Samsung, SK hynix wage next battle for AI memory leadership at FMS SEOUL, August 05 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics and SK hynix used the same stage at the Future of Memory and Storage (FMS) conference in Santa Clara this week to make two different arguments for who will shape artificial intelligence's next memory era, underscoring how South Korea's chip champions are now competing as much over future architecture as today's products. The rivalry matters well beyond the two companies. Together, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix dominate th August 5, 2026

Krafton to bring five games, including new PUBG title, to Gamescom 2026 SEOUL, August 05 (AJP) - South Korean game publisher Krafton announced it will present five upcoming titles at Gamescom 2026, the industry's largest trade fair, headlined by an unannounced project built on its blockbuster PUBG franchise. The lineup, to be shown from Aug. 26 to 30 at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany, spans internally developed games and second-party publishing projects, underscoring the company's push to broaden beyond the battle royale format that made its August 5, 2026

HMM to open India-East Africa container route in September SEOUL, August 05 (AJP) - HMM, South Korea's largest container carrier, said it would launch a new service linking India and East Africa in September, extending the hub-and-spoke network that has become the centerpiece of its expansion strategy. The service announced Wednesday, branded Gulf-India-East Africa (GIA), will connect the Indian gateway ports of Nhava Sheva and Mundra — where cargo from India and Central Asia converges — with Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Mo August 5, 2026

NEO Battery Materials to invest $62 million in Gimje battery hub SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - Canadian battery technology company NEO Battery Materials will invest $62 million to expand a production hub for next-generation batteries used in drones, defense systems and other high-performance applications in Gimje, North Jeolla Province. The company’s Korean subsidiary signed an investment agreement Tuesday with Jeonbuk State and the city of Gimje at its first factory in the Gimje Free Trade Zone. Under the agreement, NEO Battery Materials Kor August 4, 2026

From princesses to students, conscription makes a global comeback SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, together with growing doubts about U.S. security guarantees, are driving a global revival of military conscription as governments conclude that technology alone cannot supply enough soldiers for a prolonged conflict. Royalty is no exception. Princess Isabella, second in line to the Danish throne, made international headlines on Monday when she reported to a military barracks in Slagelse to begin 11 months of military s August 4, 2026

ROK Navy appoints first woman to command major naval vessel SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - The Republic of Korea Navy has appointed Capt. Bae Sun-young as commanding officer of ROKS Dokdo, making her the first woman to command one of the service’s major vessels. Bae will formally take command of the ship on Wednesday, the Navy said Tuesday. Captains are the highest-ranking commanding officers assigned to Navy ships and lead major vessels such as amphibious assault ships, destroyers and large logistics support ships. No female officer had August 4, 2026

Eco-friendly vehicles make up nearly 60% of new car registrations in South Korea SEOUL, August 4 (AJP) - Six in 10 newly registered vehicles in South Korea in the first half of this year were eco-friendly models, amid a decline in registrations of internal combustion engine vehicles, the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA) said on Tuesday. The number of newly registered vehicles during the first six months rose 1.3 percent from a year earlier to 850,636, with eco-friendly vehicles including electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, accounting for August 4, 2026

AI windfall splits One-Samsung as DX workers plan protest rally SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics' record first-half earnings have exposed an unusual corporate paradox: the semiconductor division generated almost all of the company's profits, but in doing so widened an internal pay gap that is now splintering the company's long-held "One Samsung" culture. Samsung's Device Solutions (DS) semiconductor division earned 146.7 trillion won ($106 billion) in operating profit during the first half, dwarfing the 3. August 4, 2026

New humanoids break from the two-legged mold SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - A horned, chainsaw-wielding machine that looks less like a factory helper than a creature from Greek myth went viral online this week, the latest sign that the humanoid robot — long imagined as a two-legged mechanical twin of its maker — is quietly shedding the human silhouette that once defined it. The machine, named Threehalves, is being developed by Satyress Robotics, a startup based in Auburn, California. It grafts a humanoid upper body onto August 4, 2026

Samsung's Galaxy Z8 shatters 7-year pre-order record SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - South Koreans are snapping up Samsung Electronics’ latest foldable phones at a blistering pace of 140 units per minute, shattering a seven-year pre-order record and proving that the foldable form factor has officially shed its novelty status to become a mainstream must-have. Over a seven-day pre-order window that wrapped up on Monday, the tech giant racked up a staggering 1.44 million domestic sales for its Galaxy Z8 series, comprising the Z Fold8, Z August 4, 2026