Young consumers drive preorders for Samsung's latest foldable phones SEOUL, July 31 (AJP) - Young consumers are leading preorders for Samsung Electronics' newest foldable phones. The electronics giant said Friday that with three days left in the preorder period for its Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Fold8, and Flip8 which started earlier this week, about half of all preorders were placed by customers in their teens and 30s. The most popular model among them was the Fold8, which Samsung attributed to its passport-like portability when folded and tablet July 31, 2026

Samyang Foods joins culture ministry to lure Buldak fans to Korea SEOUL, July 31 (AJP) - South Korea's culture ministry announced it would sign a memorandum of understanding with instant-noodle maker Samyang Foods to promote overseas tourism, seeking to convert the global appetite for Korean food into visits to the country. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Friday the deal is designed to channel the worldwide popularity of K-food into tangible travel demand, pairing Korean tourism advertising with Samyang's products and cont July 31, 2026

Korea's June factory output hits 6-year high, chip lifts domestic front SEOUL, July 31 (AJP) - South Korea's factory output soared to a six-year high in June as robust automobile demand complemented chip activity, lifting the broader domestic economy. Mining and manufacturing output climbed 5.8 percent from May and 6.4 percent from a year earlier, the strongest monthly performance since June 2020, according to data released Friday by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The rebound followed a revised 2.9 percent decline in May. Automobile produc July 31, 2026

KAI signs MOU with Embraer on aircraft structures SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - Korea Aerospace Industries has signed a memorandum of understanding with Brazilian aerospace company Embraer to begin strategic cooperation in the field of aircraft structures, the company said Thursday. The agreement was signed on July 28 during President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to Brazil, laying the groundwork for broader cooperation between the two companies in future aerospace technologies. KAI said the MOU is aimed at exploring potential busi July 30, 2026

Military to inspect guard operations across Army corps after ammunition controversy SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - South Korea’s military will inspect guard operations across all Army corps after controversy emerged over a front-line unit’s decision not to keep live ammunition loaded in crew-served weapons during border guard operations. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Thursday, the Army’s Ground Operations Command will begin the inspection with I Corps and expand it to all subordinate corps. The review will look into whether other corps have July 30, 2026

Japan quake puts Korea's AI ambitions on seismic alert SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - Every powerful earthquake beneath the East Sea sends more than tremors across South Korea. As the country races to build the world's next artificial intelligence manufacturing hub — from semiconductor fabs to hyperscale data centers — seismic resilience is becoming an industrial necessity rather than simply a matter of public safety. The urgency was underscored this week after a powerful earthquake struck southwestern Japan, temporarily disru July 30, 2026

South Korea's RIMPAC command marks a naval coming of age SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - South Korea crossed a milestone in its decades-long naval evolution this week by commanding the maritime component of the world's largest multinational naval exercise for the first time, underscoring Seoul's growing ambition to become a blue-water navy capable of operating far beyond the Korean Peninsula. The Republic of Korea Navy served as commander of the Combined Forces Maritime Component during this year's Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), July 30, 2026

Hanwha chairman's three sons promoted in major leadership reshuffle SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - Hanwha Group said Thursday it will promote Chairman Kim Seung-youn’s three sons and replace the heads of five affiliates, in a major leadership reshuffle set to take effect on Aug. 1. Kim Dong-kwan, the chairman’s eldest son and vice chairman of Hanwha Group, will be promoted to senior vice chairman. Kim Dong-won, the second son and president of Hanwha Life, will become vice chairman, while Kim Dong-sun, the youngest son and vice president of Hanwh July 30, 2026

Chip boom fuels Samsung heyday, beggars its device business SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - A trophy child often comes at the expense of a sibling, and the "beggar-thy-family" concept can scarcely be better illustrated than by Samsung Electronics' second-quarter results. The South Korean technology behemoth reported that its Device Solutions (DS) semiconductor division generated an operating profit of 89.2 trillion won ($64.4 billion) on revenue of 127.5 trillion won in the second quarter, translating into a jaw-dropping operating mar July 30, 2026

Korea bets on being indispensable in U.S.-China AI rivalry SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - When the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) this week barred new imports of Chinese-made humanoid robots, it marked another escalation in the technology war that began with semiconductors and rare earths. More importantly, it showed that strategic competition has entered the age of physical artificial intelligence — where robots, AI models and communications networks are increasingly treated as national-security assets. For South Korea, the dec July 30, 2026