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LG AI Research Institute Unveils Specialized AI for Manufacturing, Finance, and Science LG AI Research Institute is introducing 'Expert AI' tailored to solve problems in industrial settings. The initiative aims to create AI that works effectively in real-world environments by combining LG Group's industrial data and expertise.At the 'LG AI Talk Concert 2026' held on September 14 at LG Science Park in Magok, Gangseo, Seoul, Im Woo-hyung, co-head of the LG AI Research Institute, stated, "The ultimate goal of Exaone is to develop Expert AI that addresses real-world issues." He added that the institute plans to continue improving the performance of its foundation models.The LG AI Research Institute unveiled specialized Expert AI models for manufacturing, finance, and science. Im emphasized, "There are already numerous general-purpose AI models in the world, but AI must prove its effectiveness to be valued in industrial settings."In the manufacturing sector, the institute showcased the achievements and future roadmap of 'Exaone Tabular,' which understands and predicts process conditions and quality information. LG Innotek applied Exaone Tabular to its manufacturing processes, reducing AI model response time from over 300 hours to just 50 hours, achieving an approximately 85% reduction in lead time.In the science sector, the institute introduced 'Exaone Discovery,' which predicts the results of material design and synthesis. An 'AI Autonomous Laboratory' will begin operations by the end of this year, where AI will suggest experimental conditions, and robots will conduct experiments that AI will learn from.In finance, the institute is expanding its market presence with 'Exaone Business Intelligence,' which performs data analysis, inference, prediction, and explanation. Lee Hwa-young, head of AI business development at LG AI Research Institute, noted that major domestic securities firms, large North American pension funds, top-tier financial institutions in the Middle East, and a hedge fund in the UK have already contracted with LG AI Research to develop financial AI products.The LG AI Research Institute announced its commitment to maximizing the performance of the second model in the third phase evaluation of the 'Independent AI Foundation Model' project, promoted by the Ministry of Science and ICT.Kim I-reun, head of the Exaone Lab at LG AI Research Institute, acknowledged that there are performance differences compared to global big tech models but emphasized that the focus of the third phase evaluation is to fully realize the potential of the second model.He stated that the research is centered on enhancing data, pre-training, post-training, and reinforcement learning. The development is aimed at maximizing model performance as experienced by actual business users.Kim added, "The second model is an intermediate step and a challenge toward becoming a frontier model, ultimately aiming to create a model that can be used in real industrial settings and achieve global frontier-level capabilities."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-09-14 15:36:00
Technology Theft: 300 Cases Annually; Lee So-young Proposes Mandatory NDAs To fundamentally address the frequent issue of 'technology theft' in industrial settings, the mandatory implementation of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) is being proposed. On September 14, according to the National Assembly, Lee So-young, the nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups, stated in written responses during her confirmation hearing that she would push for the mandatory use of NDAs during negotiation stages to prevent technology theft. Technology theft typically occurs when large corporations or partners receive product designs, manufacturing processes, or business ideas from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and then use them without permission or develop similar products independently. An NDA is a contract that prevents the parties involved from disclosing sensitive information exchanged before a formal agreement is made. Key provisions include the scope of confidential information, permitted uses, labeling of confidential information, confidentiality obligations, contract duration, and liability for damages. In response to a question from Democratic Party lawmaker Song Jae-bong regarding the prevention system for technology theft in SMEs, Lee stated, "I believe it is necessary to not only mandate NDAs during negotiation stages but also to strengthen the protection of technical data through record-keeping and a technology deposit system." The technology deposit system involves securely storing a company's core technical information or trade secrets with a neutral third party. According to a recent report by the Foundation for Cooperation between Large, Medium, Small Enterprises and Agriculture, the total losses incurred by domestic SMEs due to technology or management information breaches reached approximately 1.089 trillion won (about $1 billion) last year. According to the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Jae-kwan, an average of over 300 cases of technology theft occur each year, with each case resulting in an average loss of about 1.8 billion won (approximately $1.8 million). In March, the government established the 'Technology Theft Reporting Center for SMEs.' This center serves as a multi-agency reporting and consultation hub, allowing companies affected by technology theft to report incidents more easily and receive appropriate support. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Fair Trade Commission, the Korea Intellectual Property Office, the National Police Agency, and the National Intelligence Service are all involved. According to the 2027 budget proposal from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, 24.7 billion won (approximately $24 million) has been allocated to enhance the multi-agency technology theft reporting center and to develop customized capacity-building packages based on assessments of technology protection levels, including expert consulting and security infrastructure development. 2026-09-14 15:36:00
Kazakhstan turns from steppe image to AI testbed SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - Beggars at bus terminals and market stalls in Kazakhstan set out a coin tin and, beside it, a transfer number. Most people walking past do not reach for change. They open an app and send the money. The app is Kaspi, and almost everything in the country now moves through it. Order coffee in an Almaty café and nine of 10 customers take out a phone, because a QR code taped to the wall does the work a card terminal used to do. The same application handles utility bills, traffic fines, loans, flight bookings, property listings and driving licence renewals. Kaspi.kz became the first Kazakh company to list on the Nasdaq in January 2024. Its palm-recognition service, Kaspi Alaqan, opened in Almaty last December and registered more than 500,000 users in under three months, about a third of the city's adult population, according to the company's own results. None of that fits the picture most South Koreans carry of Kazakhstan, and closing that gap is why Kim Sang-wook spent two years writing a book about it. "Kazakhstan, Heart of Eurasia," published by DaWin Media on August 31, runs 324 pages and covers the steppe, the Soviet century, energy, diplomacy and the ethnic Korean community that has lived there since 1937. Its author has been in Almaty since 1995. "Kazakhstan reaches South Korean readers as steppe, nomads and yurts," he said. "I wanted to show an ultramodern state built on AI." The country is trying to build one. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree on June 9 approving Digital Qazaqstan, a national strategy running to 2029 that puts artificial intelligence into public administration, industry, logistics and energy, with investment estimated at $10.5 billion to $16.5 billion over three years. Kazakhstan has a minister for AI. South Korea does not. Kim argues that diplomacy is the more interesting story, and that it is older than the state. His book traces Kazakhstan's habit of never committing fully to one power back to the steppe, where tribes and alliances formed and dissolved, today's partner could be tomorrow's rival, and staying mobile was how people survived. What that left behind, he writes, was an instinctive wariness of strong central authority and a stubborn attachment to autonomy. That habit now has a name. Kazakhstan declared a multi-vector foreign policy early, keeping Russia close without being absorbed by it, opening to China, the United States and Europe at the same time, and refusing to sit in anyone's camp. "Kazakhstan's standing in the world runs well ahead of its economy," Kim said, and the comparison is not flattering to the economy. The International Monetary Fund puts Kazakhstan's output this year at about $360 billion, roughly a fifth of South Korea's. He does not soften the rest. "Authoritarian political culture from the Soviet period is still there," he said. What has changed since his two earlier books on the region, he said, is that Kazakhstan worked out what its size is for. The country is the ninth largest on earth, about 27 times the area of South Korea, and it sits between China and Europe. Astana has been modernizing roads and rail to serve the Middle Corridor, a route of some 4,250 kilometers of track plus a Caspian crossing that reaches Europe through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye without touching either Russia or Iran. That mattered less when he started writing. It matters more now that the U.S. and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28 and Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz. "Kazakhstan has become the giant of Central Asia," he said. The app in the coffee shop belongs to that story too. Vyacheslav Kim, who co-founded Kaspi.kz and chairs its board, was born in Almaty in 1969 into the Koryo-saram, the ethnic Koreans deported from the Russian Far East to Central Asia on Soviet orders in 1937. Forbes valued his holdings at $7.8 billion in May and ranked him the wealthiest person in the country. Kim Sang-wook arrived in 1995 to teach Korean at Almaty State University, and did not plan to stay. He cannot name the moment he decided to. Asked to try, he chose the year after the 1997 financial crisis, when a university senior of his was importing South Korean goods into a market where the collapsed won made every dollar go further, and got rich selling powdered coffee creamer to Kazakhs who took their tea with milk. Kim spent time with that family and their Koryo-saram business partners, and the country stopped feeling foreign. The senior urged him to quit teaching and go into business while the market was still opening. He said no, and is still teased about it. Three children were born and raised there. Instead, he founded a newspaper. Hanin Ilbo, started in 1999 with his own former students, has published in Korean in Kazakhstan ever since. The culture center came about by accident. Almaty provides office space to its minority communities, and when the city took back the room the Korean groups had been using and converted it into a courthouse, the replacement was too small for the choirs to rehearse in. Kim renovated the empty second floor of a building he owned, about 180 square meters, and handed it over. It now runs as an office, a rehearsal hall and a gathering place for older members of the community. "I may be the legal owner, but the people who use it are the real owners," he said. The Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, a presidential body chaired by Tokayev, named him a goodwill ambassador in 2023, the first South Korean to hold the title. He describes the advantage of doing this work privately in practical terms. "I am on the ground, so I can reflect what is actually needed," he said. Last September he brought a Koryo-saram choir to South Korea for four performances over 10 days, at the National Assembly and in Ansan, Gwangju and Jeju, paid for by friends. The community he writes about is the subject of the book's longest argument. Kazakhstan divides historically into three zhuz, the tribal confederations that organized the steppe, and Kim places the Koryo-saram inside that structure rather than beside it. Deported to Kyzylorda with nothing, they turned empty ground along the Syr Darya into the leading rice-growing region in Central Asia. What happens next to them is less settled. Most have lost the language, he said, and Russian took its place. But the generation now coming up grew up on Korean drama and music, the way their Kazakh and Russian classmates did, and wants to study in Seoul. "They learn Korean before their parents think to teach them, because they want to," he said. "After 163 years, the number of Korean speakers hit bottom and started climbing again." AJP Takeaways - Kim Sang-wook, director of the Koryo Culture Center in Almaty and a resident of Kazakhstan since 1995, published "Kazakhstan, Heart of Eurasia" through DaWin Media on August 31, a 324-page account arguing that South Korean readers still picture the country as steppe, nomads and yurts when it is rebuilding itself around artificial intelligence. - Kaspi.kz, whose app handles payments, utility bills, traffic fines, loans, flight bookings and driving licence renewals across Kazakhstan, said its palm-recognition service registered more than 500,000 users in Almaty within three months of launching last December, about a third of the city's adult population, and the company listed on the Nasdaq in January 2024. - Forbes ranked Vyacheslav Kim, the Almaty-born co-founder and chairman of Kaspi.kz, as the wealthiest person in Kazakhstan in May with holdings valued at $7.8 billion, and he belongs to the Koryo-saram community deported from the Russian Far East in 1937. AJP confirmed his background and the Forbes ranking independently; neither appeared in the author's responses. 2026-09-14 15:33:53
Gwachon City to Offer Free Parking During Chuseok Holiday During the Chuseok holiday, major parking facilities in Gwachon will be available for free. The Gwachon City Corporation announced that from September 24 to 27, it will open 35 paid public parking lots and some auxiliary parking lots for free. According to the corporation on the 14th, the free parking will include 1,175 spaces in 35 paid public parking lots and 1,210 spaces in four auxiliary parking lots, totaling 39 locations with 2,385 spaces. The auxiliary parking lots are located at the Gwachon Citizens' Hall, Gwachon City Hall, Gwanmun Sports Park, and Munwon Sports Park. The decision to offer free parking aims to enhance convenience for returning holiday travelers and residents while promoting local mobility. With increased vehicle use during the holiday for family visits and leisure activities, the free parking initiative is expected to alleviate the financial burden of parking fees for citizens. Residents have generally welcomed the news of free parking during the holiday. One resident remarked, "During Chuseok, many families travel together, and parking fees can be a burden. It’s great news for citizens that we can use public parking lots for free during the holiday."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-09-14 15:28:00
Amorepacific Aims for 15 Trillion Won in Revenue by 2035 Through Global Expansion Amorepacific is accelerating its goal of achieving 15 trillion won in group revenue by 2035 through global expansion in dermabeauty, clinical skincare, and haircare. The company plans to enhance the growth of its existing global brands while nurturing new growth areas and expanding its overseas market presence based on digital competitiveness.On September 11, Amorepacific held its '2026 Investor Day' at its headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul, where it unveiled its mid- to long-term growth strategy to key domestic and international institutional investors and analysts.During the event, Amorepacific announced its goal to expand its dermabeauty business, focusing on its brands Aestura and Ilyoon, aiming for 1 trillion won in sales for the fiscal year 2030 (July 2029 to June 2030).Aestura plans to strengthen its global market strategy with its flagship product, Atobarrier365. Currently, it is available in 4,100 hospitals and clinics across the country, including 47 major hospitals, and has entered 36 countries in the past three years. The company plans to expand to nine additional countries by the first half of next year.Ilyoon will focus on expanding its overseas business through digital channels, particularly with its flagship product, Atocream, on platforms like Amazon and TikTok Shop in the United States.IOPE aims to target the global market with its expertise in dermatological treatments and high-efficacy products. Following its entry into Sephora in the United States, the brand plans to enter the European market in the first half of next year, with a goal of becoming a 500 billion won brand by 2035.The haircare segment is also set for global expansion. Based on its portfolio, which includes brands like Ryo, Mise-en-scène, Laboh, Longtake, Ayunchae, and Amos Professional, the company aims for 1 trillion won in sales for the fiscal year 2030, with over 60% of revenue coming from global markets. It plans to expand its premium haircare and scalp care businesses in key markets such as the United States, China, Japan, and Brazil.Amorepacific is enhancing its digital competitiveness through social media and e-commerce. The company aims to improve marketing efficiency based on consumer data and market/channel analysis, and to expand proven growth models into global markets. It has set a target of 10% revenue growth and an operating profit margin of over 11% for the fiscal year 2027 (July 2026 to June 2027).Kim Seung-hwan, CEO of Amorepacific, stated, "We will accelerate the growth of our existing core brands and develop dermabeauty, clinical skincare, and haircare as new global growth pillars. We will respond swiftly to changes in customers and markets driven by social media, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence to achieve sustainable growth."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-09-14 15:24:00
Completion of 60m Flagpole for Taegukgi in Hwacheon On September 14, Hwacheon County in Gangwon Province completed a 60-meter tall flagpole for the Taegukgi, the national flag of South Korea, in front of the Hwacheon Youth Training Center. The flag measures 12 meters by 8 meters.The completion ceremony took place near the youth training center. The flag can be raised and lowered electronically, and stone guide signs have been installed around the area.The project began in October of last year following proposals from local veterans' organizations and administrative associations. The county aims to use the site to promote awareness of Hwacheon's independence movement history and to honor the sacrifices of those who died for the nation.According to the Independence Hall of Korea's register of independence activists, on March 23, 1919, members of the Cheondogyo religion in Sin-eup-ri, Hwacheon, held a rally on market day. Kim Han-soo and others joined the protest after receiving the independence declaration.Five days later, on March 28, a similar rally took place in Bongori, Sangseo-myeon, where approximately 300 residents participated in a march to the Sangseo-myeon office, led by Lee Chang-seon, as recorded in the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs' records of independence activists.The Academy of Korean Studies estimates that around 3,500 people participated in the rallies in the Hwacheon area, including not only Cheondogyo followers but also scholars, youth, farmers, and members of the righteous armies from the late Joseon period.The flagpole is located near the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival site along the Hwacheon Stream. Hwacheon County Mayor Kim Se-hoon stated, “I hope the children visiting the youth training center will remember the sacrifices of our patriots as they see the large Taegukgi.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-09-14 15:24:00
Eastar Jet to launch new daily flight from Busan to Hong Kong next month SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - Eastar Jet will begin operating flights from South Korea's southern port city of Busan to Hong Kong next month, the budget carrier said on Monday. The daily flight set to be available from Oct. 25 will depart Busan at 9:30 p.m. and arrive in Hong Kong at 12:10 a.m. the following day. Return flights will leave Hong Kong at 2 a.m. and arrive in Busan at 7:05 a.m. The service will be Eastar Jet's second route to Hong Kong, following its current route departing from Incheon. "The new route comes in response to strong demand among Hong Kong residents for travel to South Korea, as well as a strong preference for overnight flights," an Eastar Jet spokesman said, adding that the new route would bring more foreign travelers to South Korea and help revitalize tourism in Busan. AJP Takeaways - Eastar Jet will launch a daily Busan–Hong Kong route on Oct. 25, 2026, marking the budget carrier's second Hong Kong service after its existing Incheon–Hong Kong route. The new flights are scheduled overnight, departing Busan at 9:30 p.m. and Hong Kong at 2 a.m., reflecting strong demand among Hong Kong residents for overnight travel to South Korea. Eastar Jet expects the new route to boost inbound tourism and support Busan's tourism industry by attracting more international travelers directly to South Korea's southern port city. 2026-09-14 15:22:48
Despite Stock Market Gains, Valuation Issues Persist for Korean Companies Although the stock market has risen compared to a year ago, the undervaluation of domestic listed companies remains largely unresolved. In the securities market, the number of companies with a price-to-book ratio (PBR) below 1 has stagnated, while those with a PBR below 0.5 have increased. In contrast, the KOSDAQ market has seen a significant rise in the number of companies with a PBR below 1, expanding the base of undervalued firms.According to the Korea Exchange on September 14, the number of companies on the KOSPI and KOSDAQ with a PBR below 1 increased from 1,257 last year on September 11 to 1,473 this year, a rise of 216. By market, the KOSPI saw a slight decrease from 557 to 554, indicating no significant change, while the KOSDAQ increased from 700 to 919, an increase of 219.Examining the markets reveals that the patterns of undervaluation in the KOSPI and KOSDAQ have deepened in different ways. The number of companies with a PBR below 0.5 rose from 301 to 347 in the KOSPI, while in the KOSDAQ, it surged from 234 to 409, an increase of 175. The KOSPI has seen a rise in the number of companies remaining in the 'severely undervalued' category, while the KOSDAQ has experienced both an increase in the number of undervalued companies and the degree of undervaluation.Notably, the undervaluation trend in the KOSDAQ is not confined to specific sectors but is spreading across various fields. The number of companies with a PBR below 1 in the information technology (IT) services sector increased from 61 to 113, marking the largest increase. The general services sector rose from 31 to 60, the pharmaceutical sector from 29 to 53, and the entertainment and culture sector from 23 to 42.A similar trend is observed for companies with a PBR below 0.5. In the entertainment and culture sector, the number of such companies increased from 4 to 24, while the retail sector saw an increase from 22 to 40. General services and IT services also saw increases of 16 and 15, respectively.Kim Yu-mi, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, noted in a recent report, "The proportion of companies with a PBR below 1 in the combined KOSPI and KOSDAQ is 51%, which is high compared to major countries. Among these, the proportion of companies with net cash exceeds 50.1%."In this context, the exchange plans to announce its first list of low PBR companies on November 2, following the guidelines established on October 10. In the securities market, companies with a cumulative PBR in the bottom 25% over the past three years (six half-years) will be included, while the KOSDAQ will include companies in the bottom 10%.Na Seung-doo, a researcher at SK Securities, cautioned, "Many companies with limited communication with investors should be aware that failing to prepare in advance could lead to increased costs after the implementation of the low PBR company announcement system." 2026-09-14 15:16:20
Education Ministry Faces Criticism Over Server Outage During College Admissions Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin announced on September 14 that the ministry will assist over 1,200 students who experienced issues with the Uway Apply server during the college admissions process. A task force will be established, led by the Director of the High School and Lifelong Education Policy Bureau, in collaboration with the Korean Council for University Education to ensure no student is disadvantaged. During a government Q&A session in the National Assembly, lawmaker Seo Beom-soo criticized the ministry's inadequate response to the server outage. Choi explained that a traffic disruption occurred around 5:50 PM on September 11, just 10 minutes before the application deadline. He stated that according to protocol, the deadline could be extended in 30-minute increments, and he ultimately authorized a one-hour extension. Regarding the scope of assistance for affected students, Choi noted that even if students applied to alternative universities due to the outage, they would still be eligible for support if there is a digital record of their application. He mentioned that approximately 1,200 students have been identified so far, with final numbers to be confirmed after the reporting period ends. Seo further questioned how fairness would be maintained between students who submitted applications before and after the extension, emphasizing the urgency as exams were imminent. Choi acknowledged the concerns but did not provide concrete solutions, reiterating that the task force would address the issues and that he would take responsibility if necessary. Seo also highlighted the lack of awareness among ministry officials regarding student sentiments, asking if Choi was familiar with the popular student community 'Sumanhui,' which has 3.3 million members. Choi admitted he was not aware of it, leading Seo to assert that the ministry was disconnected from the voices of students. Choi responded that the relevant department monitors feedback and reports regularly, but he did not elaborate on specific details. To prevent similar incidents in the future, there were calls to reconsider the reliance on private agencies for college application processing. Seo urged that the ministry should not delegate this responsibility to private firms. Choi acknowledged that there had been discussions about transitioning to a public system in 2005 and stated that the recent incident would prompt a reevaluation of that possibility. 2026-09-14 15:16:00
Woori Card Announces Recruitment for New Employees in Second Half of 2026 Woori Card is set to conduct a public recruitment for new employees in the second half of 2026. The initiative aims to expand employment opportunities for young people in the financial sector and to bring in new talent. Woori Card announced on September 14, 2026, that it will hold a public recruitment for new employees in the second half of the year. The recruitment will focus on the general sector and will be conducted using a blind recruitment method, which does not impose restrictions based on education, age, or gender. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on September 21 through Woori Card's dedicated recruitment website. The selection process will begin with document screening, followed by a written test, practical interviews, personality assessments, and executive interviews. The written test will be conducted in October for those who pass the document screening, and candidates will be evaluated comprehensively on their job competencies and organizational fit through subsequent interviews. Detailed recruitment schedules and eligibility criteria can be found on the website. A Woori Card representative stated, "We are continuing our recruitment of new employees to contribute to the expansion of youth employment and job creation in the financial industry. We hope to receive many applications from capable individuals who can lead Woori Card's growth and transformation."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-09-14 15:12:10