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AI to become staple in Korean homes, KES 2025 suggests with latest innovations SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - Artificial intelligence is fast becoming a fixture in Korean households — helping the elderly and pets at home alone, while taking charge of chores from washing clothes to preparing meals — according to the latest innovations unveiled at this year’s Korea Electronics Show (KES 2025). From refrigerators and TVs to air conditioners and cleaning robots, Korea's household appliance brands Samsung and LG Electronics demonstrated that AI has become the foundation of product design rather than an optional feature. The shift signals how Korean manufacturers are positioning themselves ahead of CES 2025 — not through radical new hardware, but through everyday devices that can sense, decide, and respond autonomously. Samsung focused on what it called “family and pet care AI.” A company official said the next wave of consumer electronics is designed to support aging households and enable remote caregiving. Once granted access, smartphones and home appliances can be linked to monitor elderly parents living alone. If no activity is detected for a prolonged period, the AI system automatically sends alerts to designated caregivers and enables remote status checks. For pet owners, Samsung showcased a robot vacuum with a built-in camera that allows users to monitor their pets in real time. Integrated into the SmartThings platform, the device can even play sounds or music that a pet prefers. “The goal is not simply cleaning automation,” the official said, “but providing emotional reassurance and daily care through AI and sensors when owners are away from home.” LG Electronics took a similar approach with its line of “proactive AI appliances.” These include washing machines that learn usage patterns, refrigerators that recommend restocking, and an AI home robot capable of mapping interior spaces and recognizing tone of voice. Both companies stressed that AI functions will soon be shared across smartphones, home appliances, and other devices under a unified ecosystem. With more than 550 companies and 1,300 booths, KES 2025 served less as a stage for experimental prototypes and more as a preview of how Korea intends to compete in the AI hardware era. While U.S. and Chinese tech giants race to develop foundation models and software ecosystems, Korean firms are betting the real contest will unfold in chips, sensors, and consumer devices — the everyday touchpoints where AI is actually used. Overseas visitors said the event offered a direct glimpse into the future of home AI. “I came from California to see where Korean home appliances and lifestyle trends are heading, and it was worth it — you can understand the direction of the industry in one place,” said Karen Smith, 35. 2025-10-23 18:13:56 -
HOT STOCK: British fund bullish on LG Chem, local banks wary how far the stock can go SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - Shares of LG Chem set a new ceiling this week as the Korean chemical giant defied industrial headwinds after being spotlighted by a major foreign shareholder for excessive undervaluation. LG Chem closed Thursday at 389,500 won ($271), down after a 13 percent surge in the previous session. The rally followed a public statement by British activist fund Palliser Capital, which argued that “LG Chem’s stock is significantly undervalued, currently trading at just 74 percent of its intrinsic value.” Palliser urged the company to sell part of its stake in battery affiliate LG Energy Solution and use the proceeds for share buybacks to boost shareholder value. Founded in 2021 by James Smith, former chief investment officer of Elliott Management’s Hong Kong office, Palliser holds about 1 percent of LG Chem and ranks among its top ten shareholders. Smith is already well-known to Korea’s corporate scene for his past challenges to succession and governance structures at Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor during his Elliott tenure. Palliser has since pushed for shareholder-friendly actions at Samsung C&T in 2023 and SK Square in 2024. However, local analysts remain unconvinced that LG Chem’s rally can be sustained. “LG Chem remains overly reliant on internal business from its affiliate LG Energy Solution,” said Roh Woo-ho, analyst at Meritz Securities, in a report on October 16. He estimated that only 8.6 percent — or 56.3 billion won — of the company’s estimated 657.6 billion won third-quarter operating profit will come from non-LGES operations. “The lack of meaningful external revenue raises questions about business sustainability,” Roh noted. Petrochemicals, once the company’s core business, continue to weigh on earnings. According to second-quarter results released in August, the petrochemical division generated 4.696 trillion won in revenue — about 41.1 percent of the company’s total 11.47 trillion won — but posted losses of 56.5 billion won in Q1 and 90.4 billion won in Q2. The downturn reflects mounting competition from Chinese producers flooding the global market with cheaper, higher-quality output. Even the country’s third-largest player, Yeochun NCC, has faced liquidity strains and the threat of insolvency. LG Chem is seeking to offset the weakness by expanding into advanced materials and life sciences. The company supplies cathode materials for LG Energy Solution’s EV batteries, develops photo imageable dielectric (PID) materials for semiconductor packaging, and is broadening its pharmaceutical R&D pipeline. Still, much of its near-term sentiment hinges on LG Energy Solution’s performance, whose third-quarter operating profit jumped 34.1 percent year-on-year — offering a temporary boost to LG Chem’s outlook, if not yet a structural turnaround. 2025-10-23 17:33:24 -
Asian shares lose ground on tech selling SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - Asian stock markets ended lower Thursday as investors reacted to disappointing technology earnings and persistent geopolitical uncertainties, while Vietnamese equities stood out with gains on expectations of stronger domestic demand. South Korea’s main KOSPI and secondary KOSDAQ retreated after a record-setting rally. The KOSPI fell 1.2 percent to 3,835.79, and the tech-heavy KOSDAQ lost 0.9 percent to 870.90 as institutional investors took profits. Chip bellwethers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix slipped 1.8 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively. China’s Shanghai Composite Index edged down 0.3 percent to 3,904.16 amid renewed trade concerns and fears of tighter U.S. export controls on software and chip technology. Leading tech shares such as Zhongji Innolight and Suzhou TFC fell between 3 and 7 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 0.3 percent to 25,695, weighed by semiconductor names including Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., which sank 3.8 percent as U.S.–China tensions and regulatory scrutiny dampened sentiment. Japan’s Nikkei 225 declined 0.9 percent to 48,866.58, extending losses after a brief rally earlier this week on expectations of fiscal stimulus. The pullback reflected broader risk-off sentiment toward global technology shares. Taiwan’s TAIEX gained 0.6 percent to 24,482.52, supported by renewed investor interest in select tech firms, though semiconductor names such as United Microelectronics posted modest losses. Vietnam’s VN-Index was the region’s bright spot, climbing 1.2 percent to 961.3, led by real estate and consumer discretionary stocks. Vingroup (VIC) advanced 3.9 percent, anchoring the rally. 2025-10-23 17:29:46 -
D-8: APEC summits to arrive with fully packed agendas of their own SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - Big and small Asia-Pacific economies alike are preparing to leverage next week's APEC summit in Gyeongju to advance their respective agendas in a trade environment reshaped under the second Trump presidency. New and familiar faces among APEC leaders will descend on South Korea's southern ancient city carrying fully loaded diplomatic and economic agendas — each aiming to redefine its position in the emerging post-globalization trade order. From the fate of Seoul's $350 billion investment pledge in the United States to the escalating U.S.–China tariff standoff and Japan's expansionary policy shift, every bilateral engagement is set to influence how Asia's next trade architecture will evolve. South Korea–U.S.: $350 billion investment and tariff negotiations For the host country, the top priority will be finalizing the structure of its $350 billion investment pledge in the U.S. — a package covering EV plants, battery gigafactories, and semiconductor facilities. Talks have entered the final stretch ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's arrival in Gyeongju. South Korea's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said Seoul is "making every effort to reach an agreement during the summit period." The U.S. maintains that only direct cash investments should qualify for tariff concessions, while Seoul argues that loan guarantees and joint-funded vehicles carry equal economic value. Discussions have also expanded to include a phased reduction of the 25 percent U.S. tariff on South Korean automobiles and the creation of a joint semiconductor-supply-chain infrastructure fund. After months of back-and-forth, both sides are still ironing out details — including the cash ratio, installment schedule, and profit-sharing structure — effectively negotiating an investment-for-tariff swap. U.S.–China: Rare-earth leverage meets tariff threats Tensions between Washington and Beijing have intensified over rare-earth elements, essential for electric vehicles, semiconductors, and defense systems. President Trump has threatened to impose an additional 100 percent tariff on Chinese imports beginning Nov. 1, in response to Beijing's tighter export controls on rare-earth materials and related technologies. If implemented, the total tariff burden on Chinese goods entering the U.S. could rise to as high as 157 percent. Beijing, which commands over 90 percent of global rare-earth supply and nearly all refining capacity, has expanded its export bans from seven to twelve elements — including dysprosium and terbium, for which the U.S. depends on China for more than 97 percent of imports. Rare-earths are indispensable across U.S. industries, from iPhones to Tesla EVs. China's new restrictions on the transfer of extraction and refining technologies, set to take effect Dec. 1, will further tighten the squeeze on Washington. Given the stakes, global attention will focus on whether the leaders of the two superpowers will hold a face-to-face meeting in Gyeongju and whether any progress can be made toward de-escalating tariff tensions at APEC. South Korea–Japan: Pragmatic supply-chain repair For Seoul and Tokyo, APEC offers a fresh opportunity to consolidate industrial cooperation and restore trust in strategic sectors. Both governments are preparing to resume joint R&D and standardization talks on semiconductor and battery materials, as they seek to rebuild mutual confidence in technology and supply-chain partnerships. Japan aims to reassert its position as a reliable supplier of high-purity chemicals, while South Korea looks to solidify its role as a global foundry hub. Recent exchanges between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi signaled shared intent to pursue pragmatic collaboration and develop stable industrial frameworks in Northeast Asia. Expanding beyond major powers Beyond the major powers, South Korea is widening its economic outreach across emerging and resource-rich partners to strengthen its strategic footing in the region. In Southeast Asia, Seoul is advancing projects in hydrogen energy, renewable power, and digital trade. Vietnam and Indonesia are emerging as pivotal partners, with South Korean firms establishing EV and battery production lines to diversify supply chains away from China. The aim is to transform ASEAN from a manufacturing base into a green and digital growth partner. At the same time, South Korea is deepening cooperation with Australia, Chile, and Peru to secure stable, long-term supplies of lithium, nickel, and LNG — resources critical to its clean-energy transition. These partnerships, coupled with Seoul's initiatives to improve transparency in green investment and harmonize digital trade standards, reflect a broader push toward a more balanced and sustainable regional economy — one designed to reduce dependence on Chinese materials while expanding Korea's industrial influence across the Indo-Pacific. Behind the ceremony, APEC 2025 is shaping up as a stress test for how far economic cooperation can stretch amid intensifying geopolitical rivalry. The discussions in Gyeongju — spanning tariffs, supply chains, and technology standards — underscore a region recalibrating its balance between competition and interdependence. 2025-10-23 17:13:39 -
Korean drugmakers race to enter booming weight-loss drug market SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - South Korea's major pharmaceutical companies are racing to enter the global weight-loss drug market, upgrading drug delivery formats and formulations to tap a segment projected to grow more than 15 percent over the next five years. A recent survey by Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, cited by Yuanta Securities, showed that 62.2 percent of 4,400 respondents across 21 countries preferred oral weight-loss drugs — far ahead of injectables (16.3 percent) and dermal patches (7.8 percent). Convenience and ease of adherence were cited as key factors. "Oral formulations will create new demand by improving convenience and coverage potential," said one industry analyst. "As adherence improves, weight-loss drugs could evolve beyond single-use therapies into full-scale management tools for metabolic diseases." At present, GLP-1-based injectables such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro dominate the market. Despite their explosive success, their injectable form remains a hurdle for long-term use. Concerns also persist over rebound weight gain after discontinuation and gastrointestinal side effects. Korean drugmakers are targeting this gap by developing oral and patch-based alternatives. Global frontrunners are also pivoting to oral formulations. Novo Nordisk's oral semaglutide — a pill version of Wegovy — is in Phase III trials and expected to receive FDA approval for weight management in late 2025, reaching the market in 2026. Lilly's oral candidate Orforglipron is also in Phase III. Among Korean firms, Il-Dong Pharmaceutical has reported promising results for its oral candidate ID110521156, which also demonstrated glucose-lowering effects. In multiple ascending-dose trials, the 200-milligram group achieved an average 9.9 percent weight reduction — and up to 13.8 percent in some cases — with no serious adverse events or dropouts. The company plans to begin Phase II trials next year. Hanmi Pharmaceutical has filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. FDA for its compound HM17321 (LA-UCN2), designed to increase muscle mass while selectively reducing fat — addressing one of the key drawbacks of GLP-1 therapies, which often cause muscle loss. "Our goal is to enable healthy weight management, even for elderly or sarcopenic patients," said Choi In-young, head of Hanmi's R&D center. The company aims for commercialization by 2031. Daewoong Pharmaceutical and its subsidiary Daewoong Therapeutics have also entered the race, recently receiving Korean regulatory approval for a semaglutide microneedle patch. Using the company's Clopam platform, the patch delivers more than 80 percent bioavailability — outperforming existing microneedle systems — and offers a painless, once-a-week option. According to Goldman Sachs, the global anti-obesity drug market is expected to exceed $120 billion by 2035, with more than 170 drug candidates currently under development worldwide. Korean drugmakers, armed with formulation technology and competitive manufacturing capability, are moving fast to capture the next wave of innovation — reshaping the country's pharmaceutical footprint in one of the world's most lucrative therapeutic frontiers. 2025-10-23 17:04:03 -
Seoul voices concerns over Chinese installations in waters near West Sea SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday vowed to keep monitoring and raise issues over Chinese unilateral installations in maritime buffer zones along the West Sea that overlap with South Korea's. The pledge comes a day after lawmaker Lee Byung-jin of the ruling Democratic Party revealed during a parliamentary audit that Chinese personnel were spotted on such structures in the area. Lee shared photos showing five people on the structures, believed to have been installed last year along with other buoys, and warned that they may have stayed there, raising concerns that Beijing could use them for military purposes. He called for timely action to protect maritime sovereignty. But Beijing denied allegations that the structures are intended for military or territorial purposes, claiming they are solely for salmon farming. Seoul has lodged protests over these installations several times through various diplomatic channels, asking China to remove them from the zone, as they could violate or infringe relevant maritime and fisheries regulations. But so far, these efforts have been to no avail. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-23 16:43:29 -
Bank of Korea chief signals nearing end of easing cycle SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - The Bank of Korea (BOK) held its key interest rate at 2.50 percent for October, keeping policy steady since the last 25-basis-point cut in May amid foreign exchange and housing market volatility, and signaled that the current easing cycle may be nearing its end unless major external shocks occur. “We are maintaining an easing policy stance, but the pace and timing of additional rate cuts may have to be adjusted,” BOK Governor Rhee Chan-yong said at a press briefing following Thursday’s monetary policy board meeting. Four of the six board members supported leaving room for another rate reduction over the next three months, while two favored holding rates steady. The share of members preferring a freeze rose to two from one at the August meeting, Rhee noted. Whether the central bank delivers this year’s third 25-basis-point cut at its final policy meeting in November will depend largely on the outcome of ongoing trade negotiations between South Korea and the United States, as well as between Washington and Beijing — factors that could shape Korea’s growth outlook, he added. The bond market showed a mixed response, with yields on short-term government bonds falling, while those on longer maturities edged higher. The three-year government bond yield declined by 2.4 basis points to 2.548 percent, while the 10-year yield inched up by 0.02 basis points to 2.871 percent. Equities and currency markets reflected caution. The Kospi retreated nearly 1 percent after briefly touching the 3,900 milestone, while the won weakened toward 1,440 per dollar — its lowest level in six months. The BOK’s policy inertia comes amid heightened political uncertainty, including the June presidential election and renewed tariff pressure under the second Donald Trump administration. The pause has extended as Seoul awaits the conclusion of a trade deal with Washington that could stabilize the won and cool speculative housing demand in the capital region following the latest government curbs. The dollar revisited the 1,440-won threshold for the first time in six months, though Rhee attributed the movement to multiple geopolitical and market factors. “The dollar’s gain of about 35 won over the past month — roughly one-quarter from dollar strength itself — also reflects renewed U.S.–China trade tensions, potential monetary expansion in Japan, and Korea’s $350 billion investment pledge to the U.S.,” he said. Rhee predicted that the foreign exchange market would regain stability once the details and funding structure of the U.S. investment package are finalized. A steady recovery in Korea’s real economy also lessens the need for further easing. Despite global trade uncertainties, the current account surplus is projected to reach $110 billion this year, up sharply from the previous BOK estimate of $82 billion in May. The central bank expects full-year growth to meet its earlier estimate of 0.9 percent. The economy, which contracted 0.2 percent quarter-on-quarter in the first three months of the year, expanded 0.7 percent in the second quarter and is projected to accelerate to 1.1 percent in the third. The BOK will release its preliminary third-quarter GDP data next Tuesday. 2025-10-23 16:41:53 -
Korean AI company Upstage unveils Japan-focused LLM 'Shin Pro' SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - South Korean artificial intelligence company Upstage announced Thursday the launch of “Shin Pro,” a large language model (LLM) designed specifically for the Japanese market and developed in partnership with Tokyo-based AI firm Karakuri. Built on Upstage’s proprietary Solar model, Shin Pro is a 31-billion-parameter system fine-tuned for Japanese language nuances and cultural context. The model is optimized for on-premise deployment, offering companies enhanced data security and cost efficiency by allowing them to run AI applications within their own infrastructure. Shin Pro has already drawn attention for its performance, topping the Weights & Biases Nezumi Leaderboard, a key benchmark for Japanese-language LLMs. It achieved the highest score among models with 31 billion parameters or fewer. Notably, Shin Pro is the only model developed and trained in Japan to rank among the top performers on the leaderboard — a space otherwise dominated by models from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and DeepSeek. Its emphasis on local deployment and data privacy aligns with Japan’s growing preference for on-premise AI solutions over cloud-based alternatives from U.S. and Chinese providers. “This achievement shows that Upstage’s technology can compete head-to-head with globally trained AI models in Japan,” said Hiroyuki Matsushita, head of Upstage Japan. “With Shin Pro, we aim to help Japanese companies adopt AI that reflects their industry needs, security requirements, and cultural context.” * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-23 16:31:54 -
Singapore's VENA Group pledges $20 billion investment in Korea's green energy, AI sectors SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - Singapore-based renewable energy company VENA Group plans to invest $20 billion in South Korea to advance projects in renewable energy and artificial intelligence data centers, officials here said Thursday. The announcement came after the company delivered a letter of intent at a ceremony held at the National Assembly in Seoul, attended by Environment Minister Kim Sung-hwan, Vice Minister of Science and ICT Ryu Jae-myung, Democratic Party lawmaker Cha Ji-ho, presidential secretary of national AI policy Kim Woo-chang, and VENA Group Chairman Nitin Apte. The investment pledge builds on a memorandum of understanding signed in September during President Lee Jae Myung’s meeting with BlackRock Chairman Larry Fink at the United Nations General Assembly. That agreement sought to position South Korea as the “AI capital of Asia” by attracting global investors to its energy and technology sectors. Environment Minister Kim hailed the announcement as “a tangible result of the president’s diplomatic and investment efforts,” adding that the partnership would help accelerate South Korea’s renewable energy transition and bolster its AI infrastructure competitiveness. The Ministry of Environment said it plans to channel part of the investment into offshore wind power projects and develop an “energy highway” linking wind farms, national power grids, and AI data centers. Vice Minister Ryu said the government would continue to encourage sustainable development through international partnerships. “This initiative reflects our vision to make South Korea a leading AI and green energy hub in the Asia-Pacific region,” he said. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-23 16:19:30 -
US secretary of state expected to accompany Trump at next week's APEC summit SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit South Korea next week as part of his trip to Asian countries, the State Department said Wednesday. In a press statement, the department said Rubio will "travel to Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, and Gyeongju" from Oct. 26 to 30 to "advance peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region," after wrapping up his trip to Jerusalem where he will "reaffirm America's unwavering commitment to Israel's security and engage with partners to build on the historic momentum towards durable peace and integration in the Middle East." He is likely to accompany U.S. President Donald Trump, who is scheduled to arrive next Wednesday for a brief two-day visit to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju. The visit will be his first trip to Seoul since he assumed the post with the inauguration of Trump's second, non-consecutive term in January. During his stay here, Rubio is expected to meet with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac. 2025-10-23 15:38:22