LG Electronics to boost Mexico, U.S. production to counter tariffs SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) - LG Electronics said Friday it will expand production in Mexico and the United States to respond to reciprocal tariffs taking effect August 1, while considering price increases as part of its strategy to counter rising costs. The South Korean appliance maker outlined its tariff response plans during a second-quarter earnings conference call, warning that policy volatility and weakening consumer sentiment are dampening home appliance demand outlook. The company said it faces cost pressures from 50 percent steel tariffs and reciprocal tariffs, which will create greater market price uncertainty in the second half. LG Electronics plans to begin washing machine production at its Mexicali, Mexico facility in September to provide flexibility in responding to tariff impacts. The company will expand supply from both U.S. and Mexican production sites once reciprocal tariffs take effect on August 1. LG Electronics currently manufactures washing machines and dryers at its Tennessee plant, while producing home appliances and televisions in Mexico and refrigerators and washing machines in Vietnam. The company said it will maintain its current production system while operating regional product supply bases in the U.S. based on competitiveness considerations. Regarding potential price increases, executives said decisions would be made carefully after considering policy changes, economic trends and discussions with distribution channels. The company's vehicle components business through LG Magna is also expanding international production, with the Mexico plant accounting for 30 percent of sales in the first quarter and expected to reach the low 40 percent range by the fourth quarter. LG Magna's Hungary plant, completed in December 2024, is scheduled to begin operations in mid-2026. The air conditioning division reported order backlogs growing three times compared to the previous year, driven by data center demand. LG Electronics expects shipping costs to improve in the second half compared to the first half, citing completed maritime freight bidding for second-half contracted volumes and declining sea freight rates starting in July. The company is also conducting early shipments of sales volumes and expanding regional production ratios as part of its U.S. tariff response measures, while mixing existing and new shipping companies to secure additional freight competitiveness. 2025-07-26 15:02:33

Amorepacific's Aestura brand expands to Canada and Australia markets SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) - Amorepacific's dermatological skincare brand Aestura announced Friday it will launch in Canada and Australia in August, expanding its global presence following its February entry into the U.S. market. The Korean beauty company will distribute products through Sephora stores in both countries as part of its exclusive partnership with the global cosmetics retailer. The brand will focus on its Atobarrier 365 product line in the new markets, launching eight products including the flagship Atobarrier 365 cream, bubble cleanser, serum, hydro essence, lotion, soothing cream, mist and body lotion. The company will also offer a bestseller trial kit alongside the main product range. The Atobarrier 365 cream has sold over 7 million units since its launch. Aestura first entered international markets in September 2023 with Japan, followed by Vietnam, Thailand and the United States. The brand initially gained traction in the U.S. through Amazon before officially launching through Sephora in February 2025. The company said the products performed well on Amazon rankings prior to the official Sephora launch. In an interview with this publication, an Amorepacific representative said the company does not disclose brand-specific sales figures when asked about expected revenue from the Canadian and Australian markets. The representative noted that Aestura products had gained popularity through cross-border purchases on Amazon before the official U.S. launch, with the Atobarrier cream receiving particularly positive reception. "Aestura as a brand has heritage from Taepyeongyang Pharmaceutical. Based on Amore research, we will continue to approach with the mindset of always thinking about customers with sensitive skin," the company representative told this publication. The brand plans to continue expanding into additional global markets following the Canada and Australia launches, targeting consumers seeking dermatological skincare solutions. 2025-07-26 11:34:06

British Embassy unveils new project to shed light on forgotten Korean War battle SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - A project digitizing traces from one of the key battles of the Korean War in the early 1950s and rediscovering its memories was unveiled at an event hosted by the British Embassy in Seoul on Friday. Dubbed "Stand in the Bootprints of Heroes," the project was jointly initiated by the British Korean War Memorial Committee (BKWMC), a Seoul-based nonprofit organization of British expatriates, and the city of Paju - a northern border town with the North near the demilitarized zone where the Battle of the Imjin River took place in April 1951. As part of the project, about a dozen QR-coded signs were installed along the former battlefield, each linked to short videos explaining key moments of the battle. Separately, about 19 video clips are also available online, narrated in English with Korean subtitles, accompanied by old photos, maps, and paintings. The battle during the war (1950 - 1953) was a crucial engagement in which British and other United Nations forces fought against Chinese forces. With more than 1,000 British casualties, it was the U.K.'s bloodiest land battle since World War II. Beyond its scale, the battle is remembered as a turning point that delayed the Chinese advance and gave UN forces critical time to regroup. It also became a symbol of international solidarity in a conflict often referred to as "the forgotten war." British Ambassador to Seoul Colin Crooks stressed the importance of preserving the legacy of British soldiers who made the long journey to a distant Asian country to provide assistance. "As the number of living war veterans declines, preserving their legacy becomes ever more urgent. That's why we're proud of this project," he said. Highlighting the grassroots support behind the project, Crooks added, "This wasn't initiated by government-level agencies or embassies, but by those who want to keep these stories alive in an accessible, engaging, and lasting way." Andrew Salmon, the committee's co-chair and narrator of the video clips, hailed the project as a meaningful effort to shed light on a battle that remains little known. "Unlike many great and tragic last stands, the battle hasn't been well memorialized in the arts," he said. "I hope Paju residents will watch the videos and learn about the powerful events that unfolded on their quiet hillsides and roadside junctions, even next to bus stops. And I especially hope we inspire British and Korean creators," he added. The committee installed commemorative plaques in both English and Korean last year at Gloster Hill Memorial Park, a memorial in Paju dedicated to the British Gloster Battalion, and plans to come up with additional projects to raise awareness of Britain's role in the war. 2025-07-25 14:51:03

KAIST team discovers single-packet flaw that can disable smartphone modems SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - A research team from South Korea has identified a critical security flaw that allows a single wireless packet to crash a smartphone’s cellular modem. The vulnerability affects a broad range of devices and highlights long-standing security gaps in the modem layer. The project was led by Kim Yong-dae, professor at KAIST, and Park Cheol-jun, professor at Kyung Hee University. The team developed a custom testing framework called LLFuzz to examine the lower layers of mobile communication protocols. Unlike the upper layers, which are typically encrypted and authenticated, these lower layers can accept external signals with minimal filtering. Using LLFuzz, the researchers tested 15 commercial smartphones from manufacturers including Apple, Samsung, Google, and Xiaomi. They discovered 11 previously unknown vulnerabilities. Seven of them have been assigned CVE identifiers and patched by vendors. The remaining four have not yet been disclosed. In a demonstration, the team showed how a malformed packet, transmitted from a laptop using a software-defined radio, could instantly disable a phone’s modem. A test video captured a phone streaming data at 23 megabytes per second before abruptly freezing and losing all signal after receiving the packet. "Smartphone baseband layers can accept arbitrary external signals without authentication, which introduces systemic risk," Kim Yong-dae said. "This research shows that standardization in modem security testing is no longer optional." The vulnerabilities were found in modem components known as RLC, MAC, PDCP, and PHY. These layers handle wireless signaling, error correction, and data transmission. Because they are not protected by encryption or authentication, they are susceptible to input from outside sources. Affected chips include over 90 from Qualcomm, around 80 from MediaTek, Samsung’s Exynos 2400 and 5400, and Apple devices using Qualcomm hardware. These modems are used not only in flagship smartphones but also in tablets, smartwatches, and low-cost IoT devices. The LLFuzz system compares device behavior against 3GPP telecom standards to detect inconsistencies caused by implementation flaws. The researchers believe that the lack of standardized security testing for abnormal packet behavior is a key reason such issues have gone unnoticed. "Even leading manufacturers have overlooked this area," Kim said. "Our work highlights the dangers of deploying technologies that have not undergone sufficient scrutiny." The research will be presented in August at USENIX Security 2025, a leading international conference in cybersecurity. The paper, titled LLFuzz: An Over-the-Air Dynamic Testing Framework for Cellular Baseband Lower Layers, is authored by KAIST doctoral student Tuan Dinh Hoang, along with researchers from KAIST and Kyung Hee University. The team plans to release the LLFuzz tool as open-source software. Early tests on 5G baseband chips using the same framework have already uncovered two additional vulnerabilities. The researchers are continuing to expand the tool and explore broader testing strategies for both LTE and 5G systems. The project was funded by South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation. 2025-07-25 14:36:54

[[K-Tech]] LG Energy Solution returns to profitability without US subsidies SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - LG Energy Solution has swung back to profitability without relying on U.S. subsidies for the first time in six quarters, an achievement the South Korean battery maker attributed to rising North American production and aggressive cost-reduction efforts. The company reported on Friday that it posted a provisional operating profit of 492.2 billion won, or roughly $355 million, in the second quarter — up 152 percent from a year earlier. Net income reached 90.6 billion won, reversing a loss, while revenue declined 9.7 percent to 5.57 trillion won ($4 billion), reflecting weaker demand and lower raw material prices. Notably, even after excluding the 490.8 billion won in benefits from the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act’s advanced manufacturing production credit (AMPC), the company reported a modest operating profit of 1.4 billion won — its first profit on a pre-subsidy basis in a year and a half. “Sales volume in North America increased on the back of steady EV battery shipments and the ramp-up of our new energy storage system plant in Holland, Michigan,” Lee Chang-sil, the company’s chief financial officer, said in a statement. “That said, weaker customer sentiment driven by policy uncertainty and falling metal prices weighed on overall revenue.” Lee credited the return to profitability — excluding subsidies — to a higher share of premium, U.S.-linked production and a sweeping effort to rein in costs across operations, including cuts in materials and broader efficiency initiatives. The turnaround comes as the company, a key supplier to General Motors and Tesla, works to diversify its customer base and battery offerings. In June, LG Energy Solution secured its first cylindrical battery supply deal with China’s Chery Automobile, a move seen as a vote of confidence in the company’s 46-series cell technology. The Holland plant, a critical piece of LG's North American strategy, has also begun mass-producing long-cell lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, aimed at energy storage system applications. 2025-07-25 14:10:50

Korea pushes for rapid AI infrastructure buildout to compete globally SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - South Korea must fast-track the construction of domestic AI data centers and secure tens of thousands of high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) within the next two years if it is to join the ranks of the world’s top three artificial intelligence powers, the country’s science minister said. During a visit to Naver’s AI data center in Sejong, Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyoung-hoon outlined the government’s ambitious plans to acquire 50,000 GPUs — a key component in training and deploying advanced AI models — while warning that the pace of deployment would be critical to maintaining competitiveness. “We are no longer in a position to take a phased approach,” Bae said, referring to earlier plans to begin with an initial 10,000 GPUs. “Speed is everything. If we are serious about becoming an AI powerhouse, we must act decisively within the next two to three years.” The minister stressed that the government would support rapid development of domestic AI infrastructure, with a focus on self-reliance rather than dependence on foreign cloud service providers. He emphasized that AI data centers must meet high standards in technical performance, operational capability and price competitiveness. He also encouraged companies to integrate internal data with AI systems to strengthen Korea’s digital sovereignty. The meeting drew a wide array of industry and academic representatives, many of whom raised concerns about mounting regulatory hurdles. Among them were construction and power-related restrictions, as well as resistance from local communities over data center development. NHN Cloud CEO Kim Dong-hoon urged authorities to shorten the review process for power system impact assessments. Samsung SDS President Lee Jun-hee called for more flexible regulations around data center design, while Kakao Vice President Kim Se-woong suggested tax incentives and alternative financing models. Korea Data Center Association Chairman Kang Jung-hyup warned of the risk of “Korea passing” — the possibility of international firms bypassing South Korea as an AI hub — and called for more aggressive policy support. In response, Minister Bae pledged that the government would reflect industry feedback in policy formulation, including through streamlined licensing, targeted tax breaks and eased power supply regulations. He also addressed the government’s broader 100 trillion won ($73 billion) AI investment blueprint, saying future policy would focus on execution and industry alignment rather than headline figures. 2025-07-25 14:04:50

US sanctions more North Korean workers over illicit overseas schemes SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - More North Korean firms and workers involved in illicit schemes abroad have been sanctioned by the U.S. The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Thursday sanctioned North Korean trading company Sobaeksu and three IT workers as "part of a collaborative effort" with the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and State, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations to counter North Korea's "wide-ranging revenue generation schemes." The U.S. Department of State also said the same day that the federal agencies are "executing coordinated, decisive actions to keep Americans safe from North Korea's malicious and illicit revenue-generation schemes." It also pledged "rewards totaling up to $15 million for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions, in any country," of seven North Koreans including Sim Hyon-sop, who are accused of involvement in the schemes. The fresh joint measures came after a series of similar actions targeting North Korea's illegal activities were taken earlier. Assessing that North Korea "dispatches thousands of IT workers abroad to orchestrate fraudulent IT work, often from Russia and China," it said their criminal schemes ranging from cryptocurrency theft, illegal transfers of counterfeit goods, and smuggling "often target U.S. companies and U.S. citizens to raise funds for North Korea's dangerous and unlawful and ballistic missile programs," in violation of UN sanctions. "The United States will not stand idly by while North Korea profits from criminal activity to fund its destabilizing actions," it vowed, stressing Washington's "commitment to mitigating such threats posed by North Korea to protect U.S. companies, the U.S. financial system, and American citizens." Under such sanctions, all their assets are frozen, and they are barred from doing business in the U.S. 2025-07-25 13:54:01

Thailand recalls envoy after deadly border clash with Cambodia SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - Thailand has sharply condemned Cambodia over what it described as a serious violation of sovereignty, following a deadly border clash that left several civilians dead and injured. In response, Bangkok has decided to recall its ambassador to Phnom Penh and lower the level of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In a statement released Friday by the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul, the Thai government said Cambodian troops had entered Thai territory on July 16 and 23 to plant landmines. One of those explosions injured a Thai soldier. On July 24, Cambodian forces allegedly opened fire near a Thai operations base and continued attacking throughout the morning. Civilian areas, including a hospital, were among the targets. "The Thai government strongly condemns the actions carried out by Cambodian military forces, which constitute a serious violation of Thailand’s sovereignty and international law," the statement said. Describing the attacks as deliberate and hostile, Thai authorities said Cambodia's behavior was part of a dangerous escalation. The government framed the decision to recall its envoy and request the departure of the Cambodian ambassador in Bangkok as a direct consequence of those actions. Bangkok also warned that if the attacks continue, Thailand is prepared to take further self-defense measures in line with international law. "The Thai government strongly demands Cambodia immediately cease its repeated violations of international law," the statement added. "These acts clearly contradict the principles of good neighborliness and sincerity and will severely damage Cambodia’s reputation and trust within the international community." The confrontation marks one of the most serious flare-ups between the two countries in years, drawing attention across the region as tensions remain high. 2025-07-25 13:51:22

South Korea fails to bridge tariff divide with US ahead of looming deadline SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - South Korean and U.S. trade officials failed to reach a breakthrough on tariff negotiations during high-stakes talks in Washington on Friday, leaving Seoul with limited time to secure a deal before a key deadline next week. South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jeong-kwan and Trade Representative Yeo Han-gu met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for 80 minutes, but the discussions ended without agreement, according to a statement from South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The meeting came after the abrupt cancellation of a separate session between South Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, raising tensions around the negotiations. Minister Kim reportedly urged tariff relief on South Korean exports, particularly automobiles, and called for reciprocal tariff exemptions. He also proposed deeper cooperation in key manufacturing sectors such as semiconductors, shipbuilding and batteries, arguing that closer ties in strategic industries should be taken into account when resolving tariff issues. While both sides reaffirmed their intent to reach a “mutually beneficial agreement,” no concrete progress was announced. The urgency is mounting ahead of the August 1 expiration of a moratorium on reciprocal tariff measures imposed under U.S. President Donald Trump. In remarks to CNBC ahead of the meeting, Secretary Lutnick signaled growing pressure on South Korea to make concessions. “Korea, like Europe, very much wants to make a deal,” he said, citing Japan’s recent tariff agreement with the United States as a benchmark. Under that deal, Japan agreed to cut tariffs on key exports, including autos, from 25 percent to 15 percent. In exchange, Tokyo pledged $550 billion in long-term U.S. investment. Foreign media reports suggest Washington is now seeking a similar commitment from Seoul, estimated at roughly $400 billion. With less than a week before the tariff freeze lifts, trade analysts warn that South Korea faces a narrowing window to safeguard its export competitiveness while navigating rising U.S. demands for investment and deeper industrial cooperation. The South Korean trade ministry said additional negotiations would resume “as soon as possible,” though it declined to provide a specific timeline. 2025-07-25 13:38:08

Hyundai Mobis posts strong second quarter despite global headwinds SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - Hyundai Mobis reported robust second-quarter earnings on Friday, buoyed by the expansion of its electrification business in North America and a favorable foreign exchange environment that helped lift margins across its core auto parts operations. The South Korean auto parts firm posted revenue of 15.94 trillion won, or about $11 billion, for the April–June period, up 8.7 percent from a year earlier. Operating profit jumped 36.8 percent to 870 billion won ($640 million), reflecting improved profitability across its portfolio of high-value components. The company attributed the performance to a ramp-up at its electrification plant in North America and rising global demand for advanced automotive electronics, including sensors and controllers used in electric and connected vehicles. Hyundai Mobis also cited growing global sales of after-sales service parts and company-wide cost discipline as key drivers of the profit surge, alongside currency gains that worked in the firm’s favor. In the first half of the year, Hyundai Mobis recorded revenue of 30.69 trillion won ($21.8 billion) and operating profit of 1.65 trillion won ($1.2 billion), representing year-over-year increases of 7.6 percent and 39.7 percent, respectively. Still, the company acknowledged external headwinds. “Some customer projects have been postponed due to tariff-related uncertainties and weaker electric vehicle demand,” the firm said in a statement. “However, we expect large-scale orders to concentrate in the second half and remain committed to achieving our full-year targets.” As part of a broader push to boost shareholder returns, Hyundai Mobis said it will raise its interim dividend from 1,000 won to 1,500 won per share. It also plans to repurchase and cancel treasury shares worth 110 billion won and retire an additional 700,000 shares already in its holdings. 2025-07-25 13:29:54