S. Korea must race to grab US-bound talents for leap in AI race: IFEZ czar SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - Brain power defines the AI era, and the possibility of a brain drain in Silicon Valley from the U.S. imposition of hefty fees on skilled-worker visas offers an "enormous" opportunity for South Korea, said the nation’s foreign direct investment (FDI) czar. "This is a windfall, and we must move fast in hosting roadshows to draw global brains here," said Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Commissioner Yun Won-sok in an exclusive inte October 2, 2025

Korean retailers double down on SE Asian foray amid weak demand at home SEOUL, October 1 (AJP) - Faced with lengthy depression in domestic demand at home, Korean retailers have been aggressive in their outreach and expansion in the Asian market, riding on the popularity of Korean contents and food. Pivot Asia has become the common strategy for Korean retailers spanning from fashion houses to convenience stores. Lotte Shopping is accelerating its overseas business with 'Lotte Mall Westlake Hanoi', based in Hanoi, Vietnam. Since opening two y October 1, 2025

Samsung Elec's watershed tri-fold display to share APEC spotlight SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will seize the global stage of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea to unveil the world’s first tri-fold smartphone. Tentatively named the Galaxy G Fold, the device features a 9.96-inch infolding display, up to 16 gigabytes of RAM, and as much as 1 terabyte of storage, according to market sources. It runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and comes with a 200-megapixel main camera, along October 1, 2025

From BTS to global idol incubator: HYBE's next chapter Editor's Note: This article is the 38th installment in our series on Asia's top 100 companies, exploring the strategies, challenges, and innovations driving the region's most influential corporations. SEOUL, October 1 (AJP) - HYBE, the Korean entertainment powerhouse behind BTS, has become a defining force in the global music industry. What began as Big Hit Music under founder Bang Si-hyuk has grown into a multi-label empire that not only produces K-pop superstars bu October 1, 2025

Korean shipbuilders out to defend LNG dominance as orders revive SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - Korean shipbuilders have dominated the global orderbook for liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers this year, securing 14 out of 16 new orders and leaving none for Chinese rivals despite an overall market slowdown. The global LNG market has long been split between Korea and China, with Korea’s lead appearing at risk until last year. But Korean yards have pulled ahead again in 2025, buoyed by shifts in demand and trade policies. China October 1, 2025

Entropy plays to the Korean beat in Seongsu's hip mecca SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - Seongsu-dong, the capital of trendiness in Seoul brimming with warehouse galleries, hep cafes, and fashion-forward crowd, has been drawing international brands to pilot their newest products on Korea’s style-savvy consumers. Entropy Makeup was the latest to join the wave, opening its first standalone pop-up store at LECT in Seongsu last weekend. The two-week event spotlights the brand's new Slide Up Dough Cheek blush, a retro slide-phone–ins October 1, 2025

GM brings Super Cruise hands-free driving system to South Korea SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - General Motors on Wednesday introduced its hands-free driver assistance system, Super Cruise, to South Korea, expanding the technology beyond North America and China. The system, which allows hands-free driving under certain conditions, features automatic lane changes and driver monitoring to ensure motorists keep their eyes on the road. In South Korea, it will be available on more than 23,000 kilometers of highways and major roads. To adapt the tech October 1, 2025

Trade chief urges US to treat South Korea, Japan on separate terms SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - South Korea’s trade minister said Wednesday that he is working to persuade Washington to recognize the differences between the South Korean and Japanese economies in tariff talks with the United States. Speaking at a policy forum in Seoul, Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said that while the U.S. trade deficit with both South Korea and Japan appeared similar last year, the two economies diverge sharply in their industrial structures and foreign exchan October 1, 2025

Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong's stock wealth surges $2.7 billion SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong added more than 3.7 trillion won ($2.7 billion) to his stock wealth in the third quarter, cementing his position as South Korea’s richest corporate leader by equity holdings, according to new data released Tuesday. The Korea CXO Institute reported that the market value of Lee’s shares rose 24.4 percent from 15.25 trillion won at the end of June to 18.98 trillion won by the end of September, driven October 1, 2025

Celltrion secures $300 million in export insurance to bolster global expansion SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - Celltrion, one of South Korea’s leading biopharmaceutical companies, has obtained $300 million in short-term export insurance from the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-Sure), a move aimed at strengthening its overseas operations and cash flow. The agreement marks the first time the state-run insurer has extended such support to the overseas branch of a Korean pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, underscoring the government’s effor October 1, 2025