Industry

  • South Korea Bets $100 Billion on AI: A Risky Gamble?
    South Korea Bets $100 Billion on AI: A Risky Gamble? SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - South Korea's $100 Billion AI Bet: A Risky Gamble? The New York Times recently likened data centers to thermometers of the tech industry's health and symbols of the AI bubble. This duality highlights the contradictions of the AI era. Building a data center costs billions, requiring GPUs, cooling technology, power grids, and stable sites. Despite this, companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are increasing investments. Countries like Japan and Sing September 26, 2025
  • Medical schools lose appeal as semiconductor careers promise six-figure salaries
    Medical schools lose appeal as semiconductor careers promise six-figure salaries SEOUL, September 24 (AJP) - University applicants are increasingly opting for majors that guarantee employment at major companies after graduation, rather than medical schools, which have long been the preferred choice among many top-scoring students. This shift is particularly evident at Hanyang University, Korea University, and Sogang University, which offer semiconductor-related courses and similar programs in partnership with businesses, often leading to guaranteed positions at SK Hynix and September 24, 2025
  • NVIDIA–Intel tie-up to bring opportunities for Korean chipmakers
    NVIDIA–Intel tie-up to bring opportunities for Korean chipmakers SEOUL, September 19 (AJP) - A tie-up between U.S. chip-design giants NVIDIA and Intel is expected to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) computing infrastructure — creating new opportunities for South Korea’s memory and packaging technologies that support advanced AI chips. The $5 billion partnership, under which NVIDIA will acquire a 4 percent stake in Intel, could unite the current and former leaders of global chip design, pending regulatory approval. The announcement comes a September 19, 2025
  • Samsung Electronics will receive $250 million grant from Texas
    Samsung Electronics will receive $250 million grant from Texas SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will receive a $250 million grant from the state of Texas to support its semiconductor expansion, Governor Greg Abbott announced Wednesday (local time). The funds, allocated from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund, are separate from the $4.7 billion in federal aid Samsung secured last year under the CHIPS Act. The new grant was announced after Abbott met with Kyung Kye-hyun, Samsung’s vice chairman, in Austin on Sept. 17. Abbott praise September 18, 2025
  • South Korea pushes for easing US rules on shipbuilding cooperation
    South Korea pushes for easing US rules on shipbuilding cooperation SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - South Korea's defense procurement chief said in Washington, Wednesday (local time), that talks are advancing with the United States on shipbuilding and defense industry cooperation, including the long-delayed Reciprocal Defense Procurement Agreement, which would allow Korean companies greater access to U.S. contracts. Seok Jong-geon, head of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), said he is focusing on addressing legal obstacles th September 18, 2025
  • POSCO has eyes on HMM despite industry backlash and synergy doubts
    POSCO has eyes on HMM despite industry backlash and synergy doubts SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - South Korea’s POSCO Group remains committed to pursuing the country’s sea flag carrier HMM, despite fierce competition for the asset and vocal protests from the maritime industry. POSCO has been reviewing the option of going after state-owned stake in HMM in hopes to cut logistics costs and strengthen resilience against global supply chain disruptions. HMM, formerly Hyundai Merchant Marine, absorbed assets and the Asia–U.S. East Coast route of Hanj September 17, 2025
  • South Korean auto exports hit record high despite global tariffs
    South Korean auto exports hit record high despite global tariffs South Korea's automobile industry is demonstrating remarkable resilience in the face of global economic pressures, reporting record-breaking exports and strong domestic performance for the second consecutive month. According to a report released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Tuesday, the sector's growth was driven by robust demand for eco-friendly vehicles and a successful pivot to new markets. Auto exports reached a record $5.5 billion in August, marking an 8.6 percen September 16, 2025
  • Brazil underscores closer ties with S. Korea at Independence Day event in Seoul
    Brazil underscores closer ties with S. Korea at Independence Day event in Seoul SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - At a reception marking the 203rd anniversary of Brazil's Independence Day, Ambassador Márcia Donner Abreu stressed that the occasion was designed not only to commemorate Brazil's history but also to reaffirm the expanding cooperation between Brazil and South Korea in trade, investment, culture, and responses to global challenges. "Brazil and Korea are partner countries not just by history but by shared values and hopes," Ambassador Abreu said September 11, 2025
  • 68 countries to join Seoul Defense Dialogue next week
    68 countries to join Seoul Defense Dialogue next week SEOUL, September 05 (AJP) - The defense ministry will host the 14th Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) in central Seoul from Monday to Wednesday, bringing together senior officials from around the world. Launched in 2012, the annual forum is designed to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula and strengthen regional security cooperation. This year, more than 1,000 participants from 68 countries and international organizations are expected to attend, according to the ministry. Defense ministers fro September 5, 2025
  • South Korea finds lifeline in Southeast Asia as US tariffs weigh on exports
    South Korea finds lifeline in Southeast Asia as US tariffs weigh on exports SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - South Korea’s exports to Southeast Asia surged in August, offsetting declines in shipments to the United States as Washington’s trade barriers increasingly disrupt bilateral flows. Exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations rose 12 percent from a year earlier to a record $10.89 billion, the trade ministry said Thursday. It was the third consecutive month of growth to the bloc, which has become an increasingly vital market for Korean manufacture September 4, 2025