China suspends sanctions on Hanwha Ocean's US subsidiaries SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - China has suspended sanctions on South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean for one year, Beijing's Ministry of Commerce said on Monday. The ministry said it decided to halt retaliatory measures against the shipbuilder's five U.S. subsidiaries, after the U.S. suspended its so-called Section 301 measures, which include punitive tariffs on Chinese maritime logistics and other goods. Earlier last month, China imposed sanctions on them to prohibit them from engaging in transactions with Chinese entities, citing their cooperation with the U.S. The affected subsidiaries were Hanwha Philly Shipyard, Hanwha Shipping, Hanwha Ocean USA International, Hanwha Shipping Holdings, and HS USA Holdings. The suspension, which temporarily lifts sanctions on them with immediate effect, came after Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump agreed on several trade-related issues to ease tensions during a meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea's southeastern city of Gyeongju late last month. The shipbuilder expressed relief at the move, saying, "We welcome China's decision and hope the suspension will strengthen our partnerships with Chinese businesses." In particular, Hanwha Phil Shipyard is a key site for the country's "MASGA" (Make America Shipbuilding Great Again) project, which is part of a border tariff-related deal with the U.S. Despite Washington's requirement to use U.S.-made parts for security reasons, some experts had expressed worries that, if China's sanctions were to take effect, the shipbuilder could face difficulties in procuring certain components, such as ship valves, which are monopolized by Chinese companies. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-10 15:50:44

HD Hyundai Heavy wins order for two mega container ships SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured an order worth 435.3 billion won for two large container vessels, strengthening its presence in the global market. The company said on Monday that it has recently signed a contract with Thailand's Regional Container Lines to build the vessels at its shipyard in Ulsan, with deliveries scheduled in phases through October 2028. The mega container ships, with a cargo capacity of 13,800 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units), will measure 337 meters in length, 51 meters in width, and 27.3 meters in height. They will also be equipped with scrubbers to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency. Including the latest one, HD Hyundai Heavy has secured 61 orders so far this year, more than double the 28 ordered in 2024 and 29 in 2023. According to shipping service provider Clarksons Research, global demand for container ships is expected to grow by an average of 2.8 percent annually until 2037. Experts believe that the restructuring of global supply chains amid ongoing tensions between the U.S. and China will create new opportunities for domestic shipbuilders. An HD Hyundai Heavy spokesman said, "There has been strong demand for container ships thanks to our eco-friendly technology and stable quality control. To build on this momentum, we also aim to expand into new global markets. * This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-10 14:56:59

'Avatar' sequel to get world premiere in South Korea in time for Christmas SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - The third installment of director James Cameron's epic "Avatar" series will have its world premiere in South Korea in mid-December, just in time for Christmas, the film's distributor Walt Disney Company said on Monday. Expectations for the upcoming franchise "Fire and Ash" are already high ahead of its release slated for Dec. 17, as it is set to depart from the previous serene setting of its fictional planet Pandora to explore a fiery, ash-covered world, encountering new tribes along the way. The sci-fi fantasy film captivated audiences with its cutting-edge 3D technology, attracting a record 13.22 million viewers when its first installment was released in 2009 and remaining the highest-grossing film worldwide for 16 years. Its 2022 sequel "The Way of Water" also drew a record 10.8 million viewers here. Returning cast members include Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, and Kate Winslet, with newcomers such as Oona Chaplin and David Thewlis joining the lineup. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-10 14:28:37

Korea's record Q3 exports expose over-reliance on chip exports SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) -South Korea’s exports hit an all-time high in the third quarter, while trade reliance on the country’s top 10 exporters also reached a record level, underscoring the economy’s growing exposure to the volatile semiconductor sector as chips accounted for one quarter of outbound shipments, government data showed Monday. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, exports totaled $185 billion in the July–September period, up 6.5 percent from a year earlier and accelerating from the 2.1 percent gain in the second quarter. The mining and manufacturing sector posted exports of $159.5 billion, an 8 percent increase, largely driven by a 26.6 percent surge in semiconductor exports to $46.4 billion. Chips accounted for 25.1 percent of total shipments, up from 21.1 percent a year ago. Reliance on major exporters also deepened. The top 10 exporters shipped $74 billion worth of goods, representing 40 percent of total trade. SK hynix, enjoying a streak of strong earnings on the back of high-bandwidth and server memory demand for AI and data-center chips, saw its share of total exports jump to 8.4 percent from 6 percent a year earlier. Large companies reported record exports of $122.3 billion, up 5.1 percent. Smaller players also made strides on the external front. Mid-sized firms also reached a fresh high with a 7 percent rise to $32.3 billion. Exports by small firms climbed 11.9 percent to $29.8 billion, the fourth-largest quarterly performance on record. Imports rose 1.5 percent to $162.4 billion in the third quarter. Imports by large firms slipped 0.9 percent to $94.9 billion, while mid-sized and small firms saw increases of 4.6 percent and 8.5 percent to $28.4 billion and $37.4 billion, respectively. Petrochemical exports and imports weakened as the sector continued to struggle against intensifying competition from Chinese rivals. Exports to the United States fell 3.9 percent in the third quarter, while imports from the U.S. were down 6.7 percent amid delays in settling a bilateral trade agreement. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-10 14:02:43

KOSPI bounces back above 4,000 to lead Asian markets early Monday SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - South Korea’s stock market rebounded sharply on Monday as foreign investors returned on signs of a breakthrough in the U.S. government shutdown. KOSPI jumped 2.8 percent, reclaiming the 4,000 mark, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ edged up a mere 0.5 percent to hover below 900. The early rally was driven by strong buying from foreign and institutional investors. Foreigners — who dumped more than 7 trillion won ($4.8 billion) worth of Korean shares last week — turned net buyers of 120.4 billion won in the main market. Institutions also net-purchased 216.9 billion won. Among blue chips, Samsung Electronics rose 1.6 percent to 99,500 won ($68), while SK hynix climbed 4.1 percent to 603,500 won. Financial stocks continued their strong run. KB Financial gained 4.4 percent to 129,100 won, BNK Financial Group added 3.5 percent to 15,210 won, Shinhan Financial Group rose 2.7 percent to 79,500 won, and iM Financial Group advanced 4.7 percent to 14,160 won. According to Hana Securities, bank stocks climbed 5 percent last week, sharply outperforming the KOSPI’s return of –3.7 percent. The sector’s momentum has been fueled by expectations of dividend tax cuts and rising government bond yields. The government and the ruling Democratic Party are reportedly fast-tracking a plan to lower the top rate on separately taxed dividend income from 35 percent to 25 percent, a move analysts say could shift investment away from real estate and toward dividend-paying equities. Investor sentiment also improved on optimism that the U.S. federal government shutdown may soon be resolved. On Friday, Wall Street ended mixed, with the Dow up 0.2 percent, the S&P 500 up 0.1 percent, and the Nasdaq down 0.2 percent. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.9 percent to 50,716.35. Fast Retailing, operator of Uniqlo, rose 0.7 percent to 57,630 yen ($375), while SoftBank advanced 2 percent to 22,130 yen. Auto stocks retreated, with Toyota down 0.8 percent to 3,094 yen and Honda sliding 4.8 percent to 1,509 yen. China’s Shanghai Composite edged up 0.2 percent to 4,005.57, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.6 percent to 26,395.23. 2025-11-10 11:35:52

Korean won recovers from 7-mo lows amid KOSPI rebound SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - The U.S. dollar has retreated below 1,460 won as the Korean currency benefited from the global softening in the greenback and renewed foreign stock buying. The dollar fell 6.70 won to 1,453.30 in Seoul Monday morning after shooting up to 1,461.5 last Friday - the highest since 1,472 on April 9 amid presidential impeachment and U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff barrage. Foreign investors sold 7.26 trillion won ($5.4 billion) in Korean stocks over the five sessions last week - the largest weekly record. The heavy selling sent the won down 2 percent - the steepest among core currencies - with selling primarily targeting the two chip majors for their association with questions about bubbles around AI boom. The won has been one of the weakest even as the KOSPI has been performing strongest among key market and country has been keeping up record trade surplus thanks to red-hot chip exports - further exposing the Korean economy's vulnerabilities from over-dependence on chipmaking. The unfazed demand for the U.S. dollar also points to won's structural fragility. From January to September, South Koreans bought $99.85 billion overseas securities - mostly on the Wall Street -, more than tripling the $29.65 billion foreign purchase of Korean securities during the period. Companies have been holding export earnings in greenback amid continued volatility in external trade environment and pressure over Korea's $20 billion annual commitment of investment in the U.S. under a bilateral trade deal. Any foreseeable upside in the Korean won is unlikely, analysts agree. "With expectations of U.S. rate cuts diminishing and strong -dollar environment firmly in place on top of heavy foreign stock sales, the won faces persistent downward pressure," said Moon Da-un, a researcher at Korea Investment & Securities. Lee Jin-kyung, an economist at Shinhan Investment Corp., forecast the dollar-won exchange rate to go as high as 1,500 won in the first half of next year, given "structurally overwhelming outflows versus dollar inflows." * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-10 11:35:24

KAIST–Johns Hopkins team uncovers how cancer cells choose their own moving path SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - KAIST researchers, working with Johns Hopkins University, have discovered how cells determine their direction of movement without any external signals, a finding that reveals the internal logic of cancer metastasis, immune responses, and tissue development. The study, led by Professor Won Do Heo from the KAIST Department of Biological Sciences and Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho from the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, together with Professor Gabsang Lee of Johns Hopkins University, identified an intrinsic "self-driving mechanism" that enables cells to decide which way to move. The results were published in Nature Communications on October 31. To achieve this, the team developed a new imaging method called INSPECT (INtracellular Separation of Protein Engineered Condensation Technique) — a system that visualizes protein interactions inside living cells. Using INSPECT, they uncovered how specific combinations of signaling proteins dictate whether a cell moves straight ahead or turns in a new direction. Their work focused on Rho GTPases — the Rac1, Cdc42, and RhoA proteins that control cell polarity and motility. The researchers found that these proteins do far more than divide a cell into front and rear sections. Instead, they form dynamic partnerships that act like a built-in navigation system. For instance, the Cdc42–FMNL complex drives linear motion, while the Rac1–ROCK pairing governs turning behavior. INSPECT recreates a process known as phase separation, allowing scientists to see how proteins cluster and interact. By tagging proteins with ferritin and fluorescent DsRed, the team visualized condensate droplets forming as proteins bound to one another. Among 285 tested pairs, 139 were confirmed to interact in living cells. When the team slightly altered one amino acid in Rac1 — preventing it from binding properly to its "steering handle" protein ROCK — cells lost their ability to turn and moved only in straight lines. Normal cells, by contrast, formed curved "arc stress fibers" that allowed them to pivot sharply when changing direction. Additional experiments showed that while normal cells adjusted their speed in response to environmental cues, the modified Rac1F37W cells moved at a constant rate regardless of surroundings. This demonstrated that the Rac–ROCK axis finely tunes how cells sense and adapt to external environments. Professor Heo said, "Our findings show that cell movement is not random but governed by an intrinsic program coordinated by Rho signaling proteins and their partners. INSPECT provides a powerful new tool for visualizing protein interactions in real time and will accelerate research on cancer metastasis, neural migration, and immune cell movement." The paper's authors include Heeyoung Lee, Sangkyu Lee, Yeji Seo, Dongsan Kim, Yohan Oh, Juae Jin, Bobae Hyeon, Younghyun Han, Hyunjun Kim, Yong Jin Lee, Ho Min Kim, Gabsang Lee, Kwang-Hyun Cho, and Won Do Heo. 2025-11-10 11:21:13

South Korean envoy to attend Angola's 50th independence anniversary SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - Former Ambassador Kim Dong-chan is visiting Angola this week as a special envoy to mark the central African country's 50th anniversary of independence. According to the Foreign Ministry, Kim is scheduled to attend the celebrations hosted by President João Lourenço and deliver a letter from South Korea's Foreign Minister. The ministry said that economic cooperation with Africa's second-largest oil producer, which is rich in natural resources, is strengthening, especially backed by recent contracts won by South Korean companies to build large oil tankers there. Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975, after nearly 500 years of colonial rule. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-10 11:05:29

T1 wins historic third consecutive LoL World Championship SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - South Korea's esports team T1 won this year's League of Legends (LoL) World Championship in Chengdu, China on Sunday, securing its third consecutive victory and sixth overall. By defeating its perennial rival KT Rolster 3-2, the team, led by iconic player and captain Lee Sang-hyeok, better known as Faker, solidified its dominance in the sport. Faker, who first won the championship at age of 17 in 2013, continues to be a pivotal figure for the team. Sponsor SK Telecom's consistent support has been crucial to T1's continuous success, with the company backing the team since its inception. In 2019, SK Telecom began co-managing T1 with American media giant Comcast, leading to significant growth in sponsorships and merchandise sales. In July, T1 renewed Faker's contract for four more years. In July, T1 also secured a major three-year sponsorship deal with Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Global, alongside partnerships and endorsements with Mercedes-Benz, Red Bull, Samsung Odyssey and Spotify. Capitalizing on its growing fanbase and popularity, T1 is actively expanding into new business ventures, recently hosting large-scale events and fan meets in Incheon and Busan. T1 is expected to achieve its first-ever operating profit this year, after a record revenue of 51 billion won last year, up 47 percent from the previous year, with projected growth of over 50 percent this year. SK Chairman Chey Tae-won praised the team, saying, "Their exceptional skill, teamwork, and perseverance have inspired fans worldwide, demonstrating their ability to overcome challenges." * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-10 10:41:51

North Korean hackers spread malware through stolen smartphone accounts, report reveals SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - North Korean hackers have remotely inflicted smartphones and PCs with malware and bogus apps to steal sensitive data, according to a report released on Monday by Genians, a South Korean cybersecurity company. According to the report, one case involved a hacker who reset a South Korean psychologist's Android-based smartphone and used a stolen KakaoTalk account to spread malware disguised as a "stress relief program" to the victim's contacts in early September. Another similar attack targeted a North Korean human rights activist, affecting dozens of the activist's contacts on Sept. 15. The attackers tricked them into installing malicious software by posing as trusted acquaintances. They also infiltrated devices, used Google location services to track when victims were away from home or work, and then remotely reset the devices. "The use of various tactics to delete data and carry out other attacks appears unprecedented," the report said, highlighting North Korea's increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-10 10:05:46