Industry

  • AI boom gushes down to midstream, buoying Asian fab operators
    AI boom gushes down to midstream, buoying Asian fab operators SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Investors are closely watching third-quarter earnings from Taiwan’s foundry leader TSMC and South Korea’s AI memory powerhouse SK hynix to gauge the depth of surging demand for artificial intelligence chips—especially after stronger-than-expected results from Samsung Electronics. Samsung Electronics on Tuesday reported record quarterly revenue of 86 trillion won (approximately $62.4 billion) and an operating profit of 12.1 trillion won ( October 15, 2025
  • Foreign investors turn heavy buyers of Korean stocks and bonds in September
    Foreign investors turn heavy buyers of Korean stocks and bonds in September SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Foreign investors became net buyers of more than US$9 billion worth of Korean stocks and bonds in September, marking a sharp turnaround from a $600 million net outflow in August and signaling a recovery in confidence toward the Korean capital market, the central bank said Wednesday. According to data from the Bank of Korea, net foreign inflows into Korean securities reached $9.12 billion last month — $4.34 billion in equities and $4.48 billion in October 15, 2025
  • MASGA adrift in US-China crossfire, Hanwha left to wait out the storm
    MASGA adrift in US-China crossfire, Hanwha left to wait out the storm SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - The “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA)” slogan—emblazoned on caps during a high-profile summit between South Korean and U.S. leaders in Washington last summer and central to a bilateral trade deal tied to a $350 billion investment package—appears to be adrift amid stalled negotiations and intensifying U.S.-China trade frictions that have now reached the seas. China's Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday invoked its anti-f October 15, 2025
  • Hanwha Aerospace secures $105 million modular charge contract with Sweden
    Hanwha Aerospace secures $105 million modular charge contract with Sweden SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace has clinched a 150 billion won (around $105 million) deal to supply modular charge systems to Sweden, marking its second export agreement with the Nordic nation as global demand for artillery ammunition surges. The defense contractor announced on Wednesday its signing of a three-year framework agreement and initial contract with Sweden's Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) at the Association of the United States Army October 15, 2025
  • Koreas FDI dips 18% as of Q3 2025 amid weak M&A and currency
    Korea's FDI dips 18% as of Q3 2025 amid weak M&A and currency SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Foreign direct investment (FDI) in South Korea fell 18 percent in the first nine months of 2025 from a year earlier, hit by sluggish merger and acquisition (M&A) activity, political uncertainty, and the Korean won’s steep depreciation against the U.S. dollar, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Tuesday. Cumulative FDI pledges as of the third quarter stood at $20.65 billion, down from $25.18 billion a year earlier. Actual arrivals al October 15, 2025
  • Asian markets open mixed amid renewed tariff disputes between US and China
    Asian markets open mixed amid renewed tariff disputes between US and China SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Asian stock markets opened mixed on Wednesday, reflecting varied investor sentiment across the region. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI rose 39 points at around 3,601 in early trading, while the junior Kosdaq gained 5.2 points to open at 853.2. Japanese shares climbed even higher, with the Nikkei 225 jumping 599.4 points to 47,446.7, buoyed by strong buying in technology and manufacturing stocks. Not all Asian bourses joined the rally though. In China, t October 15, 2025
  • Signiel Busan named Asias leading beach hotel for second consecutive year
    Signiel Busan named Asia's 'leading beach hotel' for second consecutive year SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Signiel Busan in South Korea's southern port city of Busan has been named Asia's "Leading Beach Hotel" for the second consecutive year, the luxury hotel said on Wednesday. The recognition came from the World Travel Awards, which has selected winners through votes cast by travel experts and industry professionals across more than 160 countries since 1993. Located near Haeundae Beach, the hotel is praised for its panoramic ocean views f October 15, 2025
  • Hyundai to face massive tariff costs if US maintains 25% rate on car exports
    Hyundai to face massive tariff costs if US maintains 25% rate on car exports SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor could face massive annual costs of more than 8 trillion won if the U.S. maintains a 25-percent tariff on exports of its vehicles, according to a report by NICE Credit Rating. The report estimated Hyundai's annual tariff burden at 8.4 trillion won if South Korea remains subject to a 25-percent rate, compared to 15 percent for the European Union and Japan. This would make Hyundai's costs the highest among major global automakers, surpa October 15, 2025
  • KOSPI loses early gains as Asian stocks retreat on trade war flare-up
    KOSPI loses early gains as Asian stocks retreat on trade war flare-up SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - South Korea’s record-setting morning session turned into broad selling by the close, as investors across Asia recoiled from a new chapter in the U.S.–China trade conflict. The benchmark KOSPI slipped 0.63 percent to 3,561.81, after hitting an intraday record high of 3,637.45 earlier in the day. The Kosdaq also dropped 1.46 percent to 847.96. Samsung Electronics, which spearheaded the morning rally on record-breaking third-quarter results, f October 14, 2025
  • Naver Webtoon steals NY Comic Con show with Disney and BOOM extended family
    Naver Webtoon steals NY Comic Con show with Disney and BOOM extended family SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - Naver Webtoon can no longer be seen as an exotic newcomer from Korea after its standout showing at the 2025 New York Comic Con (NYCC), held at the Javits Center in New York City from Oct. 9 to 12. One of the largest pop culture conventions in the United States, NYCC celebrates comics, graphic novels, animation, film, and television, drawing more than 200,000 fans from around the world each year. Webtoon's presence this year embodied everything the October 14, 2025