Industry

  • Hyundai launches self-driving taxi service with Uber in Las Vegas
    Hyundai launches self-driving taxi service with Uber in Las Vegas SEOUL, March 15 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group's Ioniq 5-based robotaxis can now be hailed through ride-hailing app Uber in Las Vegas, Nevada. Motional, the automaker's autonomous driving joint venture, said Sunday it has launched a pilot robotaxi service with Uber in the city. The service area includes hotels and shopping districts along the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, with coverage expected to continue expanding. The Ioniq 5 robotaxi is an SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicle, March 15, 2026
  • Hyundai halts sales of some Palisade models after U.S. fatal accident, plans recall
    Hyundai halts sales of some Palisade models after U.S. fatal accident, plans recall SEOUL, March 14 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor has suspended sales of certain versions of its large sport utility vehicle (SUV), the All-New Palisade, after identifying a potential safety issue. Hyundai said Saturday that the power-folding function of the second- and third-row seats may fail to detect contact with occupants or objects under certain conditions, prompting the company to temporarily halt sales of vehicles equipped with the feature. According to Reuters, a two-year-old girl d March 14, 2026
  • Koreas crackers edges toward shutdown as Hormuz blockade chokes naphtha supply
    Korea's crackers edges toward shutdown as Hormuz blockade chokes naphtha supply SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) - South Korea's petrochemical plants are rapidly running out of naphtha as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz cuts off a major supply route, forcing producers to declare force majeure and slash operating rates to bare-minimum levels to avoid a full shutdown that could ripple through the country's manufacturing economy. Yeocheon NCC, LG Chem, Lotte Chemical and Hanwha Solutions have all warned customers of potential force majeure on product deliveries. March 13, 2026
  • Hanmi Pharmaceutical taps first outside CEO in 53-year history
    Hanmi Pharmaceutical taps first outside CEO in 53-year history SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) - Hanmi Pharmaceutical announced it has nominated Hwang Sang-yeon, head of private equity at HB Investment, as its new chief executive, marking the first time in the South Korean drugmaker's 53-year history that an outsider has been tapped to lead the company. The board of Hanmi Science, the group's holding company, and Hanmi Pharmaceutical approved the nomination at separate meetings on Thursday. The appointment is subject to approval at the annual gen March 13, 2026
  • Canada unlikely to split $40B submarine contract between Korea and Germany
    Canada unlikely to split $40B submarine contract between Korea and Germany SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) - Canada is unlikely to divide its planned multibillion-dollar submarine procurement between South Korea and Germany despite speculation in local media, as analysts say a split contract would drive up costs and complicate naval operations. The idea of awarding portions of the project to both bidders — sometimes described as a “6+6” split procurement — has circulated in Canadian media as Ottawa weighs final proposals from a South Korean c March 12, 2026
  • K-battery makers bet on premium to fight EV slump and China dominance
    K-battery makers bet on premium to fight EV slump and China dominance SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) - South Korea's battery industry is doubling down on premium technologies — from high-nickel chemistries to all-solid-state prototypes and advanced cell engineering — as it seeks to outpace Chinese rivals and move beyond the slowing electric-vehicle market. The strategic pivot was on full display at the InterBattery 2026, the three-day exhibition that opened Wednesday at COEX in southern Seoul. The 14th edition of the show drew 667 compan March 12, 2026
  • Samsungs agentic-AI flagship posts record presales, software edge in premium market
    Samsung's agentic-AI flagship posts record presales, software edge in premium market SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics’ latest AI-strong flagship is off to a bar-raising debut, signaling a shift in the premium handset race from hardware specifications toward practical artificial intelligence features. The Galaxy S26 series, launched Wednesday in more than 120 countries including South Korea and the United States, logged 1.35 million preorders in its home market, the highest ever for the Galaxy S lineup. Industry observers say the strong earl March 12, 2026
  • South Korea completes test of first homegrown air-launched anti-tank missile
    South Korea completes test of first homegrown air-launched anti-tank missile SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) - South Korea has successfully completed the test of its first homegrown air-launched anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality said on Thursday. The Cheongeom, which literally means "heavenly sword" in Korean and is also called TAipers, was developed by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) in 2022 and manufactured by Hanwha Aerospace. Mounted on a light armed helicopter, it is designed to precisely stri March 12, 2026
  • Irans Drones vs Patriots: If U.S. forces shift, who guards South Koreas skies?
    Iran's 'Drones vs Patriots': If U.S. forces shift, who guards South Korea's skies? SEOUL, March 11 (AJP) - As U.S. air-defense assets are increasingly drawn into the widening war with Iran, South Korea faces an uncomfortable question: how much of its own air and missile defense can it sustain without American cover. Seoul has quietly acknowledged it cannot prevent U.S. tactical assets from being redeployed if Washington needs them elsewhere. The concern is not abstract. North Korea’s missile and drone tactics bear striking similarities to those now being tes March 11, 2026
  • Samsung strike risk rises as 60 percent of union members cast ballots
    Samsung strike risk rises as 60 percent of union members cast ballots SEOUL, March 11 (AJP) - The likelihood of a strike at Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest memory chipmaker supplying about a quarter of global DRAM, is rising as more than 60 percent of its unionized workers have cast ballots on collective action over disputes about employee bonuses. A joint strike committee representing three Samsung labor unions said Wednesday that over 60 percent of their roughly 90,000 members had participated in the vote since balloting began Mond March 11, 2026