Germany's bold infra budget invites Korean investment I extend my warmest New Year’s wishes to the Korean people and readers of Aju Press. 2026 promises a year of dynamism and progress in German-Korean relations, a partnership built on shared values and a forward-looking spirit. A shining example of our cooperation is the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business, returning to Korea in October, having last been held here in 2008. It connects German business leaders, high-ranking members of the German government, and Asia-Pacific representatives to discuss economic trends, geopolitical shifts, sustainability, and supply chain resilience in the crucial Asia-Pacific region. Also, the newly formed German-Korean parliamentary group will undertake its inaugural visit to Seoul, following the 2025 elections. Events such as the Economic Outlook in Busan demonstrate our commitment to also engaging with regions beyond Seoul. Globally, Germany remains steadfast in its commitment to multilateralism, the UN, and its unwavering support for Ukraine. Russia’s war of aggression highlights the interconnectedness of European and East Asian security: The DPRK’s support – providing up to 15,000 soldiers and substantial arms supplies in exchange for technology and financial aid – also threatens regional stability here. Increased pressure and full implementation of sanctions are needed to bring Russia to the negotiating table. Amidst these challenges, Germany is dedicated to maintaining peace and security on the Korean peninsula. We will strengthen this commitment by participating in the Freedom Shield exercises alongside the UNC, which we proudly acceded to in 2024, demonstrating the continued cooperationof the German Armed Forces. Domestically, Germany is embarking on a bold modernization course, investing over €128 billion in 2026. This investment reflects our dedication to stability, innovation, and a future-oriented approach, and is channeling funds to infrastructure, digitalization, climate protection, and security-fostering competitiveness and long-term prosperity. This budget signals our resolve: investment and a forward-looking perspective are paramount in times of global uncertainty. Korean firms will have many opportunities to continue interlocking their value chains and growth opportunities in Europe's largest economy. This year also marks 40 years of collaborative research and development between Korea and Germany. We will explore new joint research programs in key technologies like physical AI, secondary batteries or new materials. We are confident that continued scientific exchange will drive innovation and benefit both our nations. Culturally, 2026 will be a year of rich exchange. We begin with an exhibition of the works of German-Jewish surrealist painter Felix Nussbaum, opening on January 27 the (International HolocaustRemembrance Day) at the National Museum of Korean Democracy. Throughout the year, we anticipate a diverse range of performances, from the timeless elegance of German classical music,including performances by the Dresden Philharmonic, to the electrifying energy of electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk and the debut of German techno DJ Ben Klock in Korea. As we look ahead, the spirit of the Fire Horse – with its energy, ambition, and steady progress – will steer our partnership toward new opportunities. I am confident that 2026 will be a year of continued growth and collaboration, further strengthening the ties between Germany and Korea. *The author is the German ambassador to South Korea. 2026-01-12 09:07:08

SK On pushes into LFP batteries for early lead in Korea's energy storage market SEOUL, January 12 (AJP) - South Korean battery maker SK On is moving forward with plans to establish a lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, battery production system for energy storage applications at its Seosan facility, according to industry officials on Monday. The company could place orders for LFP battery manufacturing equipment as early as the first quarter of this year, the officials said. It is expected to install an energy storage system, or ESS, battery production line in the second half of the year and begin producing LFP pouch cells early next year. LFP batteries, which are widely viewed as more thermally stable and cost-efficient than nickel-cobalt-manganese, or NCM, batteries commonly used in electric vehicles, have become the preferred chemistry for stationary energy storage systems. The Seosan complex currently operates two plants: Plant 1 with an annual capacity of 1 gigawatt-hour and Plant 2 with 6 gigawatt-hours. Plant 2 is expected to be repurposed for ESS battery manufacturing, with SK On likely to convert two of its four existing production lines for LFP battery output. Once the conversion is completed, SK On would hold South Korea’s largest domestic LFP battery production capacity, estimated at 3 gigawatt-hours. Industry observers view the move as a bid to secure an early foothold in the country’s fast-growing ESS market. Demand for energy storage systems in the country is accelerating, fueled by a government-led expansion of renewable energy infrastructure and rising private-sector needs, including power-hungry artificial intelligence data centers. The government has said it plans to build a cumulative 23 gigawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2038. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-12 08:43:03

OPINION: America First, rewired as Trump mixes tech with national security SEOUL, January 12 (AJP) - When the Donald Trump administration unveiled two national strategies in November and December 2025 — the AI-focused Genesis Mission and a new National Security Strategy (NSS) — I read them not as separate policy documents, but as a single statement of intent. Together, they recast “America First” and “Make America Great Again” for a technological age, fusing industrial policy, military power and economic coercion into a doctrine of what Trump calls “peace through strength.” After interviewing Trump, The New York Times observed that he believes the United States can maintain — and even strengthen — its global hegemony by exercising military, economic and political power without restraint. The NSS reflects that conviction. It treats advanced technology not merely as a driver of growth, but as the core infrastructure of national power — and it assumes that U.S. dominance in that domain is not optional, but essential. A 21st-Century Donroe Doctrine What struck me most was how the NSS reordered geography. The Western Hemisphere comes first, mentioned ahead of Europe, Asia and the Middle East, alongside a pledge to “reaffirm and implement the Monroe Doctrine.” This rhetorical move has already produced new shorthand: the “Donroe Doctrine,” merging Donald Trump with James Monroe, and “geotech,” the idea that technology and geopolitics are now inseparable. The administration’s logic is blunt. Crises reminiscent of the Cold War, especially near U.S. borders, must never be allowed to re-emerge. Arresting Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro — portrayed as a pro-China, pro-Russia rival — was framed as the first step in “putting our own house in order.” Trump went further, warning that “Colombia is very sick,” that “Cuba could collapse,” and that the United States would attack Iran if it killed protesters. In Venezuela’s case, Trump made the economic rationale explicit. Calling it “the country with the world’s largest oil reserves,” he said the United States would oversee production, extract oil and manage the proceeds, returning part of them to Venezuelans. I read this not as subtle geopolitics but as something closer to imperial logic: direct control of foreign resources deployed to solve strategic and fiscal problems at home. Europe Told to Take Care of Itself Europe fares little better in this worldview. The NSS says European countries should take “primary responsibility” for their own defense and operate as sovereign states. Trump dismissed fears of NATO’s collapse, arguing that Europe is wealthy enough to pay for its own security. Yet the imbalance remains hard to ignore. The European Union has roughly 600 million people and an economy far larger than Russia’s, yet still relies heavily on the United States while struggling to deter Vladimir Putin’s Russia of 140 million people. The NSS makes clear that Washington’s tolerance for this dependency is wearing thin. A New Year’s poll illustrates the shift. Only 15 percent of Germans now see the United States as a partner; 78 percent name France. In Germany, debates once considered unthinkable — conscription, nuclear power and even nuclear armament — are no longer confined to the fringes. Tariffs, Resources and the China Reality Check Trump’s economic nationalism also reveals its limits. His enthusiasm for what he once called “beautiful” tariffs ultimately collided with China’s dominance in rare earths. Beijing’s recent ban on rare earth exports to Japan exposed a vulnerability that tariffs cannot fix. The response has been increasingly territorial. The administration has floated Canada as a potential 51st state and openly discussed acquiring Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory and NATO ally. As Arctic sea routes open due to climate change, Trump has argued that Greenland is strategically essential — both to block China’s Arctic ambitions and to counter Russia’s nuclear submarines. Estimates suggest the island holds around 30 percent of global rare earth reserves. Four Hours as a Strategic Message The Maduro operation was not only about resources or regional order. It was also a demonstration. After the drawn-out wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, many Americans had come to view the U.S. military with skepticism. Capturing Maduro in what was described as four hours was presented as proof that U.S. special operations forces remain unmatched. The contrast with Russia’s grinding, four-year struggle in Ukraine could not have been clearer. The message was aimed at allies and adversaries alike: American military power still works — quickly and decisively. At the heart of the NSS is a sweeping redefinition of national security around technology. Advanced and emerging technologies are treated as pillars of national power, starting with artificial intelligence, described as “world-standard-setting” and foundational across both military and industry. The strategy identifies 10 priority areas: AI; quantum technology and secure communications; biotechnology as a strategic economic and military field; semiconductors and advanced manufacturing as national security assets; autonomous and unmanned systems; cyber and digital technologies; energy and infrastructure that power AI systems; communications networks such as 5G; and related critical technologies and materials. These technologies are no longer neutral. They are security assets, subject to export controls and strategic coordination, with China clearly in mind. The NSS insists that industrial and technological sovereignty is inseparable from national security — driving reshoring, supply-chain diversification and alliance-based standard-setting to entrench U.S.-centered technological dominance. Genesis Mission: An AI Moonshot A month before the NSS, Trump announced the Genesis Mission, a AI-driven effort to double U.S. scientific productivity and impact within a decade. Modeled explicitly on the Apollo program and the Manhattan Project, it aims to use AI to accelerate breakthroughs in fusion energy, drug development, advanced materials and aerospace. Decades of federal scientific data would be opened for AI training, while private companies and universities would gain access to supercomputers at the Energy Department’s 17 national laboratories. The goal is unmistakable: to widen the technological gap with China, not merely maintain it. China, Russia — and the Risks The NSS draws a clear distinction between rivals. China is described as a competitor “in all fields,” while Russia is treated primarily as a military threat. Trump’s push to end the Ukraine war quickly appears, to me, less about peace than about loosening the China–Russia alignment. The risks are obvious. A strategy built on technological primacy is likely to accelerate global rearmament and nuclear proliferation. That may explain why North Korea’s nuclear program barely features in the NSS at all. At CES, Siemens CEO Roland Busch captured the industrial stakes succinctly: “As an example of AI driving a major industrial transformation, a fusion power plant can be implemented as a digital twin.” What This Means for South Korea For countries like South Korea, the implications are unavoidable. I draw one conclusion above all: self-reliance must be paired with stronger alliances to secure strategic autonomy. That means strengthening AI and advanced technologies, reassessing military power — including debates that go beyond nuclear submarines — and aligning closely with U.S. technology and security frameworks. I do not believe the goal should be to become a top-three AI power. A more realistic path is a “1.5-power strategy” — riding on U.S. strength while securing independent capabilities. In a winner-take-all era, there is no comfortable third place, and often not even a second. South Korea must expand its economic base, including through a deeper Korea–Japan economic community modeled loosely on the EU, and rethink its approach to North Korea as U.S. security strategy shifts. The age of technology as neutral infrastructure is over. In Trump’s America, technology is power — and power, once again, is meant to be used. About the author: Kim Taek-hwan, director (Future Transition Policy Institute) A national vision strategist who studies civilization. He earned a doctorate at the University of Bonn in Germany and was a visiting scholar at Georgetown University in the United States. He has worked as a JoongAng Ilbo reporter and a university professor. He has written more than 20 books, including “The U.S.-China Economic Hegemony War and the Future of the Korean Peninsula,” and has given more than 350 special lectures at the National Assembly and Samsung Electronics, among others. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-12 07:25:58

Coupang financial units come under scrutiny as Seoul widens probe SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) -South Korean regulators are moving to investigate Coupang’s financial units as part of pan-government scrutiny following the country’s largest-ever data leak, amid criticism over what is seen as a lack of response from the company’s U.S.-based headquarters as its customer base remains largely intact. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) will begin parallel formal inspections of Coupang affiliates that handle financial services . Officials said the regulator decided to upgrade a six-week on-site review of Coupang Pay into a formal inspection starting Monday. Once an on-site review is converted into a formal inspection, regulators are empowered to impose penalties, including fines, if the inspected company obstructs the process. Through the inspection, the FSS is expected to examine whether any payment information was exposed at Coupang Pay in connection with the broader Coupang data leak. Industry sources said Coupang Pay has not yet submitted relevant materials, leaving regulators unable to confirm whether payment data were compromised. The inspection will also review whether information sharing among Coupang affiliates violated laws such as the Credit Information Act and the Electronic Financial Transactions Act. The FSS appears to be seeking faster cooperation, viewing document submissions from Coupang as excessively delayed, according to industry officials. On the same day, the FSS will also convert its on-site review of Coupang Financial into a formal inspection. Regulators plan to examine the appropriateness of interest-rate calculations and potential violations of the Financial Consumer Protection Act related to the “Seller Growth Loan,” a lending product offered to merchants operating on Coupang’s platform. Its loans are said to be charging excessively high interest rates, averaging 14.1 percent annually and reaching as high as 18.9 percent. By comparison, the highest average rate among merchant-dedicated loans offered by another major platform company through financial institutions last year stood at 12.4 percent. According to FSS materials submitted to the office of Rep. Kang Min-kuk of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee, Coupang Financial issued 18.174 billion won ($13.5 million) in Seller Growth Loans over roughly five months. As of the end of last year, the outstanding balance totaled 13.414 billion won. Since the product’s launch in July, Coupang Financial’s interest income from the loans is estimated to amount to several billion won. Regulators are expected to scrutinize whether Coupang’s market power as a dominant platform enabled it to charge excessively high rates, and whether a product structured with settlement payments as collateral was marketed in a manner similar to an unsecured credit loan. An FSS official said the agency plans to review “the appropriateness of loan-rate calculations and whether relevant laws, including the Financial Consumer Protection Act, were followed throughout the loan process.” Despite the fallout from the data leak, indicators suggest Coupang’s user base has remained resilient. According to MobileIndex data from IGAWorks, the number of new installations of the Coupang app totaled 526,834 in December, the highest monthly figure last year. The total was more than 120,000 higher than in November and marked the first time monthly installations exceeded 500,000 since March 2024. The figures run counter to expectations of a mass user departure following the data leak, which surfaced in late November. Industry analysts point to year-end shopping demand, intensified marketing and entrenched consumer habits as factors supporting continued app usage. Coupang’s dawn-delivery service and membership-based “lock-in” structure are also seen as reinforcing customer retention, even as scrutiny of the company’s data governance and regulatory compliance intensifies across government agencies. 2026-01-11 17:36:56

Scenes From the CES 2026: Rise of physical AI and rise testing Korea The artificial intelligence now has a ‘body,’ not just words The CES 2026 no longer felt like a stage for showcasing what technology might do. It looked more like a declaration that the technology is already operating inside real industries. At the center was “physical AI.” If generative AI handles language and images, physical AI drives robots, machines and vehicles. At this year’s show, the shift moved from promises to execution. One striking scene was companies laying out mass-production plans for humanoid robots. Hyundai Motor presented a detailed roadmap to produce AI-equipped robots in the tens of thousands a year, aiming to deploy them in factories for repetitive work and assembly. The message was that the discussion has moved beyond robots walking and carrying objects to measuring productivity. On the CES floor, robots were no longer “future tech” but “labor.” The push was not limited to one company. U.S., Chinese and South Korean firms rolled out humanoid and industrial robots, while home, logistics and manufacturing robots advanced in parallel. The trend suggests a broader industrial shift: AI is moving beyond replacing human judgment to taking on physical roles. Semiconductor and platform companies were another pillar. What ultimately moves robots is computing power and training data, and chipmakers highlighted robots and autonomous driving as core growth engines. AI is no longer only a software business; it is being rebuilt as industrial infrastructure linking factories, roads and warehouses. There were also differences by country. The United States, China and South Korea aggressively paired robots with AI, while Japan — once seen as a robotics powerhouse — appeared less prominent. The impression was not a lack of technology, but a loss of leadership in combining it with AI. Patent and investment trends, the column notes, reflect where competition is heading. Barriers remain. For humanoid robots to settle into industrial sites, reliability, safety and rules for working alongside people are needed. Robots that require constant human monitoring cannot be deployed on productivity alone. Regulatory and institutional debates can no longer be delayed. CES 2026 posed a question: Will AI be treated only as a technology that “talks well,” or as a “bodied” technology that moves industry? The spread of physical AI is not optional, the column argues, and South Korean industry faces a choice between watching and designing. Big booths fade as global giants move on Another change at CES 2026 was not the technology itself, but the distance kept by traditional headliners. Global conglomerates that once defined CES have changed how they show up. The pattern looks less like simple cost-cutting and more like a shared shift in how companies view the event. Sony, which has participated for more than 50 years as a leading Japanese presence, no longer filled the main hall under the “Sony Group” name. Instead, it put a narrower theme front and center: its mobility joint venture. That looked less like a retreat than a focus. Sony has evolved from a home electronics maker into an entertainment company built around content, platforms and image sensors, and a product-lined showroom no longer fits. Samsung Electronics appeared to reach a similar conclusion. After running one of CES’ largest booths for decades, it chose a separate venue this year rather than the traditional exhibition hall. The approach signaled a move from broadcasting to the general public toward selective communication aimed at key partners and customers. Global giants can now generate attention without CES, and they can choose the timing and format. The shift also signals how CES itself has changed. It is no longer a “consumer electronics fair” where buyers compared new products and placed orders. Today’s main players are startups, technology platforms and cross-industry combinations. Thousands of smaller companies arrive with new business models and look for partners; conglomerates have little reason to compete in the same way. That does not mean CES matters less. The column argues it matters more — as a crossroads where regulation, standards, investment and policy signals circulate. Big companies may shrink their exhibition footprint while keeping ties with organizers: less visibility, but no broken connections. For South Korean companies, the implication is clear: What matters is not how big a booth is, but why they are there — to show technology, find partners or read policy signals. The less clear the purpose, the bigger the booth tends to get and the weaker the message becomes. Chinese companies push straight into CES CES 2026 also underscored the growing presence of Chinese companies. The approach was not flashy, but more strategic than before. Despite structural constraints such as tariffs, regulation and U.S.-China tensions, Chinese firms are using CES as a channel to global markets. CES has long searched for its direction. After a period when it was seen as car-centered, it is again putting consumer products and AI at the forefront. That shift has created an opening for Chinese companies strong in hardware manufacturing, which are pairing products with AI to redefine themselves as technology firms rather than low-cost manufacturers. Lenovo was cited as a leading example. Once mainly seen as a PC brand, it is embedding AI across devices, solutions and software. Taking the CES keynote stage while running a separate large event signaled confidence — and a belief that CES still boosts global recognition. Chinese TV makers also stood out. TCL and Hisense delivered their message through scale and location, not just product lineups. Large booths in the middle of the hall remain symbolic, and the companies did not pull back. Even with tariff barriers, they signaled a willingness to face U.S. consumers and the market directly. Their confidence stemmed from the outreach of Chinese digital services already embedded in U.S. life, from short-form video and e-commerce to generative AI. CES became a place to see that online shift reflected offline. The stance of CES organizers was also notable. The Consumer Technology Association, which runs CES, publicly said Chinese participation has continued to rise even amid U.S.-China tensions. The message was an effort to keep CES as a platform for dialogue through technology and industry, not a battleground — and a sign that the show is also functioning as a space for tech diplomacy. CES asks South Korean companies an uncomfortable question The thread running through CES 2026 was not technology or booth size, but strategic clarity. U.S. companies redefined the stage, and Chinese companies pushed through head-on. The question, the column argues, is what South Korean companies showed. South Korean firms still had a strong presence, and their names were easy to find across the halls. Their technology remains competitive. The problem comes next: It is hard to sum up South Korean companies’ CES strategy in a single sentence. For many, participation still appeared driven by complacency. “Because we go every year” and “because we can’t skip it” stand in for strategy. Exhibits remain, but messages scatter; there is plenty of technology, but a weaker narrative. The issue is not engineering, but planning and judgment. The same applies to physical AI and industrial transition, which dominated CES 2026. South Korea is one of the few countries with strength in robots, semiconductors and manufacturing at once. Even so, the column questions whether South Korea read as a “designer of industrial transition” on the show floor. Individual technologies were visible, but a clear picture of how industry would be reshaped did not come through. South Korean companies now need to answer three questions at CES: - What industry’s future are we describing? - Who are we trying to persuade? - Why does it have to be CES? Without answers, booth size and spectacle become a burden. CES is no longer a stage where participation alone earns credit, and strategy-free attendance does not build presence. CES 2026 left a blunt message. The technology race has already moved to the next phase. The contest is no longer who has the most technology, but who can tie it into industry and a coherent story. If South Korean companies cannot answer that challenge, CES will become more a cost than an opportunity. *The author is the editor in chief of Aju Business Daily who led the Aju Media Group team to the CES 2026. 2026-01-11 17:16:29

Samsung heir Lee Ji-ho assigned to Navy mine warfare unit as interpreter officer SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) -UL — Ensign Lee Ji-ho, the eldest son of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, has been assigned to the South Korean Navy’s 5th Mine Countermeasures and Amphibious Operations Flotilla, according to military and industry sources on Saturday. Lee will serve as an interpreter officer in the flotilla’s information and operations staff office. The unit, which operates directly under the Navy Operations Command, specializes in mine warfare and amphibious operations and frequently conducts combined exercises with foreign forces, including the U.S. military. In his role, Lee is expected to provide real-time interpretation and translation during operational briefings and joint command-level communications involving overseas forces. Born in the United States, Lee previously held dual South Korean-U.S. citizenship. He renounced his U.S. citizenship in order to fulfill South Korea’s mandatory military service as a commissioned naval officer. Under current law, dual nationals may retain foreign citizenship if serving as enlisted soldiers, but must give it up to serve as officers. Lee entered the Navy in late September as part of the 139th class of officer candidates and completed approximately 11 weeks of training at the Naval Academy. He was commissioned as an ensign in late November and has since begun active-duty service. His scheduled discharge date is Nov. 30, 2028. This marks the first time a member of the Samsung founding family has served as a commissioned military officer. 2026-01-11 15:16:52

Korea's instant-noodle exports top $1.5 billion, doubling in three years S​​​​EOUL, January 11 (AJP) -South Korea’s ramyeon exports topped US$1.5 billion last year, extending a long-running rise as the product becomes a leading item in the country’s food exports. Preliminary Korea Customs Service data released Sunday showed ramyeon exports rose 21.8 percent from a year earlier to a record US$1.521 billion (about 2.2 trillion won). Exports were US$952 million in 2023, below US$1 billion, but climbed by more than US$500 million in just two years. Compared with 2022, when exports totaled US$765 million, the figure has doubled in three years. It is up sevenfold over the past decade from US$219 million in 2015. Samyang Foods, which built the “Buldak” stir-fried noodle brand, produces all of its products in South Korea for export. Nongshim, by contrast, also has factories in the United States and China, suggesting overseas sales of Korean ramyeon are far larger than export totals alone. Ramyeon exports have increased for 11 straight years since 2014, with faster growth in recent years. Since 2021, exports have risen an average of 23 percent annually over five years. Korean ramyeon has gained visibility overseas alongside K-pop and Korean dramas. Reflecting that cultural reach, “ramyeon” has been listed as an English word in the Oxford English Dictionary, which defines it as a Korean-style instant noodle dish. “Ramen,” a Japanese term, was already included. Last year, a scene in the Netflix animated film “K-pop Demon Hunters” showing fictional K-pop group members eating cup noodles with gimbap drew attention. British The Times reported in November under the headline, “Thanks to K-pop Demon Hunters, Korean spicy noodles are popular in the U.K.” Ramyeon makers are pushing further into global markets. Nongshim has rolled out “K-pop Demon Hunters” collaboration ramyeon in key markets including the United States since last year and named girl group aespa as the first global ambassador for Shin Ramyun. Samyang Foods completed its Miryang Plant No. 2 last year and is building its first overseas factory in Jiaxing, China. It decided to install eight production lines, two more than originally planned. Still, the Trump administration’s tariff war has weighed on exports. Ramyeon exports to the United States rose 18.1 percent last year, below the overall export growth rate. U.S.-bound ramyeon exports grew an average of 68 percent a year from 2022 to 2024, but the growth rate fell sharply last year after the Trump government’s 15% reciprocal tariff took effect. From August, when the reciprocal tariff was introduced, through December, ramyeon exports to the United States totaled US$100 million, up just 1.4% from the same period a year earlier. 2026-01-11 13:40:25

OPINION: Musk may be wrong on doctors — Seoul still needs to listen Elon Musk has a habit of compressing time. What most people describe as decades, he calls years. What institutions treat as distant futures, he presents as near inevitabilities. The result is often exaggeration. Occasionally, it is also illumination. Musk lately suggested that humanoid robots could surpass the world’s best human surgeons within three years. The remark, made on the Moonshots podcast hosted by physician and engineer Peter Diamandis, was quickly dismissed by medical experts. Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at New York University, called the timeline “not credible,” pointing to the complexity and variability of human surgery. Three years is almost certainly wrong. But focusing on the timeline misses the significance of the question Musk was really posing: what happens to healthcare when expertise itself becomes scalable? Musk’s argument rests on a simple observation. Training a great surgeon takes more than a decade. Even then, human doctors are constrained by fatigue, limited hours and the inevitability of error. Medical knowledge evolves faster than any individual can fully absorb. Machines, by contrast, do not tire, do not forget and can replicate best practices endlessly once trained. This is not a claim that robots will replace surgeons tomorrow. It is a claim that the bottleneck in healthcare may soon shift from human availability to system design. That idea feels distant — until it suddenly does not. At CES this year, the most consequential advances were not flashy consumer devices but what the industry now calls “physical AI”: systems that can perceive, reason and act in the real world. Humanoid robots are moving beyond scripted demonstrations into logistics, manufacturing and service roles. Robotics firms are no longer asking whether machines can move reliably, but where they should be deployed first. Healthcare is already on that list. Robotic-assisted surgery has been standard in certain procedures for years. AI systems now read radiology images with accuracy rivaling specialists. What is changing is integration: software, sensors, chips and mechanical precision are improving together, not in isolation. This matters particularly in Korea, where the debate over doctor shortages has returned with familiar intensity. Government projections suggest that if current trends hold, Korea could face a shortfall of up to 4,923 doctors by 2035 and more than 11,000 by 2040. The policy response has been predictably narrow: how many medical school seats to add, and how to manage resistance from the medical profession. The debate is framed almost entirely as a numerical problem. Musk’s provocation exposes the limitation of that framing. It assumes that the future of medicine will resemble the past — only with more people working harder. That assumption is increasingly fragile. Korea is not a country lacking in medical or industrial capacity. It is one of the few nations capable of producing the full robotics value chain domestically, from semiconductors to precision manufacturing. Its clinical outcomes in cancer treatment, organ transplantation and cerebrovascular surgery already rank among the world’s best. Korean hospitals routinely train foreign doctors who return home carrying Korean techniques. The global spread of SMILE LASIK surgery is a revealing example. Initially, the procedure was limited by the skill threshold required of surgeons. Its global expansion accelerated only after Korean clinicians refined surgical planning and execution methods, effectively turning individual expertise into a reproducible system. Today, SMILE LASIK is performed in more than 60 countries. This is what scalable medical knowledge looks like. The same pattern appears in medical tourism. The global market is growing at more than 20 percent annually. A routine appendectomy that can cost around $14,000 in the United States is available in Korea for a fraction of that price. Even after travel and accommodation, the cost advantage remains decisive. More importantly, foreign patients are increasingly seeking comprehensive internal medicine and complex care, not just cosmetic procedures. This suggests trust not only in individual doctors, but in the system itself. The industrial foundations are already shifting. Hyundai Motor Group and Kia have unveiled on-device AI chips designed for robotics. Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot Atlas is approaching near-commercial readiness. These technologies will not replace doctors first. They will augment them — extending reach, standardizing precision tasks and reducing burnout. In such a world, the key constraint may no longer be how many doctors Korea trains, but how effectively medical knowledge is captured, encoded and deployed. Musk’s three-year prediction may be far-fetched. But his exaggeration is useful precisely because it destabilizes comfortable assumptions. Korea’s healthcare debate remains anchored in a 20th-century logic: supply versus demand, quotas versus resistance. The harder question — how medicine itself is being reorganized by AI and robotics — remains largely unasked. That is the question Korea is unusually well positioned to answer. Few countries combine world-class medical outcomes with advanced manufacturing and robotics capabilities. Fewer still have an urgent demographic and workforce challenge forcing the issue. The future of healthcare will not be decided by how loudly professions defend their boundaries, but by how intelligently societies redesign their systems. Musk’s provocation is flawed, premature and overstated. But it points, uncomfortably, toward a future that will arrive whether the debate is ready or not. And that, more than the timeline, is what Korea can no longer afford to ignore. *The author is the managing editor of AJP 2026-01-11 12:00:26

Korean retail investors pile into Samsung Electronics, margin trading hits record high SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) — South Korean retail investors are piling into Samsung Electronics, snapping up shares sold by foreign investors amid bullish expectations for a memory-chip upcycle driven by rapid adoption of artificial intelligence infrastructure, pushing leveraged trading to record levels. According to the Korea Exchange, individual investors net bought 2.915 trillion won ($2.0 billion) worth of Samsung Electronics shares last week, the largest weekly net purchase since the second week of September 2024. The buying spree coincided with profit-taking by foreign investors, who net sold 10.57 million common shares, equivalent to about 1.5 trillion won, at an average price of 138,000 won per share during the same period. Retail investors also rotated out of rival chipmaker SK hynix, net selling 167 billion won worth of its shares. The shift reflects growing preference for Samsung Electronics, whose earnings outlook has improved alongside broad-based strength in DRAM prices, while SK hynix remains more heavily exposed to high-bandwidth memory supplies for Nvidia. As retail demand surged, leveraged stock investment climbed to an all-time high. The outstanding margin loan balance for Samsung Electronics reached 1.977 trillion won as of Friday, the highest level on record, according to exchange data. The balance represents shares purchased with borrowed funds that have yet to be repaid, with increases signaling rising debt-funded investing. Samsung Electronics’ margin debt has increased for seven consecutive trading sessions, from Dec. 29 through Jan. 8. The surge in leveraged buying has been driven by expectations of stronger memory-chip demand tied to expanding AI investment, as well as renewed investor interest following the company’s fourth-quarter earnings announcement on Jan. 8. Samsung Electronics reported preliminary fourth-quarter operating profit of 20 trillion won, up 208.2 percent from a year earlier, marking its best-ever quarterly performance. On the day of the earnings release, individual investors net bought 985 billion won worth of the stock. Brokerages expect the uptrend in memory-chip prices to continue and see scope for earnings momentum to extend into this year, prompting a series of target price upgrades. According to financial data provider FnGuide, the average target price from at least three brokerages stood at 154,423 won as of Friday, up 17,654 won from the previous consensus. KB Securities raised its target price to 200,000 won. 2026-01-11 11:44:13

Stray Kids, Jennie and G-Dragon sweep top honors at 40th Golden Disc Awards SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) - Stray Kids, Jennie and G-Dragon took home the top honors at the 40th Golden Disc Awards, held Friday at Taipei Dome in Taiwan, as the ceremony marked its four-decade milestone with an expanded grand prize lineup. Stray Kids won the Album of the Year (Daesang), G-Dragon claimed Digital Song of the Year, and Jennie became the first recipient of the newly introduced Artist of the Year Daesang. Stray Kids earned their first grand prize seven years after winning Rookie of the Year at the 33rd Golden Disc Awards. Their fourth full-length album, KARMA, recorded triple-million first-week sales, securing both the album Daesang and an Album Bonsang. “We’ve been running toward the main prize, and we’re grateful to receive such a big award,” the group said. “Every moment with Stay has been precious, and we want to keep setting more records together.” G-Dragon marked a major comeback with his third full-length album Übermensch, released after an 11-year, five-month hiatus. His track HOME SWEET HOME won the Digital Song Daesang, while he also collected Digital and Album Bonsangs, taking home three awards. In a video message, G-Dragon said it was “especially meaningful” to receive his first award of the year at the Golden Disc Awards’ 40th anniversary, adding that he plans to return this year with fellow BigBang members. “Receiving this award in my 10th year since debut means a lot,” Jennie said. “I’ll repay you with good music.” Other Album and Digital Bonsang winners included Riize, Seventeen, Ive, Ateez and Enhypen. All Day Project and Cortis won Rookie of the Year, while Monsta X was named Best Group. The Upbit Popularity Award, decided entirely by fan voting, went to BTS’ Jin and Hearts2Hearts. This year marked the first time the Golden Disc Awards presented three Daesang categories — Album, Digital Song and Artist — in the ceremony’s history. According to organizer HLL JoongAng, the Artist Daesang was determined by a weighted system of 60% quantitative data, including global chart performance and sales, and 40% evaluation by a panel of judges. The 40th Golden Disc Awards recognized music released between early November 2024 and early November 2025, with nominees announced in late November across album, digital and rookie categories. 2026-01-11 11:12:53