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  • Nvidia puts SK partnership at $500 billion
    Nvidia puts SK partnership at $500 billion SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - A partnership between SK Group and Nvidia will reach $500 billion, Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang said in San Francisco on Friday (local time), naming a sum larger than everything the chipmaker sold in its last full fiscal year. He said it in the future tense during a meeting with President Lee Jae Myung at a hotel downtown. The two companies would announce the partnership that day, he said, and the scale reached $500 billion (733 trillion won). As of Saturday morning in Seoul, no press release, regulatory filing, or statement from either company had put the figure on paper. The running blog Nvidia maintained through the summit carried a joint research lab with a Korean university and a note about a dinner in Woodside, California. It made no mention of $500 billion. The number is worth measuring against the company that named it. Nvidia reported revenue of $215.9 billion for the fiscal year that ended in January, a record, up 65 percent from the year before. The figure Huang attached to SK Group is more than twice that. It sits close to the roughly $520 billion Samsung Electronics and SK hynix jointly committed last month to new fabrication plants in southwestern South Korea, and it matches the headline value of Stargate, the data center program OpenAI announced last year. What the money covers, over what period, and whether it represents new business or a value placed on an arrangement that already exists were all left undisclosed. The last question is the live one. Nvidia and SK announced an expanded partnership in Seoul on June 8, and it was not small. SK hynix signed a multiyear technology agreement to co-develop memory for Nvidia's Vera Rubin AI supercomputers, Vera central processing units, RTX Spark personal computers and Jetson Thor robotics platforms. SK Telecom agreed to build a full-stack AI cloud on Nvidia's DSX platform, aimed at gigawatt-scale AI factories. SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won said at the time that cooperation with Nvidia, until then centered on memory supply, was being raised to the level of the whole group. Huang did not say on Friday whether the $500 billion is separate from that framework or a price now attached to it. Around the headline figure sat a list of commitments that reached across most of South Korean industry. SK hynix and Samsung Electronics would work with Nvidia on chip design and memory design, Huang said. Naver would receive a large investment, and he described the company as South Korea's leading cloud provider, saying the partnership would support its expansion at home and abroad. With Hyundai Motor Group, Nvidia would jointly develop a self-driving Genesis vehicle and work on robotics. With LG, he said, the two companies are developing power generation systems for use in factories and in homes. Two of the announcements concern where the research happens rather than what gets built. Nvidia is starting what Huang called an AI frontier lab in South Korea, and he said leading company researchers plan to relocate from California to work there. Nvidia and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced a joint AI research lab on Friday at the Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI on the university's Seoul campus, a $300 million commitment over an initial five years that includes $50 million a year in computing resources, funding for at least 10 researchers annually and internships for each of them. Nvidia describes it as the first joint AI lab between a Korean university and any global technology company. Aju Press reported the terms on Friday. Huang tied that work to something larger. Nvidia is cooperating with KAIST to build what he called Korea AI, he said, and plans to develop a Korean large language model in South Korea, for South Koreans. Partnerships now run from conglomerates to startups to research organizations, he added, and span AI chips, physical AI and infrastructure. Physical AI is the government's term for machines that carry the technology off the screen, robots and vehicles and factory equipment that sense their surroundings and act on them. It is one of the three pillars of the investment package Lee announced on June 29, alongside semiconductors and AI data centers. Blue House policy chief Kim Yong-beom told reporters on Thursday that more than half of the roughly eight gigawatts of first-phase AI data center capacity the government has planned is expected to take firm shape during the two-day visit. He declined to give values ahead of company announcements, and said the presidential trip had acted as a catalyst, helping close negotiations between South Korean and American companies that had run on for months. Lee used the meeting to press for more. South Korea intends to become the country that leads the world on artificial intelligence and on putting AI to actual use, he said, asking Nvidia to take an active role. The government spent the past year preparing before launching the Three Mega Projects, he added, and is now building a society and a state with AI at the center. The exchange was friendly. Lee told Huang he had watched broadcasts of the Nvidia chief eating fried chicken and drinking beer in Seoul more than once and had been sorry to miss it. Huang said the energy he felt in South Korea, from fried chicken through to grilled pork belly, had been remarkable, and credited Lee's stated goal of building an AI native nation with giving the country momentum. Lee picked up a phrase Huang had used and returned it. Calling this an AI golden age is exactly right, he said, and the country is now entering the beginning of it. "Under the president's leadership, Korea has achieved a great deal over the past year," Huang said. "It would not be an exaggeration to call this truly South Korea's golden age." 2026-07-25 11:44:11
  • Koreas Trade Chief Engages U.S. to Address Digital Policy Concerns
    Korea's Trade Chief Engages U.S. to Address Digital Policy Concerns The South Korean government has launched an active campaign to address U.S. concerns regarding the Section 301 tariff measures and domestic digital regulations, including the Coupang incident.According to Yonhap News on July 25, Yeo Han-goo, head of the Trade Negotiation Bureau, visited Washington, D.C., from July 21 to 24 to engage in in-depth discussions on key trade issues with U.S. government officials, lawmakers, and industry leaders.During this visit, Yeo met with ten U.S. lawmakers, including Senator Bill Hagerty and Representative Adrian Smith, chair of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, to clearly convey that South Korea's digital laws and policies do not discriminate against U.S. companies.He emphasized the need for close cooperation in critical industries such as semiconductors, shipbuilding, and energy, reminding them that South Korea is one of the largest investors in the U.S. He also urged for active support from the U.S. Congress to strengthen the mutually beneficial economic relationship between the two countries.Yeo joined a delegation from the Korea-U.S. Congressional Friendship Group, led by Representative Shin Dong-hoon, to meet with Senators Steve Daines and Brad Schneider, reaffirming their commitment to enhancing Korea-U.S. relations.Additionally, in meetings with major U.S. tech companies such as Google, Apple, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Qualcomm, he reiterated that South Korean government policies do not apply discriminatory practices against U.S. firms.Earlier, on July 21, just before the legal expiration date of the global tariff (10%) under Section 122 of the U.S. Trade Act, Yeo met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to confirm plans for future actions regarding the Section 301 investigation.At that meeting, he conveyed the South Korean government's position that the balance of benefits under the existing Korea-U.S. tariff agreement must be maintained.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-25 11:12:00
  • President Lee pitches South Korea as AI testbed
    President Lee pitches South Korea as AI testbed SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - The country that makes most of the world's memory chips now wants to be the first country to put artificial intelligence to work everywhere else. President Lee Jae Myung carried that argument to San Francisco on Friday, delivering what his office named the San Francisco AI Declaration to a room holding the chief executives of Nvidia, OpenAI, Anthropic and Broadcom. The declaration made two promises at once. South Korea would keep AI chips moving to global buyers under any conditions, and it would open its own factories, cities and public offices as the ground where the technology gets proven in use. The first promise rests on market position. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix together account for roughly 80 percent of global sales of high-bandwidth memory, the chips stacked alongside the graphics processors that run large AI models, according to the Korea Economic Institute of America. The second rests on a domestic program that has no clear equivalent anywhere else. Both trace back to the package the government calls the Three Mega Projects, announced on June 29 at the presidential Blue House, the presidential office in Seoul, when Samsung and SK Group committed a combined 4,755 trillion won ($3.2 trillion) to semiconductors, AI data centers and physical AI, the government's term for robots and other machines that carry the technology off the screen. Adding pledges from GS, Naver and others, the Blue House put the total near 5,000 trillion won. "South Korea will rise as an irreplaceable core country in the global AI supply chain," Lee said in his address. He grounded that in memory manufacturing, saying the country would serve as a trusted production base for AI chips and as a supply chain partner, and pointed to a shift already underway from a single cluster near Seoul toward production sites spread across the provinces. Then he moved to the part other governments cannot easily copy. South Korea would become a global AI testbed and production platform, he said, a place where the technology runs not only in laboratories and on screens but on factory floors, inside cities and across logistics networks. He asked the executives in front of him to choose the country as the stage where their technologies and ideas turn into working products fastest. That claim leans on a program Lee has pushed since taking office in June 2025, which his government calls an AI Basic Society. The premise is that access to AI belongs closer to a public utility than to a consumer product. Lee put it plainly at the Blue House in December, telling SoftBank chairman Masayoshi Son that AI should become basic infrastructure the way water, sewerage and roads are, available to every citizen, company and organization at least at a working level. The legislative piece arrived on January 22, when South Korea's framework act on the development of AI took effect after a one-year grace period. It pairs rules for higher-risk applications with state support for adoption. The European Union legislated first but has delayed its high-risk provisions, which leaves South Korea as the first country actually applying a comprehensive AI law in full. Lee cited it from the stage. "South Korea will build a society where no citizen is left behind even in the AI era," he said. "We call this an AI Basic Society." The programs underneath are specific and close at hand. Bae Kyung-hoon, deputy prime minister and minister of science and information and communication technology, told a ministry briefing at the Blue House on July 16 that a free AI service for the entire population, branded AI for All, would launch in December. He said at the same session that South Korea was capable of building a model in the class of Mythos, the frontier system from Anthropic, whose chief executive sat in the San Francisco audience eight days later. Kim Yong-beom, the policy chief at the Blue House, sharpened the argument on July 21. Access to AI should now be treated as a basic right, he said, and the state should hand citizens a domestically built system at no cost, both to pull users away from foreign services and to accumulate the demand and data a home market needs to grow on its own. He drew a line between that and cash welfare. Guaranteeing everyone a minimum amount of computing, in his framing, adds to what a person can produce rather than to what they can spend. A second program would place an AI agent inside public administration, identifying the benefits and permits a citizen qualifies for and filing the applications on their behalf. Kim argued that the state absorbing the risk of first adoption is what opens the larger market, since AI has still not moved into the places where people currently exercise judgment and carry responsibility, among them hospital consulting rooms, classrooms and government offices. Money and hardware have followed. The government tripled AI spending this year to 10.1 trillion won from 3.3 trillion. It has secured 260,000 advanced graphics processors, helped by a priority supply commitment Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang made at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju last October. A presidential committee on national AI strategy, chaired by Lee, launched in September 2025 with a contribution to a global AI Basic Society written in as one of three policy pillars. The gap that remains is wide. Stanford University's Institute for Human-Centered AI , in an index published in April, counted five notable AI models from South Korea, third in the world but far behind 50 from the United States and 30 from China. The same report ranked South Korea first for AI patents per 100,000 people for a second consecutive year, a pattern that fits a country better at applying technology than at inventing the frontier version of it. Lee's pitch in San Francisco was, in effect, that the first skill is worth buying. The response from the room was warm. Altman had met Lee at a hotel in downtown San Francisco earlier on Friday, where Lee asked him to take a larger role in the Three Mega Projects. Altman told him the effort the South Korean government was making on AI placed the country among the most important in the world, and said he hoped leaders elsewhere would follow Lee's example on investment and policy. Wide access to enough high-quality AI mattered greatly, he added, and he pointed to the Korean projects as the kind of program that delivers it. Lee had opened that meeting by telling Altman that South Koreans were pleased and hopeful he had taken an interest and decided to invest while the country reorganizes its industries around AI. Smiling, he added that he had been making good use of ChatGPT. Concrete numbers were promised but not disclosed. Kim said on Friday that the summit would produce confirmed customers for large-scale AI data center construction, and that Samsung Electronics and SK hynix had each agreed new long-term supply contracts for specified chips. At a briefing for foreign correspondents the previous day, he said the figures the companies were preparing to announce could exceed the June headline. That headline deserves reading closely. Of Samsung's 2,655 trillion won, 2,030 trillion is committed to the existing Pyeongtaek and Yongin clusters, leaving 625 trillion for the new sites in the Honam, Chungcheong and Yeongnam regions. The government has said investment outside the capital region comes to about 1,600 trillion won. The totals bundle new commitments together with capital plans the companies had already set, and both depend on power and water arriving on schedule at sites where neither is guaranteed. The government-backed summit was held at the Midway, an arts and events venue in San Francisco, and drew about 150 people, including researchers, investors and startup founders. Samsung Electronics executive chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group executive chair Chung Eui-sun and Naver co-founder and board chair Lee Hae-jin attended alongside Huang, Altman, Amodei and Broadcom president and chief executive Hock Tan. Lee put the combined corporate value of the companies represented at more than 20,000 trillion won, about $13.6 trillion. San Francisco is the first stop on an 11-day trip that continues to Brazil, Chile and Argentina before a stopover in Frankfurt. In his closing remarks, Lee reached for a larger frame. AI , he said, is like a new fire that humanity has discovered, and responding to what cannot be avoided is something South Korea has proved good at. The country is not yet 100 years past colonial rule and started again from the total destruction of war, he noted, reaching industrialization and then democracy in a short span. He then tied the economic argument to South Korean politics. Economic questions and democracy run together, he said, because both demand that things be rational, transparent, fair and predictable. He cited what he called the turmoil of about two years ago as proof of the country's democratic capacity, a reference to the martial law declaration of December 2024 and the impeachment that followed. "Until now, South Korea has been chasing the advanced countries," Lee said. "Now we intend to stand a step ahead and take the path of becoming a model for everyone." He asked the global companies in the room to work with the country at the threshold of what he called the AI golden age. "I dare say you will never be disappointed." 2026-07-25 10:55:14
  • Education Ministrys RISE Program Faces Transparency Criticism Despite 21.4 Trillion Won Budget
    Education Ministry's RISE Program Faces Transparency Criticism Despite 21.4 Trillion Won Budget The Education Ministry's RISE (Regional Innovation System for Education) program, which transfers financial support authority to local governments, has seen its budget soar to 21.4 trillion won this year. However, concerns have been raised about the lack of transparency regarding how these funds are utilized and the outcomes of the support provided. Despite the significant taxpayer investment, the program's operations have been criticized for their opacity, making it difficult to verify allegations of misallocation. On July 20, the University Education Research Institute (UERI) released a report titled 'Is the RISE Program Transparently Disclosed?' According to the report, among the 17 local governments managing the RISE program, only Daegu has publicly disclosed detailed budget information. The RISE initiative aims to enable local governments to provide concentrated support to universities in line with regional development. The budget for this program has increased dramatically, from 354 billion won in 2023 to 1.2 trillion won in 2024, 2 trillion won in 2025, and now 21.4 trillion won this year. To assess the transparency of the RISE program, UERI filed requests for information regarding the detailed budget and support outcomes for universities with the 17 local governments. The analysis revealed that only Daegu provided comprehensive information about the program's objectives, overview, and detailed budget breakdown on its website. In contrast, the other 16 local governments either listed only total amounts in their revenue and expenditure budgets or posted implementation plans and announcements without providing specific budgetary justifications. The disclosure of 'university-specific support results' was even less satisfactory. Only five of the 17 local governments reported that they would disclose support results, with only Seoul providing the names of individual universities and the specific amounts of support. Gyeonggi and Chungnam only revealed the names of selected universities, while Jeonnam and Jeonbuk aggregated support totals by project. The remaining 12 local governments did not disclose any support results. Previously, when the Education Ministry directly managed university financial support programs, detailed budgets and explanatory materials were made publicly available. However, since the implementation of RISE, the ministry's budget reports only indicate the total amount of 21.4 trillion won, leaving no way to trace the flow of funds. UERI stated, "While the Education Ministry has pointed out issues of fairness and patronage in the RISE program, the current publicly available data does not even allow us to confirm whether such problems exist, rendering transparency impossible." In April, the Education Ministry announced a restructuring of the RISE program as 'ANCHOR' (a system for nurturing regional talent) and pledged to improve the program's allocation practices. Im Eun-hee, a researcher at UERI, emphasized, "As the program has been restructured into the ANCHOR system, the disclosure system must also be revised. Local governments should be required to publicly disclose the budget size, detailed breakdowns, and university support results on the ANCHOR website, and the Education Ministry must establish a management and oversight system to monitor local governments' compliance with information disclosure requirements."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-25 10:08:00
  • Ministerial Vacancy at Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry Delays Policies
    Ministerial Vacancy at Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry Delays Policies Since Han Seong-sook transitioned to the role of Prime Minister, the appointment of a new Minister for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups has been delayed for over a month, raising concerns about a policy gap. With small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and small business owners struggling amid high inflation and sluggish domestic demand, the absence of a policy leader is hindering initiatives like the normalization of the Everyone's Startup program and appointments within affiliated agencies.According to government sources on July 25, the Ministry has been operating without a minister for nearly six weeks since Han was nominated as Prime Minister on June 7. Although First Vice Minister Noh Yong-seok is currently acting in the minister's role, the announcement of a successor has yet to be made.The prolonged absence of a minister is causing delays in addressing significant issues. The Ministry's key initiative, the Everyone's Startup project, has seen its second recruitment phase postponed indefinitely following a data breach incident involving participants from the first phase, which was originally scheduled for July.Support for SMEs and small business owners, who are facing dire circumstances due to high interest rates and inflation, as well as policies for AI transition, venture investment recovery, and global expansion, are not being expedited.Moreover, the impact of the ministerial vacancy is cascading down to affiliated agencies. The term of Lee Tae-sik, head of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, has already ended, and next month, the terms of Kang Seok-jin, head of the Korea Small Business Corporation, and Kim Young-shin, head of the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs, will also expire.Typically, the appointment of heads of affiliated agencies requires a recommendation from the relevant minister, which means the absence of a minister is leading to stagnation in these appointments.Additionally, there is a possibility that the presidential work report scheduled for early next month will be conducted without a minister, with the acting vice minister stepping in.Currently, various candidates for the next minister are being discussed in government and political circles, ranging from politicians to academics and private sector leaders. However, given the current economic challenges and global uncertainties, there is a growing call for a qualified individual with a deep understanding of the SME and startup sectors, as well as the expertise and drive to foster growth.An industry insider stated, "We need to quickly appoint a hands-on candidate who understands the field and can lead policies with urgency, beyond political calculations or delays in verification."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-25 10:08:00
  • Wang Yi Calls for Negotiations as China and Iran Urge U.S. to Honor MOU
    Wang Yi Calls for Negotiations as China and Iran Urge U.S. to Honor MOU Wang Yi, head of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to reiterate calls for the implementation of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire memorandum of understanding (MOU) and for renewed negotiations.According to Yonhap News on July 25, Wang met with Araghchi during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers' meeting held in Kyrgyzstan the previous day. Wang expressed deep concern over the recent escalation of tensions in the Gulf region, stating, "China is deeply worried about the deteriorating situation in the Middle East."He emphasized that the U.S.-Iran MOU represents a valuable achievement reached through the mediation of multiple parties and reflects the peaceful aspirations of Iran and the people of the Middle East for stability and an end to war. Wang stressed that these efforts should not be in vain.Wang stated, "We must not close the door to open negotiations again, and if there is any hope for peace, we must not give up." He added that the most urgent task is to firmly resolve disputes through negotiations and return to the implementation of the shared understanding of the MOU. He also called for the prompt resumption of dialogue and negotiations, appropriate handling of issues in the Strait of Hormuz, improvement of relations with neighboring countries, and the promotion of collective security among Gulf states.In response, Araghchi explained the recent situation in the Middle East, asserting, "The U.S. has violated the MOU agreed upon by both sides, leading to heightened tensions."However, he affirmed, "Iran's willingness to negotiate has never changed, and we do not wish for continued conflict," urging the U.S. to adhere to its commitments and seek a reasonable resolution.He also highlighted the importance of strengthening communication and coordination between Iran and China, as comprehensive strategic partners, during this critical time, expressing hope that China will continue to play a significant role in easing tensions.Meanwhile, Wang also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on July 24 during the SCO meeting, reaffirming the commitment of both China and Russia to counter Japan's rearmament.Wang stated, "Both countries must strengthen strategic cooperation to safeguard the achievements of World War II and must not allow Japan's rearmament to proceed." Lavrov responded, "Russia is very wary of Japan's acceleration of re-militarization and attempts to develop nuclear weapons, and we firmly oppose it."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-25 10:08:00
  • President Lee Meets Global AI Leaders, Including Jensen Huang
    President Lee Meets Global AI Leaders, Including Jensen Huang President Lee Jae-myung met with global leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) on July 24 in San Francisco, including Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, and Hock Tan, CEO of Broadcom.Chief Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong announced in a written briefing that President Lee would dine with around 10 leaders from domestic and international AI companies at a local restaurant popular among AI researchers and residents.This dinner, dubbed the 'fish and chips meeting,' aims to foster informal discussions, similar to the 'chicken and beer' and 'pork belly' gatherings that Huang held during his visit to South Korea, allowing President Lee and U.S.-Korea AI leaders to engage in relaxed conversation over California cuisine.The menu will feature local dishes such as fish and chips, calamari, crab cakes, and clam chowder. Attendees are expected to enjoy light beers while discussing the future of the AI industry and collaboration between U.S. and Korean companies.The dinner will include business leaders who previously attended the 'San Francisco AI Summit,' where they pledged investment and cooperation with South Korea. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho and Kim Yong-beom, Chief of Policy at the Blue House, will also be present.Among the business leaders attending are Huang, Tan, Rani Borkar, President of Microsoft Azure Hardware, Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, Choi Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, and Lee Hae-jin, Chairman of Naver's board.The combined market capitalization of these companies is approximately 1.7 quadrillion won, representing a significant gathering of CEOs leading the global AI, semiconductor, cloud, automotive, and platform sectors.Through this dinner, President Lee aims to strengthen ties with U.S.-Korea business leaders driving the global AI revolution and reaffirm the commitment to AI collaboration between South Korea and major global tech companies.Spokesperson Kang stated, "We plan to highlight South Korea's elevated status as a key hub in the global AI supply chain, showcasing the gathering of global AI leaders around President Lee, and emphasize the government's vision of 'Irreplaceable South Korea' in AI development." 2026-07-25 10:08:00
  • Launch of Dedicated T-Commerce Channel for Small Businesses Gains Momentum
    Launch of Dedicated T-Commerce Channel for Small Businesses Gains Momentum The discussion on establishing a dedicated T-commerce channel for small business products, a campaign promise of President Lee Jae-myung and a long-standing wish of the small business sector, is expected to gain significant momentum in the second half of this year.According to the Broadcasting and Media Commission's report released on May 25, the commission plans to develop detailed policy measures for the introduction of a dedicated T-commerce channel aimed at supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small business owners in expanding their market access. Specific timelines for implementation will be discussed once these policy measures are finalized.In February, the responsibility for establishing the small business T-commerce channel was transferred from the Ministry of Science and ICT to the Broadcasting and Media Commission. With the commission now able to meet the required quorum for decisions, discussions that had previously stalled are now gaining traction. Industry experts suggest that if the dedicated T-commerce channel for small business products is fully implemented, it could create a competitive landscape between Public Home Shopping and Home & Shopping, marking a significant test of the management capabilities and policy initiatives of the newly appointed leaders of both companies, Lee Il-yong and Kwon Jin-mi.T-commerce, a blend of television and commerce, allows viewers to order products directly using their remote controls while watching TV. Unlike live broadcasts, recorded shows can continuously display and sell products, providing a viable solution for enhancing market access for small businesses.This approach is particularly seen as effective for micro and small enterprises. A survey conducted from November 10 last year to January 28 this year among 856 small businesses engaged with TV home shopping and T-commerce revealed that 36.3% expressed willingness to use a T-commerce channel if introduced.The persistent demand from the small business sector for the establishment of a T-commerce channel stems from the inequalities faced in competition with large home shopping companies. Currently, there are ten domestic T-commerce operators, including Hyundai Home Shopping, Lotte Home Shopping, CJ OnStyle, GS Shop, NS Home Shopping, KT Shopping, Shopping N, SK Stoa, W Shopping, and Shinsegae Shopping. In contrast, Public Home Shopping and Home & Shopping, which focus on expanding market access for small business products, rely solely on one live TV channel, limiting their growth potential.A representative from the small business sector stated, "To provide practical market access for small business owners struggling with rising prices and sluggish domestic demand, the establishment of a T-commerce channel is urgent." 2026-07-25 10:04:00
  • Titleists GTS300 Mini Driver Gains Attention
    Titleist's GTS300 Mini Driver Gains Attention A new club that combines the distance of a driver with the versatility of a fairway wood has been introduced. Titleist has launched the 'GTS300 Mini Driver,' which joins the GTS metalwood family.This new product is based on the GT280 Mini Driver, which received positive feedback from tour players when it was first introduced through the GT series. Notably, feedback from players actively competing on tour was a key factor in its design.Top players on the PGA Tour, including Justin Thomas and Cameron Young, expressed that while they were satisfied with the performance of the GT280 on the fairway, they desired a bit more forgiveness.In response, Titleist increased the moment of inertia (MOI) of the GTS300 by approximately 15-20% compared to its predecessor. This enhancement aims to maintain stable ball speed and direction even on mis-hits.The evolution of the GTS300 Mini Driver can be summarized in three key technologies. First, it features a larger 305cc head and a composite crown, allowing for efficient mass distribution. The additional weight contributes to a deeper center of gravity (CG) design, enhancing the moment of inertia. While the head volume has increased, the face height remains the same as the previous model, preserving its usability on the fairway.Additionally, the GTS300 incorporates the same 'forged L-Cup face' as the GTS fairway metalwoods. A high-strength ATI 425 titanium insert extends to the bottom of the face, ensuring stable ball speed and ideal trajectory even on low impacts.The 'dual weight system,' featuring front and rear flat weights, is also noteworthy. This allows for precise CG adjustments tailored to a golfer's swing characteristics, and swapping the two weights (11g rear and 3g front) can achieve lower spin and trajectory.On the global tour stage, the GTS300 is already establishing itself as a strategic club. Thomas added the GTS300 to his bag during the Charles Schwab Challenge on the PGA Tour in May. He employs the GTS2 driver with a 46-inch shaft for maximum distance, while opting for the GTS300 in situations where fairway wood usage is limited or precise control is required.As such, the GTS300 and the GTS metalwood family are rapidly gaining traction on tours worldwide. Since the GTS driver was unveiled in March, over 60 players, including Jordan Spieth (GTS2) and Kim Joo-hyung (GTS3), have chosen the product on the PGA Tour. On the LPGA Tour, players like Im Jin-hee (GTS3) and Patty Tavatanakit (GTS2) are also using GTS drivers.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-25 10:04:00
  • U.S. Eases Sunscreen Ingredient Regulations, Boosting K-Beauty Exports
    U.S. Eases Sunscreen Ingredient Regulations, Boosting K-Beauty Exports The U.S. sunscreen market is set to open up after two decades of strict regulations. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a relaxation of its long-standing rules on sunscreen ingredients, which is expected to benefit the North American expansion of the K-beauty sector, particularly in sun care products. According to industry sources, the FDA recently granted final approval for the ingredient 'Bemotrizinol' as an active component in over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreens, with the new regulations taking effect on August 9. Bemotrizinol is the first new active ingredient added to the OTC sunscreen list since the late 1990s. Bemotrizinol blocks both UVA and UVB rays. While it has been used for years in Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia, it was not previously permitted in the U.S., limiting its application in products. In the U.S., products with sunscreen properties are classified as OTC drugs, unlike in South Korea, where they are considered general cosmetics. This means that manufacturers must comply with FDA regulations regarding permitted ingredients, concentrations, labeling, testing methods, and manufacturing standards. As a result, domestic brands have had to develop separate formulations for global and U.S. markets. If a domestic product contained ingredients not approved in the U.S., it required redesigning the formulation and conducting separate efficacy and safety tests. This led to increased development costs and delayed product launches. With this approval, domestic companies can now utilize their expertise in Bemotrizinol formulations for products intended for the U.S. market. ODM companies like Kolmar Korea and Cosmax are likely to see increased demand for product redesigns and new sun care developments from existing clients. K-beauty brands targeting the U.S. market, such as The Founders (Anua), Gudai Global (Chosun Beauty), and Dalba Global (Dalba), along with local sales channels like Olive Young, will also be able to expand their product lines. Lee Kyo-seok, a researcher at Shin Young Securities, stated, "We expect Kolmar Korea to see an increase in sun care orders due to the easing of Bemotrizinol regulations in the U.S., and the company is likely to benefit significantly from its technological competitive edge starting in the second half of this year." The U.S. is the largest export market for K-beauty products. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, South Korea's cosmetic exports to the U.S. reached $1.45 billion in the first half of this year, a 41.5% increase compared to the same period last year. The U.S. accounts for 20.7% of total cosmetic exports, maintaining its position as the largest export destination. Last year, the U.S. surpassed China to become the top export market for cosmetics and has retained that status in the first half of this year. An industry insider noted, "Given that domestic companies have accumulated substantial formulation data on Bemotrizinol over the years, they can demonstrate a competitive advantage in product development speed and quality. We expect inquiries and new orders from global clients to gradually increase starting in the second half of the year."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-25 10:04:00