Inside Koreas' chip republic: Samsung's AI future starts at 3:45 a.m. This is the second installment of AJP's Chip Republic series, offering a rare first-hand look inside Samsung Electronics' next-generation fab construction site as the chip giant races to defend its technological supremacy. PYEONGTAEK, August 10 (AJP) - At 3:45 a.m., with the worst of the day's heat still hours away, Samsung Electronics' race to build its next great semiconductor factory is already underway. Temporary food stalls appear in the darkness outside P5 August 10, 2026

Korean gaming industry's love-hate affair with AI SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - South Korean gamers are famously hard to please, putting almost anything new through a punishing stress test. Few newcomers have received a colder welcome than artificial intelligence — loathed when players can see it, yet increasingly indispensable to the people making the games. Korean game developer Shift Up posted a music video for one of its own titles on July 31. Within days, fans had a word for it: slop. The clip for "Wanna Be in Love August 10, 2026

Krafton turns PUBG danger zone into summer escape SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - Krafton will open a summer-themed pop-up event called "Blue Zone" at its PUBG-branded space PUBG Seongsu in Seoul starting Tuesday. The event reimagines the in-game "blue zone" — a shrinking boundary that threatens players in the battle royale title Battlegrounds — as a refuge from the summer heat. The venue will host a collaborative exhibition featuring international artists from The Jaunt project and Busan-based Union Gal August 10, 2026

HS-748 presidential aircraft exhibition opens in Seoul SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - South Korea's National Aviation Museum will open a special exhibition Tuesday tracing the more than five-decade history of the HS-748, the country's first aircraft purchased specifically for presidential use. Titled "Final Flight, New Beginning: Presidential Aircraft HS-748," the exhibition will run from Aug. 11, 2026, through July 31, 2027, at the museum in western Seoul. It chronicles the aircraft's service as a presidential plane fro August 10, 2026

No longer a 'dad phone'? Samsung's Fold8 finds younger, female buyers SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Fold8 is drawing a younger and more female customer base than its predecessors, early sales data showed, offering signs that the premium foldable is moving beyond its traditional image as a productivity-focused device favored largely by older male users. Consumers in their teens through 30s accounted for more than half of Fold8 purchases through Samsung's Korean online store during the preorder period, according to the August 10, 2026

Naver, education institute team up on AI textbooks for seniors SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - Naver announced Monday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Institute for Lifelong Education (NILE) to jointly develop AI and digital literacy content tailored to senior citizens, as part of a broader push to narrow South Korea's digital divide. The agreement revealed Monday was signed on Aug. 7 at Naver's headquarters in Bundang, the company said. It aims to strengthen everyday AI and digital competency among seniors and August 10, 2026

Jeju Air sees demand for China routes surge under visa-waiver program SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - Jeju Air saw demand for its China routes surge as more travelers flew between South Korea and China following a visa waiver program between the two countries, the low-cost carrier said Monday. According to the carrier, a total of 494,300 seats were available on routes between the two countries from January through July, up 26.8 percent from about 389,900 a year earlier, while passenger numbers also rose 37.4 percent to about 427,300 from about 311,000. August 10, 2026

USFK air defense unit deploys to Palau for live-fire drills  SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - A U.S. Forces Korea air defense unit recently deployed to Palau in the western Pacific for live-fire surface-to-air missile drills as part of a multinational exercise led by U.S. Army Pacific. The 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, assigned to the U.S. Eighth Army in South Korea, participated in Tenacious Archer 2026, according to information released by the U.S. military. Tenacious Archer is an annual multinational air and missile defense exercise condu August 10, 2026

Samsung steps up US hiring ahead of chip plant's launch in Texas SEOUL, August 9 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is ramping up efforts to secure local talent for its semiconductor fab in Taylor, Texas, as it prepares to begin initial operations later this year. According to industry sources on Sunday, the chip giant recently opened applications for its first summer internship program at the Taylor fab. It marks the first time the facility has been included in Samsung's annual overseas internship program, highlighting the company's efforts t August 9, 2026

Coway's overseas business powers double-digit revenue growth SEOUL, August 08 (AJP) - South Korean home appliance rental company Coway reported double-digit revenue growth in the second quarter, driven by robust overseas demand and steady sales of premium products in its home market. Revenue rose 14.6 percent from a year earlier to 1.44 trillion won ($1.04 billion) in the April-June quarter, while operating profit increased 4.3 percent to 253.2 billion won, according to the company. First-half revenue climbed 13.9 percent to 2.77 trillion w August 8, 2026