Industry

  • HMM to deploy AI navigation system on 40 ships in HD Hyundai tie-up
    HMM to deploy AI navigation system on 40 ships in HD Hyundai tie-up SEOUL, January 16 (AJP) - HMM said Friday it will deploy an artificial intelligence–based autonomous navigation system across 40 vessels, stepping up efforts to improve efficiency and cut emissions through advanced maritime technology. The South Korean shipping company will introduce the system through a technical partnership with HD Hyundai affiliates HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and Avikus, a developer of autonomous navigation solutions. A contract-si January 16, 2026
  • S. Korea leans on semiconductors as non-IT exports lose ground: BOK
    S. Korea leans on semiconductors as non-IT exports lose ground: BOK SEOUL, January 16 (AJP) - South Korea’s exports remain resilient, but the country is steadily losing ground in global competitiveness in some sectors, according to a report released Friday by the Bank of Korea. While headline export figures have held up, shipments of major non-IT goods — excluding semiconductors — have been largely stagnant for years, deepening performance gaps across industries. South Korea’s share of the global export market ha January 16, 2026
  • Seoul court upholds fine on Kakao over data leak
    Seoul court upholds fine on Kakao over data leak SEOUL, January 16 (AJP) -A Seoul court on Wednesday upheld a record 15.1 billion won ($11.2 million) fine imposed on Kakao for failing to properly safeguard users’ personal information, rejecting the tech giant’s legal challenge to the penalty. The Seoul Administrative Court’s Administrative Division 14, presided over by Chief Judge Lee Sang-deok, ruled against Kakao in a lawsuit seeking to overturn a corrective order and fine issued by the Personal Information Pro January 16, 2026
  • Lotte chair calls for quality-growth pivot as petrochemicals and retail falter
    Lotte chair calls for quality-growth pivot as petrochemicals and retail falter SEOUL, January 16 (AJP)-Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin on Thursday called for a decisive shift toward “quality growth” centered on profitability and efficiency, as the South Korean conglomerate’s flagship petrochemicals and retail businesses both posted weak performance last year, underscoring mounting pressure on the group’s traditional growth engines. The message came at Lotte’s first Value Creation Meeting (VCM) since a sweeping leadersh January 16, 2026
  • Memory chips take center stage in AI-driven semiconductor boom
    Memory chips take center stage in AI-driven semiconductor boom SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) - The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the global semiconductor market, propelling memory chips, once considered a cyclical commodity, to the forefront of the industry's future growth engine. Amid a heated race for data centers to build AI servers and inference systems, demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), server-grade DRAM, and storage has surged, creating what analysts describe as a rare "triple supercycle" in th January 15, 2026
  • South Korean defense ETFs surge as geopolitical tensions mount
    South Korean defense ETFs surge as geopolitical tensions mount SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) -Growing geopolitical risks from Ukraine to Venezuela and Iran have lifted South Korean defense-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to the top of the country’s stock market rankings this year, outpacing even the red-hot semiconductor sector. According to ETFCheck data as of Tuesday, leveraged defense ETFs dominated the performance leaderboard. The PLUS K-Defense Leverage and KODEX K-Defense TOP10 Leverage surged 61.2 percent and 60.9 percent, respe January 15, 2026
  • Koreas new regional airline targets islands and emergency medical transport
    Korea's new regional airline targets islands and emergency medical transport SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) - South Korea's new regional airline SUM Air, which aims to become a major transport link between regional areas and islands, unveiled its first brand-new aircraft at Gimpo International Airport on Thursday. The carrier plans to connect underserved islands and provide essential medical transport services, positioning itself as the only airline capable of serving various island airports. As a Regional Air Mobility (RAM) operator led by CEO Choi Yong-du January 15, 2026
  • As China exports its surplus, Korea, Germany and Japan pay the industrial price
    As China exports its surplus, Korea, Germany and Japan pay the industrial price SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) -China logged a record $1.19 trillion trade surplus in 2025, underscoring the resilience of its export engine despite renewed U.S. tariff pressure — and sharpening competitive strain on other manufacturing economies from South Korea to Germany and Japan. According to China’s General Administration of Customs, the surplus expanded by roughly 20 percent from 2024, even as exports to the United States fell by about 20 percent following tou January 15, 2026
  • Foreign workers visa applications for this year to begin late this month
    Foreign workers' visa applications for this year to begin late this month SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) - The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Thursday it will accept applications for new employment permits under its E-9 visa program in five rounds this year, allowing companies facing labor shortages to hire foreign workers. The first round of applications will run from Jan. 26 to Feb. 10, followed by additional rounds in April, July, September, and November. According to the ministry, companies can apply depending on their business conditions and sta January 15, 2026
  • Seoul holds emergency meeting after Trumps tariff move on chips and critical minerals
    Seoul holds emergency meeting after Trump's tariff move on chips and critical minerals SEOUL, January 15 (AJP)-The South Korean government moved into emergency response mode Thursday after the White House issued sweeping proclamations under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, targeting semiconductors and critical minerals on U.S. national security grounds. Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy Kim Jung-kwan convened an emergency meeting Thursday to review the details of President Donald Trump’s proclamations and map out Seoul’s next steps as Wa January 15, 2026