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Posco Future M Shares Rise 6% on Long-Term Supply Deal for LFP Cathodes Posco Future M is experiencing a surge in stock prices following news of a long-term supply agreement for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathodes with domestic battery manufacturers. The announcement of a large-scale supply plan to meet the growing demand in the North American energy storage system (ESS) market has also led to increased buying interest in related secondary battery stocks.As of 9:36 a.m. on the Korea Exchange, Posco Future M shares were trading at 157,300 won, up 9,800 won (6.64%) from the previous trading day.The rise in stock prices is attributed to Posco Future M's announcement that it plans to formalize a long-term supply contract with a domestic battery company in the third quarter.Posco Future M explained that this contract aims to proactively respond to the surging demand for ESS in North America, with plans to supply over 190,000 tons of LFP cathodes from next year through 2032. However, the names of the client companies have not been disclosed.LFP batteries, while offering slightly lower output compared to nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) and nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA) batteries, are known for their cost competitiveness and long lifespan. Their usage has been increasing in various fields, including ESS and electric vehicles.Meanwhile, the news of Posco Future M's large-scale supply agreement has also positively impacted other secondary battery stocks. At the same time, Samsung SDI shares rose by 6.56%, SK Innovation by 4.14%, and LG Energy Solution by 3.33%. In the KOSDAQ market, leading secondary battery stocks such as EcoPro (up 3.47%) and EcoPro BM (up 3.41%) also showed gains.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-07 10:12:00
Koreans face tougher U.S. visa screening over birth tourism ban SEOUL, August 7 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to curb so-called "birth tourism," potentially affecting some South Koreans who seek to secure U.S. citizenship for their children by giving birth in the U.S. The order directs U.S. authorities to deny citizenship to children born to foreign nationals who entered the country after misrepresenting the purpose of their travel to give birth there. It also instructs immigration officials to tighten visa screening and deny entry to those suspected of traveling to the United States for that purpose. The measure comes after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked in June a broader executive order seeking to end automatic birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S., ruling that the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizenship to most children born on U.S. soil. Trump said the new order was intended to "adjust" the administration's approach while preserving its broader immigration agenda. Under the order, children born to women who concealed plans to give birth in the U.S. while applying for tourist visas would not qualify for U.S. citizenship. The order also applies to children born in the U.S. to foreign diplomats and certain individuals designated by U.S. authorities as members of terrorist organizations or hostile foreign entities. The order further authorizes the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to deny visas to applicants suspected of traveling for birth tourism. It also calls for entry bans on foreigners found to have previously engaged in the practice and allows sanctions against individuals or organizations that facilitate such trips. The White House said the policy is intended to curb what it describes as abuse of the U.S. immigration system. Speaking after signing the order, Trump claimed that "hundreds of thousands" of people had benefited from birth tourism. While the order is expected to affect many foreign nationals who have sought U.S. citizenship for their children by giving birth in the country, analysts say it could also have implications for South Koreans, some of whom have taken a similar approach with their children's future overseas education in mind. Although the number of South Korean parents traveling to the U.S. solely to give birth has declined in recent years, the practice continues, with U.S. authorities having already tightened scrutiny of visa applications involving suspected cases since 2020. Immigration experts say the latest order is likely to lead to even stricter visa interviews and increased scrutiny of pregnant travelers from countries including South Korea, even when they are visiting for legitimate personal reasons. The latest executive order could still face legal challenges, as critics argue that the U.S. Constitution protects birthright citizenship in most cases. It remains to be seen whether the Trump administration can enforce the restrictions without conflicting with the Supreme Court's ruling. AJP Takeaways: - U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 6, 2026 directing U.S. authorities to deny citizenship to children born to foreign nationals who entered the United States after misrepresenting their travel purpose in order to give birth there. - The Aug. 6, 2026 executive order instructs U.S. immigration officials to tighten visa screening and deny entry to travelers suspected of visiting the United States for the purpose of giving birth, a practice known as "birth tourism." - The order follows a June 30, 2026 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a broader Trump executive order seeking to end automatic birthright citizenship, with the Court ruling that the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizenship to most children born on U.S. soil. - Under the Aug. 6, 2026 order, children born to women who concealed plans to give birth in the United States while applying for tourist visas would not qualify for U.S. citizenship. - The order authorizes the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to deny visas to applicants suspected of traveling to the United States for birth tourism, impose entry bans on foreigners previously found to have engaged in the practice, and impose sanctions on individuals or organizations that facilitate such trips. 2026-08-07 10:11:23
Economic Groups Welcome New Domestic Production Tax Credit Economic groups have expressed their support for the inclusion of a domestic production tax credit in the government's 2026 tax reform plan. They anticipate that this new measure will contribute to the expansion of domestic production in advanced strategic industries and job creation, urging the government to quickly establish detailed criteria.On August 7, six economic organizations issued a joint statement welcoming the government's decision to incorporate a domestic production tax credit aimed at strengthening domestic production capabilities, reflecting the opinions of the industrial sector.The statement was made by the Korea Economic Association, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Korea Employers Federation, the Korea International Trade Association, the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises, and the Korea Federation of SMEs.The economic groups noted, "In a competitive global environment where countries are striving to establish production bases for advanced industries, the decision to broaden tax support from the investment stage to the production stage is expected to help protect domestic production and jobs in strategic industries such as semiconductors, secondary batteries, solar power, wind power, key materials, and AI robot components, as well as assist companies in expanding their domestic production capabilities."They further requested, "We hope the government will promptly establish detailed criteria, including eligible items and standard deduction amounts, so that the effects of the system can be realized in the industrial sector as soon as possible."Additionally, they stated, "The introduction of regional coefficients for local-led growth and corporate tax support during the restructuring of the petrochemical industry is also expected to contribute to balanced growth and industrial structural transformation."Finally, the economic groups affirmed, "The business community will continue to innovate and invest in line with this tax reform plan, focusing on expanding domestic production and creating quality jobs."Meanwhile, the government announced on August 3 that it would establish a domestic production tax credit to support strategic industries with weak domestic production bases. This new tax credit will allow companies to receive deductions based on their production and sales performance in the country, shifting from the previous focus on research and development (R&D) and facility investment. The targeted sectors include semiconductors, secondary batteries, AI robot components, solar power, wind power, and key materials.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-07 10:08:00
GC Green Cross Develops Advanced Analysis Technology for mRNA Vaccines GC Green Cross has established its own platform for the precise analysis of the quality and stability of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines.On August 7, GC Green Cross announced that research analyzing the physicochemical stability and transformation mechanisms of mRNA lipid nanoparticle (LNP) vaccines has been published in the SCIE-level journal Pharmaceutical Research.mRNA technology offers the advantage of rapidly developing and producing vaccines during infectious disease outbreaks. However, mRNA is vulnerable to environmental changes, and the LNPs used to deliver it can alter their structure and function due to temperature and physical stimuli. With global integrated quality control standards still insufficiently established, it is crucial for manufacturers to secure an analytical system tailored to product characteristics for commercialization.GC Green Cross conducted forced degradation studies to simulate the environments that vaccines may encounter during distribution, storage, and administration. They applied conditions of temperature variation, oxidation, hydrolysis, and physical agitation, analyzing the correlation between mRNA purity, damage levels, LNP structural changes, and in vitro protein expression efficacy.Various analytical methods were employed to confirm the characteristics of mRNA and LNPs. The purity and damage of mRNA were analyzed using inverse ion-pair liquid chromatography (IP-RP HPLC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE). Changes in the lipid components of LNPs were verified using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with charged aerosol detection (UPLC-CAD).Using cryo-transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM), the shape and structure of ultra-fine LNP particles were observed, while liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to measure trace impurities. GC Green Cross explained that this multifaceted analysis confirmed the correlation between the quality characteristics of mRNA pharmaceuticals, their degradation processes, and actual protein expression efficacy.Hong Jeong-woon, head of the R&D Quality Management Unit at GC Green Cross, stated, "This research is significant not only for evaluating stability but also for analyzing the relationship between quality characteristics and degradation mechanisms. The stability-indicating analytical strategy that combines various analytical techniques will contribute to the commercialization and quality reliability of mRNA products in the future."Meanwhile, GC Green Cross experienced a significant decline in profitability as high-margin product sales recognition was pushed to the second half of the year. However, the market anticipates that sales from flu vaccines, Aliglo, and Hunterase, along with the reflection of proceeds from the sale of Curevo shares, will lead to a concentrated improvement in operating and net profits in the latter half of the year.Wee Hae-joo, a researcher at Korea Investment & Securities, noted, "Due to the deferred effects of the second-quarter results, this year's operating performance is expected to be concentrated in the second half." He also projected annual sales of 2.054 trillion won and an operating profit of 70.5 billion won for the year.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-07 10:04:10
Seragem Proves Blood Circulation Improvement with 'Celtron Circulation Chair' Seragem has demonstrated the blood circulation improvement effects of its medical device, the Celtron Circulation Chair.According to Seragem, a clinical study showed that after a single 30-minute use of the Celtron Circulation Chair, blood flow in the back of the hand increased by 8.01% compared to before use, confirming its effectiveness in enhancing blood circulation.The Celtron Circulation Chair is a chair-type medical device that applies Seragem's advanced technology. It has been certified by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for two benefits: improving blood circulation and alleviating muscle pain. It is designed for comfortable use while seated, helping users manage blood circulation and relieve muscle pain in their daily lives.This study was conducted by Seragem Clinical, the company's clinical research organization, involving 40 participants aged 19 to 65. After using the circulation mode of the Celtron Circulation Chair for 30 minutes, the blood flow in the back of the hand was compared before and after use, showing a statistically significant improvement of 8.01% in the primary evaluation indicator.Meanwhile, the Celtron Circulation Chair was launched in May of last year, and sales from January to April of this year have increased by approximately 60% compared to the previous four months, indicating a strong upward trend.A Seragem representative stated, "We will continue to build trust by verifying the effectiveness and safety of our products based on 28 years of expertise in medical device technology and research and development capabilities."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-07 10:04:10
Trump Acknowledges Need for Missiles Amid Ukraine's Requests President Donald Trump stated that the United States also needs missiles in response to Ukraine's request for missile support. This comes as discussions about the depletion of U.S. military missile stockpiles gain traction, despite Trump's recent denials of such reports.On August 6, during a press conference at the White House, Trump addressed questions regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's request for air defense missiles. He noted that former President Joe Biden had provided "a tremendous amount" of military support to Ukraine, claiming, "Biden has given Zelensky weapons worth $300 billion." He added, "We also need missiles."This statement follows Zelensky's recent appeal for additional interceptors to counter increasing Russian missile attacks. On August 5, Zelensky expressed on social media that, "If there had been missiles to intercept ballistic missiles, we could have saved those who died today," warning that delays in supplying interceptors or support for ballistic missile defense systems could lead to further large-scale casualties and destruction.While Trump asserted that the U.S. has a robust arsenal, he hinted at shortages for certain types of weapons. He told reporters, "We have very powerful kinds of weapons, and we have virtually unlimited supply capabilities for those, but there are some other weapons where supply is a bit tight."These comments come amid reports that the ongoing wars in Iran and Ukraine have significantly depleted U.S. missile stockpiles. The Washington Post reported that Trump had pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about ammunition shortages during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David on July 31, expressing frustration over not being properly informed about the situation.According to the Post, U.S. forces used over 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and more than 1,000 Patriot and THAAD interceptors in the first month of the conflict. The Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) reportedly launched over 1,300 rounds in the initial weeks. Additionally, Reuters and CNN reported that U.S. forces have utilized most of their ATACMS and precision strike missile (PrSM) stockpiles in the Iran conflict, with significant reductions in Tomahawk, THAAD, and Patriot inventories.In response, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, asserting, "The U.S. has a tremendous amount of weapons, especially of certain types," countering claims of shortages. He stated, "Weapons are being produced in large quantities as needed and supplied to the U.S.," threatening to track down leakers of what he called treasonous claims and seek long prison sentences for them.However, Trump's acknowledgment of shortages for some U.S. weapons raises concerns about the depletion of military missile stockpiles. Experts suggest that the missile stockpile was already insufficient before the onset of the Iran conflict in February, and the prolonged nature of the war is exacerbating the situation. This could also impact the U.S.'s ability to confront other adversarial nations, such as China and Russia.Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, told USA Today, "This situation will affect the U.S.'s long-term strategy," adding that it could take years to restore missile stockpiles to pre-war levels. 2026-08-07 10:04:00
Lotte Shopping's Q2 Operating Profit Surges 121%, Driven by Department Store Sales Lotte Shopping reported a more than double increase in operating profit for the second quarter, driven by a rise in foreign tourists and strong fashion sales. The department store division alone generated nearly 120 billion won in operating profit, surpassing the company's total operating profit. However, the mart, supermarket, and e-commerce divisions continued to incur losses, and Lotte Hi-Mart's operating profit also saw a significant decline, highlighting stark differences in performance across divisions. On August 7, Lotte Shopping announced that its consolidated operating profit for the second quarter reached 89.9 billion won, a 121.2% increase compared to the same period last year. Revenue rose by 4.0% to 3.485 trillion won, and net profit turned positive at 14.6 billion won. The department store division was at the center of this performance improvement. Second-quarter sales for department stores reached 891.2 billion won, marking a 9.2% increase year-on-year and setting a record for the second quarter. Operating profit surged by 84% to 119.7 billion won, exceeding the total operating profit of Lotte Shopping. Domestic department store sales increased by 8.8% to 855.6 billion won, with operating profit jumping 77.6% to 112.3 billion won. The growth was attributed to increased sales from foreign tourists and strong performance in fashion merchandise. The growth of overseas department stores was even more pronounced. Second-quarter sales for overseas department stores reached 35.6 billion won, a 20.6% increase from the previous year, while operating profit skyrocketed by 309.7% to 7.4 billion won. Lotte Mall Westlake Hanoi achieved record operating profit for six consecutive quarters, driving overseas performance. The strong performance of department stores continued from the first quarter. In the first quarter, Lotte Shopping's department store sales rose by 8.2% to 872.3 billion won, while total operating profit increased by 70.6% to 252.9 billion won, exceeding market expectations by about 22%. Analysts have identified the expansion of foreign sales and the simultaneous growth of luxury and domestic fashion as key drivers of Lotte Shopping's performance this year. In contrast, the mart division has yet to recover from losses. Second-quarter sales for the mart division increased by 2.6% to 1.3295 trillion won, but it recorded an operating loss of 37.8 billion won. Domestic mart sales rose by 3.5% to 978.9 billion won, with an operating loss of 42.2 billion won. Overseas mart sales reached 350.6 billion won, with an operating profit of 4.3 billion won, down 51.5% from the previous year. The supermarket division also saw a slight increase in net sales to 313.0 billion won, but continued to incur an operating loss of 1.8 billion won. E-commerce sales decreased by 1.5% to 26.2 billion won, resulting in an operating loss of 7.4 billion won, although the scale of the e-commerce loss was smaller than last year. Lotte Hi-Mart reported second-quarter sales of 591.1 billion won, a 0.5% decrease from the previous year. Operating profit plummeted by 90.7% to 1.0 billion won. The increase in profits from department stores partially offset the losses from the mart, supermarket, and e-commerce divisions, as well as the decline in Hi-Mart's profits. Lotte Shopping noted that while there were temporary costs, overall profitability improved due to a restructuring of its high-margin product portfolio in home shopping and enhanced efficiency in selling and administrative expenses. For the first half of the year, Lotte Shopping recorded cumulative sales of 7.066 trillion won and operating profit of 342.8 billion won, representing increases of 3.8% and 81.5%, respectively, compared to the same period last year. Net profit surged by 1,932.9% to 158.5 billion won. In the first half, department store sales reached 1.7635 trillion won, up 8.7%, while operating profit increased by 59.4% to 310.9 billion won. Domestic department store operating profit rose by 54.8% to 295.9 billion won, and overseas department store operating profit soared by 287.8% to 15.0 billion won. Im Jae-cheol, head of Lotte Shopping's finance division, stated, “The solid performance of domestic and overseas department stores, combined with efforts to improve overall profitability, has led to a significant rebound in results for both the second quarter and the first half. We will continue to strengthen the core competitiveness of our key businesses and pursue stable growth through ongoing improvements.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-07 10:04:00
Naver's Q2 operating profit misses consensus as costs outpace sales SEOUL, August 07 (AJP) - Naver's second-quarter operating profit fell short of market expectations despite stronger-than-expected revenue, as spending on artificial intelligence, marketing, sports broadcasting and payment infrastructure squeezed margins. Operating profit for the April-June period came to 520.3 billion won ($346 million), down 0.2 percent from a year earlier and 4 percent from the previous quarter. It was 8.1 percent below the FnGuide consensus of 566.2 billion won. The operating margin narrowed to 15.4 percent from 17.9 percent a year earlier and 16.7 percent in the first quarter. Operating expenses jumped 19.8 percent to 2.868 trillion won, outpacing revenue growth. Partner expenses rose 22 percent, reflecting World Cup broadcasting rights and spending on Npay Connect terminals, marketing costs climbed 25.4 percent, and infrastructure spending rose 11.2 percent as Naver built out AI capacity. Revenue grew 16.2 percent on year to 3.389 trillion won, 0.7 percent above the market estimate of 3.366 trillion won, on growth in Naver's main platform operations and consumer-to-consumer businesses. Excluding the consolidation of Spanish secondhand marketplace Wallapop, which Naver acquired earlier this year, revenue rose 14.5 percent. Core platform revenue increased 12.3 percent to 1.902 trillion won, with advertising up 7.5 percent and services up 31.3 percent. Monthly active users of Naver's AI tab reached 10 million, while Smart Store transaction volume rose 15.5 percent. The segment's margin, however, fell to 28.5 percent from 32.7 percent a year earlier. Financial platform revenue rose 16 percent to 470.7 billion won as total payment volume increased 21 percent to 25.2 trillion won. Its margin dropped to 3 percent from 7.9 percent amid heavier spending on payment infrastructure. Revenue from Naver's C2C, content and enterprise businesses climbed 24.4 percent to 1.016 trillion won. C2C revenue surged 74.9 percent, helped by Wallapop's consolidation, changes to Poshmark's service and brisk trading-card transactions on Soda. Excluding Wallapop, C2C revenue still grew 52.1 percent. The three businesses posted a combined operating loss of 35.6 billion won, widening from 14.8 billion won in the first quarter but narrowing from 65 billion won a year earlier. Net income rose 41.6 percent on year to 704.3 billion won, nearly 47 percent above the FnGuide consensus of 479.2 billion won. The beat came mainly from equity-method gains and valuation gains on financial assets rather than stronger operating profit. Hanwha Investment & Securities said Naver's push to monetize generative AI from the third quarter may take at least two more quarters to show whether the services generate additional advertising revenue or merely shift spending from existing products. The brokerage maintained a "buy" rating and a 300,000 won target price but expects the shares to remain range-bound in the near term. Naver shares were down 2.21 percent at 220,500 won as of 9:45 a.m. Friday. 2026-08-07 10:02:56
Korea Minting Corporation's Former CEOs Gather to Discuss Future Goals The Korea Minting Corporation announced on August 7 that it held a meeting in Mapo-gu, Seoul, inviting former CEOs to discuss future development directions.The meeting included current President Seong Chang-hoon and six former CEOs: Park Won-chul (18th), Lee Hae-sung (19th), Jeon Yong-hak (20th), Yoon Young-dae (21st), Kim Hwa-dong (22nd), and Ban Jang-sik (24th). This gathering was organized to reflect on the management innovations implemented in response to declining currency demand as the company celebrates its 75th anniversary and to discuss a vision for its 80th anniversary.The Korea Minting Corporation has expanded its business structure from a focus on currency manufacturing to include security products such as passports and gift certificates. Recently, it has also ventured into digital public services, including mobile identification cards and digital local currencies. Thanks to this structural transformation, the company recorded its highest revenue ever at 639.5 billion won last year and received an A grade in the 2025 public institution management evaluation.The former CEOs recommended that the company expand its digital ID initiatives, such as mobile identification cards, and enhance the competitiveness of digital payment platforms like local love gift certificates and Onnuri gift certificates. They also suggested increasing cultural projects, including artistic coins and currency merchandise, and improving the export competitiveness of high-value products like paper pulp and security ink.Based on these discussions, they proposed setting ambitious goals of achieving '1 trillion won in sales' and becoming the 'world's first digital mint' by the company's 80th anniversary in 2031.Seong Chang-hoon stated, "We will thoroughly review the vision of '1 trillion won in sales' and 'world's first digital mint' through internal discussions and expert seminars."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-07 09:56:00
ByteDance Founder Urges Against AI Model Distillation ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant, is emphasizing the importance of strengthening its long-term technological competitiveness.At a management meeting on August 6, ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming instructed that the use of competitors' models for 'distillation' in the development of its AI models be prohibited, according to a report by China Business News on August 7. Zhang had previously issued similar directives in internal meetings.Zhang emphasized that the ban on distillation may result in ByteDance's AI foundational model, 'Seed,' lagging behind the performance evaluations and benchmark rankings of Chinese competitors such as DeepMind, Kimi, and Q1. However, he stated that this trade-off is necessary.Model distillation involves training a new AI model using the outputs of a more advanced model, which can significantly shorten development time and enhance performance. Despite these advantages, Zhang believes that distillation could hinder long-term technological innovation. He argued that relying on competitors' models would make it difficult for ByteDance to develop its own algorithms and reasoning capabilities.During the same meeting, Liang Rubo, CEO of ByteDance, highlighted the importance of solidifying foundational skills in the development of large language models (LLMs). He acknowledged that while short-term setbacks may occur, securing long-term competitiveness is crucial. 'The most important thing is to maintain a steady direction,' he said, adding that fostering a culture focused on foundational technology is essential for ultimately achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI).ByteDance is also developing a system to prevent developers from secretly using outputs from external AI models as training data.Additionally, during the meeting, ByteDance reported that its consumer-oriented LLM, Doubao, maintained strong competitiveness in the market during the first half of the year, while its video generation model, Seedance, continues to perform at a world-class level.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-07 09:56:00