Naver deepens AI factory push in Brookfield talks SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - Naver is accelerating its bid to build one of Asia's largest artificial intelligence computing hubs. Founder and board chair Lee Hae-jin met Brookfield Asset Management Chief Executive Bruce Flatt in Seoul on Thursday to review progress on a gigawatt-scale AI factory backed by up to $60 billion in investment. The two met at Naver's 1784 headquarters in Seongnam, south of Seoul, to advance a project the company is pursuing with Nvidia to constr September 4, 2026

Samsung's aggressive HBM4 bet narrows gap with SK hynix SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics, making up for its passivity and late start in high-bandwidth memory, has ushered in the next generation with an aggressive bet on HBM4 that is paying off by sharply narrowing the gap with frontrunner SK hynix. The world's largest memory maker saw its share of the global HBM market jump to 33 percent in the April-June period from 21 percent three months earlier, according to Counterpoint Research. SK hynix remained comfortably September 4, 2026

Samsung, SK hynix hold nearly half of global NAND market SEOUL, September 4 (AJP) - South Korea's two major chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix retained the top two spots in the global NAND flash market in the second quarter, together accounting for nearly half of global sales, according to a report by market researcher Counterpoint Research released on Friday. Samsung led the market with 28 percent, down slightly from 29 percent in the previous quarter, while SK hynix ranked second with 19 percent, giving the two South Ko September 4, 2026

Croatia turns to S. Korean rockets as U.S. blocks long-range munitions SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - Eighteen truck-mounted rocket launchers able to strike targets more than 300 kilometers away are set to enter Croatian service, bought from South Korea after the United States suspended deliveries of the long-range rockets Zagreb had already contracted for. The Croatian government was scheduled to approve the purchase of 18 K239 Chunmoo self-propelled multiple rocket launchers (MRLS) and their munitions at a cabinet session on Friday, the Zagreb daily J September 4, 2026

'AI for All' race begins with SKT, Kakao, KT plans SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - South Korea's push to homegrown artificial intelligence in daily life gathered pace, as three telecom and internet consortiums led by SK Telecom, Kakao and KT unveiled competing plans to launch "action-oriented" AI services before year-end. The Ministry of Science and ICT presented its rollout preparation plan at a kickoff meeting at the Korea Press Center in Seoul. Each group showed prototypes and video demonstrations of assistants that September 4, 2026

World-OKTA meets in Santiago to revive small Latin American chapters SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - The World Federation of Overseas Korean Traders Associations, known as World-OKTA, convened a gathering in the Chilean capital this week to shore up its smaller branches across Latin America. The meeting, hosted by the group's Santiago chapter, drew regional officers and branch presidents from across the continent, along with South Korean Ambassador to Chile Kim Hak-jae and other local dignitaries. "Latin America is a land of opportunity, but September 4, 2026

Hyundai Motor signs deal to boost Oman's eco-friendly mobility SEOUL, September 4 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group has agreed with Oman's government and local companies to promote eco-friendly mobility, the automaker said on Friday. Hyundai said it signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT) and Oman Oil Marketing Company (OOMCO) in Salalah the previous day as part of a partnership to support the country's goal of achieving carbon neutrality under its & September 4, 2026

Seoul joins global arms race with record defense spending SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - South Korea is joining a global rearmament push by packaging the largest military spending increase in nearly two decades against widening geopolitical conflict, changing warfare and U.S. pressure on allies to shoulder more of their own defense The government has proposed a record 73.28 trillion won ($54.0 billion) defense budget for 2027, up 8.2 percent from this year, with much of the additional money directed toward missile defense, drones, artificial September 3, 2026

Korea weighs asking chipmakers to prepay power for AI build-out SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - South Korean memory makers envisioning an expansive build-out under government's ambitious push to turn the country into a chip republic involves more than billions of dollars for construction and purchases of land and equipment as chip facilities rely on seamless power and water supplies to keep the fab running 24/7. Under unprecedented government eagerness to the chip expansion to add chip facilities in Yongin as well as Honam region, southern par September 3, 2026

Korea-backed mega logistics center begins operations near Chicago SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - A massive logistics center jointly developed by a South Korean logistics company and the Korea Ocean Business Corp. has begun full-scale operations in Elwood, Illinois, near Chicago, as Seoul expands its overseas logistics network. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Thursday that the Elwood logistics center was built through a joint investment by the Korean logistics company and the state-run Korea Ocean Business Corp (KOBC). The facility sits o September 3, 2026