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Record number of South Koreans reaped handsome profits from overseas stocks
SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - South Koreans who reported taxes on profits from overseas stock investments topped 500,000 for the first time, tax data reveals. According to data submitted by the National Tax Service to Park Sung-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) and released on Thursday, some 523,709 people filed tax returns on profits earned in 2024, up from 207,231 a year earlier. Those who invest in overseas stock markets and sell them for profits are required
January 22, 2026
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AI that can shop and pay on its own successfully tested in South Korea
SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - South Korean IT services firm LG CNS has completed what it says is the country’s first demonstration of an automatic payment system in which artificial intelligence not only chooses what to buy but also pays for it, using a blockchain-based digital currency platform overseen by the central bank. The test, conducted with the Bank of Korea, linked so-called “agentic AI” — software designed to act autonomously once given a goal &mdash
January 22, 2026
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Korean metals company LS MnM posts record revenue in 2025
SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - South Korean metals company LS MnM posted record results last year, with revenue approaching 15 trillion won, supported by higher metal prices and the dollar's strength. In a regulatory filing released via parent company LS Corp., Thursday, LS MnM reported revenue of 14.94 trillion won in 2025, up 23.3 percent from a year earlier. Net profit rose 39.9 percent to 106.7 billion won. The company said profitability improved even as fees for refinin
January 22, 2026
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AI storage demand lifts South Korea's FADU with record contracts
SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - Data center semiconductor firm FADU said on Thursday it has secured a 47 billion won ($35 million) order for finished solid-state drive (SSD) products from Taiwan-based Macnica Galaxy, marking the largest single contract in the company’s history. In a regulatory filing, FADU said the deal revises a previously disclosed 21.5 billion won contract announced on Nov. 5, reflecting a larger supply volume and higher SSD prices. The company said the
January 22, 2026
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South Korea's 2025 growth slows to 1% as GDP contracts in 4Q
SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - South Korea’s economy expanded 1 percent last year, slowing sharply from the previous year as weak domestic demand, particularly in construction and investment, weighed on growth, according to central bank data released on Wednesday. The pace was about half of the 2 percent growth recorded a year earlier and fell well below the country’s estimated potential growth rate of 1.8 percent. Preliminary data from the Bank of Korea showed rea
January 22, 2026
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Samsung Biologics becomes first Korean drugmaker to join 2 trillion won income club
SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Samsung Biologics on Wednesday posted record annual operating profit for 2025, becoming the first pharmaceutical and biotechnology company in South Korea to surpass the 2 trillion won threshold. The contract drug manufacturing giant posted an operating profit of 2.07 trillion won ($1.4 billion) for 2025, soaring 56.6 percent from a year earlier, according to a regulatory filing released Wednesday. Revenue climbed 30.3 percent to 4.55 trillion won, while net
January 21, 2026
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Samsung's foldable lead holds as Apple's entry nears
SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Selfies taken by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have served diplomatic and branding purposes alongside their social media role. During a state visit to Beijing, selfies were taken on a Xiaomi smartphone gifted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. More recently, photos during Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Seoul were taken on a Samsung Electronics device. President Lee gifted Meloni a pink Galaxy Z Flip 7, matching the prime minis
January 21, 2026
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Polls show strong support in South Korea for new nuclear plants
SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - A majority of South Koreans support building new nuclear power plants as electricity demand surges with the expansion of artificial intelligence, two public opinion polls showed, adding pressure on the government to reconsider its energy policy stance. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said on Wednesday it had conducted nationwide surveys last week on a new-reactor plan. The ministry commissioned Korea Gallup and Realmeter to su
January 21, 2026
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Korean transformer exports, stocks hit record highs on global AI power demand
SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - South Korea's gains from the accelerating global shift toward artificial intelligence are extending beyond semiconductors. Exports of ultra-high-voltage transformers surged to a record high last year, driven by aggressive investment in power infrastructure for data center expansion worldwide. Exports of transformers rated at 10,000 kilovolt-ampere (kVA) or higher reached $1.3 billion last year, according to the Korea International Trade Association. It
January 21, 2026
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Nomura flags heavy US investment burden for Samsung Electronics, SK hynix
SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics and SK hynix may need to invest between 100 trillion won and 120 trillion won ($74–89 billion) in the United States from 2027 to 2030 to secure tariff exemptions, according to a new analysis by Nomura Securities. That would translate into annual investment of about 25 trillion won to 30 trillion won, or roughly a quarter of the two companies’ combined annual memory chip capital expenditure, estimated at 120 trillion won
January 21, 2026
