South Korea among top markets for highest-grossing 'Avatar' franchise SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - "Fire and Ash," the third installment in director James Cameron's epic "Avatar" franchise, dominated the South Korean box office during the holiday season, making the country one of the film's top five global markets. According to Box Office Mojo, an American-operated website that tracks box-office revenues, South Korea ranked among the global top five markets for the CGI-heavy spectacular, earning US$44.12 million, just behind North America ($311.33 million), China ($137.92 million), France ($82.16 million), and Germany ($64.09 million). The second installment, "Avatar: The Way of Water," was also a box-office hit when it was released here in 2022, drawing a record 10.8 million viewers. The latest installment of the highest-grossing series departs from its previous serene setting of fictional planet Pandora to explore a fiery, ash-covered world, encountering new tribes along the way. 2026-01-08 10:40:49

Energy projects drive Hyundai E&C to record-breaking orders in 2025 SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - Hyundai Engineering & Construction said on Thursday it secured 25.5 trillion won ($17.6 billion) in new orders last year, up 39 percent from 2024 and the highest annual total in the company’s history. Hyundai E&C said it was the first South Korean builder to surpass 25 trillion won in annual orders, attributing the performance to a strategic shift beyond traditional construction into energy-transition projects. At a “CEO Investor Day” in March last year, Hyundai Engineering & Construction set out a vision to become an “energy transition leader” and set a target of at least 25 trillion won in annual orders by 2030 — a goal it reached in less than a year. Energy-related projects accounted for much of the growth, the company said. Major wins included a basic design contract for four large nuclear reactors with Fermi America, an early works agreement for a new nuclear plant in Finland, a solar power project in Texas and the Sinan Ui offshore wind project. The company said it expanded its order base by securing low-carbon and energy-transition projects in advanced markets such as the United States and Europe. The company also said it broadened its value chain beyond power generation into transmission and consumption, citing a Saudi Arabia transmission line project and data center contracts in the Seoul metropolitan area. Technical capability and long-standing trust also supported orders, the company said, pointing to an Iraq seawater supply facilities project backed by more than four decades of experience in state-led infrastructure projects. "We plan to build on the momentum this year by focusing on established energy businesses such as nuclear power and renewables, while increasing the share of overseas orders," a Hyundai E&C spokesman said. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-08 10:27:21

South Korea's finance chief warns won's volatility remains high, vows swift action SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - South Korea’s deputy prime minister and finance minister Koo Yun-cheol said on Thursday that volatility in the foreign exchange market “remains high," pledging swift follow-up measures to stabilize overall conditions. Koo made the remarks at a policy coordination meeting attended by Bank of Korea Governor Lee Chang-yong, Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Chan-jin and Financial Services Commission Vice Chairman Kwon Dae-young. He said the current exchange rate appeared to be diverging from economic fundamentals and stressed the need for authorities to maintain “firm and consistent” policy responses. Koo said equity and financial markets have remained buoyant, citing foreign investor inflows, while government bond yields have stayed stable, leaving overall market conditions “generally stable.” However, he warned that downside risks persist in global markets, pointing to geopolitical uncertainty and shifts in monetary policy by major economies. Authorities will maintain a 24-hour market monitoring system and closely track external developments, he said. Koo also said the government would step up so-called productive finance to channel funding toward advanced industries as well as venture and startup firms. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-08 10:03:35

ChatGPT most downloaded app in South Korea last year SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, was the most downloaded new app in South Korea last year, big data analytics firm IGAWorks said on Thursday. ChatGPT led all apps with an average of 16.57 million new monthly downloads, followed by the state-run gift voucher app Digital Onnuri at 12.81 million, Chinese shopping platform Temu at 11.52 million, and the country's largest portal Naver's shopping platform at 10.20 million. When it comes to the number of users, U.S. streaming giant YouTube took the top spot with some 51.71 million monthly active users last year, followed by messaging app Kakao Talk at 46.35 million, Naver at 44.94 million, and Google at 41.28 million. 2026-01-08 09:43:00

Prosecutors seek arrest warrant for MBK Partners' chairman over Homeplus fraud SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - Prosecutors have sought an arrest warrant for Kim Byung-ju, the chairman of private equity firm MBK Partners, along with three other executives over supermarket chain Homeplus' abrupt filing for court receivership. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors requested the warrants for them late Wednesday night on charges of fraud and other alleged violations of relevant laws. MBK Partners, which acquired a 100 percent stake in Homeplus from British grocery chain Tesco Plc in 2015, later became financially strapped, leading it to request court-led rehabilitation in March last year. Prosecutors believe that MBK executives knew in advance that Homeplus' credit rating would be downgraded in February last year. Despite being aware of this, they issued large-scale asset-backed short-term bonds worth 82 billion Korean won (US$56.6 million) without disclosing the impending downgrade and filed for court-led corporate rehabilitation just a few days later. 2026-01-08 09:11:19

[[CES 2026]] Hyundai Mobis deepens future mobility push with Boston Dynamics, Qualcomm ties LAS VEGAS, January 08 (AJP) - South Korea's Hyundai Mobis has announced a series of strategic partnerships at CES 2026 in Las Vegas aimed at expanding its role in future mobility, including a robotics supply deal with Boston Dynamics and a technology cooperation agreement with Qualcomm. As part of Hyundai Motor Group’s push to build an artificial-intelligence-driven robotics ecosystem, Hyundai Mobis said it has established a cooperation framework with Boston Dynamics and will supply actuators when the next-generation humanoid robot Atlas enters mass production. The move marks Hyundai Mobis’s first customer in its newly launched robotics business and signals its formal entry into the global market for robot components. Hyundai Motor Group said in August last year that it plans to build a new robot factory in North America. Hyundai Mobis said it expects to play a key role in strengthening the group’s robotics competitiveness by leveraging its experience in large-scale manufacturing. In recent years, Hyundai Mobis has sought to expand beyond its core auto parts business into higher value-added areas such as robotics and software-defined vehicles (SDVs), part of a mid- to long-term strategy to respond to rapid changes in future mobility and ensure sustainable growth. The company said it will initially focus on the robot actuator segment, drawing on its vehicle parts design expertise and mass-production capabilities. Actuators are core drive components that execute movement based on controller signals and account for about 60 percent of the material cost of a humanoid robot. Global research firms estimate the robotics market at around 75 trillion won and forecast annual growth of about 17 percent, with the market projected to reach roughly 800 trillion won by 2040. Separately, Hyundai Mobis said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Qualcomm to cooperate across a broad range of technologies, including SDVs and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). The two companies will accelerate development of a scalable software platform and work toward an integrated SDV solution with improved performance, efficiency and system stability. They will also jointly develop technologies optimized for autonomous driving and autonomous parking, targeting demand in emerging markets such as India, where adoption of ADAS is accelerating as vehicle lineups expand beyond small cars. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-08 09:08:08

South Korea urged to diversify strategic mineral sourcing amid China risks SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - China’s curbs on exports of strategic minerals, including rare earths, are intensifying calls for South Korea to accelerate efforts to stabilize its supply chain, with business and academic circles urging the government to diversify sourcing and offer stronger incentives for refining and processing. South Korea’s government-led drive to secure strategic minerals has largely stalled for more than a decade. While trading houses and materials companies have periodically sought supplies outside China, officials said policy support has remained fragmented and insufficient. Industry officials contrasted South Korea’s approach with Japan, which suffered widespread industrial disruption after China restricted rare earth exports during a dispute over the Senkaku Islands. Since then, Japan has spent more than a decade expanding supply chains through long-term investments in Southeast Asia, South America and Africa, maintaining continuity regardless of changes in government. In October last year, Japan launched a critical minerals and rare earth supply-chain framework with the United States and Australia aimed at reducing dependence on China. Tokyo has also increased research and development spending on alternative materials to replace China-sourced rare earths used in wind turbines, electric-vehicle motors and batteries. Japanese automakers, including Honda and Toyota, have reported progress from those efforts since last year. The United States, which the report said has faced what it describes as China’s weaponization of strategic minerals since early last year, is also moving more quickly to cut reliance on China. Measures include restarting domestic graphite mining for the first time in 70 years. U.S.-based Titan Mining plans to produce 40,000 tons of graphite a year — roughly half of U.S. demand — with commercial sales targeted for 2028. The company’s expansion is backed by subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act and direct federal support, the report said. Chief Executive Rita Adiani said China could no longer be regarded as a reliable supply-chain partner, adding Titan would supply “a significant portion” of U.S. needs. In South Korea, experts said the government should move faster to diversify strategic-mineral supply chains. Kang Cheon-gu, a visiting professor at Inha University’s Graduate School of Manufacturing Innovation, said state-level efforts were needed to expand sourcing from rare earth-producing countries outside China, including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. He also called for tariff exemptions on imports from those countries and long-term investment to secure overseas mines. Business groups are also urging broader government support for companies that help stabilize strategic-mineral supply chains, citing policies adopted in the United States and Japan. They argue South Korea should make more active use of the National Growth Fund, including direct investment and indirect support such as tax incentives for companies including Korea Zinc and Posco Future M. Korea Zinc, backed by large-scale U.S. government investment, has decided to build a smelter in the United States to produce 11 strategic minerals — including antimony, indium, gallium, germanium and bismuth — sectors long dominated by China. Posco Future M said it will invest in Saemangeum to build a plant capable of producing 37,000 tons of spherical graphite a year, with completion targeted for the third quarter of next year. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-08 08:57:23

Samsung Elec estimates best-ever income $14 bn for Q4 and $30 bn for full 2025 SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) -Samsung Electronics reported record 20 trillion won ($14 billion) in operating profit for the quarter ended December and 43.5 trillion won for full-year 2025 — driven by the so-called “hyper bull” cycle in memory chips amid widening artificial intelligence adoption. In its earnings guidance released Thursday, the South Korean tech giant said it is estimated to have raked in 20 trillion won in operating profit for the October–December period, up 208 percent from a year earlier and above the market consensus of 19.6 trillion won compiled by FnGuide. Revenue amounted to 93 trillion won, up 22.7 percent from a year ago and also a record three-month figure. For the full year, operating profit reached 43.53 trillion won, while revenue totaled 332.8 trillion won, up 33 percent and 10.6 percent, respectively. The company, whose business spans chips, smartphones and consumer electronics, will release detailed figures for each division in its finalized earnings report on Jan. 29. Investment banks estimate that the chip division generated about 17 trillion won in operating profit in the fourth quarter, reflecting gains of 36 percent and 15 percent in average selling prices for DRAM and NAND products, respectively, from the previous three-month period. According to market tracker TrendForce, mass-market DRAM prices jumped 45 to 50 percent in the final quarter of 2025, while average DRAM prices — including high-bandwidth memory — rose 50 to 55 percent. NAND flash memory prices increased 33 to 38 percent. 2026-01-08 07:52:31

OPINION: Restore politics to avoid Japan-like path South Korea is confronting a question it can no longer afford to ignore: can it avoid Japan’s “lost 30 years”? The concern is not only economic. More troubling is the sense that politics itself has lost the capacity to solve problems and steer the economy. The scale of South Korea’s transformation makes the question all the more striking. After liberation, average life expectancy stood at just 44 years. Infant mortality reached 102 per 1,000 births—the world’s second highest. Illiteracy among those aged 13 and older was 77 percent. Dried squid accounted for 40 percent of exports. Tax revenue made up only 15 percent of national income, and electricity self-sufficiency hovered in the 30 percent range. Gen. Douglas MacArthur was quoted as saying it would take a century for the country to stand again. Britain’s The Times mocked that expecting democracy in South Korea was more plausible than expecting roses to bloom from a trash heap. Yet over the next 70 years, South Korea defied those judgments. Gross domestic product expanded from 47.7 billion won to 2,560 trillion won. Semiconductors, shipbuilding and defense emerged as world-leading industries. In the AI era, the chip sector has again ridden a global boom. Korean culture has gone global as well—from Parasite and Squid Game to K-pop, K-dramas and global stars such as BTS and Blackpink. The fear is not that these achievements were illusory, but that they may prove temporary. Japan once stood alongside the United States as a de facto G2 in the 1980s. After its asset bubble burst in the early 1990s, however, it endured more than three decades of low growth, deflation and stagnant incomes. South Korea, which caught up by emulating Japan in semiconductors, consumer electronics and automobiles, earned the name “the Miracle on the Han River.” Today, its potential growth rate has fallen below 2 percent, and the economy has remained stuck in a low-growth trap for years. Warning signs feel uncomfortably familiar: the world’s fastest-aging society, a record-low birthrate, regulations shaped by entrenched interests, and weakening innovation. Despite the launch of a new government, skepticism is spreading that South Korea may be sliding down the same path Japan took—especially as extreme political conflict pushes livelihoods and the economy to the sidelines. Japan’s strength rested on technology, manufacturing and social stability. Its crisis began in politics. As the “political engine” weakened, structural reforms were postponed, society grew more closed, companies hoarded cash and households tightened spending. What followed was not a sudden collapse but a long, quiet stagnation. In Day of Empire, Amy Chua describes the rise and fall of great powers as a struggle between “openness and inclusion” on one side, and “exclusion and closure” on the other. Japan’s slump cannot be explained by policy mistakes alone; it also reflected a closed, inward-looking social mood that emerged as politics regressed. Similar warning signs are appearing in South Korea. Protectionist pressures are intensifying under the Trump administration just as domestic politics remains locked in confrontation. Social mobility has broken down, leaving young people to conclude that “there is no hope,” with few credible political solutions offered. Polarization and class conflict deepen amid distrust in politics. Policy has long been reduced to election strategy, while cycles of retaliation and demonization repeat with every change of power. The economy is caught in a “perfect storm.” South Korea’s growth over the past half-century was not accidental. It was built on education, hard work, allies and an open economy—backed by decisive political choices at critical moments. Land reform, compulsory education, five-year economic development plans, democratization in 1987, the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement and the opening of Japanese culture all required political resolve. Former president Roh Moo-hyun persuaded skeptical supporters of the FTA by saying, “No country develops without opening up.” Openness in the economy and culture creates new opportunities and industrial order. But decisions for the community and social consensus require political capacity first. Japan’s “lost 30 years” did not begin overnight. It unfolded gradually as political paralysis persisted and no one made difficult decisions. When vested interests are protected and the costs of change are pushed onto the next generation, a society ages—slowly, but decisively. To avoid the same fate, South Korea must boldly change how its politics works. Several priorities stand out. First, stable politics—ensuring that the nation’s broad direction does not swing wildly with each administration. Second, cross-partisan agreements on long-term challenges such as pensions, labor, education, immigration and balanced regional development. Third, policies to reduce polarization, recognizing that welfare expansion alone cannot resolve structural problems in housing, education and the dual labor market. Fourth, an end to factional warfare, as demonizing opponents makes cooperation impossible. Fifth, bold deregulation—acknowledging that regulation is a safety net, but one that can suffocate growth if it fails to keep pace with change. And finally, genuine social integration built on trust that sustains policy over time. Copying the “answer sheets” of advanced economies no longer works. With AI, decarbonization and geopolitical risk arriving simultaneously, South Korea must act as a first mover. Politics must prioritize long-term productivity, accept uncomfortable reforms even at the cost of sacrifices by one’s own side, and mobilize national capacity. Growth gains must be shared fairly, and the costs of transition borne equitably. It is not too late. This remains a golden moment—but only if politics does its job: distributing benefits fairly, channeling conflict into institutions and pursuing long-term goals without wavering. The phrase “the sun is setting but the road is long” may also carry a warning: the later the choice, the worse the options become. About the author ▷Visiting professor at Soonchunhyang University ▷Deputy spokesperson at the National Assembly speaker’s office ▷Political secretary to the National Assembly speaker ▷Member of the Presidential Committee for Balanced National Development ▷Member of the National Communication Committee * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-08 07:29:04

[[CES 2026]] CES 2026 Sneak peek: Samsung and LG turn exhibition spaces into experience hubs SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - 2026-01-07 17:35:00