SK hynix and SanDisk unveil HBF Blueprint for AI terabyte era SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - The artificial intelligence boom has a voracious appetite for memory, and the industry’s leading architects just released a new blueprint to keep it fed. On Tuesday, SK hynix and SanDisk published the first open standard specifications for High Bandwidth Flash (HBF), officially firing the starting gun on a new structural race designed to cure the massive data bottlenecks threatening real-world AI deployment. As the industry transitions from train August 4, 2026

South Korea says AI factories lift factory output, cut defects SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - South Korea's manufacturers have posted measurable gains from deploying artificial intelligence on their production lines, the industry ministry said, pointing to sharper output and fewer defects across semiconductor, automobile and shipbuilding plants. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Tuesday that its flagship AI Factory initiative has backed the AI transformation of about 170 worksites, and that an inspection of 42 early adopters found p August 4, 2026

S. Korea expands missile defense with additional Cheongung-II deployment SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - South Korea has added another domestically developed Cheongung-II missile defense system to its network, putting the first system scheduled under its 2026 fielding plan into operation, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. Cheongung-II, also known as the M-SAM-II, is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles at lower altitudes during the terminal phase of flight. The latest system was deployed to a missile August 4, 2026

TSMC's Kumamoto chip hub returns to full speed after quake SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has restored normal operations at its first semiconductor plant in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture after a powerful earthquake temporarily halted production last week, easing concerns over potential supply disruptions in one of Japan's key chipmaking hubs. TSMC said its Kumamoto Fab 1 resumed full production on Sunday after suspending manufacturing on July 28 to inspect and recalibrate equipment following August 4, 2026

Drone scare costs Korean frontline chief post SEOUL, August 03 (AJP) - South Korea’s Defense Ministry on Monday relieved the commander of the Army’s I Corps from duty after the unit came under scrutiny over two separate controversies involving front-line readiness, including a near-miss incident in which a U.S. drone was mistaken for an unidentified aerial object. The ministry said Lt. Gen. Han Ki-sung, commander of I Corps, was removed from his post as an investigation continues into recent incidents involving the August 3, 2026

Korea readies maiden Arctic voyage to chart new container route SEOUL, August 03 (AJP) - South Korea is set to sail its first container ship from Busan to Rotterdam through Russian Arctic waters as early as this month, which will mark a milestone voyage that could reshape trade between Northeast Asia and Europe while offering an alternative route amid mounting geopolitical risks. Busan-based PanStar Line, selected to operate the government-backed pilot voyage, has acquired HMM's 2,700-TEU container ship Mombasa and renamed it PanStar Acro. T August 3, 2026

Samsung's latest foldables head into final hours of preorders SEOUL, August 03 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics' latest foldable smartphones entered the final day of preorders on Monday, with promotional offers set to expire as the company looks to build on expectations that its newest lineup could surpass the previous generation's record launch. Samsung said customers visiting Samsung Stores and other retail outlets on the final day of preorders showed strong interest in the new devices' design and features, while many inquired abou August 3, 2026

HBM war enters new phase as Samsung chases SK hynix SEOUL, August 03 (AJP) - SK hynix remained the clear leader in the game-changing high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market through the first half, but the second half could mark the beginning of a new phase as Samsung Electronics pushes aggressively to close the gap with next-generation HBM4. The rivalry came into sharper focus following the two companies' second-quarter earnings calls on July 29 and July 30, when South Korea's two memory giants used their outlook presentations t August 3, 2026

South Korea breaks ground on $1.7 billion AI computing center SEOUL, August 03 (AJP) - South Korea broke ground on a national artificial intelligence computing center in the country's southwest, launching a flagship project meant to secure the vast computing power its ambitions in the technology increasingly demand. The Ministry of Science and ICT held the groundbreaking ceremony on Monday at the Solaseado data center park in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, marking the formal start of construction on a facility that will draw about 2.5 tril August 3, 2026

Nearly 20,000 firms became 1st-time exporters last year, highest in 5 years SEOUL, August 3 (AJP) - Nearly 20,000 South Korean companies exported goods for the first time last year, the highest number in five years, according to data released by the Korea Customs Service (KCS) on Monday. The number of first-time exporters with no export record in the previous three years rose 3.7 percent from a year earlier to 19,746 in 2025, while their combined exports increased 13.2 percent to US$6.9 billion, the highest level since 2019. By product, machinery and com August 3, 2026