Nearly 3 million barrels delivered to refiners in first week of oil swap program SEOUL, April 7 (AJP) - About 2.8 million barrels of crude oil have been supplied to refiners just a week after the launch of an "oil swap" program, which lends government-owned stockpiles to help them secure alternative supplies, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said on Tuesday. At a daily briefing at the government complex in the administrative city of Sejong, Yang Gi-uk, a ministry official, said the country's four major refiners had applied to swap more th April 7, 2026

LG Electronics Q1 OP beats expectations, sales hit quarterly high SEOUL, April 07 (AJP) - LG Electronics on Tuesday estimated stronger-than-expected operating profit and record three-month sales in the quarter ended March thanks to its premium lineup and steady growth in business-to-business segments despite tariff pressure in the U.S. and weak Korean won. In its preliminary earnings guidance, the company reported an operating profit at 1.67 trillion won ($1.24 billion) for the January–March period, up 32.9 percent from a year earlier and April 7, 2026

Samsung Electronics Q1 income eclipses full 2025, nears full 2018 peak SEOUL, April 07 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics on Tuesday estimated its operating profit reached a whopping 57.2 trillion won ($42.3 billion) in the January–March period on a surge in memory prices from legacy to AI-supporting high-performance chips, beating not just full-year 2025 earnings but nearing the annual income of the last chip boom year in 2018. In its first-quarter earnings guidance, the South Korean tech giant — spanning chips, smartphones and home appliances April 7, 2026

Samsung Q1 profit set to rival full-year earnings on AI chip boom SEOUL, April 06 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is poised to deliver its strongest quarterly reports to date with January-March operating profit expected to approach or exceed full-year earnings for 2025, underscoring the sheer scale of the ongoing memory super-cycle driven by artificial intelligence demand. According to market consensus compiled by FnGuide, the South Korean tech giant is projected to post an average operating profit of 40.5 trillion won ($29.9 billion) for the Januar April 6, 2026

South Korea closes gap with China in global shipbuilding orders SEOUL, April 6 (AJP) - Despite an overall decline in global ship orders, South Korea increased its share last month, narrowing the gap with China, according to data released by London-based Clarkson Research Services on Monday. In March, South Korea won orders totaling 1.59 million compensated gross tons (CGT) for 38 ships, accounting for about 39 percent of the global market, while China secured 2.15 million CGT for 84 ships, taking a 53 percent share. In February, South Korea April 6, 2026

GM Korea signals full turnaround as it pays out first regular dividend SEOUL, April 06 (AJP) - General Motors Korea said it will pay its first regular dividend to shareholders, marking the clearest sign yet that the once-ailing Korean unit of the U.S. automaker has completed a turnaround eight years after its Gunsan plant was shuttered and billions of dollars in public and private capital were mobilized to prevent its collapse. The automaker's board approved an interim dividend on April 3, though the company did not disclose the payout's size i April 6, 2026

Refiners hit by avalanche of woes as crude volatility, supply risks mount SEOUL, April 5 (AJP) - A surge in oil prices has given domestic refiners a short-term boost, but industry watchers warn that their gains may quickly evaporate as market volatility and supply constraints are expected to continue amid the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. At least until last month, refiners managed to keep operations steady by relying on existing inventories and alternative supplies, but risks are rising as crude prices swing sharply and securing feedstock beco April 5, 2026

S.Korea's diversified LNG supply chain mitigates risks amid Australia's potential export limits SEOUL, April 04 (AJP) - South Korea is facing potential supply chain disruptions for liquefied natural gas (LNG) as Australia, its largest LNG supplier, considers prioritizing domestic demand amid growing global uncertainties driven by the Middle East conflict. While the government expects limited near-term impacts, broader concerns over global energy supply stability remain. In response, proactive measures by South Korean private energy firms, such as SK Innovation E&S and April 4, 2026

Cheap drones reshape Iran war, raising risk of North Korea copycat SEOUL, April 03 (AJP) - Low-cost drones are rapidly redefining modern warfare in the Iran conflict, exposing a growing cost imbalance that could have direct implications for the Korean Peninsula. U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed Washington achieved most of its strategic objectives in the war, likening the 32-day campaign to major 20th-century conflicts. Yet the fighting has dragged on longer than expected, far from the swift outcome suggested in the early hours of the U.S.-Is April 3, 2026

HD Korea Shipbuilding issues $1.57 bn in exchangeable bonds, sparking valuation re-rating hopes SEOUL, April 03 (AJP) - HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering has launched a 2.37 trillion won ($1.57 billion) exchangeable bond issuance targeting shares of its flagship subsidiary HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, a move analysts say could dismantle the holding company discount that has long weighed on its stock. The company disclosed the EB issuance on March 31, later revising the total from an initially announced 3.03 trillion won. The bonds are exchangeable into a 4.3 per April 3, 2026