Hyundai Motor Q2 earnings seen down 17%, data due Thurs SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor is expected to post a double-digit decline in second-quarter operating profit, as weaker vehicle sales combine with continued U.S. tariff costs and rising material and warranty expenses to squeeze margins despite favorable currency effects and a richer hybrid mix. According to consensus estimates compiled by FnGuide, the automaker’s operating profit is forecast at 2.99 trillion won ($2.03 billion), down about 17 percent from 3.60 trilli July 22, 2026

Incheon Airport to open departure gates early during summer peak SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - South Korea will open some departure gates at Incheon International Airport earlier and increase immigration screening staff during the peak summer travel season, the Ministry of Justice said Wednesday. The special immigration measures will be in place from Thursday through Aug. 8, as the country enters one of the busiest periods for overseas travel. At Terminal 1, departure gate No. 2 will open at 5:30 a.m., while departure gate No. 4 will open at 6 a.m. A July 22, 2026

Coupang unit to fully compensate sellers for warehouse fire losses SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - Coupang Fulfillment Services (CFS) announced Wednesday it will fully compensate third-party sellers for inventory destroyed in a fire at its logistics center in Incheon, moving to shield its merchant partners from mounting operational losses. The blaze, which broke out at the Seoknam-dong complex, gutted stock belonging to sellers enrolled in Rocket Growth, Coupang's fulfillment service in which merchants entrust goods to the company for storage and delive July 22, 2026

Seoul to add ferries for summer island travel rush SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - South Korea will deploy seven additional reserve vessels and expand domestic ferry operations during the peak summer vacation season, as more than 855,000 passengers are expected to travel by sea to islands and coastal destinations, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Wednesday. The special transport measures will run from Saturday through Aug. 10. The ministry expects about 50,000 passengers a day to use coastal passenger ferries during the period, with July 22, 2026

S-Oil launches biofuel-blended marine fuel for shipping SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - S-Oil, South Korea's fourth-largest oil refiner, announced it had begun supplying a biofuel-blended marine fuel as it moves to capture growing demand for cleaner-burning fuels in the global shipping industry. The new product, known as B30 VLSFO, combines conventional very low-sulphur fuel oil with about 30 percent sustainable biofuel. Because it can be used without any modification to a vessel's engines, the refiner said, it offers shipowners an imm July 22, 2026

Chinese state media warns of growing US 'pressure' on Korea's chipmakers SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - South Korea's semiconductor industry could become increasingly reliant on the U.S. as Washington pushes South Korean chipmakers to expand production and investment on American soil, Chinese state media warned on Tuesday. In an op-ed, the Global Times, an English-language sister newspaper of the state-run People's Daily, said U.S. industrial policies were directly affecting South Korea's semiconductor sector as a whole, citing Reuters' recent re July 22, 2026

SK hynix bonus pact faces early test as labor talks intensify SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - A decade-long profit-sharing pact at SK hynix has returned to the negotiating table just one year after it was signed, as unions push back against a proposed overhaul that could require employees to receive part of their bonuses in company shares. The chipmaker’s production and office-worker unions held separate intensive bargaining sessions with management on Tuesday after the two sides failed to narrow differences over bonuses and other key issues d July 22, 2026

Samsung bets on foldables — and fashion — at Galaxy Unpacked SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is set to widen its foldable smartphone lineup and make its long-awaited entry into the AI smart glasses market on Wednesday (KST), betting that premium hardware, artificial intelligence and fashion-forward wearables can help it challenge Meta in the next phase of consumer AI. At its Galaxy Unpacked event in London, Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Flip 8, alongside its first Android XR-powered smart July 22, 2026

Samsung, SK, Naver chiefs set for rare AI summit with Nvidia's Huang SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Naver founder Lee Hae-jin are expected to meet Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang in Silicon Valley this week, in what could become one of the highest-profile gatherings of global artificial intelligence leaders amid sustained investment in AI infrastructure. The roundtable, expected to take place on Friday, would also likely include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amo July 22, 2026

Korea's telecom trio begins selling Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - South Korea's three mobile carriers began selling Meta's "Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2)" artificial-intelligence glasses from Wednesday, pairing the device with tariff-linked discounts as they race to push AI services beyond the smartphone. SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus each said they would offer the AI eyewear through their retail and online channels, part of a broader strategy to extend smartphone-centered AI offerings onto new wearable devices and wi July 22, 2026