Samsung Heavy wins another deal, boosts order backlog SEOUL, March 20 (AJP) - Samsung Heavy Industries has won an order for one liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier from an Oceania-based shipping company, the shipbuilder said on Friday. The order, worth 377.9 billion won (or about $252 million), is scheduled for delivery by April 2029. The deal brings the shipbuilder's cumulative orders for this year to 12 vessels worth $2.4 billion, reaching 17 percent of its annual target of $13.9 billion. They consist of four LNG carriers, two ethane carriers, two container ships, and four crude oil tankers. "We are taking a strategic approach to securing orders for highly profitable ships, while also responding flexibly to changes in market conditions," a Samsung Heavy spokesman said. 2026-03-20 09:51:19

David Golf’s Advancer Line Sells Out as Demand Surges for Key Models David Golf said golfers have shown strong interest in its Advancer lineup, with some models selling out shortly after release. The company said the Advancer No. 3 fairway wood sold out quickly in February, and the Advancer Max driver in the 9-degree model has also exhausted its initial supply, underscoring demand. On-course feedback has been clear, the company said, with golfers saying forgiveness and distance have improved noticeably. The lineup is being credited with reducing pressure on accuracy while still delivering stable distance in play. Kim Hyun-tae, a director at David Golf, said multiple tour professionals, including Lee Ji-hoon and Cho Young-jae — both described as KPGA two-time winners — have chosen Advancer as a new weapon for the 2026 season. He said results for players who switched clubs have improved significantly from the previous year, driving steady interest and inquiries from golfers seeking better performance. David Golf describes the Advancer lineup as a “Score Changer,” saying it was developed to focus on real results on the course — improved scores — rather than only feel at impact or psychological satisfaction. The company said it showcased the Advancer lineup at the “2026 PGA Show,” described as the world’s largest golf expo, and drew interest from global buyers. It said it is preparing to enter overseas markets and expand sales with about 100 buyers. David Golf said additional inventory of the Advancer fairway wood has arrived and sales have resumed. Preorders for the Advancer Max driver in the 9-degree model are available through the company’s official Naver Shopping store, with deliveries to begin rolling out in early April.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-20 09:48:00

Korea Bank Loan Delinquency Rate Rises to 0.56% in January as Bad-Debt Cleanup Slows Domestic banks’ loan delinquency rate edged up at the start of the year, the financial watchdog said. According to the Financial Supervisory Service’s preliminary report released on the 20th on won-denominated loan delinquencies at domestic banks, the delinquency rate at the end of January — based on principal and interest overdue by at least one month — stood at 0.56%, up 0.06 percentage point from 0.5% a month earlier. The increase reflected a rise in newly delinquent loans and a drop in the amount of delinquent debt resolved. New delinquencies totaled 2.8 trillion won, up 400 billion won from 2.4 trillion won the previous month. The amount of delinquent loans resolved came to 1.3 trillion won, down 3.8 trillion won from 5.1 trillion won a month earlier. The new delinquency rate rose to 0.11% from 0.10%. By category, the corporate loan delinquency rate rose to 0.67% from 0.59%, while the household loan delinquency rate increased to 0.42% from 0.38%. For household loans excluding mortgages, including credit loans, the delinquency rate climbed to 0.84% from 0.75%. Financial authorities said they will continue to encourage banks to strengthen asset quality management, including by selling off nonperforming loans and boosting loss-absorbing capacity, so delinquency rates can be kept at stable levels.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-20 09:39:45

Hyundai Motor Group Showcases Hydrogen Mobility at Tokyo Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Expo 2026 Hyundai Motor Group said it took part in the International Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Expo 2026, held March 17-19 at Tokyo Big Sight, where it showcased hydrogen mobility. The expo is a major trade show for the hydrogen and fuel-cell industries, featuring the latest technologies and business trends. About 330 companies participated this year, and about 70,000 people visited, the company said. Hyundai Motor Group built its booth around HTWO, its hydrogen brand and business platform. It presented technologies and capabilities across the hydrogen value chain — including hydrogen mobility, fueling and storage, and industrial applications — along with real-world use cases. The group displayed the all-new Nexo, a next-generation passenger hydrogen electric vehicle model scheduled for launch in Japan in the first half of the year. It also ran a fueling demonstration using an automated charging robot and offered test drives. During the event, Lee Hyok, South Korea's ambassador to Japan, visited the booth, toured key exhibits and exchanged views with Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon on the direction of hydrogen business development in Japan. Hyundai Motor Group also joined a Hydrogen Council networking session held as part of the expo, where it discussed cooperation to expand the hydrogen ecosystem with Japanese member companies and officials from global hydrogen organizations. Jang, a co-chair of the Hydrogen Council, said the group is building a virtuous cycle by using a hydrogen model that links production and demand to reduce market uncertainty. "We will work with Hydrogen Council member companies to help accelerate the global hydrogen ecosystem," he said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-20 09:33:17

L&F Nears 60% Share of Korea’s NCM Cathode Exports, Sees Q1 Results Improving L&F said Friday it expects to enter a full-fledged earnings recovery starting in the first quarter, after posting an “earnings surprise” in the fourth quarter last year. The company said growth in shipments centered on high-nickel cathode materials, inventory valuation gains from rising lithium prices and steady demand from key customers are expected to keep results above market expectations. Even as demand in the electric-vehicle market slows, L&F said exports of NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) cathode materials continue to rise. According to NCM export data by local government released March 15 by the Korea International Trade Association, Daegu’s export weight in February 2026 totaled about 6,208 tons, about 59% of the national total of 10,496 tons. Daegu is home to L&F’s major production plants, and the market views the figures as a key indicator of the company’s shipment trend. On a cumulative basis for January and February, Daegu exports totaled 11,760 tons, about 62% of the national volume. L&F said its total shipments for 2025 rose 34% from a year earlier, while shipments of high-nickel cathode materials increased about 75%, marking a record sales volume. The company said it plans to strengthen both mid- to long-term growth and profitability by expanding volumes based on its sole-supplier position for Ni95 high-nickel products, starting mass production of LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) cathode materials in the second half of this year — the first in South Korea — and ramping up supply of 46mm cylindrical cathode materials, which it began shipping late last year. “This year, based on expanded shipments and a more diversified product portfolio, we will accelerate improvements in both earnings and financials along with a return to operating profit,” Chief Financial Officer Ryu Seung-heon said. “We will enter a full growth track centered on 46mm products and the new LFP business.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-20 09:27:18

North Korea conducts military drill with new battle tanks SEOUL, March 20 (AJP) - North Korea conducted an "offensive tactical drill of infantrymen and tankmen's sub-units," state media reported on Friday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), its leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the drill featuring "new-type main battle tanks" the previous day. Kim was quoted as saying the tanks, which made their debut demonstrating their "remarkable combat efficiency," are "highly superior," hailing them as "unequalled in the world" in their striking power. "Our army will be equipped with such most powerful tanks," Kim added. Touting that "all the drills have been recently switched into the ones with scientific and practical forms and methods for an actual war," he stressed that military units at all levels should "achieve rapid successes in completing war preparations." Thursday's drill also involved "various types of attack drones" striking "the enemy's command base and anti-armor firing positions," according to KCNA. The drill was "aimed at getting familiar with the coordinated order and combat methods in the tactical sub-units' offensive action to expand successes in their attack through an assault of tanks and infantrymen after striking, raiding and occupying the enemy's anti-armor defense line," according to KCNA. 2026-03-20 09:25:09

Geely Auto Group Tops 206,000 Global Sales in February as Zeekr Surges Geely Auto Group, the parent of Zeekr, said Thursday its global sales totaled 206,160 vehicles in February. That brought worldwide sales for January and February to 476,327 vehicles. Exports in February alone reached 60,879 vehicles, up 138% from a year earlier. New energy vehicles (NEVs) — including Zeekr, Geely and Lynk & Co. — accounted for 117,488 units in February, up 19% from the same month last year. NEV sales for the year to date totaled 241,740 units, a 10% increase from a year earlier. By brand, Zeekr posted the strongest growth. Despite fewer production days due to China’s Lunar New Year holiday, which lasted up to nine days, Zeekr sold 23,867 vehicles worldwide in February, a 70% jump from a year earlier. While many NEV makers reported month-to-month declines, Zeekr’s January-February sales rose 84% from a year earlier to about 47,700 vehicles, the company said. The company attributed the performance to strong sales of Zeekr’s flagship 9X SUV. In China’s domestic market in February, the Zeekr 9X was named the top-selling model in the large SUV segment priced above 100 million won (500,000 yuan). It also marked a fourth straight month as the best-selling vehicle across all models in that price range. A Geely Auto Group official said February is typically a difficult month for Chinese automakers to deliver results, but the group still posted sharp year-on-year growth. The official added that if Zeekr makes an official entry into the South Korean market this year, its growth could accelerate further. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-20 09:24:06

Samsung Heavy Wins $260 Million Order for One LNG Carrier Samsung Heavy Industries said Friday it has won an order for one liquefied natural gas carrier from an Oceania-based shipping company for 377.9 billion won. The vessel is scheduled for delivery by April 2029. The shipbuilder said its year-to-date orders total 12 vessels worth $2.4 billion, reaching 17% of its $13.9 billion annual target. The tally includes four LNG carriers, two ethane carriers, two container ships and four crude oil carriers. A company official said Samsung Heavy is maintaining a selective order strategy focused on high value-added ships while responding flexibly to changes in market conditions.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-20 09:18:14

South Korea’s NPS Withholds Vote on Korea Zinc Chairman Choi’s Board Reappointment The National Pension Service, seen as a swing voter in Korea Zinc’s management-control dispute, has decided not to exercise its voting rights on a proposal to reappoint Chairman Choi Yun-beom as an inside director. The NPS fund’s Stewardship Responsibility Committee said on the 20th it made the decision at its fifth meeting the previous day, ahead of Korea Zinc’s shareholders meeting on the 24th. The committee decided not to vote on the company-backed director nominees Choi Yun-beom, Hwang Deok-nam and Park Byeong-uk. It also decided to vote against the election of audit committee members Kim Bo-young and Lee Min-ho. The NPS said the decision reflected that the nominees fall under those with a record of damaging corporate value or infringing on shareholder rights. On proposals to elect directors through cumulative voting — “Election of five directors” and “Election of six directors” — it decided to vote in favor. For voting rights allocated through cumulative voting, the NPS said it will split its votes evenly by proposal sponsor: half for candidates proposed by Young Poong, YPC and Korea Corporate Investment Holdings — Choi Yeon-seok (outside non-executive director), Choi Byeong-il and Lee Seon-suk (outside directors) — and half for Walter Field McLellan (outside non-executive director), proposed by Crucible JV. The NPS holds 5.20% of Korea Zinc and has been viewed as a key swing vote in the proxy fight. Choi and the Young Poong-MBK alliance are each reported to have secured friendly stakes of around 40%. In response, Korea Zinc said it respects the NPS’s “strategic direction” in exercising voting rights and will use the outcome as momentum for the company’s continued growth. Korea Zinc said the NPS recommended approval for most agenda items, including amendments to the articles of incorporation supported by the board and approval of the financial statements. It added that the NPS showed strong support by exercising half of its cumulative-voting rights for the Crucible JV nominee, which the company said carries symbolic meaning tied to its U.S. smelter project. The company said the decision reflects recognition that the U.S. smelter construction being pursued by current management and the board is significant for growth, corporate value and shareholder value, and described the NPS decision as balanced and neutral, taking into account factors including greater board diversity.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-20 09:15:16

T’way Air Says Incheon-Saga Route Hit 95% Load Factor in Jan.-Feb., Up 12 Points T’way Air said Friday that its Incheon-to-Saga route in Japan, which it operates exclusively, posted a 95% load factor in January and February. That was up 12 percentage points from 83% a year earlier. The airline said bookings for March and April were running at about 87%. The Incheon-Saga service operates four times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday), departing Incheon International Airport at about 8:10 a.m. and arriving at Saga Airport on Japan’s Kyushu island at about 9:40 a.m. local time. The return flight leaves at about 10:40 a.m. local time and arrives at Incheon at about 12:15 p.m. Flight time is about 1 hour 30 minutes. Saga, in Japan’s Kyushu region, is known for hot springs, natural scenery, and historical and cultural sites. Local specialties include eel, tofu, seafood and sake. Major attractions include Arita’s pottery village, Takeo Onsen, Ureshino Onsen and Keishuen Garden. Saga Prefecture can also be paired with nearby Fukuoka and Kumamoto, allowing travelers to build broader Kyushu itineraries. T’way said interest in the route has risen as more travelers seek quieter, more distinctive destinations. Separately, the airline said it is running a discount event for Saga sightseeing tour buses for T’way passengers through March 31, with details available on its website. “Demand for the Saga route continues to grow as interest in travel to smaller Japanese cities increases,” a T’way official said. “We will continue to provide convenient travel options by diversifying our routes, based on safe operations.” 2026-03-20 09:09:20