After a string of EV contract losses, LG Energy Solution reports Q4 loss SEOUL, January 9 (AJP) - LG Energy Solution, having endured multiple headwinds including a labor raid at its U.S. plant and the cancellation of major battery supply contracts, swung to an operating loss in the fourth quarter, even as full-year profit more than doubled on strong data-center-driven demand for energy storage systems. In preliminary earnings released Friday, the South Korean battery maker reported full-year operating profit of 1.35 trillion won ($1.0 billion) for 2025, more than doubling from 575.4 billion won in 2024. Full-year revenue came to 23.67 trillion won, down 7.6 percent from a year earlier. For the October–December quarter, the company posted an operating loss of 122.0 billion won, compared with a loss of 225.5 billion won a year earlier, while quarterly revenue slipped 4.8 percent year on year to 6.14 trillion won. Excluding tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act, the fourth-quarter operating loss widened to 454.8 billion won, translating into a negative margin of 7.4 percent. The figures are preliminary and may change following audits of overseas subsidiaries and affiliates. LG Energy Solution said it will release final results, including net profit and a detailed breakdown by business division, later this month. The poor quarterly results follow a string of setbacks in the company’s electric-vehicle battery business. LG Energy Solution last month terminated a 3.9 trillion won ($2.7 billion) battery supply contract with Freudenberg Battery Power Systems, marking the second major cancellation after it ended a 9.6 trillion won battery supply contract with Ford Motor Co. The two cancellations bring the total value of terminated contracts in December to 13.5 trillion won—equivalent to more than half of the company’s annual revenue of 25.6 trillion won recorded in 2024. The company also suffered a disruption at its battery plant construction site in Georgia in September, when U.S. authorities conducted a large-scale labor raid that led to the arrest of 475 workers and a temporary halt to construction. Shares ended Friday 0.8 percent down at 363,000 won. 2026-01-09 15:54:56

OPINION: Time to open the next chapter for BTS and Bang Si-hyuk BTS is a global phenomenon. Yet its stature cannot be measured by sales figures, chart rankings, or stadium records alone. The group’s true significance lies in its origin story: seven unknown young men, without elite credentials, inherited privilege, or a glamorous starting line, rising to the top through discipline, creative labor, and mutual trust. That narrative itself became culture. For young people around the world, BTS offered a quiet but powerful lesson: it is not where you come from, but the direction you choose, that shapes the future. For parents, the group represented rare popular content that felt ethically and educationally trustworthy. Above all, BTS’s lyrics consistently pointed beyond present wounds toward dignity, resilience, and hope. This is why BTS became more than a music group. It became the face of K-Culture. Its fandom, ARMY, evolved not as a consumer bloc but as a global civic community bound by shared values. At this point, transformation is no longer optional. Without a credible next chapter, BTS cannot fully persuade its global audience. And without that trust, neither the moral credibility of K-Culture nor the deeper promise of K-Spirituality can be completed. Culture that loses ethical trust loses direction before it loses speed. The recent controversy surrounding Bang Si-hyuk is, first and foremost, a matter for legal judgment. This column does not presume guilt, nor does it attempt to substitute for judicial process. Its purpose is more limited—and more fundamental: to clarify the standards society must demand where cultural power and capital intersect. The supposed dilemma—hesitating to enforce the law for the sake of K-Pop, or hesitating to protect culture for the sake of the law—is a false one. K-Pop does not need to cry, and the law must not either. The law must apply equally to all, and culture cannot be an exception. At the same time, the presumption of innocence must be fully respected. The only way to honor both principles is timely, voluntary, and transparent action. Global cultural industries offer a clear lesson. After internal misconduct scandals and governance failures, Disney restored trust through independent investigations and public structural reforms. Britain’s BBC likewise pursued accountability and institutional change alongside legal proceedings. As cultural influence becomes a global asset, the standards of law and ethics do not soften; they become stricter. What is required of Bang Si-hyuk now is not a lawyer’s defensive strategy, but a cultural leader’s self-reckoning. First, independent of any investigation, there must be an immediate and public commitment to governance reform and strengthened internal controls—not vague declarations, but a concrete roadmap with timelines, benchmarks, and external oversight. Second, there must be a long-term decision to return a portion of accumulated success to the world’s most vulnerable children—those deprived of education and healing by war, poverty, and disaster. This should take the form not of symbolic donations, but of a professionally governed foundation with an independent board and transparent audits, supporting education, recovery, and access to culture. Such actions would not serve as absolution. They would represent an expansion of responsibility—a moment when a cultural ecosystem proves that the values it celebrates in art can be embodied in leadership. BTS has long sung about hope, dignity, and solidarity. The leader who built that ecosystem is now called to demonstrate those values through action. As the management thinker Peter Drucker once observed, leadership is defined by the courage not to evade responsibility. This is precisely what global ARMY is asking for: let the courts decide the legal questions, but show moral direction without delay. More importantly, this moment marks a crossroads for both K-Culture and K-Spirituality. If K-Culture is Korea’s global language of emotion and competitiveness, K-Spirituality is its ethical depth. Rooted in the ideal of Hongik Ingan—to benefit humanity and harmonize the world—this tradition is not confined to any single faith. When combined with Christian love, Buddhist compassion, Confucian benevolence, and Taoist respect for nature, K-Culture can grow beyond entertainment into a universal human culture. That ethical depth is what gives cultural influence durability. Time is limited. The world moves quickly, and trust responds to speed. Hesitation is read as silence, and silence erases meaning. If decisive action is taken now, it will not be remembered as crisis management. It will be remembered as the moment the next chapter of BTS was opened—and as a signal that K-Culture has matured into a civilization-level culture grounded in ethics as well as artistry. A renewed BTS can persuade ARMY. ARMY can persuade the world. And at that horizon, K-Culture and K-Spirituality can finally stand complete—together. Now is the time for that decision. *The author is the President of Global Economic and Financial Research Institute (GEFRI) 2026-01-09 14:55:08

North Korean leader vows 'unconditional support' in letter to Putin SEOUL, January 9 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has pledged "unconditional support" in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, state media reported on Friday. According to the state-run and the Russian Federation, the strategic interests of the two countries," he also wrote, suggesting further strengthening of military ties between the two countries. Since KCNA described it as a reply, Putin appears to have sent a letter congratulating Kim, whose birthday was believed to be the previous day, though North Korean media disclosed no details. In October last year, Kim also sent Putin a congratulatory message for his birthday. The secretive country has never officially disclosed Kim's birth date, but it is widely thought to be Jan. 8, 1984. 2026-01-09 14:50:11

Italian PM first foreign leader to visit Seoul after relocation of Cheong Wa Dae SEOUL, January 9 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung has invited Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to visit Seoul, Cheong Wa Dae said on Friday. She is expected to stay in Seoul for three days starting Jan. 17 for talks with Lee. Her trip will be the first visit by a European leader since Lee took office last year and the first foreign guest since the presidential office returned to Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul. The two leaders are expected to exchange views on various issues to strengthen bilateral cooperation and discuss international affairs. Italy is South Korea's fourth-largest trading partner in the European Union and a popular tourist destination, visited by about 1 million South Koreans each year. Separately, Lee will seek support and attention for the safety of South Korean athletes who will compete at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo and Milan, scheduled to kick off early next month. 2026-01-09 14:16:19

South Korea's overseas construction orders hit highest level in 11 years SEOUL, January 9 (AJP) - South Korea's overseas construction orders hit an 11-year high by shifting away from heavy reliance on the Middle East and diversifying into markets such as Europe, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on Friday. The ministry said overseas orders totaled $47.27 billion, the highest since 2014 and the first time combined annual orders have exceeded $40 billion since 2015. In the industry's 60-year history, annual orders have exceeded $40 billion only nine times including last year. After declining in 2021, overseas orders have risen for four consecutive years, totaling $30.98 billion in 2022, $33.31 billion in 2023 and $37.11 billion in 2024. Europe drove the increase, with orders in the region reaching $20.16 billion or 42.6 percent of the total. The major deal was a nuclear power project in the Czech Republic, where Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power won a $18.7 billion order to build two 1,000-megawatt reactors in Dukovany. Orders from the Middle East fell from a year earlier but remained above $10 billion for the fourth consecutive year, accounting for 25.1 percent, followed by North America and the Pacific region at $6.8 billion or 14.3 percent. By country, the Czech Republic led with $18.7 billion in orders, followed by the United States ($5.8 billion) and Iraq ($3.5 billion). By type of work, industrial facilities accounted for $35.3 billion or 74.6 percent of the total, but the ministry said high value-added projects related to energy infrastructure such as nuclear, solar and combined-cycle power generation helped support overall growth. 2026-01-09 13:43:39

[[CES 2026]] Tactile technology seeks to preserve Japan's endangered craft skills LAS VEGAS, January 08 (AJP)-The art of craftsmanship in Japan has long rested on an exceptional sensitivity to detail — from silverware and precision metalwork to wagashi sweets — refined through the human hand. As Japan’s master artisans age and fewer successors emerge, that legacy is increasingly at risk. A sensor-to-tactile feedback technology called Tacthancer offers a novel response. The technology was demonstrated Thursday (local time) at the booth of DIC Corporation in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center during CES, presenting a materials-based solution to a challenge long faced by craft and manufacturing industries. The demonstration was led by Ichikawa Atsushi, 38, from Chiba Prefecture. he first asked to slide AJP reporter's index finger across a metal plate with bare skin. The surface felt nearly smooth, with dents and burrs barely perceptible. When the same motion was repeated while wearing a finger cot fitted with Tacthancer, the minute irregularities became immediately pronounced. The device resembles the finger cots commonly used by watchmakers. Beneath its soft outer layer lies a flat internal structure that is more rigid than it appears. Rather than relying on electronics, sensors, or software, the design mechanically amplifies subtle surface variations, translating them into tactile feedback that the fingertip can clearly detect. “Veteran masters in these industries can feel the tiniest scratch marks — invisible to the eye — with their fingertips,” Ichikawa said. “But the community of master craftsmen is aging, and it is extremely difficult for younger workers to acquire this level of sensitivity.” Tacthancer operates without power, requiring no batteries or wiring. According to explanations at the booth, the technology depends entirely on material structure to enhance tactile sensitivity, enabling ultra-fine texture detection through purely passive means. Its simplicity allows it to be worn directly on the finger or integrated into gloves used in industrial environments. Ichikawa said the technology is intended for fields where surface quality has traditionally been judged by human sensation rather than instruments. These include precision metalworking, painting and coating processes, and traditional crafts such as urushi lacquerware, where artisans rely on tactile judgment refined over decades. “This technology can help younger workers carry on a master’s work without requiring many years of training,” he said. At a trade show dominated by automation, robotics, and data-driven inspection systems, the Tacthancer demonstration took a markedly different approach. Rather than replacing skilled judgment or converting touch into digital signals, the device enhances how physical information is conveyed to the human hand — keeping evaluation grounded in sensation. In doing so, it suggests that preserving craftsmanship may not require abandoning tradition for machines, but rethinking how human ability itself can be quietly extended. 2026-01-09 13:08:47

INTERVIEW: Smart Brick to keep Lego legacy alive and competition at bay LAS VEGAS, January 09 (AJP) - As Lego brings sensors and connectivity into its iconic bricks, the Lego Group says its new Smart Brick platform is designed not only to modernize play, but to safeguard its decades-old legacy — and keep competitors firmly at bay. The Smart Bricks will be difficult for rivals to copy, according to a senior Lego executive, who cited years of proprietary development and built-in security features as major barriers to imitation. "I think the technology is going to be quite hard for people to recreate," said Tom Donaldson, senior vice president at the Lego Group, in an interview with AJP on Thursday at the Las Vegas Convention Center during CES 2026. The Smart Brick system, unveiled during Lego's keynote presentation at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, embeds NFC sensors and Bluetooth connectivity into the iconic two-by-four brick, enabling sound, light and real-time interaction between Lego models. Donaldson said that even if competitors manage to replicate some elements of the hardware, security measures would prevent unauthorized products from functioning within Lego's ecosystem. "There's security in place so that people might find it hard to — even if they can recreate some of the aspects — make it work with our system," he said. Child safety was a central reason for limiting compatibility, Donaldson added. "We'd really prefer that other people's systems don't work with ours unless we've been very deliberate about it, just from a child-safety perspective," he said. The Smart Brick concept dates back roughly eight years, with about six years of intensive development, according to Donaldson. The lengthy timeline reflected the absence of suitable technologies when the project began. "We found that the technologies didn't really exist — or at least not in the format that we felt we needed — and that's why it turned into a challenging technology development," he said. The system is designed to address three areas Lego identified as opportunities: social play, dynamic interactivity and user agency. Traditional Lego models, Donaldson noted, remain largely static compared with digital games that evolve over time. "You do something in the morning, you go to school, you come back, something's changed," he said. "Whereas that maybe hasn't been the case with traditional Lego models." Donaldson acknowledged that electronic components cannot match the multi-generational lifespan of traditional plastic bricks, which families often pass down over decades. Still, he said Lego engineered Smart Bricks to significantly outlast typical consumer electronics. "We don't want you to just buy a brick and then have to buy another one the next year," he said. "We want a brick that works even if you bought it three or four years ago. If you get a new set, the old bricks should still work." Durability was also a key design requirement, given the realities of children's play. Donaldson noted that the bricks had to withstand poking, dropping and impacts while protecting internal electronic components from damage and potential hazards. Lego chose CES as its launch venue to emphasize that Smart Play represents a long-term platform rather than a one-off product line, he said. "We really wanted to announce a platform," Donaldson said. "This is something that goes beyond just a wave. This is something we are really investing in for the long term." Asked about future form factors — such as different-sized Smart Bricks or tag-based components — Donaldson declined to provide specifics but suggested the platform could expand over time. "We see this as a platform that will last many, many years," he said. "And therefore it's likely that over time we'll discover additions that bring entirely new dimensions to the pieces." The first Smart Play sets feature Star Wars themes, including an X-wing, TIE Fighter and classic Episode VI characters. Donaldson cited Lego's decades-long partnership with Lucasfilm as a key factor behind the launch choice. "When you do something new like this, you need to have a tremendous partner with you," he said. "Lego Star Wars is a galaxy where people make their own stories. There are a lot of fans creating great narratives, and that type of play lends itself perfectly to what we're trying to do." 2026-01-09 12:57:14

CES 2026: Inside how China has leapfrogged in AI robots — self-sufficiency LAS VEGAS, January 09 (AJP) - From synchronized dancing and kung-fu demonstrations to boxing, deliveries and cleaning, Chinese robots were ubiquitous at the world's largest consumer electronics show in Las Vegas this week. China, which has already begun rolling humanoid robots off assembly lines and into retail stores and homes in various forms and scales, used CES 2026 to show the United States and the wider world just how far it has moved ahead in physical AI. Of the 38 companies participating in CES's humanoid robotics category, 21 were Chinese — ranging from established players such as Unitree Robotics to newer entrants including AgiBot and Noetix Robotics. The self-sufficiency drive comes as Chinese firms accounted for the vast majority of the roughly 13,000 humanoid robots shipped globally in 2025, according to research firm Omdia. Shanghai-based AgiBot topped the list with an estimated 5,168 units, followed by Unitree Robotics and UBTech Robotics. Except for Nvidia chips, everything else is homemade Despite the push for deep vertical integration, one component remains a near-universal import: the processor. An AgiBot employee told AJP that the company uses Nvidia chips as the computing brain for its robots — an irreplaceable component for every machine standing, spinning or twirling on the show floor. The company trains its robots at a data center in Shanghai, combining synthetic and real-world data to develop the artificial-intelligence models that power its humanoids. Beyond the processor, however, AgiBot manufactures nearly all components in-house, excluding only small standardized parts such as bolts and nuts. The reliance on Nvidia extends across China's robotics landscape. Unitree, Galbot, Engine AI and UBTech have all adopted Nvidia’s Jetson platform, with many becoming early users of the Jetson AGX Thor modules launched in August 2025. From joints to guards At UniX AI's booth, the vertical-integration story ran even deeper. Jerry Wu, the company's chief financial officer, said the Suzhou-based firm manufactures everything from joint mechanisms to the internal components of its robotic hands. The only exceptions are standardized parts, including optical sensors. "We developed everything by ourselves," Wu said. "Even the very inside of the joints." For processors, UniX AI also relies on Nvidia chips. The company has developed a two-layer AI model architecture: one layer functions as the "brain," interpreting situations and making decisions, while the other controls physical movement. Its Wanda series models are already generating revenue in China. Hotels have deployed the robots for housekeeping tasks such as bed-making and cleaning, while security applications use the machines to patrol buildings. "These are general models," Wu said. "They can even make alcoholic drinks as well." Cost pressure drives self-sufficiency Galaxea Dynamics, a Beijing-based company whom also has a office in San Jose, follows a similar playbook. Lei Yu, the company's chief business officer, said manufacturing is done entirely in-house — down to the motors — with Nvidia processors used for computing. "We build our own robots in-house," Yu said. "We design and control the body and manufacture everything ourselves." The rationale is as much economic as it is strategic. Training robots for manipulation tasks requires enormous volumes of real-world data, which in turn demands large fleets of robots to collect it. "To have a lot of data, you have to walk on it. So we need to have a lot of robots," Yu said. "And to have a lot of robots, it can be extremely expensive. That's why we use our own motors — to reduce costs at the data-collection stage." Galaxea Dynamics plans to bring its latest model to market between March and September this year, with educational discounts available. The company has partnered with research institutions to deploy about 200 robots. Synthetic data, real deployment Founded in May 2023, Galbot has positioned itself as one of the most valuable embodied-AI companies in the humanoid robotics sector. Yvonne Yuan, head of overseas marketing, said the company produces most components — from arms to wheels — using proprietary technology. Galbot was among the first globally to adopt Nvidia's Jetson Thor chipset. "It's all our own proprietary technology, including the hardware," Yuan said. Galbot's training strategy reflects a broader industry shift toward efficiency. About 90 percent of its training data is synthetic, generated in simulators, with only about 10 percent derived from real-world environments. "We do not rely so much on real-world data," Yuan said. "We train them in a simulator, then fine-tune using real-world data." Its G1 robots are already deployed in factories and warehouses across China, sorting vehicle parts and assisting production-line workers. The machines can operate for up to eight hours on a single charge and automatically return to charging stations when battery levels drop. A heavier model is in development. The current G1 can lift between 10 and 50 kilograms using both hands. The upcoming version will be able to lift at least 32 kilograms and feature a redesigned appearance, Yuan said. The bigger picture The push for vertical integration aligns with Beijing's broader industrial policy. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has set a goal of achieving global leadership in humanoid robotics by 2027. The strategy appears to be gaining traction. ABI Research forecasts the global humanoid robot market will reach $6.5 billion by 2030, with China's state funding and regulatory environment positioning domestic firms for outsized growth. Yet the reliance on Nvidia processors highlights a persistent vulnerability. Washington restricts Nvidia from exporting its most advanced chips to China, though the modules currently used in robotics applications remain available. For now, China's robotics industry is betting that controlling everything else — from the hands that grasp to the motors that move — will be enough to win the race. 2026-01-09 12:56:54

Asian stocks mostly in the positive on chip and robotics expectations SEOUL, Jan. 9 (AJP) —Asian stocks kept to the positive despite profit-taking offensive Friday on halo effect from regional chip and robotics strengths. The KOSPI swung back and forth the positive and negative as foreigners took profits. As of11;30, the KOSPI was 0.4 percent higher at 4,571.36 and the KOSDAQ nearly flat at 944.75. Retail investors were net buyers of about 615.1 billion won ($458 million), while institutions bought roughly 277.5 billion won. Foreign investors, however, sold around 928.4 billion won, weighing on the broader market. Among major stocks, Samsung Electronics fell 1.1 percent to 137,200 won, while SK hynix slid 1.0 percent to 739,000 won, reflecting profit-taking after their recent rally. LG Electronics sank 4 percent after it reported its first quarterly operating loss in the fourth quarter of 2025. By contrast, defense shares extended gains. Hanwha Aerospace jumped 6.7 percent to 1,163,000 won ($870) on sustained buying tied to expectations of increased global defense outlays. Hyundai Motor rose 0.6 percent to 348,000 won, bucking the broader market weakness. Hanwha Ocean gained 0.7 percent to 130,900 won, while Doosan Enerbility climbed 0.4 percent to 84,300 won. In internet and industrial names, NAVER added 0.2 percent to 254,500 won, and Samsung Heavy Industries rose 0.4 percent to 27,900 won. Entertainment stocks moved lower as investors reassessed near-term expectations following recent volatility linked to China-related policy signals. HYBE fell 1.5 percent to 330,500 won, while JYP Entertainment slid 2.5 percent to 69,600 won. SM Entertainment dropped 1.7 percent to 115,900 won, and YG Entertainment declined 0.4 percent to 67,900 won. Elsewhere in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.7 percent in morning trade, rebounding from the previous session as buying interest returned to large-cap exporters. China’s Shanghai Composite was marginally higher, while Hong Kong shares also traded firmer in early dealings. 2026-01-09 11:45:57

Lee to travel to Japanese PM's hometown for summit next week SEOUL, January 9 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung will visit to Japan's historic city of Nara next week for a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Cheong Wa Dae said on Friday. Lee is scheduled to leave for Nara, Takaichi's hometown and Japan's ancient capital during its early imperial era, for a summit with her, followed by a dinner next Tuesday. During his two-day trip to the island country, Lee is expected to discuss various regional and global issues with her as well as ways to expand practical cooperation, as part of shuttle diplomacy aimed at strengthening bilateral ties. Lee will then hold a meeting the following day with South Korean expats there before returning home. 2026-01-09 11:12:19