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  Korea Zinc's Tennessee smelter gains a rare fast-track federal greenlight SEOUL, April 27 (AJP) - Korea Zinc's $7.4 billion Tennessee smelter - largely funded by Washington - has been fast-tracked to expedite the first zinc refinery project in the United States since the 1970s. The company said Project Crucible, its planned non-ferrous metals complex in Clarksville, has been designated a covered project under FAST-41, a Washington program run by the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) that consolidates federal permitt April 27, 2026
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  CJ CheilJedang deepens Vietnam retail partnership to boost K-food reach SEOUL, April 27 (AJP) - CJ CheilJedang is deepening its foothold in Vietnam's fast-growing processed food market through an expanded partnership with Bach Hoa Xanh, the country's largest supermarket chain. The company announced Monday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Bach Hoa Xanh, a subsidiary of Vietnam's largest retail group MWG, on April 23 in Hanoi to jointly develop processed food products, bolster cold-chain infrastructure and broaden consumer reach f April 27, 2026
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  Strike could deal heavy blow to Samsung, academic warns SEOUL, April 26 (AJP) - A looming large-scale strike by unionized Samsung Electronics workers, amid an ongoing compensation dispute, could lead to significant economic losses, disrupting global supply chains if it goes ahead next month, according to an academic analysis. The chip giant's labor union has threatened to stage a three-week strike from May 21 to June 7 if negotiations fail. Speaking at a forum in southern Seoul last week hosted by think tank Ahnmin Institute for P April 26, 2026
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  Icebreakers emerge as Korea's answer to Gulf risks  SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) - The opening of Arctic shipping routes could solve multiple problems for South Korea, a country entirely dependent on crude imports, by cutting voyage distances by up to 30 percent and bypassing volatile Gulf waters. The question is how. South Korean shipbuilders are moving closer to an answer as they double down on icebreakers — specialized vessels designed to crush sea ice and keep frozen shipping lanes open. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries recently sig April 24, 2026
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  Kia Q1 profit fall near 30% on higher U.S. tariffs and Gulf shipping costs SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) — South Korean carmaker Kia, like its sister company Hyundai Motor, suffered a double-digit decline in earnings in the first quarter despite record sales, as higher tariff costs on U.S. shipments and shipping disruptions linked to Gulf tensions weighed on profitability. Operating profit fell 26.7 percent on year to 2.2 trillion won ($1.52 billion), reflecting an estimated 755 billion won increase in U.S.-related tariff costs compared to a year earlier, April 24, 2026
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  Hyundai Steel swings to Q1 operating profit on higher sales volume SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) - Hyundai Steel returned to the black in the first quarter of 2026, posting an operating profit of 15.7 billion won ($10.5 million) as rising sales volumes offset persistent cost pressures. The company reported consolidated revenue of 5.74 trillion won for the January to March period on Friday, up 3.2 percent from a year ago, buoyed by stronger product shipments. Operating profit, however, slid 63.7 percent quarter-on-quarter as exchange rate headwinds and elev April 24, 2026
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  KDB Life Insurance up for sale again SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) - Korea Development Bank (KDB) has begun a formal process to sell its subsidiary KDB Life Insurance, aiming to complete the sale within this year. According to industry sources, the state-run bank on Friday put out a notice to sell 116 million shares in KDB Life Insurance and relinquish management control. KDB holds 99.75 percent of the insurer's outstanding shares, making it the largest shareholder. This is not the bank's first attempt to sell April 24, 2026
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  Korean Air delivers 5,000th wingtip device for Airbus' A320 SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) - Korean Air has delivered its 5,000th "Sharklet," a wingtip device fitted to Airbus' A320 aircraft, the South Korean flagship carrier said on Friday. The upward-curving Sharklet is attached to the tip of the narrow-body airliner, helping improve aerodynamic efficiency and reduce fuel consumption. After winning a bid from Airbus in 2010 to manufacture Sharklets, Korean Air produced its first unit in July 2012 and has since built an automate April 24, 2026
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  Hyundai Mobis posts steady Q1 gains amid global demand slump SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) - Hyundai Mobis reported resilient first-quarter earnings, logging revenue of 15.56 trillion won ($10.5 billion) and operating profit of 802.6 billion won as expanded supply of high-value electrification components and robust aftermarket demand offset a broader cooling in global vehicle sales. Revenue rose 5.5 percent from a year earlier while operating profit climbed 3.3 percent, the company said in a regulatory filing on Friday. Net profit came in at 883.1 bi April 24, 2026
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  Korea's chip irony: record Samsung Elec shares and mass workers rally PYEONGTAEK, April 23 (AJP) -On the same day the KOSPI scaled a record high and South Korea posted its strongest quarterly growth in five years, tens of thousands of workers at the very heart of that boom took to the streets — protesting what they called a widening gap between record profits and compensation. “Even at this very moment, our colleagues are leaving,” shouted Thursday Woo Ha-kyung, acting head of the National Samsung Electronics Union, her voice hoarse April 23, 2026