Industry

  • South Koreas LIG Nex1 pitches air defense systems to Middle Eastern customers
    South Korea's LIG Nex1 pitches air defense systems to Middle Eastern customers SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - South Korean defense contractor LIG Nex1 is making its first appearance at the Middle East’s largest maritime defense exhibition, stepping up efforts to expand its presence in the region. The company said on Tuesday it is participating in the Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition & Conference (DIMDEX) 2026, which runs from Jan. 19 to 22 in Doha, Qatar, where it is showcasing integrated air-defense and precision-strike solutions tailored January 20, 2026
  • HD Korea Shipbuilding secures $350 million in new vessel orders
    HD Korea Shipbuilding secures $350 million in new vessel orders SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore, the shipbuilding arm of HD Hyundai, said on Tuesday it has secured orders for crude oil tankers and petrochemical product carriers, extending a strong start to the year. The company said it signed contracts to build two crude oil tankers and two petrochemical product carriers, or PC carriers, with a combined value of 481.6 billion won ($350 million). The vessels will be constructed at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and d January 20, 2026
  • South Koreas EV registrations jump 50 percent in 2025, ending two-year slump
    South Korea's EV registrations jump 50 percent in 2025, ending two-year slump SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - New electric-vehicle registrations in South Korea topped 220,000 last year, ending two consecutive years of decline and returning to growth, according to industry data released on Tuesday. In its 2025 report, the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA) said new EV registrations rose 50.1 percent from a year earlier to 220,177 units. EV penetration — the share of EVs in new vehicle purchases — reached 13.1 percent, entering doub January 20, 2026
  • Pinkfong signs deal with US entertainment firm to develop family stage shows
    Pinkfong signs deal with US entertainment firm to develop family stage shows SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - The Pinkfong Company said on Tuesday it has signed a partnership with U.S.-based live entertainment and touring firm Terrapin Station Entertainment to jointly develop new stage productions for family audiences. Terrapin Station Entertainment has produced and toured live shows based on family-oriented intellectual property, including Disney Junior, Peppa Pig and Gabby’s Magic House, and has operated large-scale tours across North America. Unde January 20, 2026
  • Hyosung Heavy partners with German, Japanese power grid firms
    Hyosung Heavy partners with German, Japanese power grid firms SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - Hyosung Heavy Industries said on Tuesday it has signed an agreement with Germany’s Skeleton Technologies and Japan’s Marubeni to cooperate on the development and commercialization of “e-STATCOM,” a next-generation power-compensation system. Under the deal, Hyosung Heavy Industries and Skeleton Technologies will jointly develop e-STATCOM through 2027, while Marubeni, a strategic partner of Skeleton, will provide stable supplies of January 20, 2026
  • South Koreas Neptune sets sights on India as it scales adtech, game publishing
    South Korea's Neptune sets sights on India as it scales adtech, game publishing SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - South Korea's Neptune said on Tuesday it will expand businesses that combine advertising technology and gaming this year, centered on three new initiatives, following its acquisition by Krafton. Neptune outlined three strategic pillars: global expansion of its adtech operations, a stronger push into hybrid-casual games and the development of a new demand-side platform, or DSP, for advertisers. India has been identified as the top priority market for January 20, 2026
  • Koreas producer prices rise nearly 2% on year amid weak won, surging memory chip costs
    Korea's producer prices rise nearly 2% on year amid weak won, surging memory chip costs SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) -South Korea’s producer prices rose for a fourth consecutive month in December, as a weak won lifted prices across a broad range of goods and services, while sharply higher memory chip costs added further upward pressure. According to data released Tuesday by the Bank of Korea, the producer price index for December stood at 121.76 (2020 = 100), up 0.4 percent from the previous month and 1.9 percent from a year earlier. For the full year of 2 January 20, 2026
  • SK hynix secures top vehicle safety certification for LPDDR5X memory
    SK hynix secures top vehicle safety certification for LPDDR5X memory SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - SK hynix said Monday it has obtained the highest functional safety certification for its LPDDR5X automotive memory, as demand grows for reliable semiconductors used in advanced driver-assistance and autonomous-driving systems. The South Korean chipmaker said its LPDDR5X DRAM has been certified at ASIL-D, the highest safety level under the ISO 26262 international automotive functional safety standard. ASIL-D applies to systems directly linked to passeng January 19, 2026
  • South Koreas Jin Air posts first annual loss in 3 years, hit by weak won
    South Korea's Jin Air posts first annual loss in 3 years, hit by weak won SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - South Korean low-cost carrier Jin Air returned to the red last year for the first time in three years, pressured by a weak won and intensifying competition in the airline industry. The company said on Monday that its standalone revenue fell 5.5 percent from a year earlier to 1.38 trillion won ($1 billion), based on preliminary results. Profitability swung to a loss for the first time since 2022, when the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted travel. J January 19, 2026
  • With tariffs looming, Korea chipmakers run out of room to maneuver in the U.S.
    With tariffs looming, Korea chipmakers run out of room to maneuver in the U.S. SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - To match the tariff concessions Taiwan has secured in the United States, South Korean chipmakers may be pressed to outline additional U.S. capacity expansion plans. Their options are however constrained as the foundry market faces oversupply risks while large-scale memory fabs pose significant economic and strategic hurdles. U.S. officials have adopted a more hardline tone in recent weeks, openly tying tariff relief to domestic semiconductor investment January 19, 2026