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

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 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

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 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

Hanwha showcases 'Korean THAAD' L-SAM at Belgium defense expo SEOUL, March 11 (AJP) - Hanwha is set to showcase its long-range surface-to-air missile interceptor, known as the “Korean THAAD,” at the BEDEX defense exhibition in Belgium as it seeks to expand its presence in the European defense market. Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Systems said Tuesday they are participating in BEDEX, a defense exhibition taking place in Brussels from March 12 to 14, marking the first time a South Korean company has taken part in the event. The exhi March 11, 2026

Renault unveils 'futuREady' strategy, plans 36 new models by 2030 SEOUL, March 11 (AJP) - Renault Group unveiled its new mid-to-long-term strategic plan dubbed "futuREady," charting an aggressive course to roll out 36 new models by 2030 as the French automaker seeks to cement its position as Europe's benchmark carmaker amid intensifying global competition. The plan revealed Tuesday (local time), succeeding the Renaulution turnaround strategy launched in 2021, sets a target of more than 2 million annual vehicle sales by 2030, with hal March 11, 2026

SK hynix expands AI memory portfolio beyond HBM with LPDDR6 breakthrough SEOUL, March 11 (AJP) - SK hynix said Tuesday it has developed the world’s first 16-gigabit LPDDR6 DRAM built on its sixth-generation 10-nanometer-class (1c) process, positioning the chipmaker to capture the next wave of artificial-intelligence demand spilling over from data centers to smartphones and mobile front. The new mobile memory, designed for devices running on-device AI, improves data processing speed by 33 percent and boosts power efficiency by more than 20 perce March 11, 2026

Korea's HMM joins wave of force majeure as Iran war disrupts Strait of Hormuz SEOUL, March 11 (AJP) -South Korea’s flagship container carrier HMM has joined a wave of force majeure declarations sweeping global shipping as the Iran war disrupts maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical trade and energy chokepoints. The company told shippers Wednesday that maritime security near the strait had deteriorated sharply due to the outbreak of war, hostile acts and attacks on commercial vessels, forcing it to impose March 11, 2026

Samsung shares head north on record R&D, buyback plan in AI chip push SEOUL, March 11 (AJP) - Shares of Samsung Electronics headed north as investors welcomed the South Korean tech behemoth’s record spending — amounting to nearly a third of last year’s revenue of over $200 billion — to advance chipmaking capabilities in the AI-driven era while sharing the memory boom with shareholders. According to its 2025 business report disclosed Tuesday, the company invested a record 37.7 trillion won ($28.3 billion) in research and deve March 11, 2026