Trump-Xi chip bargaining puts Korean memory makers on alert SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) -From tariffs and rare earths to Iran and artificial intelligence, the U.S.-China summit on Sept. 24 has a crowded agenda. For South Korean chipmakers, the business issue to watch would be whether semiconductors become bargaining currency in a broader trade deal between the world's two largest economies. Chinese President Xi Jinping is said to be assembling an unusually large business delegation, possibly to match the high-profile entourage U.S. Presid September 18, 2026

Korea, Indonesia sign halal pact ahead of import mandate SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - Korean food and cosmetics makers gained state support for Indonesia's upcoming halal mandate, the food safety ministry said Friday. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia's Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) at the fifth Summit of Halal 20, which opened in Indonesia. The deal follows up on President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to Jakarta in March and covers technical c September 18, 2026

Sumair launches South Gyeongsang tour package from Gimpo SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - Regional airline Sumair has launched a package tour connecting Seoul-area travelers with smaller cities in South Gyeongsang Province, combining flights, accommodation, meals and local guides. The airline said Friday it partnered with the Gyeongnam Tourism Foundation and Hadong Nolluwa Cooperative to launch the three-day “South Coast Local Tour,” covering Sacheon, Namhae and Goseong. Sumair has operated four daily round trips between Gimpo a September 18, 2026

Hanwha Systems joins national AI-based space surveillance project SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - Hanwha Systems has begun developing an AI-powered space situational awareness system aimed at detecting and tracking objects in orbit and assessing collision and reentry risks. The company said Friday it signed a contract with the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute on Sept. 9 to participate in the development of South Korea’s national Space Situational Awareness system, or K-SSA. The project comes as the rapid growth of satellites in low September 18, 2026

Six of 17 drone demos falter as Seoul rules out separate probe SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - South Korea's Defense Ministry said Thursday it does not plan a separate investigation into six drone demonstrations that went awry at a military-hosted technology event, leaving participating companies to determine what went wrong as questions mount over the reliability of systems intended for future battlefield use. Six of 17 demonstrations failed to go as planned during the inaugural 2026 Defense Drone Technology Exhibition held Wednesday at the Se September 17, 2026

Samsung's people-first creed under test as chip bonanza deepens divisions Editors Note: This is the first of a two-part AJP series examining the side effects of the chip bonanza, starting with the widening fault lines inside Samsung Electronics. SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - A few decades ago, every Samsung office had corporate slogans from founder Lee Byung-chull hanging on the wall. One read: "Men make business." Lee prided himself on having devoted 80 percent of his life to finding and cultivating talent. The creed ran through the spine September 17, 2026

Scores of users' information exposed in cyberattack, Kakao Games reveals SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - Kakao Games belatedly said Thursday that some 140 users of two of its services had their personal information exposed in a cyberattack last week. The game publisher said it detected unusual activity on its systems at 10:44 p.m. last Saturday, prompting it to block the unauthorized access and launch an internal probe, which found that an outside attacker had breached the system. After immediately blocking the access and checking the affected systems, September 17, 2026

Korean battery makers under Trump whims – from EV retreat to datacenters SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump's retreat from Biden-era electric-vehicle policies has upended the American growth plans of South Korean battery makers, leaving factories built for an EV boom idled, scaled back or searching for a new purpose. Now, some are finding one in the power-hungry data-center boom. Canceled U.S. EV and battery projects between January 2025 and August this year had promised about 27,000 jobs, according to a Reuters analysis of Atla September 17, 2026

LG chiefs gather to sharpen AI strategy SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and executives from major affiliates gathered to review the conglomerate's investment strategy as artificial intelligence reshapes industries and technology, the group said Thursday. About 40 executives from LG Electronics, LG Display, LG Innotek, LG Chem, LG Energy Solution and LG Uplus attended the eight-hour meeting held Wednesday at the LG Academy in Icheon, south of Seoul. Executives reviewed existing inves September 17, 2026

Samsung to power Cebu development with AI systems SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will supply AI-powered home appliances and building management systems to a mixed-use development in Cebu, the Philippines, as the company expands its business-to-business solutions in Southeast Asia. Samsung said Thursday it signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korean property developer DH Plus to provide AI appliances, SmartThings Pro and its b.IoT building management platform for the Glanz Forest Park project. Sc September 17, 2026