LS Electric secures largest-ever power equipment deal in US SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - South Korea’s LS Electric said on Wednesday it has secured a $315 million contract to supply high-voltage transformers in North America, the largest deal in the company’s history. The agreement, signed with a major U.S. private utility, covers the delivery of 525-kilovolt transformers to renewable energy facilities across the southeastern U.S. through 2029. The equipment will serve as critical power sources for large data centers in the November 26, 2025

HBM chips are now edible in rare chipmaking collabo SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - Chips responsible for a quarter of South Korea’s exports are now edible — coated with honey and banana — thanks to a rare collaboration between convenience-store chain 7-Eleven and memory behemoth SK hynix. The new 7-Select Honey Banana Flavor snack plays on this year’s buzzword, HBM (high bandwidth memory) — the ultra-fast DRAM that powers Nvidia chips and other AI accelerators, and which accounts for about 70 November 26, 2025

SK Telecom teams up with Samsung for commercialization of 6G network SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - South Korea’s SK Telecom said on Wednesday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Samsung Electronics to jointly develop next-generation mobile technology, focusing on AI-based radio access networks (AI RAN) to support the eventual commercialization of 6G. Under the partnership, research will be jointly carried out by SK Telecom’s network technology division and Samsung Research. SK Telecom will contribute data and infrastructure November 26, 2025

South Korea's HJ Heavy wins flood control project in Philippines SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - South Korea’s HJ Heavy Industries said on Wednesday it has been selected by the Philippine Department of Public Works and Highways to lead the Tagum flood control project, a contract valued at about $76 million. The project is designed to address long-standing flooding in Tagum City in Davao del Norte through the construction of levees and bridges, as well as dredging and widening of local rivers. The work is scheduled to take 48 months from comm November 26, 2025

IMF urges Korea to raise retirement age, delay pension payouts SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - The International Monetary Fund has recommended that South Korea raise its statutory retirement age to 65 and delay the start of public pension benefits to 68, according to a report posted on the IMF’s website. Citing OECD research, the Fund said the proposed changes could lift total employment by about 14 percent and increase GDP by 12 percent by 2070. The IMF said adjusting the retirement and pension system is essential to ensure long-term f November 26, 2025

S. Korea sets 2027 target for full autonomous vehicle commercialization SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - South Korea will make large-scale investments in autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence as part of a broader strategy to accelerate the country’s transition to an innovation-driven economy, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said on Wednesday. Speaking at an economic strategy meeting in Sejong, Koo said the government aims to commercialize fully autonomous vehicles by 2027 and elevate South Korea into the world&rsqu November 26, 2025

South Korea to transfer retired submarine to Poland as part of naval cooperation SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - South Korea will transfer the decommissioned Jang Bogo submarine to Poland at no cost by the end of this year, according to multiple military sources. The donated submarine would give Poland a stop-gap training platform for submarine crews, enabling familiarization with submarine operations and maintenance ahead of the next-generation vessels. The submarine represented the Republic of Korea Navy’s first generation of post-Cold War submarines. November 26, 2025

South Korea performs third-best in Q3 real GDP growth in OECD scale SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) -SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - The South Korean economy performed third-best among 26 economies of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in the third quarter, according to preliminary compiling by OECD, the Bank of Korea said Wednesday. Korea’s real GDP grew 1.166 percent in the July–September period, ranking third out of 26 countries that had released preliminary estimates, Israel topped the list with 2.967 percent November 26, 2025

Korean Air to phase out plastic meal trays for eco-friendly alternatives SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - Korean Air has decided to gradually replace its in-flight meal containers with ones with eco-friendly, sustainable alternatives as early as next month, the flagship carrier said on Tuesday. The airline will begin using containers made from plant-based, non-wood pulp materials on select routes in early December, with plans to expand their use across its entire fleet by the end of next year. The move is intended to reduce plastic use and carbon emissions a November 25, 2025

Musinsa posts record profit for second straight year despite fashion industry downturn SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - South Korean fashion platform Musinsa announced on Tuesday its cumulative operating profit through the third quarter rose more than 20 percent from a year earlier to surpass 70 billion won ($50 million), while revenue increased by double digits. Third-quarter operating profit on a consolidated basis increased 7.3 percent from a year earlier to 11.8 billion won, while revenue expanded 11.8 percent to 302.4 billion won. Cumulative operating profit throu November 25, 2025