Kia to equip upcoming EV5 with CATL batteries SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - Kia, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, will use batteries made by China’s CATL in its upcoming EV5 electric compact SUV, expanding Hyundai’s reliance on Chinese battery technology. The EV5, scheduled to launch in September, will be equipped with CATL’s nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) battery packs, which have a capacity of 81.4 kilowatt-hours, according to Kia officials. NCM batteries, while more costly due to volatile raw material prices, offer higher energy density than the increasingly popular lithium iron phosphate (LFP) alternatives. The move marks Hyundai Motor Group’s latest expansion of its partnership with CATL, whose ternary battery technology is already used in Hyundai’s Niro and Kona electric models. It comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tension and shifting trade dynamics — particularly in the United States, where tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles and components have increased. Facing pressure from the so-called electric vehicle “market chasm,” where early adopter enthusiasm has cooled and mass-market demand has yet to fully materialize, Hyundai is recalibrating its supply chain to maintain pricing flexibility in key markets. Analysts say the use of Chinese batteries may offer a short-term solution for managing production costs. Kia’s EV5 will become the company’s fifth dedicated electric vehicle, following the EV6, EV9, EV3 and EV4. The vehicle was first revealed as a concept at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show, with the production version debuting later that year in Chengdu. Mass production is expected to begin in the second half of 2025. The decision to deepen battery sourcing ties with CATL could also signal Hyundai’s broader strategy to diversify suppliers amid uncertain U.S. policy shifts and slowing EV adoption in several markets. 2025-07-17 14:24:51

Samsung chairman escapes legal peril as Supreme Court upholds acquittal SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the acquittal of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong on charges stemming from the controversial 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates and related accounting practices — concluding a nearly five-year legal battle that once threatened to upend the leadership of the country’s largest conglomerate. The court, presided over by Chief Justice Oh Seok-jun, affirmed lower court rulings that cleared Lee of all criminal charges, including market manipulation, breach of trust, and violations of capital market and accounting laws. The decision effectively ends one of South Korea’s most high-profile corporate trials. At the heart of the case were allegations that Lee and his aides engineered the merger between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries to consolidate his control over the Samsung empire at minimal cost, ahead of a planned leadership succession. Prosecutors alleged that Lee’s team manipulated stock prices, engaged in accounting fraud, and used Samsung’s powerful but now-disbanded Future Strategy Office to drive the deal through. Thirteen other defendants, including former Future Strategy Office chief Choi Ji-sung, strategy head Kim Jong-jung, and deputy chief Jang Choong-ki, were also acquitted. The Supreme Court found that the lower courts had correctly assessed the evidence and followed legal standards governing capital market violations and digital evidence procedures. One key point in the ruling was the exclusion of prosecution evidence obtained from Samsung’s digital servers and mobile devices. The appellate courts found that authorities had failed to follow lawful procedures during the collection of 18 terabytes of data from Samsung Biologics and Samsung Bioepis servers, including private messages from former executives. The courts ruled the search and seizure process did not meet legal standards for digital forensics or adequately protect defendants’ rights. Prosecutors had also argued that Samsung Biologics improperly altered its accounting treatment of call options held by U.S. biotech partner Biogen in order to avoid capital erosion during the 2015 merger. However, the courts ruled that the company’s financial disclosures reflected reasonable business judgment and that changes in Bioepis’s valuation — spurred by regulatory approval of biosimilar products in Europe — supported the accounting decisions. In a statement following the ruling, Lee’s legal team said the court’s decision “clearly confirmed the legality of the Samsung C&T merger and the accounting treatment applied by Samsung Biologics.” The case began in September 2020 when prosecutors indicted Lee on 19 counts. After a lengthy trial, he was acquitted on all charges in February 2024. That verdict was upheld by an appellate court in February 2025, which expanded the scope to 23 charges, including new allegations. Thursday’s Supreme Court decision affirms both judgments, allowing Lee to move forward without legal constraints as he continues to lead Samsung Group. 2025-07-17 13:43:05

KOGAS anchors Korea's energy strategy in age of AI, uncertainty Editor's Note: This article is the 27th installment in our series on Asia's top 100 companies, exploring the strategies, challenges, and innovations driving the region's most influential corporations. SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - As artificial intelligence reshapes global energy consumption patterns, the Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) is placing a bold wager on liquefied natural gas. The state-run energy company reported this week that the first shipment of LNG from the Canada LNG project — in which it holds an ownership stake — is en route to South Korea. The milestone marks a strategic shift as the company looks to reposition LNG as a central pillar of the AI-powered economy. The Canadian cargo, expected to be cheaper than current imports from the Middle East, Australia, and the United States, underscores KOGAS’s efforts to diversify its sourcing amid intensifying geopolitical instability. The three regions currently account for more than 70 percent of the company's LNG portfolio. Executives are also weighing possible participation in the long-delayed Alaska LNG project, a move that could broaden supply lines while offering diplomatic leverage in trade talks with the United States. But the project remains mired in uncertainty, with industry analysts citing unresolved questions around financing, cost competitiveness, and commercial viability. Previous withdrawals by energy majors such as ExxonMobil and BP have raised red flags about its long-term potential. Founded in 1983 to ensure stable natural gas supplies, KOGAS began operations three years later at its Pyeongtaek terminal. The company has since grown into one of the world’s largest LNG importers, boasting the highest global storage capacity — 11.47 million kiloliters — and supplying about 80 percent of South Korea’s LNG needs. Over the decades, KOGAS has built a sprawling import network. It began sourcing from Qatar in 1999, followed by Oman, Yemen, Indonesia, and Australia. More recently, the company added supplies from Mozambique, expanding its footprint into Africa. Today, that diversification is more than an operational strategy; it is a geopolitical hedge. As energy markets become increasingly exposed to conflict, sanctions, and trade restrictions, KOGAS is seeking to secure supply lines for what it sees as a new kind of energy demand — one driven not by households. At a company-hosted forum on July 11, CEO Choi Yeon-hye laid out a vision for LNG in the age of artificial intelligence. “We will actively reflect the opinions provided by experts through the KOGAS Forum to further strengthen future energy security and drive innovation in the natural gas industry,” she said. Choi highlighted the potential for LNG-powered distributed generation to support data centers — a critical infrastructure layer as AI accelerates electricity consumption. To that end, the company is constructing a major LNG terminal in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province. When completed in 2030, the facility will include 10 storage tanks and a full suite of port infrastructure. The first tank — at 270,000 cubic meters, the largest in South Korea — was topped off in May. Choi described the site as an “energy hub for the west coast” and a key component of national energy policy. Still, the company’s financial results reflect the shifting terrain of the global energy market. In the first quarter of this year, KOGAS reported revenue of 12.73 trillion won (about $9.24 billion), a modest year-over-year decline of 77.9 billion won. Sales volumes rose due to colder weather and industrial demand, but lower international prices weighed on returns. Operating profit fell by 87.7 billion won to 833.9 billion won, and net income declined to 367.2 billion won. Overseas projects, including those in Mozambique, helped cushion the blow. As the world balances the dual imperatives of energy security and digital transformation, KOGAS’s strategic pivot offers a glimpse into how traditional energy firms are adapting. By betting on LNG as a transitional fuel in a digital-first economy, the company is positioning itself not only as a supplier — but as an enabler of South Korea’s broader technological ambitions. 2025-07-17 10:23:37

Viet Nam's top leader To Lam to visit South Korea for summit with President Lee SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - General Secretary To Lam, the top-ranking official in Viet Nam's Communist Party, is set to visit South Korea in August for a summit with President Lee Jae-myung, diplomatic sources confirmed Wednesday. Lam is expected to arrive on August 10. Both sides are now working to schedule a summit meeting for the following day, August 11. This will be Lam's first visit to South Korea and the first by a Vietnamese general secretary in 11 years, following Nguyen Phu Trong’s trip in 2014. During the summit, President Lee and General Secretary Lam are expected to explore ways to expand bilateral cooperation in strategic sectors, including high-speed rail and nuclear power. The talks will be framed under the two countries' existing comprehensive strategic partnership. On July 4, Lam and Vietnamese President Luong Cuong sent a joint message congratulating President Lee on his election and inauguration. "We look forward to enhancing the relationship between Viet Nam and South Korea in a more practical, effective, and comprehensive way," the message read. "This will serve the interests of both peoples and contribute to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and around the world. We are ready to work with President Lee and the Republic of Korea to make that happen." President Cuong followed up with a phone call on June 12, less than two weeks after Lee took office. During the call, he wished President Lee a successful term. Thuong was the fifth foreign head of state to speak with Lee after calls from U.S. President Donald Trump, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala. President Lee noted the progress in bilateral relations since diplomatic ties were established in 1992. He pointed to growth in trade, investment, and human exchanges, and expressed hope for deeper cooperation under the comprehensive strategic partnership. President Cuong welcomed Lee’s remarks and emphasized Viet Nam’s interest in strengthening ties with South Korea, calling it a trusted and essential partner in Viet Nam’s economic development and modernization. Both leaders agreed to advance cooperation in strategic industries such as high-speed transportation and energy. President Lee also requested support for South Korean businesses operating in Viet Nam. President Thuong responded positively. Cuong invited Lee to visit Viet Nam. Lee said he looked forward to the visit and added that he hoped for continued high-level exchanges between the two countries, including through forums such as APEC. 2025-07-16 16:45:26

Ex-President stalls probe, seeks injunction against detention SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - Disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol has refused to comply with questioning over his botched martial law debacle late last year. Independent prosecutors on Wednesday once again failed to bring him in for questioning related to his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, following two previous attempts, as Yoon, who has been detained at a remand prison in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province since last week, continues to stall, citing health reasons. Yoon, who claims he is willing to be questioned at the prison, criticized the prosecutors' requests as mere attempts to "publicly humiliate" him. According to his lawyers, Yoon has also filed an injunction disputing the legality of his detention, with a court scheduled to decide at a hearing on Friday. Meanwhile, prosecutors, who have prohibited all visitors except Yoon's lawyers from seeing him, are reportedly considering indicting him without further questioning if he continues to refuse to cooperate, rather than seeking an extension of his detention. Yoon's current detention period ends on Saturday. 2025-07-16 16:24:46

[[K-Tech]] Hanwha brings 3D printing to US shipyard in push for LNG, naval market share SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - Hanwha is rolling out advanced 3D printing technologies at Philly Shipyard, part of a sweeping plan to transform the historic U.S. shipbuilding site into a hub for high-value commercial and military vessels. Hanwha Ocean and Hanwha Systems, which jointly acquired the Philadelphia-based facility in 2023, have begun deploying metal additive manufacturing processes to fabricate complex components directly on-site — a shift that marks a departure from traditional shipbuilding methods, which typically depend on third-party suppliers for precision parts. The initiative is central to Hanwha’s strategy to boost efficiency, localize production in the United States, and expand into premium sectors such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and naval vessels. Company officials say in-house production of selected parts could shorten construction timelines and improve responsiveness in time-sensitive defense and energy projects. “By integrating additive manufacturing with digital production tools, we’re redefining how ships are built in the U.S.,” a Hanwha spokesman said in a statement. The project draws on experience from Hanwha’s South Korean shipyards, where 3D printing is already being used to produce engine components like bellmouths, prechambers and custom pipe fittings. The company plans to replicate and scale those practices in Philadelphia, adapting them to meet U.S. regulatory standards and operational requirements. To facilitate the transition, Philly Shipyard has launched a series of workforce training programs covering additive manufacturing design, 3D printer operations, and digital systems integration. The company is also digitizing its parts catalog, introducing augmented reality training modules, and installing a centralized control system that leverages satellite-based positioning for real-time assembly tracking. At the heart of Hanwha’s commercial ambitions is the growing demand for LNG carriers in the United States. The company projects that 11 vessels will be needed by 2028, representing a market opportunity of roughly $2.8 billion, based on an estimated $255 million per ship. Beyond the commercial market, Hanwha is eyeing a broader role in U.S. naval shipbuilding. Philly Shipyard is currently participating in U.S. government pilot programs — partnering with the Navy, defense contractors, and research institutions — to qualify 3D-printed components for use on active-duty vessels. To meet the stringent demands of U.S. military contracts, Hanwha has implemented a robust testing regime that includes ultrasonic and x-ray inspection and fatigue testing in simulated maritime conditions. The company is also incorporating digital twin models and AI-powered predictive maintenance systems to monitor the real-time performance of ship components throughout their lifecycle. 2025-07-16 16:11:37

South Korea gears up for APEC summit in Gyeongju this fall SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - South Korea is ramping up its preparations for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, scheduled for October in the southern historical city of Gyeongju. President Lee Jae-myung has sent invitation letters to the leaders of all 20 APEC member countries including Canada, China, Japan, Russia, Viet Nam and the U.S. for the first major multilateral summit since his inauguration early last month, his office said on Wednesday. Shortly after taking office, Lee reportedly offered a personal invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping during their first phone conversation. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok is on a two-day visit to Gyeongju this week to inspect key facilities and other venues for the summit, coming shortly after a similar visit last week. 2025-07-16 15:26:20

Honduran diplomat's immunity revoked over alleged sexual harassment in Busan SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - A Honduran diplomat, who has been booked for allegedly harassing and assaulting another man in South Korea, has been stripped of his diplomatic immunity by his home country. The Honduran Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that it revoked his diplomatic protections due to what it cited as "a serious incident," adding that he should face "legal consequences" if any wrongdoing is found. The ministry further stated that the diplomat's passport could be confiscated upon his return, warning its diplomats to comply with the laws of host countries. According to police here, the diplomat working at the Honduran Embassy in Seoul has been under investigation after being accused of sexually harassing a man, which led to a physical assault on a subway train in the southern port city of Busan last month. The incident occurred in the early morning, with the diplomat who was reportedly drunk while on a business trip to Busan. Earlier, the Foreign Ministry here expressed serious concerns to the Honduran Embassy and requested strong measures to prevent similar incidents. Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, foreign diplomats are generally granted immunity from the criminal, civil, and administrative jurisdiction of the host country. But if their home country waives this immunity, local authorities may proceed with legal actions. 2025-07-16 15:02:11

[[K-Tech]] LG challenges OpenAI, Alibaba with new hybrid AI model, EXAONE 4.0 SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - LG AI Research on Wednesday unveiled what it calls South Korea’s first hybrid artificial intelligence model, EXAONE 4.0, a system that fuses large language processing with advanced reasoning capabilities. The release marks LG’s fourth major AI launch in as many months, as the company escalates efforts to compete with global players like OpenAI, Anthropic, Alibaba, and Google. EXAONE 4.0 integrates two distinct AI functions — a large language model for fast, knowledge-based responses and a reasoning engine for complex problem-solving — within a single architecture. LG claims the hybrid system addresses a fundamental shortcoming in current AI models: language models excel at fluency and speed but struggle with logic and reasoning, while reasoning-focused systems often lack versatility and responsiveness. “By bridging the gap between language fluency and cognitive reasoning, EXAONE 4.0 marks a new chapter in Korea’s AI capabilities,” said an LG spokesperson. To demonstrate its performance, LG reported that EXAONE 4.0 passed written exams for six Korean national professional licenses, including those for medical doctors, dentists and traditional Korean medicine practitioners. The company released two configurations of the model: a 32-billion-parameter expert version designed for specialized tasks, and a lighter 1.2-billion-parameter on-device model aimed at high-efficiency use cases. According to LG, the compact version surpasses OpenAI’s GPT-4o mini in mathematics, coding, and science benchmarks, while operating with half the parameters of its predecessor, EXAONE 3.5. In a move toward openness and collaboration, LG released the model with open weights on the Hugging Face platform, enabling academic and research use. With this step, LG joins a growing group of global tech firms — including Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Alibaba — embracing transparency in AI development. The company plans to embed EXAONE 4.0 across its product ecosystem, from home appliances and smartphones to automotive systems and robotics. LG will present additional details and future plans at its upcoming “LG AI Talk Concert 2025,” scheduled for July 22 at LG Science Park in Magok, Seoul. 2025-07-16 14:28:59

[[K-Tech]] LG CNS ventures into insect farming using AI-powered breeding technology SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - South Korean IT solutions provider LG CNS has begun construction on an artificial intelligence-powered insect farming complex in Gangwon Province. The groundbreaking ceremony for the facility — billed as an “insect smart factory” — was held Wednesday in the city of Chuncheon, with Gangwon Province Governor Kim Jin-tae and LG CNS Executive Vice President Kim Hong-keun in attendance. The factory will use advanced automation and AI-driven systems to breed, monitor, and harvest insects such as mealworms at industrial scale. By deploying its proprietary manufacturing automation platform, LG CNS aims to manage the entire production process — from breeding to quality control — through a unified, data-driven control system. At the core of the factory’s operations is an AI system designed to monitor insect growth stages in real time. The technology analyzes movement patterns and color variations to detect abnormalities or disease, identifying substandard or dead specimens before they can contaminate batches. The system is intended to solve a persistent challenge in traditional insect farming, where manual sorting is both labor-intensive and unreliable at scale. “LG CNS will deliver fundamentally differentiated value to customers by combining our automation innovation with the emerging insect industry,” said Kim, the company’s executive vice president. The Chuncheon facility is expected to produce roughly 700 tons of mealworms annually by the end of the year. The insects are widely used in animal feed, protein supplements, and biodegradable materials — key components in efforts to create more sustainable food and resource systems. While insect farming has long been touted as a potential solution to climate and food security issues, scaling production has proven difficult. LG CNS’s entry into the sector reflects a broader push among Korean tech firms to apply AI and automation to ecological and agricultural challenges. 2025-07-16 14:21:09