Ruling party bloc slams court after Kim Keon Hee gets 1 year, 8 months in stock case Former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, was sentenced in a first trial to 1 year and 8 months in prison on charges including alleged stock manipulation, drawing sharp criticism from politicians aligned with the ruling camp who said the punishment was far lighter than prosecutors had sought. On Tuesday, Park Soo Hyun, senior spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said Kim — whom he called a “comprehensive case of power-related corruption” — received a 1-year, 8-month term, adding it marked the first time in South Korea’s constitutional history that a former president and spouse have both been legally punished. Still, he said the sentence was “far from enough” for wrongdoing he said shook democracy and damaged state affairs for private gain. Park said the ruling left “many regrets,” arguing there was clear evidence Kim manipulated the capital market and gained more than 800 million won in illicit profits, yet the court did not recognize her as a co-perpetrator in the stock manipulation. He criticized the court’s reasoning that even if she knew about price-rigging acts, it was hard to conclude she was a joint offender. He also pointed to the court’s partial acceptance of allegations that Kim received polling results from political broker Myung Tae Kyun and accepted valuables — including an expensive necklace and Chanel bags — while receiving requests from the Unification Church. Park said the decision left a “bizarre precedent,” with one luxury bag deemed not taken in exchange for influence-brokering while another was. Park said he deeply regretted what he called a ruling out of step with the facts, the public and legal common sense, and urged a special prosecutor to appeal. He said the sentence was so light it seemed aimed at protecting the standing of Kim, who he said was known as “V0” and wielded influence over state affairs. Rep. Park Jie Won, a member of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, criticized the ruling as one that “rolled out the red carpet” for Kim to walk free soon, adding, “This is too much.” Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Deuk Gu called it a biased ruling that ignored public common sense, and party Supreme Council member Lee Sung Yoon said it felt as if the judges were acting like Kim’s lawyers. Rep. Park Sung Joon asked whether Kim had become a sanctuary immune from punishment and called for judicial reform, saying he was seriously concerned about the court’s grasp of reality. Cho Kuk, leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, wrote on social media that Kim, an “unelected power,” exercised authority alongside Yoon, alleging she engaged in influence peddling, intervened in candidate nominations and used political prosecutors as underlings — but that the court saw it differently. He said Kim may have wanted to shout “manse” in court after hearing the sentence, while the public would have felt empty, drained and angry. Cho said equality before the law was still far off, arguing it was easy to find cases where people received two or three times heavier sentences for conduct that did not reach even half of Kim’s alleged wrongdoing. He said the verdict should be overturned on appeal and said he would renew his resolve, as the head of a party that has advocated prosecutorial and judicial reform. Earlier Tuesday, the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 27, led by Presiding Judge Woo In Sung, sentenced Kim to 1 year and 8 months in prison and ordered her to forfeit 12,815,000 won. Kim had been tried on charges of violating the Capital Markets Act and the Political Funds Act, and for influence peddling under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. Of the three main allegations, the court found her guilty only of receiving valuables tied to the Unification Church. It acquitted her of all charges related to the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation and receiving polling results from Myung. The special prosecutor team led by Min Joong Ki said the ruling was unacceptable legally and as a matter of common sense, and said it would appeal.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 19:57:00

Remembrance as an obligation: Nussbaum exhibit in Seoul SEOUL, January 28 (AJP) -Silence settled over the Democracy Movement Memorial Hall in Seoul on Jan. 27, as the Israeli and German embassies came together to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Beneath the vaulted stillness of the space, remembrance took shape not through speeches alone, but through the collective pause of those gathered. Around 150 people — diplomats, scholars and ordinary citizens — stood in quiet attention, their faces composed, their gazes drawn inward as much as toward the images before them. In the absence of sound, memory did the speaking. Titled “Remembering for the Future,” the special exhibition traces the fragile boundary between civilization and its collapse. Works by Jewish-German artist Felix Nussbaum, painted in exile and fear, confront visitors with fractured bodies and haunted landscapes. Nearby, images from “The Auschwitz Album,” preserved by the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center, document lives suspended between arrival and annihilation — moments captured just before history closed in. International Holocaust Remembrance Day, designated by the United Nations in 2005, calls not only for mourning the dead but for vigilance among the living — a reminder that human dignity, once stripped away, is difficult to reclaim. The exhibition will remain open to the public free of charge from Jan. 28 to March 15, inviting visitors to linger, to look, and to bear witness — not as an act of the past, but as a responsibility carried forward. 2026-01-28 19:39:22

HiteJinro Sales and Operating Profit Fall as Alcohol Demand Slumps HiteJinro said weaker alcohol consumption pushed down both revenue and operating profit last year. According to a filing on the electronic disclosure system on Tuesday, the company’s consolidated operating profit fell 17.3% from a year earlier to 172.1 billion won, down from 208.1 billion won. Revenue slipped 3.9% to 2.4986 trillion won from 2.5992 trillion won. Net profit dropped 57.3% to 408.5 billion won from 957.4 billion won. HiteJinro said the overall alcohol market shrank and its top line continued to decline, leading to a sharp fall in operating profit. It said the revenue decline was relatively limited despite the broader market downturn. A company official said, “Despite the overall contraction in alcohol consumption, we minimized the decline in revenue,” adding that it plans to pursue market-boosting efforts this year and step up its push into overseas markets.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 19:27:00

Samcheok City Council Reviews 2026 Work Plans, Seeks Solutions on Local Issues Samcheok’s City Council on Tuesday held the fifth plenary session of its 269th extraordinary meeting, receiving 2026 major work-plan briefings from six departments, including the economy division, and debating local issues and development priorities. Council members offered proposals on boosting the local economy, youth policy, tourism infrastructure, traditional-market revitalization and improvements to the education environment. Council member Kim Hee Chang called for measures such as improving traditional-market facilities and expanding incentives for the Samcheok Love Card to upgrade the markets’ image and increase use. He also urged the city to maximize floor-to-ceiling height in any redevelopment of the current Samcheok Medical Center site to improve space efficiency, and to ensure a private developer is selected with the financial capacity and project experience to deliver the work. Council member Kim Won Hak proposed turning the second floor and rooftop of the Central Market’s main building into resident-friendly spaces to draw visitors and increase market use. He also said the city should expand its “day to meet abandoned animals” into an event that includes both pets and abandoned animals, developing it into a community festival to improve awareness and promote adoption. Council Chair Kwon Jeong Bok said that as teenagers increasingly use debit cards in daily life, the city should consider easing the minimum age requirement for issuing the Samcheok Love Card to encourage youth participation in economic activity. Council member Lee Gwang Woo asked officials to visit Central Market to check operations during peak tourist hours, identify needed improvements and use the findings to craft steps to attract more weekday visitors. Council member Jeong Yeon Cheol said the Nogok branch school revitalization project should go beyond reusing the closed school and pursue development linked to the broader area. Council member Kim Jae Gu called for identifying more effective youth policies, including support for the cost of obtaining a driver’s license, to improve conditions for young people to settle in the city. On the relocation of the Samcheok Fire Station, he said access roads and pedestrian paths at the new site should be designed with safety and convenience in mind. Council member Jeong Jeong Sun urged the city to link the detailed programs under its private-sector job-creation support initiative so they build a system for stable employment. She also called for a temporary-use plan to prevent hollowing out of the area during the redevelopment period for the Samcheok Medical Center site. Council member Yang Hui Jeon asked the city to expand convenience measures at Central Market, including small carts, mobility assistance services and improved pedestrian routes. He also requested that planners consider adding a small public bathhouse as part of the Nogok branch school project aimed at easing inconvenience for local residents. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 19:24:00

Prosecutor criticizes acquittal in Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case Kim Tae Hoon, chief prosecutor of the Daejeon High Prosecutors Office who led the investigation into the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case under the Moon Jae-in government, criticized a trial court ruling that acquitted first lady Kim Keon Hee of violating capital markets law, calling it an “unfair decision.” Kim posted his statement Tuesday on the prosecution’s internal network, e-Pros, under the title, “As a member of the first Deutsche Motors investigation team, I share my view on this ruling.” He said the court acknowledged Kim Keon Hee’s awareness of the stock manipulation but still found her not guilty as a joint principal offender. He argued that conclusion is hard to accept in light of earlier rulings that found former Deutsche Motors chairman Kwon Oh Soo and former Black Pearl Invest CEO Lee Jong Ho guilty, as well as legal principles on joint offenders and continuing offenses. Kim said earlier rulings found that Kim Keon Hee took part in multiple matched-order trades, citing a sell order for 100,000 shares on Oct. 28, 2010, and a large sell order on Nov. 1, 2010, known as the “7-second trade.” He also said earlier rulings recognized that 2 billion won Kim provided to Black Pearl was used as key funding for the manipulation scheme. “Even though it was confirmed that matched orders and large-scale buying using Kim Keon Hee’s funds contributed to the price increase, not recognizing her as a joint principal offender runs counter to precedent that joint liability can be established through functional control based on a division of roles,” he wrote. He also challenged the court’s statute-of-limitations analysis. Citing precedent, he said that even if an accomplice participated in only part of a continuing offense, the limitations period runs from the end of the overall crime, not from each individual act. He argued the court’s decision to separate acts from October 2010 to January 2011 and find the limitations period had expired conflicts with established legal principles. “As a member of the first investigation team that investigated the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation accomplices and indicted them in custody, I find it difficult to accept this acquittal,” he wrote, adding that he hopes it will be corrected on appeal. On Tuesday, the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 27, led by Presiding Judge Woo In Sung, sentenced Kim Keon Hee to 1 year and 8 months in prison on a separate charge of receiving improper solicitations. But it acquitted her of violating the Capital Markets Act, saying it was difficult to conclude she carried out the crime as a joint principal offender with the price-manipulation group.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 19:18:00

Samsung Electro-Mechanics sets 2025 profit-sharing bonus at 5%-6% of salary as Samsung affiliates finalize payouts Samsung Electro-Mechanics has decided to pay an excess profit incentive (OPI) worth 5% to 6% of annual salary based on last year’s results, effectively wrapping up performance-bonus decisions across major Samsung electronics affiliates, including Samsung Electronics. According to the industry on Tuesday, Samsung Electro-Mechanics announced its 2025 OPI payout rates in an internal notice. The Component Business Division, which leads the multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) business, will receive 6%, as will the Optical Solution Business Division. The Package Solution Business Division will receive 5%. The payout is scheduled for Thursday. Earlier Tuesday, Samsung Display also finalized its OPI. It set the rate at 36% — the top end of the 32% to 36% range forecast late last month — and will apply it across all divisions. OPI is paid once a year when a business unit exceeds targets set at the start of the year. It can be worth up to 50% of an employee’s annual salary, within a cap of 20% of excess profit. Along with the target achievement incentive (TAI), it is one of Samsung Electronics’ main bonus programs. Samsung Electronics was the first to set its OPI rates, doing so on Jan. 16. In its Device Solutions (DS) division, which oversees semiconductors, most units — including memory, System LSI and foundry — were set at 47% of annual salary. The company said sales rose sharply across memory products last year, including high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and commodity DRAM, helping results recover from the second half. In the fourth quarter, Samsung Electronics posted quarterly operating profit of 20 trillion won for the first time since its founding. By contrast, OPI for 2024 was set at 14% amid weak semiconductor performance, and it was set at 0% in 2023. The Device Experience (DX) division, which leads the mobile business, was set at 50%, reflecting strong sales of the Galaxy S25 series and the Galaxy Z Fold/Flip7 last year. OPI for the Visual Display (VD) unit, which oversees TVs, and for the Digital Appliances (DA), network and medical device units was set at 12%. Management support, Harman, the mutual growth cooperation center and the global customer service center will receive 39%, while the production technology research institute will receive 36%.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 19:06:00

South Korea says Trump tariff remarks tied to delay in U.S.-investment bill Cheong Wa Dae said it views President Donald Trump’s remarks about raising tariffs as stemming from U.S. dissatisfaction over delays in passing a “special act for strategic investment management” with the United States, and said it will explain to Washington that parliamentary procedures are required. Kim Yong Bum, Cheong Wa Dae’s senior presidential secretary for policy, told a briefing at Chunchugwan on Monday that Trump’s comments could be interpreted as frustration that implementation of a tariff agreement has been slowed because the bill has not been processed quickly in the National Assembly. Kim said the U.S. side wants investment projects based on a strategic investment memorandum of understanding to begin soon, adding that there has been communication that once the law passes and procedures move quickly, the two sides could discuss the projects. He said the government will more fully explain in February that legislation is needed and will detail to the U.S. side the efforts being made with the National Assembly. Kim again stressed that National Assembly ratification is not required for the investment agreement, saying there was no disagreement between South Korea and the United States on that point when the deal was reached. On President Lee Jae Myung’s decision to end a temporary suspension of heavier capital gains taxes for owners of multiple homes, Kim said the measure will expire as previously announced, calling it a principle for how the administration will operate going forward. He said the government is reviewing whether to allow a set period for transactions to be completed after contracts are signed on May 9. A Cheong Wa Dae official said the suspension will end, but the government will closely monitor market conditions and design detailed measures to avoid unreasonable outcomes as the heavier tax rates take effect. Lee wrote on X on Thursday that “even a single home can be different depending on circumstances,” and said that if tax rules must be adjusted, it may be fair to treat nonresidential and residential homes differently. He added that he is not considering any extension of the multi-home capital gains tax exemption set to expire May 9. Lee also wrote that not only multiple homes but also a single nonresidential home used for investment or speculation can look undeserving of tax breaks simply for being held long term, and said the long-term holding deduction can discourage listings and encourage speculation. He added that he is not changing the tax system immediately, but said the issues are worth debating. If the suspension is not extended, in designated regulated areas, owners of two homes would face an additional 20 percentage points in tax rates and owners of three homes an additional 30 percentage points, and they would no longer be eligible for the long-term holding deduction. The basic tax rates were introduced under the Moon Jae In administration in 2021, but were suspended through an enforcement decree revision when the Yoon Suk Yeol administration took office on May 9, 2022, and the suspension has been extended annually.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 18:57:00

VC Funding Shifts to Pre-IPO Mega-Rounds as Early-Stage Deals Slide Global venture capital investment is increasingly flowing to proven companies in a winner-take-most pattern, and the concentration is expected to sharpen this year around mega-rounds for firms nearing an initial public offering. According to VC analytics firm THE VC, investment in unlisted startups and small and midsize companies at the seed-to-Series A stage totaled 1.919 trillion won last year, down 41.17% from a year earlier. The number of deals fell even more sharply, down 67.65% to 847. Later-stage funding rose. Series B-to-C investment reached 3.2732 trillion won, up 6.06%, while Series D-to-pre-IPO funding climbed 20.74% to 1.3802 trillion won. In late-stage rounds, the number of deals also increased 34.92%. The share of funding by stage shifted as well. Early-stage rounds accounted for 29.2% of total investment, down 9.8 percentage points from the 39% range in 2024. Midstage and late-stage rounds rose to 49.8% and 21%, up 5.3 and 4.5 points, respectively. THE VC said pre-IPO investment increased noticeably, attributing it to signs of recovery in the IPO market, including broader improvements in the number of new listings and IPO demand indicators. With expectations rising for South Korea’s stock market alongside talk of reaching a KOSPI 5,000, THE VC projected that the shift of money toward pre-IPO companies will accelerate. In South Korea, AI startups such as FuriosaAI, Upstage and Superb AI are being discussed in the investment banking industry as potential IPO candidates in 2026. The tilt toward big late-stage deals is also a global trend. Crunchbase estimated that global VC investment in AI totaled US$211 billion last year, up 85% from a year earlier and above the 2021 peak. Much of the money went not to seed-to-Series A startups but to established companies such as OpenAI. Last year, OpenAI, Anthropic, Scale AI, xAI and Project Prometheus each raised mega-rounds of at least US$5 billion. Together, the five companies raised nearly US$84 billion, about 20% of global VC investment. U.S. media outlets including The New York Times have reported that OpenAI and Anthropic are in IPO preparation. OpenAI’s valuation, estimated at US$500 billion, could approach US$1 trillion after a listing, according to forecasts cited in the reports. Anthropic’s valuation, estimated at US$183 billion, could rise to as much as US$350 billion after an IPO. Capital concentration was also pronounced. About 60% of global investment capital last year went to 629 companies that raised at least US$100 million, and more than 30% flowed to 68 companies that raised at least US$500 million. A South Korean VC official said, “Starting a business will get harder, and more money will flow to companies that have begun making money.” The official added, “VCs have more cash than ever, but the mood has shifted from taking on challenges to investing in profitability.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 18:33:26

SK hynix to set up U.S. AI solutions unit, overhaul Solidigm to merge NAND and AI SK hynix plans to establish a U.S.-based artificial intelligence solutions company tentatively named “AI Company,” while significantly restructuring its local NAND business. The company will reposition its subsidiary Solidigm as a holding entity for AI solutions and create a new “AI NAND solutions” operating unit under Solidigm to run NAND operations jointly with SK hynix. SK hynix said in a statement posted to its newsroom on Tuesday that it is pursuing a plan to reorganize Solidigm — which changed its name in February — as the central entity of the AI Co. structure. Under Solidigm, SK hynix would set up a new corporation responsible for NAND and SSD products for AI data centers. The goal is to combine SK hynix’s NAND technology with Solidigm’s enterprise SSD capabilities under one organization to strengthen storage solutions for AI data centers. The company said the restructuring is intended to extend its technology leadership in AI memory, including high-bandwidth memory, into storage and system solutions, moving beyond being a memory manufacturer to become a key partner in the AI data center ecosystem. SK hynix said it also plans strategic investments and partnerships with companies with AI capabilities to grow AI Co. into a solutions provider spanning the full range of data center needs. SK hynix pointed to growing investment by global big tech companies in data centers and changes in semiconductor and system architectures to secure an edge in AI. It said the importance of high-performance SSDs and storage solutions is rising alongside memory performance, as large volumes of data must be stored and processed reliably. SK hynix said it sees an opportunity to expand its influence across AI infrastructure by combining its experience leading the HBM market with NAND and enterprise SSD technology. The company said it is also considering ways to expand investment and collaboration with U.S. AI innovators through AI Co. and connect those efforts to AI synergies across the SK Group. It said it aims to develop AI Co. into a global hub for AI cooperation aligned with the group’s AI- and semiconductor-focused investment strategy. SK hynix said it expects the global network and technology collaboration built through AI Co. to help strengthen the competitiveness of South Korea’s AI and semiconductor industries as global competition intensifies. SK hynix said it plans to contribute up to US$10 billion to AI Co. through capital calls. The funds are intended for mid- to long-term investment covering AI memory, AI storage and broader data center solutions. “Establishing AI Co. is a strategic move to secure diverse opportunities in the AI data center ecosystem ahead of the next AI era,” the company said. “We will work closely with key partners in the United States to create the value customers need ahead of demand.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 18:33:00

South Korea Launches Public-Private Task Force to Draft K-GX Green Transition Strategy The South Korean government on Tuesday launched a public-private task force to draft its K-GX (green transition) strategy, bringing together relevant ministries and major industry associations at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The task force was formed to steer policy discussions as South Korea works to implement its 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution, or NDC, and to turn those efforts into growth opportunities while strengthening coordination between the public and private sectors. At the launch event, participants shared the strategy’s drafting direction and the task force’s operating plan, and discussed ways to translate proposals from private-sector consultative groups into concrete policy tasks. The government outlined green-transition priorities aimed at ensuring implementation of the 2035 NDC, including expanding renewable energy, demonstrating hydrogen-based steelmaking, sharply increasing adoption of hydrogen and electric vehicles, electrifying thermal energy use, converting livestock manure into energy, and revitalizing the timber industry. It also said it will prepare a package of support measures, including technology development, certification and standards, financial and tax support, and regulatory easing, along with steps to deliver a “just transition.” The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, presenting private-sector proposals, said 72% of its member companies believe a Korean-style GX policy is needed. It called the K-GX strategy a key national task to strengthen industrial competitiveness and future growth, and urged the government to create conditions that allow companies to view carbon neutrality as an opportunity and keep investing. Koo said a proactive green transition is a “core agenda” for South Korea’s manufacturing-centered economy. “I will fully support the K-GX strategy with strong determination so it becomes a driving force for future national competitiveness and a major economic leap,” he said. He also said the government will build a foundation for broad public participation and support the transition so it becomes central to regional growth alongside local industries. Climate, Energy and Environment Minister Kim Sung-hwan said the goal of the K-GX strategy is to cut carbon emissions through a green transition while drawing domestic investment by South Korean companies and maximizing growth potential based on the country’s technological capabilities. He said the government will mobilize all available policy tools — including technology development, fiscal measures, finance and tax policy — to support a major shift toward decarbonized, growth-oriented development. The government said it will actively incorporate industry input through the task force and plans to announce the K-GX strategy in the first half of this year. It also plans to set up a dedicated unit within the climate ministry to support the strategy’s development and implementation.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 18:27:00