Latest by
-
Shipbuilding emerges as key leverage for Seoul in trade talks with Washington SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - As the clock ticks down to the Aug. 1 deadline for tariff exemptions, South Korea is intensifying its push for a comprehensive trade agreement with the United States. High-level talks are scheduled for this week, with key officials from both nations expected to hold separate meetings to finalize negotiations. South Korea's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun-cheol is slated to meet with his American counterpart, Scott Bessent, the treasury secretary, for a critical round of last-minute discussions. Simultaneously, South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will hold a separate meeting with Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, this week. South Korea's presidential office held emergency meetings on trade relations with the United States on July 25 and 26. These sessions served to update officials on the ongoing high-level negotiations and to reiterate Seoul’s commitment to dedicating full effort to the talks until the August 1 deadline. In a statement released on July 26, the presidential office affirmed, "As Deputy Prime Minister Koo and Minister Cho are scheduled to meet with Treasury Secretary Bessent and Secretary of State Rubio, respectively, in the coming week, the government has decided to exert full effort in trade negotiations with the U.S. before Aug. 1." It was also noted that the American side had already communicated the specific date for Koo and Bessent’s meeting. During the emergency discussions, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan reported on the outcome of his late-night meeting on July 25 with Howard Lutnick, the U.S. secretary of commerce, in the United States. The presidential office indicated that "our side confirmed the U.S. side's strong interest in the shipbuilding sector, and we have agreed to work towards mutually agreeable solutions, including cooperation in shipbuilding between the two countries." The South Korean government has laid a broad array of proposals on the negotiating table with the United States, including pledges of large-scale investments in the U.S., cooperation in strategic industries, and discussions on non-tariff issues such as agriculture, livestock, and digital trade. Security cooperation has also been a consistent component of these ongoing discussions. However, a renewed focus by the United States on its shipbuilding industry is now shifting the dynamics of the talks. This has significantly increased the likelihood that South Korea's robust shipbuilding capabilities could become a crucial negotiating leverage. The United States has identified both South Korea and Japan as potential partners in its efforts to revitalize its domestic shipbuilding sector. Analysts suggest that South Korea, benefiting from its advanced technology and superior production capacity, has most likely put forth concrete proposals. These could encompass the establishment of shipyards within the United States, equity investments, or offering technological and human resource support to the American shipbuilding industry. 2025-07-27 10:59:47 -
Foreign residents in South Korea rise to all-time high, exceeding 2.7 million SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - The number of foreign nationals residing in South Korea has surged to an all-time high, surpassing 2.73 million, driven by a post-pandemic rebound in entries for academic, employment, and tourism purposes. As of the end of June this year, the total foreign resident population in the country reached 2,732,797, according to data released by the Ministry of Justice's Korea Immigration Service, Sunday. This figure represents a 1.5 percent increase, or 40,068 people, compared with the previous month. The rising numbers reflect a steady recovery from the pandemic-induced slowdown. The foreign population in South Korea rebounded to over 2.51 million in 2023, and continued to climb to approximately 2.65 million last year. After reaching roughly 2.72 million in March of this year, the total saw slight dips to around 2.71 million in April and 2.69 million in May, before setting a new record of over 2.73 million last month. Of the total, long-term residents comprise the majority. Registered foreign nationals accounted for 1,559,975, while foreign citizens of Korean descent who have reported their domestic residence numbered 552,419. Short-term visitors, including tourists, made up 620,403. By nationality, Chinese citizens constituted the largest group, with 972,176 individuals, representing 35.6 percent of all foreign residents. Vietnam followed with 341,153, then the United States with 196,664, Thailand with 173,710, and Uzbekistan with 98,457. A significant concentration of registered foreign residents, more than half, were found to be living in the Seoul metropolitan area. Other major regions included Yeongnam, with 317,286 people (20.3 percent); Chungcheong, with 200,939 (12.9 percent); and Honam, with 136,990 (8.8 percent). 2025-07-27 10:15:34 -
KAIST expands efforts to help South Korea become global AI leader SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) - KAIST is stepping up its efforts to develop next-generation artificial intelligence technologies and train new talent as part of a broader national drive to position South Korea among the world’s top three AI powers. The university said Thursday that it aims to become a global hub for innovation in science and technology, supporting the government’s G3 initiative while helping to address key industrial and social challenges through AI. "KAIST will position itself as a global science and technology leader that creates tangible value for South Korea and for humanity," said President Lee Kwang-hyung. "We will focus our research and training to help fulfill the new government’s agenda of becoming a G3 AI power." Lee also said that the university is placing particular emphasis on making AI accessible to everyone. "Our vision is to build a society where all people can freely use AI. We want to restore South Korea’s competitiveness in manufacturing by bringing physical AI, AI robots, and AI mobility technologies directly to industrial sites to drive productivity," he said. KAIST leads the National AI Research Base Project, directed by Professor Kim Ki-eung, which focuses on building industrial competitiveness through AI and applying the technology to real-world problems. The program is part of a broader goal to create what the school calls an "AI basic society," where AI is integrated into everyday life across all sectors and demographics. The university’s presence in global AI research continues to grow. Over the past five years, it has ranked fifth globally and first in Asia in the number of papers accepted to top machine learning conferences including ICML, NeurIPS, and ICLR. When expanding the scope to include leading conferences in natural language processing and computer vision, such as ACL, EMNLP, NAACL, CVPR, ICCV, and ECCV, KAIST ranks fifth in the world and fourth in Asia. At the ISSCC, one of the world’s most prestigious conferences in semiconductor circuits, KAIST has maintained the top global position in paper acceptances over a 19-year period from 2006 to 2024. The school is pushing ahead with the development of foundational technologies such as Korean-language large language models, neuromorphic semiconductors, and low-power AI processors. It is also active in applied areas like autonomous driving, urban air mobility, precision medicine, and explainable AI. In manufacturing, KAIST is using AI to drive changes on the factory floor. Professor Jang Young-jae’s team has developed digital twin systems and predictive AI models to boost productivity in high-tech industries like semiconductors and displays. Professor Kim Sung-min’s group has created ultra-low-power wireless tags that enable precise location tracking within a centimeter margin, paving the way for smarter factories. Technologies from Inisee, a startup founded by Professor Choi Jae-sik, are already being used in industrial settings to optimize operations and predict equipment failures. In March, the government designated Inisee’s explainable AI technology as part of South Korea’s national strategic tech portfolio. KAIST is also generating results in robotics. A team led by Professor Hwangbo Jemin recently unveiled RAIBO 2, a quadruped robot designed for disaster response and rough-terrain exploration. Another team, led by Professor Kong Kyung-chul and working with startup Angel Robotics, has developed the WalkON Suit, an exoskeleton that helps paraplegic individuals and people with mobility impairments regain independence. Beyond AI, KAIST continues to expand its footprint in a range of future-oriented fields. The university is conducting research in AI chips, quantum cryptography, nanosatellites, hydrogen fuel cells, next-generation batteries, and bio-inspired sensors. Among the more high-profile projects are its work on space exploration using microsatellites, asteroid missions, and energy harvesting technologies. In the biotech sector, KAIST is collaborating with German firm Merck on synthetic biology and mRNA research. The university also played a role in the planned construction of a 430 billion won Merck Bio Center in Daejeon, which is expected to contribute to local employment and economic development. KAIST continues to deepen international ties. It has forged strategic partnerships with MIT, Stanford, and New York University, the latter of which includes a joint campus in New York City to facilitate research and academic exchange. The university also maintains industry collaborations with companies like Google, Intel, and TSMC. Its contributions to entrepreneurship have also been significant. To date, KAIST alumni have founded 1,914 startups, including companies such as Qnix Computer, Nexon, and Naver. Collectively, these firms have accumulated 94 trillion won in assets, 36 trillion won in revenue, and employ about 60,000 people. More than 90 percent of these startups originated from faculty or student research labs. Roughly 80,000 KAIST alumni are now active in society. The school says it continues to bring in new talent to carry forward that momentum. 2025-07-26 22:00:53 -
Korea-US trade talks end second day without agreement, more internal discussions needed SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) - Korean Industry Minister Kim Jeong-kwan and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick concluded their second day of intensive trade negotiations Saturday at Lutnick's private residence in New York, according to trade sources Saturday. The talks followed Thursday's meeting at the Commerce Department in Washington as both sides work toward reaching an agreement before the August 1 deadline for reciprocal tariff implementation. Kim presented revised proposals based on discussions from a trade strategy meeting held at the presidential office on Friday, offering more advanced positions than Thursday's initial negotiations. The Korean delegation reportedly made additional approaches on contentious issues including U.S. investment commitments and agricultural products such as beef and rice. However, sources indicated that Lutnick continued to demand greater concessions from South Korea despite the revised proposals. Trade sources said the negotiation results require additional internal discussions, suggesting significant gaps remain between the two sides. Kim reported the outcome of Friday's additional talks with Lutnick to Seoul, and the presidential office is expected to hold another trade strategy meeting on Saturday chaired by the chief of staff to discuss Korea's response direction for achieving a tariff negotiation settlement. Kim had originally been scheduled to return to Korea on Friday but may remain in the United States along with Trade Representative Yeo Han-gu to oversee intensive last-minute negotiations as the deadline approaches. The presidential office is considering having both officials stay to lead comprehensive U.S. negotiations given the time constraints and the need for continued high-level engagement. Both countries are conducting intensive negotiations with the goal of reaching a trade agreement before August 1, when President Donald Trump's moratorium on reciprocal tariff implementation expires. The extended talks in New York demonstrate the urgency both sides feel to resolve outstanding trade issues, though significant differences appear to remain on key investment and agricultural market access commitments. 2025-07-26 16:33:22 -
LG Electronics to boost Mexico, U.S. production to counter tariffs SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) - LG Electronics said Friday it will expand production in Mexico and the United States to respond to reciprocal tariffs taking effect August 1, while considering price increases as part of its strategy to counter rising costs. The South Korean appliance maker outlined its tariff response plans during a second-quarter earnings conference call, warning that policy volatility and weakening consumer sentiment are dampening home appliance demand outlook. The company said it faces cost pressures from 50 percent steel tariffs and reciprocal tariffs, which will create greater market price uncertainty in the second half. LG Electronics plans to begin washing machine production at its Mexicali, Mexico facility in September to provide flexibility in responding to tariff impacts. The company will expand supply from both U.S. and Mexican production sites once reciprocal tariffs take effect on August 1. LG Electronics currently manufactures washing machines and dryers at its Tennessee plant, while producing home appliances and televisions in Mexico and refrigerators and washing machines in Vietnam. The company said it will maintain its current production system while operating regional product supply bases in the U.S. based on competitiveness considerations. Regarding potential price increases, executives said decisions would be made carefully after considering policy changes, economic trends and discussions with distribution channels. The company's vehicle components business through LG Magna is also expanding international production, with the Mexico plant accounting for 30 percent of sales in the first quarter and expected to reach the low 40 percent range by the fourth quarter. LG Magna's Hungary plant, completed in December 2024, is scheduled to begin operations in mid-2026. The air conditioning division reported order backlogs growing three times compared to the previous year, driven by data center demand. LG Electronics expects shipping costs to improve in the second half compared to the first half, citing completed maritime freight bidding for second-half contracted volumes and declining sea freight rates starting in July. The company is also conducting early shipments of sales volumes and expanding regional production ratios as part of its U.S. tariff response measures, while mixing existing and new shipping companies to secure additional freight competitiveness. 2025-07-26 15:02:33 -
Amorepacific's Aestura brand expands to Canada and Australia markets SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) - Amorepacific's dermatological skincare brand Aestura announced Friday it will launch in Canada and Australia in August, expanding its global presence following its February entry into the U.S. market. The Korean beauty company will distribute products through Sephora stores in both countries as part of its exclusive partnership with the global cosmetics retailer. The brand will focus on its Atobarrier 365 product line in the new markets, launching eight products including the flagship Atobarrier 365 cream, bubble cleanser, serum, hydro essence, lotion, soothing cream, mist and body lotion. The company will also offer a bestseller trial kit alongside the main product range. The Atobarrier 365 cream has sold over 7 million units since its launch. Aestura first entered international markets in September 2023 with Japan, followed by Vietnam, Thailand and the United States. The brand initially gained traction in the U.S. through Amazon before officially launching through Sephora in February 2025. The company said the products performed well on Amazon rankings prior to the official Sephora launch. In an interview with this publication, an Amorepacific representative said the company does not disclose brand-specific sales figures when asked about expected revenue from the Canadian and Australian markets. The representative noted that Aestura products had gained popularity through cross-border purchases on Amazon before the official U.S. launch, with the Atobarrier cream receiving particularly positive reception. "Aestura as a brand has heritage from Taepyeongyang Pharmaceutical. Based on Amore research, we will continue to approach with the mindset of always thinking about customers with sensitive skin," the company representative told this publication. The brand plans to continue expanding into additional global markets following the Canada and Australia launches, targeting consumers seeking dermatological skincare solutions. 2025-07-26 11:34:06 -
British Embassy unveils new project to shed light on forgotten Korean War battle SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - A project digitizing traces from one of the key battles of the Korean War in the early 1950s and rediscovering its memories was unveiled at an event hosted by the British Embassy in Seoul on Friday. Dubbed "Stand in the Bootprints of Heroes," the project was jointly initiated by the British Korean War Memorial Committee (BKWMC), a Seoul-based nonprofit organization of British expatriates, and the city of Paju - a northern border town with the North near the demilitarized zone where the Battle of the Imjin River took place in April 1951. As part of the project, about a dozen QR-coded signs were installed along the former battlefield, each linked to short videos explaining key moments of the battle. Separately, about 19 video clips are also available online, narrated in English with Korean subtitles, accompanied by old photos, maps, and paintings. The battle during the war (1950 - 1953) was a crucial engagement in which British and other United Nations forces fought against Chinese forces. With more than 1,000 British casualties, it was the U.K.'s bloodiest land battle since World War II. Beyond its scale, the battle is remembered as a turning point that delayed the Chinese advance and gave UN forces critical time to regroup. It also became a symbol of international solidarity in a conflict often referred to as "the forgotten war." British Ambassador to Seoul Colin Crooks stressed the importance of preserving the legacy of British soldiers who made the long journey to a distant Asian country to provide assistance. "As the number of living war veterans declines, preserving their legacy becomes ever more urgent. That's why we're proud of this project," he said. Highlighting the grassroots support behind the project, Crooks added, "This wasn't initiated by government-level agencies or embassies, but by those who want to keep these stories alive in an accessible, engaging, and lasting way." Andrew Salmon, the committee's co-chair and narrator of the video clips, hailed the project as a meaningful effort to shed light on a battle that remains little known. "Unlike many great and tragic last stands, the battle hasn't been well memorialized in the arts," he said. "I hope Paju residents will watch the videos and learn about the powerful events that unfolded on their quiet hillsides and roadside junctions, even next to bus stops. And I especially hope we inspire British and Korean creators," he added. The committee installed commemorative plaques in both English and Korean last year at Gloster Hill Memorial Park, a memorial in Paju dedicated to the British Gloster Battalion, and plans to come up with additional projects to raise awareness of Britain's role in the war. 2025-07-25 14:51:03 -
KAIST team discovers single-packet flaw that can disable smartphone modems SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - A research team from South Korea has identified a critical security flaw that allows a single wireless packet to crash a smartphone’s cellular modem. The vulnerability affects a broad range of devices and highlights long-standing security gaps in the modem layer. The project was led by Kim Yong-dae, professor at KAIST, and Park Cheol-jun, professor at Kyung Hee University. The team developed a custom testing framework called LLFuzz to examine the lower layers of mobile communication protocols. Unlike the upper layers, which are typically encrypted and authenticated, these lower layers can accept external signals with minimal filtering. Using LLFuzz, the researchers tested 15 commercial smartphones from manufacturers including Apple, Samsung, Google, and Xiaomi. They discovered 11 previously unknown vulnerabilities. Seven of them have been assigned CVE identifiers and patched by vendors. The remaining four have not yet been disclosed. In a demonstration, the team showed how a malformed packet, transmitted from a laptop using a software-defined radio, could instantly disable a phone’s modem. A test video captured a phone streaming data at 23 megabytes per second before abruptly freezing and losing all signal after receiving the packet. "Smartphone baseband layers can accept arbitrary external signals without authentication, which introduces systemic risk," Kim Yong-dae said. "This research shows that standardization in modem security testing is no longer optional." The vulnerabilities were found in modem components known as RLC, MAC, PDCP, and PHY. These layers handle wireless signaling, error correction, and data transmission. Because they are not protected by encryption or authentication, they are susceptible to input from outside sources. Affected chips include over 90 from Qualcomm, around 80 from MediaTek, Samsung’s Exynos 2400 and 5400, and Apple devices using Qualcomm hardware. These modems are used not only in flagship smartphones but also in tablets, smartwatches, and low-cost IoT devices. The LLFuzz system compares device behavior against 3GPP telecom standards to detect inconsistencies caused by implementation flaws. The researchers believe that the lack of standardized security testing for abnormal packet behavior is a key reason such issues have gone unnoticed. "Even leading manufacturers have overlooked this area," Kim said. "Our work highlights the dangers of deploying technologies that have not undergone sufficient scrutiny." The research will be presented in August at USENIX Security 2025, a leading international conference in cybersecurity. The paper, titled LLFuzz: An Over-the-Air Dynamic Testing Framework for Cellular Baseband Lower Layers, is authored by KAIST doctoral student Tuan Dinh Hoang, along with researchers from KAIST and Kyung Hee University. The team plans to release the LLFuzz tool as open-source software. Early tests on 5G baseband chips using the same framework have already uncovered two additional vulnerabilities. The researchers are continuing to expand the tool and explore broader testing strategies for both LTE and 5G systems. The project was funded by South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation. 2025-07-25 14:36:54 -
![[K-Tech] LG Energy Solution returns to profitability without US subsidies](https://image.ajunews.com//content/image/2025/07/25/20250725134354361316_518_323.jpg)
[[K-Tech]] LG Energy Solution returns to profitability without US subsidies SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - LG Energy Solution has swung back to profitability without relying on U.S. subsidies for the first time in six quarters, an achievement the South Korean battery maker attributed to rising North American production and aggressive cost-reduction efforts. The company reported on Friday that it posted a provisional operating profit of 492.2 billion won, or roughly $355 million, in the second quarter — up 152 percent from a year earlier. Net income reached 90.6 billion won, reversing a loss, while revenue declined 9.7 percent to 5.57 trillion won ($4 billion), reflecting weaker demand and lower raw material prices. Notably, even after excluding the 490.8 billion won in benefits from the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act’s advanced manufacturing production credit (AMPC), the company reported a modest operating profit of 1.4 billion won — its first profit on a pre-subsidy basis in a year and a half. “Sales volume in North America increased on the back of steady EV battery shipments and the ramp-up of our new energy storage system plant in Holland, Michigan,” Lee Chang-sil, the company’s chief financial officer, said in a statement. “That said, weaker customer sentiment driven by policy uncertainty and falling metal prices weighed on overall revenue.” Lee credited the return to profitability — excluding subsidies — to a higher share of premium, U.S.-linked production and a sweeping effort to rein in costs across operations, including cuts in materials and broader efficiency initiatives. The turnaround comes as the company, a key supplier to General Motors and Tesla, works to diversify its customer base and battery offerings. In June, LG Energy Solution secured its first cylindrical battery supply deal with China’s Chery Automobile, a move seen as a vote of confidence in the company’s 46-series cell technology. The Holland plant, a critical piece of LG's North American strategy, has also begun mass-producing long-cell lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, aimed at energy storage system applications. 2025-07-25 14:10:50 -
Korea pushes for rapid AI infrastructure buildout to compete globally SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - South Korea must fast-track the construction of domestic AI data centers and secure tens of thousands of high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) within the next two years if it is to join the ranks of the world’s top three artificial intelligence powers, the country’s science minister said. During a visit to Naver’s AI data center in Sejong, Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyoung-hoon outlined the government’s ambitious plans to acquire 50,000 GPUs — a key component in training and deploying advanced AI models — while warning that the pace of deployment would be critical to maintaining competitiveness. “We are no longer in a position to take a phased approach,” Bae said, referring to earlier plans to begin with an initial 10,000 GPUs. “Speed is everything. If we are serious about becoming an AI powerhouse, we must act decisively within the next two to three years.” The minister stressed that the government would support rapid development of domestic AI infrastructure, with a focus on self-reliance rather than dependence on foreign cloud service providers. He emphasized that AI data centers must meet high standards in technical performance, operational capability and price competitiveness. He also encouraged companies to integrate internal data with AI systems to strengthen Korea’s digital sovereignty. The meeting drew a wide array of industry and academic representatives, many of whom raised concerns about mounting regulatory hurdles. Among them were construction and power-related restrictions, as well as resistance from local communities over data center development. NHN Cloud CEO Kim Dong-hoon urged authorities to shorten the review process for power system impact assessments. Samsung SDS President Lee Jun-hee called for more flexible regulations around data center design, while Kakao Vice President Kim Se-woong suggested tax incentives and alternative financing models. Korea Data Center Association Chairman Kang Jung-hyup warned of the risk of “Korea passing” — the possibility of international firms bypassing South Korea as an AI hub — and called for more aggressive policy support. In response, Minister Bae pledged that the government would reflect industry feedback in policy formulation, including through streamlined licensing, targeted tax breaks and eased power supply regulations. He also addressed the government’s broader 100 trillion won ($73 billion) AI investment blueprint, saying future policy would focus on execution and industry alignment rather than headline figures. 2025-07-25 14:04:50