, HD Hyundai Electric rose 3.87 percent to 940,000 won and Hyundai Mobis gained 3.24 percent to 414,000 won. Internet and biotech stocks also moved higher, with Naver advancing 2.29 percent to 223,000 won, Celltrion climbing 2.75 percent to 205,500 won and Samsung Biologics adding 1.21 percent to 1,587,000 won. Financial shares posted modest gains, with KB Financial rising 0.94 percent to 150,700 won, Shinhan Financial gaining 0.78 percent to 90,700 won and Samsung Life Insurance up 1.65 percent to 215,500 won. Meanwhile, a few stocks bucked the broader trend. Hanwha Aerospace fell 5.42 percent to 1,396,000 won and Mirae Asset Securities slipped 1.41 percent to 69,900 won. The Korean won strengthened to 1,493.20 per dollar from the previous close of 1,497.6 as oil prices eased. Elsewhere in Asia, Japanese equities opened higher with the Nikkei 225 rising 0.21 percent to 53,862.79. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.79 percent to 26,038.31, China’s Shanghai Composite Index edged up 0.09 percent to 4,088.46 and Taiwan’s TAIEX advanced 1.66 percent to 33,897.30. 2026-03-17 11:31:48

Trump delays summit with Xi about a month as Middle East conflict drags on SEOUL, March 17 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he has asked to push back his planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for later this month, citing the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. When asked by reporters at the White House if the summit is set to go ahead as planned, Trump said, "I don't know, we're working on that right now." He added, "We've requested that we delay it a month or so." "We're speaking to China. I'd love to, but because of the war, I want to be here. I have to be here, I feel," he then further elaborated. The summit, originally scheduled for March 31 to April 2, was expected to serve as key momentum to mend relations between the two superpowers and work toward resolving various issues, including tariffs. But with the postponement, uncertainty looms until a new date is set. Some pundits speculate that Trump's request to delay the summit could be a move to pressure Beijing to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply. Trump had earlier urged five countries, including China and South Korea, to send warships to help keep the strategically important Strait of Hormuz open as the Middle East conflict which began with U.S.-led strikes on Iran late last month have dragged on with no clear end in sight. He later expanded his call to around seven countries. With his trip to Beijing postponed, Trump's possible meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is also unlikely to materialize anytime soon. 2026-03-17 11:30:14

Samsung-SK hynix faceoff at NVIDIA GTC as race for HBM4 enters cutthroat phase SEOUL, March 17 (AJP) - The world’s most consequential semiconductor rivalry is increasingly being fought not in fabs but on the stage of artificial intelligence. At this year’s NVIDIA GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, the annual gathering hosted by Jensen Huang drew the usual global crowd eager to hear where AI infrastructure is headed next. But behind the keynote spectacle, another story unfolded: South Korea’s memory giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix quietly squared off in what is becoming the semiconductor industry’s most decisive battleground — HBM4, the next generation of high-bandwidth memory powering AI accelerators. The rivalry sharpened after Huang unveiled NVIDIA’s next-generation Vera Rubin AI platform, alongside the Groq 3 Language Processing Unit, a specialized inference processor manufactured by Samsung’s foundry division. The message from the stage was unmistakable. AI computing demand is entering a new phase — and the companies that supply memory will determine who captures the value. “We are heading toward a world where AI infrastructure becomes a trillion-dollar industry,” Huang told the audience, projecting at least $1 trillion in revenue by 2027 as demand for accelerated computing explodes. For Samsung, the event served as a strategic reset. The world’s largest memory maker has spent much of the past two years trying to regain ground in the high-bandwidth memory segment after falling behind SK hynix in NVIDIA’s supply chain. At GTC, Samsung came armed with a clear message: it intends to retake the technological lead. The company showcased its sixth-generation HBM4, now entering mass production, and publicly introduced its successor HBM4E, signaling an aggressive roadmap aimed squarely at next-generation AI accelerators. Samsung’s pitch leaned heavily on a structural advantage it believes competitors cannot easily replicate — its position as the industry’s only fully integrated device manufacturer (IDM) capable of delivering a complete AI chip stack. The company highlighted a “total solution” approach combining:1c-nanometer DRAM memory dies, 4-nanometer foundry logic dies, and advanced 2.5D and 3D packaging technologies. By controlling memory, logic fabrication and packaging within one ecosystem, Samsung argues it can shorten design cycles and accelerate deployment for hyperscale AI customers. That strategy gained visibility during Huang’s keynote when he confirmed that the Groq 3 LPU, optimized for ultra-fast AI inference, will begin shipping in the second half of the year. “I want to say thank you to Samsung,” Huang said from the stage. “They are cranking as hard as they can.” The remark underscored Samsung’s role in scaling production for the next generation of AI silicon. But SK hynix – the dominant NVIDIA partner for past and current generation chips – isn't ready to give up its dominance. Under the theme “Spotlight on AI Memory,” the company emphasized its established position within NVIDIA’s ecosystem — a relationship built over several product cycles. SK hynix highlighted its HBM3E and upcoming HBM4 solutions already integrated into the NVIDIA DGX Spark AI supercomputer, positioning its products as the industry benchmark for reliability and mass production. The company’s presence was also notable for the level of leadership attending the event. Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, appeared alongside senior executives to reinforce what insiders often call the “triangular alliance” linking SK hynix, NVIDIA and TSMC. That partnership model contrasts sharply with Samsung’s vertically integrated strategy. Where Samsung emphasizes end-to-end control of semiconductor manufacturing, SK hynix is doubling down on specialized collaboration, relying on deep engineering integration with NVIDIA and advanced logic fabrication from TSMC. The approach has paid off so far. SK hynix remains NVIDIA’s primary supplier of HBM used in its most powerful AI accelerators currently deployed across hyperscale data centers. The confrontation at GTC reflects a deeper shift underway in the semiconductor industry. For decades, memory companies competed largely on manufacturing scale and cost efficiency. In the AI era, the competition is increasingly about system architecture. HBM — stacks of vertically integrated DRAM connected through ultra-wide interfaces — has become the critical bottleneck for AI performance. The memory must deliver enormous bandwidth while staying tightly coupled to GPUs and custom accelerators. That shift is forcing memory makers to operate less like commodity suppliers and more like system engineering partners. Samsung is betting that its turn-key semiconductor ecosystem will allow it to integrate memory, logic and packaging into unified AI modules. SK hynix is betting that deep specialization and ecosystem partnerships will preserve its lead. The stakes could hardly be higher. During his keynote, Huang described the scale of change in stark terms. Computing demand, he said, has grown one million-fold over the past two years as generative AI moves from experimentation to real economic work. “AI has finally become able to do productive work,” Huang said. Investors quickly picked up on the implications. Shares of Samsung Electronics rose sharply following the GTC announcements. As of 10:05 a.m. KST, the stock was trading at 195,700 won, up 3.71 percent from the previous session. SK hynix also gained ground, climbing to 994,000 won, up 2.05 percent, reflecting broad optimism about the expanding role of Korean memory suppliers in the global AI semiconductor supply chain. Analysts say the next two years will likely determine the long-term hierarchy in the HBM market. With NVIDIA preparing the Vera Rubin generation of AI systems and hyperscale data centers expanding at unprecedented speed, demand for high-bandwidth memory is expected to surge. Some projections suggest Samsung’s HBM revenue alone could more than triple by 2026 if the company successfully ramps production. But SK hynix is unlikely to relinquish its lead without a fight. At GTC, the message from both companies was clear. The AI boom has created a semiconductor arms race — and the decisive battle may be fought not over GPUs, but over the memory stacked beside them. 2026-03-17 11:21:20

Shinsegae signs deal with US AI startup to build huge data center in South Korea SEOUL, March 17 (AJP) - Shinsegae said Tuesday it has agreed to build a mega data center for artificial intelligence (AI) in South Korea in partnership with a U.S. AI company. The retail giant's chairman Chung Yong-jin met Reflection AI CEO Misha Laskin in San Francisco last Sunday and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to form a strategic partnership to build the 250-megawatt data center. The AI startup's co-founder Laskin, along with Ioannis Antonoglou - a key developer of AlphaGo - both previously worked at Google DeepMind. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick also joined their meeting and pledged to "actively support" the project's successful progress, according to Shinsegae. The partnership between the two companies is expected to become the first project under the American AI Exports Program, launched in 2025 under an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump to promote "the export of full-stack American AI technology packages to allies and partners worldwide." Once completed, it would also be the largest data center built or planned in the country, according to Shinsegae. Shinsegae said it plans to make AI its core future business, accelerating efforts to apply it across shopping, logistics, and payment. Graphics processing units (GPUs) for the data center will be supplied by Nvidia through Reflection AI, which raised US$2 billion from investors including Nvidia in October last year after being valued at US$8 billion. "AI will wholly transform every field, making it impossible to survive without it," Chung said, adding that the data center will "serve as a foundation for Shinsegae's future growth and help foster South Korea's broader AI ecosystem." Touting South Korea as a global IT powerhouse and a strong U.S. ally, Laskin said the partnership with Shinsegae will establish AI infrastructure that South Korea can develop on its own. Shinsegae said the project under the MOU will proceed swiftly in phases, with the two companies planning to establish a joint venture within this year. 2026-03-17 10:30:09

Hana Bank to Provide $1.56 Billion in Liquidity to Foster Gwangju-Jeolla Hub Firms Hana Bank is launching financial support to help foster hub companies in the Gwangju-Jeolla region, in line with the government’s “5 hubs, 3 special zones” strategy. The bank said it signed a business agreement on March 16 with the city of Gwangju, the Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund and the Korea Technology Finance Corp. to support the development of hub companies in the region. The agreement is aimed at strengthening the growth base for small and medium-sized companies pursuing future strategic industries in Gwangju and the wider Honam region, while supporting regional economic activity under the government’s balanced-growth policy. Hana Bank plans to contribute a total of 4 billion won — 3 billion won to the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund and 1 billion won to the Korea Technology Finance Corp. — to provide 155.6 billion won in liquidity. Eligible firms include those in six advanced strategic industries — AI, biotech, content, defense, energy and smart factories — as well as exporters and companies expanding overseas, job-creating firms and businesses rooted in the local economy. The bank also plans to cover 0.6% of guarantee fees for two years to ease financing burdens for smaller companies. The guarantee institutions will also expand support. The Korea Credit Guarantee Fund and the Korea Technology Finance Corp. will raise their guarantee coverage ratio to 100% from 85% and cut guarantee fees by 0.3 percentage points. Gwangju will provide 2.0% interest subsidies on 30 billion won in working-capital loans to reduce financing costs for local small businesses. The chamber said it will work to broaden participation by regional companies. “This agreement will improve access to financing for promising small and medium-sized companies in the Gwangju-Jeolla region and support stable business operations,” Hana Bank CEO Lee Ho-seong said. “We will continue to accelerate productive financial support for balanced national development and the growth of future strategic industries.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-17 10:12:00

Chip boom lifts South Korea's export prices to 19-month high but outlook remains bleak SEOUL, March 17 (AJP) - South Korea's export prices climbed to a 19-month high in February, as a historic rally in semiconductor prices completely offset the impact of a stronger Korean won. This highlights the growing pricing power of South Korea's high-tech sector amid explosive artificial intelligence (AI)-driven global demand. The main driver is a massive jump in semiconductor prices, strong enough to counter the effects of a rising won, which would normally make exports cheaper. The trend signals that South Korea's tech industry is gaining pricing power as global demand for chips and AI-related technology continues to surge. The index gauging export prices rose 2.1 percent from the previous month and 10.7 percent compared with the same month last year. It is the highest since July 2024, when it stood at 13.0 percent, a significant leap from the 7.8 percent rise seen in January, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK) on Tuesday. The surge is particularly notable, given that it came despite a 0.5 percent strengthening of the won against the greenback, with the exchange rate moving from 1,456.51 in January to 1,449.32 in February. Typically, a stronger won makes South Korean exports cheaper for foreign buyers, but the strong momentum in the semiconductor market outweighed the effect. Semiconductor-led surge The electronics sector led the rally, with prices for computer, electronic, and optical devices skyrocketing 44.1 percent year-on-year. In particular, DRAM and flash memory prices soared by 123.5 percent and 139.1 percent, respectively. On a monthly basis, computer storage devices saw a staggering 32.6 percent increase. Overall industrial products rose 2.1 percent from the previous month, further supported by a 7.0 percent jump in coal and petroleum products. In contrast, transportation equipment and chemical products continued to struggle, falling 3.1 percent and 6.6 percent year-on-year, respectively. Energy prices drive up import costs The import price index also edged up 1.1 percent month-on-month, primarily due to rising crude oil prices. The average price of Dubai crude rose 10.4 percent in February to $68.40 per barrel, up from $61.97 from the previous month. Raw materials led the increase with a 3.9 percent rise during the same period. However, capital and consumer goods saw slight declines of 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively, as the strengthening won helped temper the cost of finished imports. Dramatic improvement in trade terms These February figures highlight a significant shift in South Korea's trade dynamics. The net terms of trade index - which measures the volume of imports a country can buy per unit of exports - jumped 13.0 percent year-on-year. This was the strongest growth in years, as export prices in dollar terms rose 10.3 percent while import prices fell 2.4 percent. The income terms of trade index, reflecting the total purchasing power of exports, saw an explosive 31.8 percent growth - fueled by a 16.6 percent increase in total export volume, particularly in the electronics sector where volumes skyrocketed by 50.9 percent. The unprecedented performance in the semiconductor sector has fundamentally altered the trade landscape. The rise in export prices despite the won't appreciation indicates that South Korea's tech exports are increasingly driven by market dominance and structural demand rather than simple price competition. Outlook for March remains grim However, the outlook for March is expected to be sharply different as the escalating conflict in the Middle East that began with U.S.-led airstrikes on Iran late last month has triggered extreme volatility in energy prices and exchange rates. The surge in global crude prices has raised concerns over a spike in import costs. Brent crude, which traded near $72 per barrel at the end of February, has climbed past $100 per barrel as of Monday. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) has also risen above $90 per barrel. Most critically for South Korea, which sources 70 percent of its crude from the Middle East, Dubai crude is approaching $130 per barrel as of last Friday. The won briefly broke the psychological barrier of 1,500 per dollar during intraday trading on Monday, though it closed at 1,497.5, its worst session since the 2008 global financial crisis, a more than 4 percent jump from the Feb. 27 closing price of 1,439.8. 2026-03-17 09:53:04

Singer Insooni Says She and Her Husband Sleep in Separate Rooms Singer Insooni introduced her husband on television. Insooni appeared on TV Chosun's "Joseon's Lovebirds" on the 16th. Her husband said, "I'm the person who lives with Insooni, whom you all know well. I'm a bit flustered to be out here, but I think I'll just show things as they are." He added, "I majored in golf, so I teach pros and non-pros. Right now, I'm giving golf lessons." The couple also showed their bedroom. Insooni said, "We sleep in separate rooms," adding, "I can understand almost anything, but I really can't forgive farting under the covers. It wafts over."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-17 09:36:14

Thinkware Launches Caltrwin KX and KR Window Tint Film Lineup Thinkware said March 17 that its automotive tint brand Caltrwin is launching two new window film lines, KX and KR. The new lineup consists of a reflective type and a nonreflective type, aimed at improving both driving visibility and heat-blocking performance. The reflective KR film is a metal-based product made with a high-purity sputtering process, the company said. It is offered in visible light transmission (VLT) grades of 11% and 27%, with infrared rejection (IRR) of up to 85% and total solar energy rejection (TSER) of 64%. The nonreflective KX film uses nano-ceramic technology based on polymer fusion coating to deliver high clarity and stable heat blocking, Thinkware said. It is available in VLT grades of 6%, 12% and 34%, with IRR of up to 90% and TSER of up to 68%, which the company said can help keep the cabin comfortable in strong sunlight. Caltrwin also offers after-sales service. Customers who have the film installed at an official Caltrwin shop will receive a manufacturer warranty certificate, and the company provides a seven-year quality warranty for issues such as cracking, fading and discoloration. A Thinkware official said the new KX and KR lines focus on core tint performance, including visibility and heat blocking, and are expected to be a good option for customers seeking verified performance at a reasonable price. To mark the launch, Thinkware said it will run a first-come, first-served review event through April 12. The first 10 customers to post an installation review online will receive a premium car wash voucher worth 100,000 won.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-17 09:21:17