Military postpones annual field training to mid-November SEOUL, October 2 (AJP) - The military has postponed its large-scale field training to mid-November. The annual "Hoguk Exercise," involving the Army, Navy, and Air Force, initially scheduled for the fourth week of October, will now be held from Nov. 17 to 21, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday. The postponement comes as South Korea prepares for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the historic city of Gyeongju from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, to ensure safety and security ahead of the multilateral gathering while maintaining military readiness. Additionally, the military took into account the dispersion of command efforts caused by the National Assembly's upcoming audit and the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX), a biennial event scheduled for mid-October. The Hoguk Exercise is a theater-level field maneuver designed to enhance joint operational capabilities and military readiness, typically including U.S. forces stationed in South Korea. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-02 10:52:44

Jeju Samdasoo, Korea's top bottled water brand, eyes global expansion SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - For nearly three decades, Jeju Samdasoo has dominated South Korea’s bottled water market. Now, the company is turning to international markets in search of growth, as competition at home intensifies and consumer habits shift. Baek Kyung-hoon, chief executive of Jeju Development Corporation, which produces Samdasoo, said the company is targeting 600 billion won, or about $435 million, in revenue by 2035. “Domestically, our real competitors are coffee and water purifiers, not bottled water brands,” Baek told reporters Wednesday, noting that the market is crowded with more than 300 rivals and showing signs of stagnation. Samdasoo has maintained its No. 1 position at home, he said, thanks to strict quality controls, from water sourcing to distribution. Overseas, the company currently exports to 17 countries, accounting for 60 percent of South Korea’s bottled water exports. But sales rely heavily on tourists and expatriates. “We need strategies targeting local consumers for sustainable growth,” Baek said. In Southeast Asia, Samdasoo is testing new tactics: using influencers and student ambassadors for social media campaigns in the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, while expanding retail displays. In China, the company is considering packaging tailored to local preferences, such as paper packs. In smaller markets, Samdasoo plans to start with online channels before building offline distribution. The expansion comes with thinner margins, given higher logistics and promotional costs. But Baek emphasized long-term growth over short-term profits, pointing to recent years of double-digit export gains. The company is also betting on sustainability as a differentiator. It has pledged to cut plastic use by half by 2030 under its “Green Whole Process” initiative. Samdasoo has already light-weighted its bottles and plans to make more than 90 percent of products label-free by next year. A new smart factory, due in 2027, will specialize in recycled and bio-based PET. Baek said he hopes to leave behind a stronger foundation for global expansion. “We need to sharpen our identity as a brand that is not just from Jeju, but for the world,” he said. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-02 10:38:05

Park Bo-gum to promote hanbok globally in time for Chuseok SEOUL, October 2 (AJP) - A series of giant billboard ads featuring actor Park Bo-gum is set to appear in several major cities overseas including Times Square, New York next week, coinciding with Chuseok, one of the country's biggest holidays. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Thursday, the ads showing Park in hanbok or traditional Korean dress will light up the streets of New York, Milan, and Tokyo for a week, starting from Chuseok Day, which falls on Oct. 6 this year. In Seoul, it will be displayed on the exterior wall of Shinsegae Department Store's main branch in central Seoul throughout the whole month of October. Through similar ads in past years, figure skating star Kim Yu-na, singer-turned-actress Suzy, and actress Kim Tae-ri promoted the beauty of hanbok, along with its modern interpretations and variations. The ads are part of the ministry's project to promote hanbok globally through collaborations with talented designers and artists. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-02 10:16:22

Posco International opens EV material plant in Poland SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - Posco International has opened a new factory in Poland to produce drive motor cores, a critical component for electric vehicles. The plant, located on a 100,000-square-meter site, will begin trial production this month, with full-scale operations scheduled for December. Drive motor cores, often described as the “heart” of an electric vehicle, form the core of the motor that powers the car. Posco International’s version incorporates non-oriented electrical steel made by its parent, Posco Group, and the company’s own Emfree technology, designed to boost energy efficiency while reducing noise and vibration. The Polish plant will have capacity to produce 1.2 million drive motor cores annually, enabling the company to supply parts for Hyundai and Kia vehicles built in Europe, with plans to expand to automakers including Volkswagen. By 2030, Posco International expects its facilities in South Korea, Mexico, Poland and India to collectively supply cores for 7.5 million vehicles a year. The company has already secured contracts to provide drive motor cores for 35 million vehicles through 2033. It is targeting a 10 percent share of the global market for the component by the end of the decade. Revenue from the business is forecast to rise from 450 billion won this year to 1.5 trillion won by 2030. “The Polish plant is a key base for capturing the European EV market,” Lee Gye-in, president of Posco International, said in a statement. “Posco Group will lead the future mobility market with its integrated capabilities in EV steel, battery materials and components.” * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-02 10:13:41

South Korea logs record C/A surplus for Aug, extends 28-mo gain SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) -South Korea posted a current account surplus of $9.15 billion in August, extending its black streak to 28 consecutive months, as a sharp fall in energy imports offset weaker exports to key markets including the United States and China. According to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea on Thursday, the August surplus was down from $10.78 billion in July but marked the largest for the month on record. The cumulative surplus for January–August reached $69.3 billion, up 24 percent from a year earlier. The goods account surplus stood at $9.4 billion, the second-largest for August but down $800 million from July. Exports fell 1.8 percent year-on-year to $56.44 billion, the first drop in three months. Shipments of semiconductors and passenger cars increased, while steel, computer peripherals, and wireless devices declined. Exports grew only to Southeast Asia, while shipments to the U.S., EU, Japan, and China fell. Imports slid 7.3 percent to $47.04 billion, led by a 10.6 percent drop in raw materials such as coal, petroleum products, and crude oil, reflecting lower global energy prices. Capital goods imports, including IT devices and semiconductor equipment, rose 3.1 percent. The services account logged a $2.12 billion deficit, little changed from July but nearly double the $1.11 billion shortfall a year earlier. The travel deficit widened to $1.07 billion, while the intellectual property account stayed in the red. The primary income account surplus narrowed to $2.07 billion from July’s $2.95 billion, as dividend income dropped by $1 billion to $1.58 billion on seasonal payouts. Still, it was the second-largest August reading. On the financial account, net asset growth totaled $7.88 billion. Direct investment rose with $1.44 billion in outbound and $2.15 billion in inbound flows. Securities investment saw $8.41 billion in outbound purchases—mainly stocks—while inbound investments added $290 million, also centered on equities. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-02 09:26:36

Kakao Games sells golf subsidiary to refocus on global gaming push SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - Kakao Games has sold its golf subsidiary, Kakao VX, in a deal that will provide the company with more than $156 million in fresh capital as it shifts its focus toward big-budget video game development for international markets. The company said Thursday that its board approved the sale of 100 percent of Kakao VX shares to IVG, a subsidiary of Kakao Investment, in a transaction valued between $210 million and $250 million. Before transferring full ownership to IVG, Kakao Games acquired a 34.8 percent stake from financial investors. In return, the investors took part in a $108 million capital increase in Kakao Games. The maneuver ultimately left Kakao Games with roughly $156 million in proceeds, which it plans to direct toward acquiring and developing large-scale projects designed to compete in the global gaming market. Kakao VX, best known for its screen golf technology and reservation platforms, flourished during the pandemic, when demand for indoor leisure surged. But growth has slowed in recent years, prompting Kakao Games to shed the business and concentrate on its core operations. Kakao Games is now seeking to narrow its portfolio while pursuing blockbuster game development, a path many South Korean game publishers are taking. * This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-02 09:24:46

Glass ceiling still persists for women in public-sector jobs SEOUL, October 2 (AJP) - Many women, particularly those in state-run and public-sector jobs, still struggle to climb the career ladder due to a persistent glass ceiling in South Korean society. According to data from the Ministry of Personnel Management submitted to lawmaker Kwang Hyang-yeop of the ruling Democratic Party, women accounted for only 12.9 percent of high-level government posts, with just 201 among 1,554 senior officials, as of December last year. Gender disparity is particularly stark in economic ministries. The Ministry of Economy and Finance has only 3 women among 61 senior officials (4.9 percent), while the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has 3 women among 52 officials (5.8 percent). The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has only one woman among 41 officials (2.4 percent), and the National Tax Service also has just one woman among 39 officials (2.6 percent). But the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has four women among 29 officials (13.8 percent), slightly above the average, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Fair Trade Commission's ratio for female public servants also surpasses 10 percent. One female official expressed concerns about her career due to the lack of female role models in senior positions, raising questions about whether promotions or advancement opportunities are as fair as in private-sector jobs. The government plans to strengthen relevant policies in hiring and managing personnel to tackle these disparities. "We will promote diversity and ensure greater balance in recruitment to better address these concerns," vowed Yoo Seung-joo, head of the Ministry of Personnel Management. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-02 09:22:48

INTERVIEW: South Korean start-up bets on AI to transform learning Long before the recent surge in artificial intelligence triggered by OpenAI in 2023, Ellis Group had been quietly embedding AI tools into education. Founded a decade ago by a team of researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, the company now counts more than 9,500 institutions and 2.75 million users on its AI education platform, EllisLXP. The Seoul-based firm has become a leader in South Korea’s AI education sector, providing software for universities, corporations and government agencies. Its cloud services, EllisCloud, are also used by more than 4,000 organizations for AI research. CEO Kim Jae-won says the company’s next chapter will focus on global expansion. In an interview, Kim discussed Ellis Group’s origins, its ambitions and what sets it apart in the fast-growing market for AI-powered learning. Q. How would you describe Ellis Group? A. Ellis Group provides B2B software-as-a-service solutions, including EllisLXP for learning and EllisCloud for research and infrastructure. Founded in 2015, our platforms are widely used across South Korea by corporations, universities and public agencies. EllisLXP alone has more than 9,500 institutional partners and 2.75 million users. EllisCloud supports AI research at over 4,000 organizations. This year, we also introduced a broader infrastructure-as-a-service product, which includes modular data centers, servers and cloud platforms to help companies transition into AI. Q. What are your flagship products? A. EllisCloud is anchored by the Ellis AI PMDC, a modular data center designed for startups and research facilities. It delivers high-performance GPU and NPU resources and allows users to scale clusters securely. It also earned CSAP IaaS certification earlier this year. EllisLXP, our education platform, is an all-in-one solution with tools such as AI-generated quizzes, voice-recognition subtitles and a virtual tutor, “AIHelpy,” which adapts to learners’ age and cultural context. Q. What led you to start the company? A. While conducting research at KAIST, I saw how difficult it was to deliver large-scale computer education. My colleagues and I developed a prototype for AI-driven grading to address that challenge. In 2015, Kim Su-in, Park Jung-kook and I founded Ellis Group with the vision of using AI to improve education and nurture talent for South Korea’s AI future. Q. What differentiates Ellis Group in the AI education space? A. We focus on lifelong learning. Our solutions are used in schools, corporations and government agencies, offering project-based learning that ties directly to real-world challenges. Unlike many competitors, we combine infrastructure, AI models and educational content under one umbrella. With both SaaS and IaaS certified under CSAP, we are uniquely positioned to support large-scale public and private initiatives. Q. How do you see the company’s growth trajectory? A. We anticipate rapid growth in our cloud services, supported by expanding adoption of both EllisLXP and EllisCloud overseas. Q. What do you look for in new employees? A. We value people who are eager to grow and who care about diversity and social impact. Our mission requires solving complex, global problems with AI, and we want individuals ready to contribute to that effort. Q. What is the roadmap for Ellis Group? A. Education and infrastructure will remain at the center. We plan to extend AI education to more schools and companies while strengthening our cloud offerings. We are continuing development of Ellis AI PMDC and preparing for global expansion. Q. Any further comment? A. Ellis Group hopes to play a meaningful role in South Korea’s development in the AI era, through both education and infrastructure. We are grateful for the support we’ve received and excited for what comes next. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-02 09:02:01

South Korea's inflation rises back above 2 percent in September SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - Consumer prices in South Korea rose 2.1 percent in September from a year earlier, returning to the 2 percent range after two months of slower growth, according to government data released on Thursday. The uptick was driven largely by higher costs for processed foods and livestock products, the National Data Office said. The consumer price index climbed to 117.06, rebounding from a 1.7 percent increase in August, when a temporary reduction in telecom fees following a hacking incident at SK Telecom eased inflation. Prices of processed foods rose 4.2 percent, adding 0.36 percentage points to the overall inflation rate. Bread prices increased 6.5 percent and coffee surged 15.6 percent. Livestock products climbed 5.4 percent, while fishery products were up 6.4 percent. The living cost index, which reflects consumer sentiment more directly, accelerated to a 2.5 percent increase from 1.5 percent in August. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 2 percent, signaling persistent price pressures despite the recent slowdown in headline inflation. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-02 08:37:03

S. Korea must race to grab US-bound talents for leap in AI race: IFEZ czar SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - Brain power defines the AI era, and the possibility of a brain drain in Silicon Valley from the U.S. imposition of hefty fees on skilled-worker visas offers an "enormous" opportunity for South Korea, said the nation’s foreign direct investment (FDI) czar. "This is a windfall, and we must move fast in hosting roadshows to draw global brains here," said Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Commissioner Yun Won-sok in an exclusive interview with AJP at the landmark 31st-floor headquarters in Songdo. Since its establishment in 2003, IFEZ — spanning Songdo, Cheongna, and Yeongjong districts near Incheon International Airport — has been tasked with attracting FDI. Over two decades, it has secured more than $10 billion in investment, anchored by biotech, logistics, and finance. But with nearly all available space filled, growth has slowed. That reality, Yun argued, demands a paradigm shift. Instead of focusing solely on hard capital, IFEZ must pivot toward drawing high-value people — scientists, engineers, and creators — who can turn Incheon into a magnet for ideas and innovation. "Bringing here those who worked with CEO Mark Zuckerberg can now be more valuable in the long run than hosting Meta outposts," he said. The timing is favorable. Washington recently announced a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas, a major pathway for foreign professionals. Nearly two-thirds of such visas go to computer-related occupations, mostly in California, with Indians making up 71 percent of approvals and Chinese 12 percent last year. IFEZ, Yun stressed, is well-positioned as a Silicon Valley alternative. "Who can better pose as the brain hub in Asia-Pacific?" he asked, pointing to five key strengths: a robust bioengineering ecosystem, a global-standard education system, strong R&D commercialization between universities and companies, world-class logistics and transport infrastructure, and globally popular content and lifestyle offerings. What IFEZ seeks, he explained, is not a simple investment but a virtuous cycle powered by human capital. "If seasoned and budding scientists and IT talents come here, continue their research, and launch businesses, their activities will naturally feed investment and hiring." Korea, he noted, can no longer rely on foreign direct — let alone greenfield — investment because of land and labor constraints. "If our land resources are limited, then our advantage must come from the people and technologies we can attract. High-value jobs, advanced R&D centers, startups that commercialize ideas — that is where Incheon will stand out." Biotech has been the anchor of this pivot. Songdo now hosts one of the world’s largest biomanufacturing clusters, with Samsung Biologics producing more than 600,000 liters of biologic drugs annually. "From those anchors, suppliers and partners have clustered in Songdo. Now we must move further up the value chain into new drug development, AI-based healthcare, and quantum-assisted research. That requires bringing in the best minds from overseas," Yun said. Education is central. "Foreign executives and researchers will not relocate if their families cannot," he said. "That is why we built Incheon Global Campus with five overseas universities, and why we are expanding K-12 international schools in Songdo, Cheongna, and Yeongjong. Parents need to know their children will receive the same standard of education they had back home." The campus hosts institutions such as Stony Brook University, George Mason University, and SUNY Korea, offering English-language degree programs in South Korea. IFEZ is also negotiating with leading institutions abroad. "We are discussing joint R&D hubs with Georgia Tech, MIT, Johns Hopkins, and Fraunhofer in Germany," Yun said. "The goal is to place companies, labs, and universities side by side. That is how you accelerate innovation — by bringing people, capital, and ideas under one roof." Lifestyle, he added, is another pillar. "Cheongna can become a media and content hub, an Asian Hollywood. We are preparing legal amendments so that major studios can invest and film here. Incheon has the airport, the logistics, and the consumer base. Content, tourism, and high-end services will be the next growth axis." Cheongna has already been earmarked for tourism and leisure development, including a large K-pop arena and entertainment complexes. The ultimate test, Yun said, will be whether people choose to come. "Our goal is to make IFEZ a place where global researchers, entrepreneurs, and creators want to live and work." And for Korea, he added, the stakes could not be higher: "In the AI era, countries that win the talent race will win the future. Incheon must be at the front of that race." 2025-10-02 08:00:00