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Prominent Korean AI researcher departs OpenAI to join Meta SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - Hyung Won Chung, a prominent researcher at OpenAI and the only Korean contributor to its cutting-edge o1 model, has joined Meta’s newly formed Superintelligence Lab. Chung will move to Meta alongside Jason Wei, another former OpenAI researcher with whom he collaborated on both the o1 model and OpenAI’s Deep Research initiative. Chung, who earned his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2019, previously spent four years at Go July 18, 2025
[K-Tech] Low birthrate forces military pivot toward drones, automation SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - With fewer than 240,000 babies born in South Korea last year, the nation’s demographic decline is accelerating at a pace that is now shaping defense policy as urgently as it has shaped economic and social planning. South Korea’s total fertility rate remains one of the lowest in the world, at approximately 0.75 children per woman. The implications for national defense are profound. The armed forces, which maintained a troop strength of around 6 July 18, 2025
Chey Tae-won calls APEC Summit showcase for Korean democracy SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group and president of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said Thursday this year’s APEC Summit in Seoul will serve as a “grand showcase of Korea’s economic strength” and a rare opportunity to bring global business leaders into direct dialogue. Speaking at the opening of the 48th KCCI Summer Forum in Gyeongju, Chey cast the October summit as both a symbolic and strategic milestone for the c July 17, 2025
Goldman Sachs downgrades SK hynix, citing risks of HBM price decline SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - Goldman Sachs downgraded its investment rating on SK hynix to "neutral" from "buy" on Thursday, warning that intensifying competition in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market could trigger the first price decline in the segment next year. In a research note, the U.S. investment bank cautioned that pricing power is gradually shifting to major customers — such as Nvidia — potentially undermining the profitability of HBM supplie July 17, 2025
President Lee appoints former Doosan chairman to lead trade mission to Washington SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has tapped Park Yong-maan, the former chairman of Doosan Group, to head a special envoy delegation to the United States, ruling party officials said Thursday. The delegation, which is set to depart for Washington next week, includes Democratic Party lawmaker Han Jun-ho and Kim Woo-young, a former senior political aide. Park will serve as the chief envoy. The appointment comes at a critical moment in U.S.–South Kore July 17, 2025
Kia to equip upcoming EV5 with CATL batteries SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - Kia, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, will use batteries made by China’s CATL in its upcoming EV5 electric compact SUV, expanding Hyundai’s reliance on Chinese battery technology. The EV5, scheduled to launch in September, will be equipped with CATL’s nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) battery packs, which have a capacity of 81.4 kilowatt-hours, according to Kia officials. NCM batteries, while more costly due to volatile raw material prices July 17, 2025
Samsung chairman escapes legal peril as Supreme Court upholds acquittal SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the acquittal of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong on charges stemming from the controversial 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates and related accounting practices — concluding a nearly five-year legal battle that once threatened to upend the leadership of the country’s largest conglomerate. The court, presided over by Chief Justice Oh Seok-jun, affirmed lower court rulings that cleare July 17, 2025
KOGAS anchors Korea's energy strategy in age of AI, uncertainty Editor's Note: This article is the 27th installment in our series on Asia's top 100 companies, exploring the strategies, challenges, and innovations driving the region's most influential corporations. SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - As artificial intelligence reshapes global energy consumption patterns, the Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) is placing a bold wager on liquefied natural gas. The state-run energy company reported this week that the first shipment of LNG from the Ca July 17, 2025
[K-Tech] Hanwha brings 3D printing to US shipyard in push for LNG, naval market share SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - Hanwha is rolling out advanced 3D printing technologies at Philly Shipyard, part of a sweeping plan to transform the historic U.S. shipbuilding site into a hub for high-value commercial and military vessels. Hanwha Ocean and Hanwha Systems, which jointly acquired the Philadelphia-based facility in 2023, have begun deploying metal additive manufacturing processes to fabricate complex components directly on-site — a shift that marks a departure from trad July 16, 2025
[K-Tech] LG challenges OpenAI, Alibaba with new hybrid AI model, EXAONE 4.0 SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - LG AI Research on Wednesday unveiled what it calls South Korea’s first hybrid artificial intelligence model, EXAONE 4.0, a system that fuses large language processing with advanced reasoning capabilities. The release marks LG’s fourth major AI launch in as many months, as the company escalates efforts to compete with global players like OpenAI, Anthropic, Alibaba, and Google. EXAONE 4.0 integrates two distinct AI functions — a large lang July 16, 2025