Hot Stock: Robotics emerge as retail favorite as U.S. tariff risks weigh on chip heavyweights SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - Shares of robotics and automation companies surged Monday as investor funds rotated out of semiconductor stocks and into so-called “physical AI” plays, amid renewed uncertainty over U.S. semiconductor trade policy. Hyundai Motor jumped 12.5 percent to 465,000 won ($315.3), while Doosan Robotics soared 20.13 percent to 108,600 won, sharply outperforming the broader market as sentiment toward chipmakers weakened on tariff concerns. The shift followed a fresh warning shot from Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing a 25 percent tariff on certain AI semiconductor products manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and imported into the United States before being re-exported to third countries. The White House also signaled the possibility of broader, second-phase tariffs on semiconductors and derivative products as part of its push to expand domestic manufacturing. Against this backdrop, investors moved into sectors viewed as less directly exposed to trade frictions, including robotics, automation and next-generation mobility. Hyundai Motor’s rally briefly lifted the automaker past LG Energy Solution to become the third-largest company by market capitalization on the Korea Exchange. As of 10:50 a.m., the stock had touched an intraday high of 466,000 won, marking a fresh 52-week high and pushing its market cap above 94 trillion won. Robot-related shares posted broad gains. Doosan Robotics led the advance. On the KOSDQ, Hurim Robotics jumped 23.26 percent, Hyundai Movex rose 13.45 percent and Yuil Robotics gained 9.88 percent. Market participants attributed the rally to growing expectations that robotics could emerge as the next market-leading theme, filling the vacuum left by semiconductors, which had driven the market’s recent advance before stalling on renewed trade uncertainty. Although U.S. memory chipmaker Micron Technology hit a record high last week on news of insider buying, investor sentiment toward Korean chipmakers deteriorated after Washington renewed pressure on companies that do not expand manufacturing investment in the United States, including the possibility of punitive tariffs. Hyundai Motor Group drew particular attention after Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot Atlas, a core asset in the group’s robotics portfolio, received a major robotics award at CES earlier this month, raising confidence in robotics-led future mobility. The company has outlined plans to deploy Atlas robots at its Metaplant America facility in Georgia from 2028 and scale production to 30,000 units annually by 2030. “The focus of AI has shifted dramatically in just one year,” said Lee Seung-hoon, head of research at IBK Investment & Securities. “Comparing CES 2025 and CES 2026, AI has moved from generative technologies that answer questions to physical AI that sets goals, executes tasks and interacts with the real world. Hyundai Motor Group’s Atlas went beyond demonstrations, presenting a roadmap for mass production and real-world deployment in manufacturing, logistics and services.” Doosan Robotics’ sharp rise came without company-specific disclosures, underscoring that gains were driven largely by theme-based rotation rather than near-term earnings factors. The company specializes in collaborative robots for industrial and commercial use and is seen as a direct beneficiary of rising automation demand in North America and Europe. Market observers noted that the reshuffling of market-cap rankings reflects a broader transition in leadership themes. In 2021, NAVER occupied the No. 3 spot during the pandemic-driven digital boom. In 2022, LG Energy Solution surged on electric-vehicle battery demand, while SK hynix later reclaimed the No. 2 position on high-bandwidth memory optimism. 2026-01-19 12:11:55

KOSPI bucks global stock weakness on robotics-led rally SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) — Asian stock markets opened the week on a weaker footing amid rising geopolitical uncertainty, as tensions flared between the European Union and the United States over Greenland. South Korean stocks, however, moved against the regional trend, buoyed by strong gains in robotics-related shares. The benchmark KOSPI opened at 4,829.40, down 0.23 percent from the previous close, but quickly reversed course. As of 11:10 a.m., the index was up 0.9 percent at 4,883.72. The tech-heavy KOSDAQ rose 0.7 percent to 961.3. Retail investors drove the rebound, posting net purchases of 56.6 billion won ($192 million). Institutions and foreign investors remained net sellers, offloading 13 billion won and 118 billion won, respectively. Among blue chips, Samsung Electronics rose 300 won to 149,100 won, while SK hynix gained 16,500 won to 772,500 won. Decliners included Samsung Life Insurance, down 4.10 percent to 163,600 won; LG Energy Solution, down 1.41 percent to 385,500 won; and Samsung Biologics, down 1.39 percent to 1,920,000 won. Hyundai Motor surged 12.59 percent to a fresh intraday high of 465,000 won, extending a rally that has lifted the stock more than 40 percent since the start of the year. Analysts attributed the gains to renewed optimism following CES 2026 and a series of upward revisions to target prices, reinforcing expectations for medium- to long-term growth as the automaker accelerates its transition into robotics manufacturing. Investor sentiment has also been supported by Hyundai’s plan to deploy Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robots at its Metaplant America facility in Georgia starting in 2028 and scale production to 30,000 units annually by 2030. Kia advanced 3.51 percent to 156,400 won. Robot-related shares rallied sharply in morning trade. Doosan Robotics jumped 20.35 percent, or 18,400 won, to 108,800 won, after earlier touching 110,900 won — a fresh 52-week high. The collaborative robot maker’s rally was driven by expectations that expanding orders from North America and Europe will translate into stronger earnings. Defense and aerospace stocks also traded higher, with Hanwha Aerospace gaining 2.31 percent to 1,329,000 won. Shipbuilding and heavy industry shares showed solid momentum, as HD Hyundai Heavy Industries rose 2.09 percent to 635,000 won and Hanwha Ocean added 1.09 percent to 148,600 won. In currency markets, the dollar was little changed at 1,475.1 won, down 0.4 won. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 retreated 1.25 percent to 53,260.73 in morning trading on profit-taking. 2026-01-19 11:30:50

Cold wave advisory issued for Seoul SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - A cold wave advisory was issued for Seoul and most other parts of the country on Monday. The advisory, issued at 10 a.m. by the Korea Meteorological Administration, takes effect at 9 p.m. as freezing temperatures are forecast overnight. After an unusually warm spell over the weekend, Seoul is expected to see morning lows plunge to -13 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, with daily highs remaining below freezing throughout this week. Such an advisory is issued when morning temperatures are expected to drop by more than 10 degrees Celsius from the previous day, or at least 3 degrees below the seasonal average, or when the morning low is forecast to remain at or below -12 degrees for two or more consecutive days. Some provincial areas including the mountains of Gangwon Province were hit with more severe cold wave warnings. 2026-01-19 11:07:25

Celltrion's Zymfentra gains preferred drug status on major U.S. healthcare formulary SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - Celltrion's Zymfentra, the world's only subcutaneous infliximab treatment, has secured preferred drug status on the formulary of Evernorth Health Services, a subsidiary of U.S. healthcare giant Cigna Group. The listing marks a significant milestone for the South Korean biopharmaceutical company as it seeks to accelerate sales of the autoimmune disease treatment in the world's largest pharmaceutical market. Cigna operates Express Scripts, one of the three largest pharmacy benefit managers in the United States, and Cigna Healthcare, a top-10 U.S. insurer. Celltrion's U.S. unit had previously secured a contract with Express Scripts to list Zymfentra as a preferred medication. The Evernorth listing builds on that foundation, allowing Cigna-affiliated insurance subscribers to access Zymfentra without the complex administrative procedures typically required for prescription medications. Since its U.S. launch in 2024, Zymfentra has recorded an average monthly prescription growth rate of 31 percent. Institutional prescriptions, including those from hospitals, surged nearly fivefold in December compared with the same month a year earlier. "With both Zymfentra and Inflectra now listed on major U.S. insurer formularies, we expect sales growth to accelerate sharply based on our product competitiveness and prescriber preference," a Celltrion official said. Celltrion plans to leverage its expanding autoimmune disease portfolio, including recently launched biosimilars Steqeyma and Avtozma, to capture greater market share in the United States through intensified marketing efforts. 2026-01-19 10:29:36

EXO set to drop first full-length album in over two years SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - K-pop boy band EXO are returning with their eighth full-length album on Monday. "REVERXE," set for release at 6 p.m. on major music-streaming sites, is the group's first full-length album in about two years and six months. The album contains nine songs including its title track "Crown," a hard-dance track about protecting a loved one, symbolized as a crown. To promote the album, a showcase is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Kyunghee University in Seoul later in the day and also livestreamed on YouTube and TikTok. 2026-01-19 10:27:09

Hyundai Glovis installs SpaceX's Starlink to enhance vessel safety, connectivity SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - Hyundai Glovis said Monday it has begun installing low-Earth-orbit satellite communications service Starlink across its fleet, aiming to accelerate digital transformation in shipping while enhancing vessel safety management. The logistics and shipping arm of Hyundai Motor Group is rolling out Starlink on 45 company-owned vessels, including car carriers and bulk carriers. Installation will be carried out sequentially, starting with ships calling at local ports this year. Starlink is a low-Earth-orbit satellite communications service operated by U.S. space company SpaceX. By using small satellites orbiting about 550 kilometers above Earth, it can offer faster and more stable data connections than conventional geostationary satellites, which operate at roughly 36,000 kilometers, Hyundai Glovis said. Following the adoption of Starlink, the time required to download 1.4 gigabytes of video content during ocean crossings fell from about 15 minutes to around two minutes, the company said. Hyundai Glovis plans to build a high-capacity data environment at sea and improve communications quality to levels closer to those onshore. Improved connectivity is also expected to strengthen emergency response capabilities by enabling real-time communication with shore-based teams in situations such as equipment malfunctions, crew illness or injury, and deteriorating weather conditions during long-distance voyages. “Introducing low-Earth-orbit satellite communications is core infrastructure to improve both safety and efficiency in ship operations,” the company said in a press release. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-19 10:18:31

Samsung hires former Microsoft executive to bolster EU policy response SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has hired Jeremy Rollison, a U.S.-born European Union digital policy specialist who previously worked at Microsoft, as an executive director-level official, in a move widely seen as aimed at strengthening the company’s response to tightening EU digital regulation. Rollison, 46, has begun work with Samsung’s Europe external relations team in Brussels, the hub of EU policymaking. He spent more than a decade at Microsoft handling EU government and policy affairs. Samsung is expected to draw on his experience in artificial intelligence and cloud policy, as well as cybersecurity, along with his network in Brussels, as it navigates an increasingly complex EU regulatory environment. Rollison graduated from the University of Richmond in Virginia and earned a master’s degree in European studies from Sciences Po in France. After starting his career at Nokia, he joined Microsoft in 2014, where he worked on EU external relations and most recently served as head of the company’s EU policy team for European external relations. The European Union is a key market for Samsung, accounting for about 17 percent of its annual global revenue, or roughly 50.1 trillion won. However, concerns have been growing as the bloc rolls out stricter regulations and protectionist measures. One of the most significant rules is the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which designates certain large companies as “gatekeepers” and subjects them to special obligations to curb abuses of market power. Samsung narrowly avoided being designated as a gatekeeper in 2023. Seven companies are currently classified as gatekeepers under the act: Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft, along with China’s ByteDance and the Netherlands-based Booking.com. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-19 10:01:21

Injury-stricken Kim Ha-seong to sit out start of season again SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - Atlanta Braves' shortstop Kim Ha-seong is likely to miss the start of the Major League Baseball season this spring after undergoing finger surgery. Kim "sustained a hand injury while in Korea and underwent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger" in Atlanta, Braves said on X, formerly known as Twitter on Sunday, adding that his recovery is expected to take four to five months. According to MLB.com, Kim will "begin a second straight season on the injured list," leaving the Braves "without Kim until mid-May and possibly into June" and giving Honduran Mauricio Dubón a chance to start the season as Atlanta's regular shortstop. Kim's injury comes after the Braves re-signed Kim to a one-year, US$20 million deal last month. He also struggled last season while recovering from shoulder surgery and battling a lingering back ailment. 2026-01-19 09:58:33

OPINION: Corporate accountability must be enhanced for Korea's cybersecurity Last year appeared to mark an unusually high number of corporate hacking incidents and personal data leaks. In truth, however, South Koreans’ personal information has long been treated as something closer to public property than a protected asset. The pattern following each breach is by now familiar. The National Assembly unleashes a wave of criticism at companies, the government announces sweeping countermeasures or tighter regulations, and the media devotes days of coverage to the incident. Then time passes. Another breach occurs. And once again, the country finds itself having neither prevented the next incident nor addressed the structural causes behind it. Regulation and reprimands alone cannot keep pace with rapidly advancing, increasingly sophisticated hacking, cybercrime and cyberattacks. A different approach is needed. First, the way cybersecurity is understood must change. In hacking, cybercrime and personal data breaches, attackers enjoy inherent structural advantages over defenders. Incidents cannot simply be legislated away. The realistic objective is not zero breaches, but minimizing both their likelihood and the damage they cause when they occur. This is precisely why a government-dependent, passive approach—one in which the National Assembly or ministries prescribe detailed standards and pressure companies to comply—cannot keep up in an AI-driven, fast-evolving cyber environment. Corporate leaders must shift their mindset. Companies should set their own security standards, build internal countermeasures against cyberattacks and data leaks, and strengthen security continuously and systematically as a core management responsibility. The role of the government and the National Assembly should be to establish and rigorously enforce accountability frameworks that make security failures a genuine threat to corporate survival. At the same time, for blind spots such as small and midsize firms, the state should focus on support: fostering the information security industry, investing in technology development and training cybersecurity professionals. In a rapidly changing threat landscape, these measures may be the most effective policy tools available. Second, major public institutions must lead by example. It is difficult to argue that the security posture of the government, the National Assembly, the judiciary, constitutional bodies and local governments is stronger than that of private companies. The private sector is subject to increasingly stringent requirements, including mandatory ISMS-P certification, compulsory appointment of chief information security officers, security disclosures and administrative penalties. Yet public institutions—which hold far more sensitive personal data and should be held to a higher standard—face none of these obligations. Neither the government nor the National Assembly, the judiciary or constitutional bodies are required to obtain ISMS-P certification, appoint CISOs or disclose their security practices in a comparable manner. Finally, the establishment of a dedicated cybersecurity authority—provisionally a Cybersecurity Administration—deserves serious consideration. The era of fragmented and ambiguous governance across multiple ministries has reached its limits. The Personal Information Protection Commission lacks the mandate and capacity to prevent or respond to hacking and large-scale data leaks, while the Ministry of Science and ICT is primarily focused on promoting the AI industry, making sustained, proactive cybersecurity policy difficult. What is urgently needed is a lead agency with clear responsibility for cybersecurity across both public institutions and private companies—covering prevention, real-time response and recovery, development of security technologies and industries, and the cultivation of professional cybersecurity talent. Only by moving beyond reactive regulation and symbolic oversight can South Korea begin to close the gap between the scale of its digital economy and the fragility of the systems that underpin it. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-19 09:21:37

Seoul, Beijing to hold follow-up FTA talks on services, investment this week SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - South Korea and China will hold a new round of follow-up negotiations on services and investment under their bilateral free trade agreement from Monday through Friday in Beijing, South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said. The two governments agreed at a summit between their leaders in Beijing on Jan. 5 to work toward achieving meaningful progress in the negotiations within this year. The follow-up talks will focus on further market opening and institutional improvements in services and investment, in line with guidelines agreed after the two countries signed their FTA. Formal negotiations began in March 2018, with 12 official rounds held so far, along with multiple intersessional meetings. This week’s talks will seek to accelerate discussions on both negotiating texts and market access issues across three working groups: services, investment and finance, the ministry said. About 30 government officials from the two countries are expected to take part. The South Korean delegation will be led by Kwon Hye-jin, director general for trade negotiations, while the Chinese side will be headed by Lin Feng, director general of the Department of International Affairs at China’s Ministry of Commerce. A ministry official said Seoul and Beijing plan to step up the pace of negotiations by holding regular official rounds, including meetings every other month, with the aim of laying the groundwork for a freer and more open environment for services trade and investment. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-19 08:39:15