Industry

  • Korean materials firm Posco Future M invests in US solid-state battery maker
    Korean materials firm Posco Future M invests in US solid-state battery maker SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - South Korean battery materials and chemicals company Posco Future M has invested in U.S. solid-state battery company Factorial, stepping up efforts to secure a foothold in next-generation battery technology. The company said Tuesday that it has signed an investment agreement with Factorial on Jan. 7 and completed payment on Monday. Posco Future M didn't disclose the terms of the investment. The move builds on a memorandum of understanding signed January 27, 2026
  • Korean large firms turn confident about business prospects for the first time in nearly 4 yrs
    Korean large firms turn confident about business prospects for the first time in nearly 4 yrs SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) -South Korea’s large manufacturers — most of them export-oriented — turned optimistic about business conditions on strong orders in semiconductors and shipbuilding, even as overall business sentiment softened at the start of 2026, a Bank of Korea survey showed Tuesday. The business sentiment index for large manufacturing firms rose to 101.8 in January, up from 97.7 a month earlier, marking the first time the reading topped the neutral 100 th January 27, 2026
  • Trump threatens to raise tariffs back to 25%, blaming Seoul for delaying tariff deal
    Trump threatens to raise tariffs back to 25%, blaming Seoul for delaying tariff deal SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) -U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he is raising tariffs on a wide range of South Korean goods from 15 percent to 25 percent, citing delays in South Korea’s National Assembly approving a bilateral trade agreement reached last year. “Because the Korean Legislature hasn’t enacted our Historic Trade Agreement, which is their prerogative, I am hereby increasing South Korean TARIFFS on Autos, Lumber, Pharma, and all other Reciprocal TARIFFS January 27, 2026
  • Regulator blocks merger plan for Koreas leading car rental firms, citing monopoly risks
    Regulator blocks merger plan for Korea's leading car rental firms, citing monopoly risks SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has blocked a proposed merger between Lotte Rental and SK Rent-a-Car, the country’s largest and second-largest rental-car operators, citing concerns that the deal would weaken competition and lead to higher prices. The commission said on Monday it had issued such an order on a filing by private equity firm Affinity Equity Partners to acquire a 63.5 percent stake in Lotte Rental. Affinity acquired January 26, 2026
  • AI servers shift toward memory as Samsung moves first with HBM4 rollout
    AI servers shift toward memory as Samsung moves first with HBM4 rollout SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has bolted out in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) race as it readies to roll out sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory, HBM4, next month bound for U.S.-based fabless chip leaders Nvidia and AMD. The Korean tech giant has completed final qualification processes with major AI accelerator customers, clearing the transition from sampling to mass production ahead of next-generation chip launches expected later this year. Industry source January 26, 2026
  • Korean travel firm ties up with Son Heung-mins LAFC on fan tours
    Korean travel firm ties up with Son Heung-min's LAFC on fan tours SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - South Korean tourism platform MyRealTrip has signed an official partnership with Los Angeles FC (LAFC) of Major League Soccer to offer South Korean fans safer and more differentiated sports travel products. The deal came as interest in MLS has surged following the transfer of South Korea national team captain Son Heung-min to LAFC. Under the agreement, MyRealTrip was named LAFC’s official Korea partner and will offer exclusive ticket sales and January 26, 2026
  • South Korea sees sharp rise in FX deposits on equity, trade flows
    South Korea sees sharp rise in FX deposits on equity, trade flows SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - Foreign-currency deposits by residents in South Korea surged by nearly $16 billion in December, marking the largest monthly increase on record, driven by inflows linked to foreigners’ equity purchases, trade-related payments and rising client deposits at securities firms amid robust overseas investment. Data released by the Bank of Korea on Monday showed resident foreign-currency deposits at domestic banks totaled $119.43 billion at the end of Dec January 26, 2026
  • South Korea to deploy AI-based military command platform by 2029
    South Korea to deploy AI-based military command platform by 2029 SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - South Korea has launched development of its first artificial intelligence-based command-and-control system as it prepares for the transfer of wartime operational control, defense authorities and industry officials said on Monday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and Hanwha Systems held a kickoff meeting on Jan. 23 in Seoul for the Allied Command and Control System (AKJCCS) performance upgrade project. Hanwha Systems won the DAPA-led January 26, 2026
  • Ssangyong Engineering secures major contracts in UAE, Singapore
    Ssangyong Engineering secures major contracts in UAE, Singapore SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - Ssangyong Engineering said on Monday it has secured major construction contracts in the United Arab Emirates and Singapore. The company said it has won a $250 million contract from Dubai state-owned real estate developer WASL to build Avenue Park Tower, a residential project in central Dubai. The project comprises two residential towers ranging from 37 to 43 stories above ground in a key downtown development area about 10 minutes from Dubai Interna January 26, 2026
  • Seoul confirms plan to construct two nuclear reactors by late 2030s
    Seoul confirms plan to construct two nuclear reactors by late 2030s SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - South Korea will proceed with plans to build two new nuclear reactors by 2037-38, the government said on Monday, reviving a project that had effectively been on hold and paving the way for site selection to begin. Climate, Energy and Environment Minister Kim Sung-hwan said construction of the reactors, included in the current national power plan, would move ahead as scheduled after public consultations showed broad support. “New nuclear power p January 26, 2026