Industry

  • Refiners hit by avalanche of woes as crude volatility, supply risks mount
    Refiners hit by avalanche of woes as crude volatility, supply risks mount SEOUL, April 5 (AJP) - A surge in oil prices has given domestic refiners a short-term boost, but industry watchers warn that their gains may quickly evaporate as market volatility and supply constraints are expected to continue amid the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. At least until last month, refiners managed to keep operations steady by relying on existing inventories and alternative supplies, but risks are rising as crude prices swing sharply and securing feedstock beco April 5, 2026
  • S.Koreas diversified LNG supply chain mitigates risks amid Australias potential export limits
    S.Korea's diversified LNG supply chain mitigates risks amid Australia's potential export limits SEOUL, April 04 (AJP) - South Korea is facing potential supply chain disruptions for liquefied natural gas (LNG) as Australia, its largest LNG supplier, considers prioritizing domestic demand amid growing global uncertainties driven by the Middle East conflict. While the government expects limited near-term impacts, broader concerns over global energy supply stability remain. In response, proactive measures by South Korean private energy firms, such as SK Innovation E&S and April 4, 2026
  • Cheap drones reshape Iran war, raising risk of North Korea copycat
    Cheap drones reshape Iran war, raising risk of North Korea copycat SEOUL, April 03 (AJP) - Low-cost drones are rapidly redefining modern warfare in the Iran conflict, exposing a growing cost imbalance that could have direct implications for the Korean Peninsula. U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed Washington achieved most of its strategic objectives in the war, likening the 32-day campaign to major 20th-century conflicts. Yet the fighting has dragged on longer than expected, far from the swift outcome suggested in the early hours of the U.S.-Is April 3, 2026
  • HD Korea Shipbuilding issues $1.57 bn in exchangeable bonds, sparking valuation re-rating hopes
    HD Korea Shipbuilding issues $1.57 bn in exchangeable bonds, sparking valuation re-rating hopes SEOUL, April 03 (AJP) - HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering has launched a 2.37 trillion won ($1.57 billion) exchangeable bond issuance targeting shares of its flagship subsidiary HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, a move analysts say could dismantle the holding company discount that has long weighed on its stock. The company disclosed the EB issuance on March 31, later revising the total from an initially announced 3.03 trillion won. The bonds are exchangeable into a 4.3 per April 3, 2026
  • Seoul forced to swallow Trumps call, increase US share in energy
    Seoul forced to swallow Trump's call, increase US share in energy SEOUL, April 02 (AJP) - South Korea is scrambling to shore up dwindling energy supplies and diversify away from the Middle East after U.S. President Donald Trump ruled out an immediate end to the Iran war, vowing instead to hit Iran "extremely hard over the next two to three weeks." In a primetime address from the White House on Thursday, Trump made clear the operation would last through April, destabilizing not just Iran's military infrastructure but also the core Mi April 2, 2026
  • Korean Air accelerates AI-powered drone development with 2028 deployment target
    Korean Air accelerates AI-powered drone development with 2028 deployment target SEOUL, April 02 (AJP) - Korean Air is stepping up its push into unmanned aerial systems, advancing development of an artificial intelligence-powered high-speed target drone while investing $130 million in a new manufacturing facility in Busan to expand production capacity. The company said it recently completed a System Requirements Review (SRR) for its domestically developed high-speed target drone project at the Daejeon Convention Center, attended by officials from the Defense Acq April 2, 2026
  • Hyundai Motor bets on EV re-pivot after Gulf crisis
    Hyundai Motor bets on EV re-pivot after Gulf crisis SEOUL, April 02 (AJP) -South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group is stepping harder on the pedal in battery development and factory upgrades, after a period of stalled investment amid weak demand, as it bets on a structural shift toward non-fuel vehicles triggered by the global energy crisis. Its affiliate Kia said Wednesday that domestic sales of eco-friendly vehicles — including hybrids, electric vehicles and hydrogen-powered cars — jumped 51.9 percent on-year in March to April 2, 2026
  • Investors are jittery, but analysts are buoyant behind Korean memory makers vs TurboQuant
    Investors are jittery, but analysts are buoyant behind Korean memory makers vs TurboQuant SEOUL, April 01 (AJP) - A new artificial intelligence data-compression technology from Google has hit Seoul’s main stock market as hard as Strait of Hormuz-related news, as it involves South Korea’s top memory chipmakers responsible for around 40 percent of not just the KOSPI but also the country’s exports. Since the unveiling of Google’s TurboQuant, a next-generation quantization algorithm, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix saw their shares tumble 4.7 perce April 1, 2026
  • Flying for South Koreans is now a luxury as fuel surcharge triples
    Flying for South Koreans is now a luxury as fuel surcharge triples SEOUL, April 01 (AJP) - Flying out of South Korea is fast becoming a luxury, as airlines this month slapped on fuel surcharges up to three times higher, passing on the surge in jet fuel prices driven by Middle East conflicts. For long-haul routes to the United States and beyond, passengers now face up to 600,000 won ($398) in additional round-trip costs from fuel surcharges alone. With oil prices still climbing, further increases are expected as early as next month. Industry data April 1, 2026
  • Kia launches massive recruitment drive
    Kia launches massive recruitment drive SEOUL, April 1 (AJP) - Kia will hire a large number of new employees in the first half of this year, a rare move at a time when many companies are tightening their belts amid a prolonged economic slowdown, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The automaker said on Wednesday that the recruitment drive, which will hire both entry-level and experienced workers as well as interns across some 34 fields within the company, aims to expand opportunities for young talent April 1, 2026