South Korea, Czech Republic forge ministerial framework to fast-track Dukovany nuclear project SEOUL, February 18 (AJP) - South Korea and the Czech Republic agreed to establish a ministerial-level consultative body to oversee the construction of two nuclear reactors at the Dukovany site, as both nations deepen an energy partnership worth about 26 trillion won ($18 billion). South Korean Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Kim Jung-kwan met newly inaugurated Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and his counterpart Karel Havlicek in Prague on Monday (local time) at the Czech gover February 18, 2026

Big tech giants ramp up hiring of Korean semiconductor engineers as AI chip race intensifies SEOUL, February 18 (AJP) - Major U.S. technology firms including Nvidia, Google, and Tesla are aggressively recruiting South Korean semiconductor engineers, zeroing in on the country's deep pool of expertise in high-bandwidth memory as the global race for artificial intelligence hardware accelerates. The hiring push marks a significant escalation from earlier years, when recruitment of Korean chip talent was largely confined to memory makers such as Micron Technology and mobile February 18, 2026

Global solid-state battery market projected to reach $20 billion by 2032 SEOUL, February 16 (AJP) - The global solid-state battery market is projected to grow more than tenfold to nearly $20 billion by 2032, driven by expanding applications in electric vehicles and robotics, according to a market research report released Monday. South Korean battery makers are accelerating development efforts as commercialization of the next-generation technology draws closer. The worldwide solid-state battery market is expected to expand from $1.97 February 16, 2026

Samsung Electronics eyes quarterly operating profit of 30 trillion won SEOUL, February 16 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is expected to reach 30 trillion won in quarterly operating profit for the first time in the January-March period, driven by surging demand for AI-related memory chips. The South Korean tech giant posted a record 20 trillion won in operating profit in the October-December quarter, becoming the first domestic company to reach that milestone. Analysts now project it will add another 10 trillion won in just one quarter. According to b February 16, 2026

Hyundai, Kia poised to surpass 1 million EVs in cumulative sales in Europe SEOUL, February 15 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia are on the verge of reaching 1 million cumulative electric vehicle sales in Europe by the first half of this year, the automotive giant said on Sunday. Their combined EV sales stood at 915,996 units as of the end of last year, since the launch of Kia's compact sport-utility vehicle Soul in 2014. With monthly sales surpassing 15,000 units, they are on track to surpass 1 million units in cumulative sales soon. February 15, 2026

U.S. maritime plan allows initial ship construction in Korea SEOUL, February 14 (AJP) - The White House on Friday unveiled the “America’s Maritime Action Plan” (MAP), a sweeping strategy to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry that explicitly signals cooperation with South Korea and Japan. It is widely seen as laying out the blueprint for the so-called MASGA (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again) initiative discussed during Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations. The U.S. government states in the report published on the White February 14, 2026

Book-style foldables to dominate global market in 2026 amid memory shortages SEOUL, February 14 (AJP) - The global foldable smartphone market is expected to shift from clamshell-style devices to book-type models in 2026, according to market research firm Counterpoint Research. According to Counterpoint on Saturday, book-type devices are projected to increase their share of the total foldable smartphone market from 52 percent in 2025 to around 65 percent in 2026, accounting for the majority of global foldable shipments. The shift reflects continued improvemen February 14, 2026

SK chair meets US big tech leaders for HMB4 pitch SEOUL, February 13 (AJP) -SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won commanding the world's most-sought memory chip unit held a string of meetings with big-tech leaders in the United States to strengthen leadership in AI chip supply chain amid tension with Samsung Electronics over HBM4 supply. His business meetings included all the big tech names Nvidia, Broadcom, Microsoft, Meta and Google engaged in AI chip accelerators, as he pushed to expand partnerships centered on high-bandwidth memor February 13, 2026

TrendForce: Nvidia to expand HBM4 supply chain to Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron by Q2 SEOUL, February 13 (AJP) - Nvidia Corp. is expected to diversify its High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) supply chain to include all three major memory chipmakers, as validation for the fourth-generation HBM4 chips enters the final stages ahead of the mass production of its next-generation "Rubin" GPU platform. According to a report by market researcher TrendForce on Friday, Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and Micron Technology are all projected to complete HBM4 certification February 13, 2026

Hyundai's Palisade, Kia's EV9 win Canadian vehicle of the year awards SEOUL, February 13 (AJP) - Two South Korean vehicles have receive top awards at this year's Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto, which wraps up its weeklong run this weekend. According to Hyundai Motor Group, the Palisade was named the Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year, while affiliate Kia's EV9 won the Canadian Electric Utility Vehicle of the Year award, presented by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). "Our expert jurors scored the Pal February 13, 2026