U.S.-first defense strategy pushes Korea toward higher spending and deeper capacity SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - The main takeaway for South Korea in the U.S. 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) is blunt: North Korea is increasingly Seoul’s primary responsibility, and that maturity comes with higher defense spending and deeper manufacturing capacity. While the strategy describes North Korea’s expanding nuclear forces as a “clear and present danger” to the U.S. homeland and its regional allies, it also makes explicit that responsibility for conventional deterrence on the Korean Peninsula should increasingly rest with South Korea. Seoul is portrayed as a country with high defense spending, a robust defense industrial base and a mandatory conscription system — in short, fully capable of defending itself against North Korea, with U.S. forces providing “critical but more limited” support. This approach reflects the broader U.S.-first logic underpinning the NDS. Washington signals that it will prioritize resources for homeland defense and deterrence of China in the Indo-Pacific, while other security challenges are to be managed under a framework in which allies and partners assume “primary responsibility.” According to Jung Kyeong-woon, a research fellow at the Korea Association of Military Studies, the document draws a clear line between U.S. and South Korean roles. “The U.S. direction is to maintain nuclear deterrence, while placing primary responsibility for conventional deterrence on South Korea,” Jung said. “For decades, the South Korean military has relied heavily on U.S. forces. As a result, imbalances in certain capability areas have accumulated and are now quite serious.” He pointed in particular to high-cost, technologically demanding domains. “ISR, C4I systems, missile defense, cyber and electronic warfare all require enormous resources and advanced technology,” Jung said. “If South Korea is expected to shoulder most of the conventional deterrence burden, structural reinforcement in these areas will be unavoidable.” A higher and more durable defense spending floor The strategic shift is reinforced by a new burden-sharing benchmark embedded in the NDS. The document incorporates the concept agreed at the 2025 NATO Hague Summit — defense and security spending equivalent to 5 percent of GDP, including at least 3.5 percent for core defense outlays — as a guideline for U.S. allies and partners. This direction is already reflected in South Korea’s fiscal plans. Seoul has set its 2026 defense budget at around 66 trillion won ($45.6 billion), an increase of roughly 7.5 to 8.2 percent from the previous year, marking the fastest growth rate in nearly seven years. New resources are being concentrated on strengthening the three-axis deterrence framework — Kill Chain, Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD), and Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) — while expanding precision-guided munitions stockpiles and accelerating investment in manned-unmanned teaming, artificial intelligence-enabled systems, drones, and space and cyber capabilities. With Washington pressing allies toward a 3.5-percent-of-GDP benchmark for direct defense spending, Seoul faces mounting pressure over the medium to long term to further raise the defense share of its national budget. The government has already announced a long-term objective of lifting defense spending to around 3.5 percent of GDP by 2035, suggesting close alignment with the NDS’s burden-sharing framework. These pressures are expected to reshape not only South Korea’s military posture, but also the structure of its defense industry. Implications for Korea’s defense industry The NDS reframes deterrence as a system of “allied and partner production,” placing renewed emphasis on industrial capacity. Within this framework, South Korea is positioned as both a model ally and the primary security provider on the Peninsula — expected to strengthen its own forces while supplying equipment and capabilities to regional partners. South Korea’s defense industry has already entered a phase of structural expansion. Between 2020 and 2024, the country rose to become the world’s tenth-largest arms exporter, driven by large-scale package deals for K2 main battle tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers. By the end of 2024, the combined order backlog of major Korean defense firms was approaching 100 trillion won, with overseas contracts accounting for a growing share. However, experts caution that growing demand does not automatically translate into durable, long-term gains. “With the increase in global conflicts, the Trump administration’s assertive use of military power and the shifting of responsibilities to allies, demand for weapons systems will certainly grow,” Jung said. “Korean platforms such as the K2, K9, Chunmoo and Cheongung-II have demonstrated strong performance, cost competitiveness and delivery speed, making further exports likely.” At the same time, competition is intensifying. “The United States and Europe are fully aware of these shifts and will not simply surrender the benefits,” Jung said. “It remains unclear whether Korea’s defense exports will become fully institutionalized and structurally sustainable. In many cases, cooperation and competition will coexist.” Washington is already moving aggressively to rebuild its own industrial base. Between 2024 and 2026, the U.S. Army is investing several billion dollars to expand ammunition plants, aiming to raise 155mm artillery shell production to around 100,000 rounds per month — or more than 1 million rounds annually — by 2026. Speaking at the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) annual meeting on Oct. 13 last year, Maj. Gen. John Reim, the Army’s Joint Program Executive Officer for Armaments and Ammunition, described the effort as historic. “We haven’t seen this level of investment — about $5.5 billion since 2022 — since World War II,” he said. Europe is following a similar trajectory. The European Union’s Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) and related initiatives are channeling hundreds of millions of euros into new artillery and missile production lines, as NATO members race to rebuild domestic capacity rather than rely on foreign suppliers. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, EU countries produced an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 artillery shells annually. ASAP funding is designed to lift output to around 2 million rounds a year — a six- to eightfold increase over prewar levels. Washington’s recent decision to back Seoul’s pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines — marking the first serious move to extend such cooperation beyond the AUKUS partnership — further underscores South Korea’s elevation as a frontline maritime and industrial partner, even though the 2026 NDS stops short of detailing the SSN program. 2026-01-27 16:22:50

Korean retail investors ramp up US stock buying despite local rally SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - South Korea’s stock market has rallied sharply this year, but retail investors are continuing to pour money into U.S. equities, a trend cited by policymakers as a key factor behind recent volatility in the won. Average daily settlement amounts for U.S. stocks by South Korean retail investors reached $261 million over 15 trading sessions from Jan. 2 to Jan. 23, according to data released on Tuesday by the Korea Securities Depository. That figure more than tripled from a daily average of $85 million in December and was roughly double the $185 million average recorded in January last year. Overseas equity investment, which briefly cooled late last year, appears to be accelerating again. Retail investors were net sellers of U.S. stocks on only two of the 15 trading days this month, compared with nine days of net selling out of 22 sessions in December, the data showed. Analysts said confidence in U.S. markets has remained resilient despite the domestic rally, while recent stabilization in the foreign-exchange market has supported investor sentiment. Some analysts said further buying of U.S. stocks could lie ahead, pointing to elevated foreign-currency deposits as evidence that investors have already secured dollar funds. According to the Bank of Korea, resident foreign-currency deposits at domestic foreign-exchange banks reached a record $119.43 billion at the end of last year. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-27 16:04:28

South Korean athletes in final tune-up for next month's Winter Olympics in Italy SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - With this year's Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo and Milan just weeks away, South Korean athletes are gearing up for the quadrennial sporting event on ice and snow with final preparations. South Korea will field 71 athletes in snowboarding, bobsleigh, speed skating, short-track skating, and figure skating. The upcoming Olympics will kick off on Feb. 6 and run until Feb. 22, bringing together around 3,500 athletes from over 90 countries to compete for 116 medals across 16 disciplines. 2026-01-27 16:00:17

SK hynix is sole HBM supplier for Microsoft's Maia AI chip SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - SK hynix is reportedly the sole supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for Microsoft’s in-house artificial intelligence accelerator, the Maia 200. Industry sources said on Tuesday the South Korean chipmaker will exclusively supply its fifth-generation HBM, known as HBM3E, for the Maia 200 chip that Microsoft unveiled in the U.S. on Jan. 26 local time. The move adds Microsoft to SK hynix’s roster of key customers alongside Nvidia, reinforcing its lead in AI memory used for advanced computing. Maia 200 is an application-specific integrated circuit manufactured on TSMC’s 3-nanometer process. The chip integrates six 12-layer stacks of HBM3E, providing a total of 216 gigabytes of memory. Microsoft plans to deploy the chips in data centers in Iowa and Arizona as it seeks to reduce reliance on Nvidia’s graphics processing units. Major technology companies are accelerating efforts to design their own AI chips to lower costs and optimize performance, challenging Nvidia’s dominance. Google has introduced its seventh-generation tensor processing unit, Ironwood, while Amazon Web Services has rolled out its third-generation Trainium chip, broadening the AI accelerator market. That shift is creating new opportunities for HBM suppliers, as demand spreads from Nvidia’s GPUs to custom chips developed by large cloud providers, according to industry sources. High-performance HBM is essential for such chips, which are typically designed to be more power-efficient than general-purpose GPUs. "SK hynix’s exclusive supply agreement with Microsoft, following its strong foothold in Nvidia’s supply chain, reflects advantages in advanced memory manufacturing processes and yield management," a source said. Samsung Electronics is seeking to narrow the gap by strengthening cooperation with other big technology companies, particularly Google. Industry sources said Samsung supplies a significant portion of the HBM used in Google’s tensor processing units and Broadcom-designed chips, positioning itself within the Google-Broadcom ecosystem. The next competitive battleground is HBM4, the sixth generation of high-bandwidth memory, which is expected to add computing functions to memory chips and significantly raise technical complexity. Samsung has recently passed HBM4 qualification tests by Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices and is expected to begin official deliveries as early as next month. SK hynix is also preparing for the transition, having begun building a mass-production system for HBM4 in September and working with Nvidia on performance optimization. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-27 15:55:09

Lee to visit memorial altar to pay respects to late PM SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung plans to pay his condolences to the late former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, Cheong Wa Dae said on Tuesday. According to senior presidential aide Cho Jung-sik, Lee is scheduled to visit a memorial altar at Seoul National University Hospital in central Seoul later in the day, after wrapping up his official duties for the day. The seven-term lawmaker collapsed during his business trip to Viet Nam last Saturday and died of cardiac arrest at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City the following day. Mourning his death, the president earlier said, "South Korea has lost a great teacher in the history of democracy." 2026-01-27 15:44:48

South Korea to reaffirm commitment for trade deal after Trump threatens tariff hike SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - South Korea would reaffirm its commitment to implementing its trade agreement with Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly threatened on Monday to raise tariffs again, according to Cheong Wa Dae. In a written statement on Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said that presidential policy chief Kim Yong-beom, national security adviser Wi Sung-lac, and other key officials from relevant ministries met earlier in the day at Cheong Wa Dae for an emergency meeting to assess the intentions behind Trump's threat and determine possible response measures. The scramble came after Trump posted on social media that "South Korea's Legislature is not living up to its Deal with the United States," referring to an agreement the two countries reached in late October last year. Complaining about delays in the deal's implementation, he then threatened to raise reciprocal tariffs from 15 percent back to 25 percent. But Kang said, "Since tariff hikes would only come into effect after relevant administrative steps are taken, the government will convey its commitment to implementing the deal to the U.S. side while maintaining a calm stance." Industry and Energy Minister Kim Jeong-kwan, who is currently in Canada, will travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, while Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo also plans to visit the U.S. soon for talks with Jamieson Greer, head of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). Meanwhile, many pundits reckon that Trump's sudden threat may be a tactic to secure a US$350 billion investment pledge from Seoul as early as possible, which was part of the broader trade deal. He may also be seeking to divert attention from growing domestic criticism and public outcry over his hardline immigration crackdown, which has recently resulted in a series of deaths in Minneapolis, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming ruling next month on the legality of his sweeping tariff policy. A bill related to the investment pledge, submitted by the ruling Democratic Party (DP) in last November, has been stalled in the National Assembly. 2026-01-27 15:05:13

KAIST and Korea University develop new AI knowledge transfer technique for different models SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Korea University announced on January 27 that they have developed a new technology called TransMiter, which allows for the efficient transfer of learned knowledge between different artificial intelligence models. This innovation addresses the significant inefficiency of having to retrain high-performance AI models from scratch whenever a new version is released. Currently, Vision-Language Models (VLM) like ChatGPT are rapidly advancing, allowing AI to understand both text and images. These models are pre-trained on massive datasets and can adapt to specific tasks using small amounts of additional data. However, if a user switches to a newer or different model, this adaptation process must be repeated, consuming vast amounts of computational power, time, and money. Existing techniques often fail if the model architecture changes even slightly, or they require running multiple models simultaneously, which increases memory costs. The research team, led by Professor Kim Hyun-woo, developed TransMiter as a transferable adaptation technique that works regardless of a model's structure or size. The core of the technology is moving the adaptation experience gained by one AI directly to another. Instead of modifying the complex internal architecture of the AI, the system looks at the output and transfers the learned know-how to a new model. By aligning the answers two different AI models provide for the same question, the researchers proved that the expertise of one model can be utilized by another immediately. This method eliminates the need for expensive backpropagation—the standard, repetitive process used to train AI parameters—and instead uses a simple linear alignment. This allows for nearly zero loss in inference speed and significantly lower training costs. The significance of this study lies in being the first to prove that adaptation knowledge can be precisely transplanted across different types of AI. The researchers believe this could lead to a new era of knowledge patches for large language models, where specific expert knowledge can be added or updated in real time without full retraining. Professor Kim Hyun-woo explained that this research could drastically reduce the cost of post-training required every time a new large-scale model is introduced. He noted that the technology enables a model patch system that easily integrates professional knowledge into existing systems. The study included co-authors Song Tae-hun, a master's student at KAIST, Lee Sang-hyuk, a postdoctoral researcher at KAIST, and Park Ji-hwan, a doctoral student at Korea University. The findings were presented on January 25 at the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) 2026, a top-tier international conference in the field of AI, where it was selected for oral presentation with a highly competitive 4.6 percent acceptance rate. (Paper information) Journal: Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) 2026 Title: Transferable Model-agnostic Vision-Language Model Adaptation for Efficient Weak-to-Strong Generalization DOI: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2508.08604 2026-01-27 15:03:05

The birth of humanoid robots (2): The Tin Man goes to work Editor's Note: This is the second installment in AJP's series on humanoid robotics, examining the anatomy, technologies and economic logic behind one of the most hyped industries of the decade. SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - A sudden jolt. A shudder. A mechanical doll's waist folds backward halfway, clanking onto the ground. Another teeters from side to side on a soft-soil running track before crashing headfirst, its legs flailing in a motion reminiscent of rigor mortis. Steel Pinocchios were not born overnight. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge, held from 2012 to 2015, often looked like child's play — engineers cheering on metal constructs of all shapes and sizes as they struggled through tasks that even toddlers might find trivial. Yet none of it was wasted. Every misstep mattered, each failure inching the field closer to semi-autonomous ground robots capable of operating in hazardous environments. "Many participants in the DARPA challenge went on to join Figure AI or help develop Tesla's Optimus humanoid series," said Park Il-woo, project director at the Department of Machinery, Robotics & Equipment at the Korea Planning & Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT). "Even those who failed continued their research, making the challenge a critical milestone in the advancement of bipedal robots." Early models struggled to open doors or walk in a straight line. Today's humanoids are ready to clock in. The Tokyo pioneer The first humanoid to step into the world emerged from Waseda University in Tokyo: WABOT-1. The project began in 1970, when four laboratories within Waseda's School of Science and Engineering joined forces to build an anthropomorphic intelligent robot. In 1973, they unveiled the world's first full-scale humanoid robot capable of quasi-dynamic walking, speaking Japanese, and grasping objects. "The movements of early humanoids were, of course, awkward and crude compared with today's cutting-edge technology, but there is no doubt that this was an unprecedented and innovative challenge," said Atsuo Takanishi, director of Waseda University's Humanoid Robotics Institute, in a university news release. Honda Motor entered the race in 1986, spending a decade developing its E-series experimental models before unveiling P2 in December 1996 — the first self-regulating, two-legged robot capable of autonomous walking. That work culminated in ASIMO, introduced in November 2000. From MIT to the battlefield While Japan led the early race, a different approach was taking shape across the Pacific. In 1992, roboticist Marc Raibert spun off Boston Dynamics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The company first made its name with quadrupeds. BigDog, developed in 2005, was designed as a robotic pack mule for soldiers. The military application proved short-lived — the U.S. Marines deemed it too loud for combat — but the company's mastery of dynamic balance would prove invaluable. Fukushima's wake-up call The March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami exposed a painful truth. The disaster crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, triggering meltdowns and radioactive leaks. Robots should have been the solution — radiation made human intervention deadly — but Japan's machines proved inadequate. DARPA responded by launching its most ambitious robotics program to date. The agency selected Boston Dynamics to build the humanoid platform: Atlas. The DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals, held in June 2015 in Pomona, California, became a spectacle of mechanical ambition and frequent failure. Twenty-three teams competed, their humanoids tasked with driving vehicles, opening doors, and climbing stairs. South Korea's Team KAIST emerged victorious with DRC-HUBO, completing all eight tasks in 44 minutes and 28 seconds. Its secret lay in pragmatism: wheels mounted at the knees, allowing the robot to roll rather than walk when speed mattered most. China's rapid ascent While the United States, South Korea, and Japan traded blows in the humanoid arena, China quietly built its own robotics ecosystem. Only one Chinese team participated in the DARPA challenge. Ubtech Robotics, founded in Shenzhen in March 2012, became China's first humanoid robot company to go public when it listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in December 2023. Its Walker series became China's first commercialized life-sized bipedal humanoid robots. By January 2026, Ubtech had produced its 1,000th Walker S2 unit at its Liuzhou factory. Unitree Robotics, established in Hangzhou in 2016, entered the humanoid race in 2023 with the H1 — China's first full-size general-purpose humanoid robot capable of running. In August 2024, Unitree unveiled the G1 humanoid at a starting price of $16,000, sharply undercutting competitors. China now boasts more than 200 humanoid robot manufacturers, according to the China Machinery and Robotics Association. Cross-industry giants such as Xiaomi, XPeng Motors, and BYD have joined specialized startups in a three-pronged development push. From hydraulics to electrons Boston Dynamics continued refining Atlas after the DARPA challenge. The company changed hands several times — acquired by Google in 2013, sold to SoftBank in 2017, and purchased by Hyundai Motor Group for about $880 million in 2021. In April 2024, Boston Dynamics retired its hydraulic Atlas and unveiled a fully electric successor aimed at commercial use. At CES 2026, the company revealed the production version: 1.9 meters tall with a 2.3-meter reach, capable of lifting up to 90 kilograms, featuring 56 degrees of freedom and a four-hour battery life. Hyundai announced plans to produce 30,000 humanoid robots annually by 2028. The race ahead The humanoid industry now stands at an inflection point. What began as academic curiosity in Tokyo laboratories and military experiments in American deserts has evolved into a three-way race among the United States, China, and South Korea — each betting billions that bipedal machines will reshape manufacturing, logistics, and eventually daily life. Hyundai's Atlas, Tesla's Optimus, and XPeng's Iron lead the automakers' push into robotics. Chinese startups such as Unitree and Ubtech are driving costs down at breakneck speed, while legacy players focus on precision and reliability. "In the early days, companies like Toyota and Honda aimed to deploy humanoids in industrial settings, but the programming burden was so immense that practical application remained out of reach," Park said. "Now, with generative AI making it far easier to train robots and teach them new motions, the United States and China — which led those methodological breakthroughs — are pulling ahead." The robots that stumbled and crashed at the DARPA challenge a decade ago are now walking factory floors. The question is no longer whether humanoids will work alongside humans, but how soon — and who will build them. 2026-01-27 14:47:58

Indian envoy pledges to deepen strategic partnership with S. Korea at Republic Day celebration SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - The Indian Embassy in South Korea held a reception on January 26 to celebrate India's 77th Republic Day, marking a period of rapid expansion in economic and defense ties between the two nations. The event, held at Sevit Island on the Han River, drew approximately 400 guests, including diplomats, government officials, business leaders, and academics. The gathering commemorated the anniversary of the adoption of India's constitution in 1950, a milestone that Indian Ambassador Gourangalal Das described as a "pledge to democracy" that continues to shape the country's trajectory. In his keynote address, Ambassador Das detailed India's recent structural reforms and technological progress, arguing that the nation's shift toward high-tech manufacturing offers significant opportunities for South Korean partners. "The enterprises transformed seamlessly from digital to the AI, from three nanometer chips designed in Bangalore to the world's heaviest rocket ever launched," Das said. He noted that the "special strategic partnership" between the two countries has intensified over the past year, supported by two summit-level meetings and frequent interactions between foreign ministers. The ambassador highlighted the recent success of major South Korean corporations in India as evidence of this momentum. He specifically mentioned the successful Indian market activities of LG Electronics, Daewoo Securities' expansion, and Mirae Asset's milestone as the only wholly-owned foreign asset management firm among India's top ten. "Hyundai Motor's newly planned investments and Posco's new ambitions in India—they all made headlines in both countries," Das said. He also noted that the Indian government is providing specific incentives for South Korean companies to collaborate in the semiconductor and shipbuilding sectors. The event also underscored the strengthening of security ties. Lim Sang-woo, the Ambassador for Public Diplomacy at the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered a congratulatory speech reflecting on the growing trust between the two countries. Ambassador Lim, who recently returned to Seoul after a three-year posting in India, said the defense partnership has evolved beyond traditional sales into deep technological collaboration. "The agreement on a second batch of K9 Vajra self-propelled howitzers speaks to the depth of our defense collaboration," Lim said. He added that the South Korean Defense Ministry is "ready to deliver world-class systems" to India on schedule. Both speakers pointed to the first-ever bilateral joint naval exercises, held last October, as a critical foundation for stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Engagement between the two capitals is set to increase in 2026. Ambassador Lim confirmed that President Lee Jae Myung is planning a visit to India later this year to advance the partnership into its second decade. Ambassador Das noted that the human element of the relationship remains a priority, citing the recent opening of the Korea Education Center in India as a "living embodiment" of the cultural ties between the two societies. 2026-01-27 14:21:29

South Korea's GS E&C builds solar power complex in India SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - South Korea's GS Engineering & Construction has entered India’s renewable energy market, completing a solar power project in Maharashtra state and beginning full commercial operations. The company said on Tuesday the Patur solar power complex has an installed capacity of 12.75 megawatt-peak (MWp) and is expected to generate between 18 million and 20 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to supply power to about 6,000 households for a year. GS E&C said the project would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 8,000 tons a year compared with fossil-fuel power generation. The South Korean builder participated in the project as a developer, overseeing construction and operating the facility to sell electricity directly and generate revenue. Under a long-term agreement, GS E&C will supply about 13.9 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity a year — roughly 69 percent of the project’s total output — to Iljin Global India for the next 25 years. The remaining power will be sold to a local Indian real estate developer. The project uses an “open access captive” model, which allows industrial users to procure electricity directly through India’s transmission and distribution network. GS E&C said rising electricity prices in India are driving demand for renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, and it expects the market for the model to expand. GS E&C said it established an India renewable energy development corporation in 2023 as part of preparations to enter the market. The company plans to strengthen its position as a renewable energy developer in India and expand its portfolio beyond solar into wind power, GS officials said. The company will initially focus on working with South Korean companies operating in India before gradually diversifying its customer base, they added. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-27 14:04:28