S. Korea denies Korea-owned tanker hit in Hormuz SEOUL, September 02 (AJP) - A tanker struck by rockets in the Strait of Hormuz was not owned by South Korea's Sinokor Merchant Marine and had no Korean crew aboard, a South Korean shipping industry group said Wednesday, disputing an earlier Financial Times report that described the vessel as South Korean-owned. The Korea Shipowners' Association said in a statement that the Senegal Prosperity, which was recently attacked while transiting the strategic waterway, was wholly ow September 2, 2026

Pulmuone's shelf-stable food sales jump 25.5% in first half SEOUL, September 02 (AJP) - South Korea's Pulmuone Foods announced Wednesday that first-half sales of its ambient products rose 25.5 percent from a year earlier to a record high, as the company known for chilled and frozen fare pushes to diversify its portfolio. The ambient line, foods that require no refrigeration, has become a central growth target for Pulmuone Foods, the company's total food revenue climbing to 13 percent in the first half from about 7 percent a year earl September 2, 2026

K-defense gains traction amid localization push SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - If the AI boom has delivered a windfall for South Korean chipmakers, rising geopolitical risks along Russia’s borders and across the Middle East have pushed Korean weapons makers into the spotlight. Growing pressure for greater self-reliance, fueled by America-first policies and strains among traditional allies, is driving governments across Europe, Asia and the Middle East to sharply increase defense spending and modernize their arsenals. The ru September 1, 2026

Airbility raises 6.5 billion won to shoot down drones with drones SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - A Seoul aerospace startup has closed a Series A round to build small aircraft that hunt other aircraft, betting that the cheapest way to stop an incoming attack drone is another drone rather than a missile. Airbility said Tuesday that the 6.5 billion won ($4.7 million) round was led by Sazze Partners, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, with existing backer Stonebridge Ventures returning and the Industrial Bank of Korea joining as a new shareholder. September 1, 2026

Hyundai Motor's August sales fall sharply due to strikes SEOUL, September 1 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor's sales fell sharply in August as production was disrupted by labor strikes, the automaker said on Tuesday. It sold 288,574 vehicles worldwide in August, down 14.2 percent from a year earlier, as domestic sales plunged 41.1 percent to 34,333 and overseas sales fell 8.5 percent to 254,241. Sedans led domestic sales with 10,922 units including 5,931 Grandeurs, 3,105 Sonatas and 1,462 Avantes. It also sold 10,810 recreational vehicles September 1, 2026

Asiana Airlines launches daily flights to Kobe SEOUL, September 1 (AJP) - Asiana Airlines launched a new route connecting Incheon to Kobe, Japan, on Tuesday as part of efforts to expand its services to meet demand for travel between the neighboring countries. The route operates daily using the airline's short-haul Airbus A321neo aircraft, with flights departing Incheon International Airport at noon and arriving at Kobe Airport, located on an artificial island in Osaka Bay in western Japan, at 2 p.m. The return flight depar September 1, 2026

U.S. EV plants may lay "golden eggs" for Korean battery makers SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - South Korea's battery industry, groomed to build on the EV boom, is hurriedly moving to ride a new power "golden goose" — data centers — anchored in the United States' drive to catch up with China in AI infrastructure. "Let data reign," U.S. President Donald Trump proclaimed Monday. "The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards September 1, 2026

Samsung Biologics, union to resume mediation SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - Samsung Biologics and its labor union will resume mediation as early as Sept. 8 in a fresh attempt to settle a wage dispute that prompted the first strike in the South Korean contract drug manufacturer's history. The union said Tuesday it expected the talks to "pick up speed" once mediation opens, as the company has agreed to submit its own proposal after the process begins. The Incheon Regional Labor Relations Commission has agreed to br September 1, 2026

Samsung unveils "CUBE" strategy for HBM traction SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) -Samsung Electronics is betting on denser, faster and cooler memory to strengthen its position in the HBM race as artificial intelligence drives a fundamental shift in the global memory market. Its new “CUBE” strategy is designed to pack more memory into the same space while shortening the physical distance data must travel — a combination Samsung says can increase bandwidth while reducing power consumption and heat. The strategy come September 1, 2026

AI expert advises Korea against copying US, China on physical AI SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - South Korea should not chase the United States and China in the race to build humanoid robots but instead exploit its manufacturing strength to carve out a distinct path in physical AI, a leading roboticist said. Dennis Hong, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles, and director of its Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory, told Aju Business Daily on Aug. 29 that Korea would lose if it mimicked the t September 1, 2026