How AI redrew the chip map and put Korea at its center SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) -The generative artificial intelligence boom has not simply created another semiconductor supercycle. It has redrawn the geography of the global chip industry. Three years after ChatGPT triggered an unprecedented race to build AI infrastructure, South Korea's semiconductor trade map looks markedly different. Taiwan has become Korea's second-largest chip export destination. The Netherlands has overtaken Japan as largest supplier of semiconductor manufa July 27, 2026

KakaoBank strike spotlights uncommon union structure SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - KakaoBank employees are set to stage a full-day strike on Friday - in what would be the first labor action by a South Korean online-only bank - after this year's wage negotiations collapsed over performance-based compensation. Instead of belonging to the Korea Financial Industry Union, KakaoBank employees are members of the Kakao chapter of a union representing chemical, textile and food industry workers, which also covers workers across Kakao affiliates July 27, 2026

South Korea breaks ground on $791 million light source facility SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - South Korea broke ground on a 1.16 trillion won ($791.5 million) fourth-generation synchrotron radiation facility, a flagship research complex the government hopes will free domestic scientists and industry from reliance on overseas laboratories. The Korea Light Source, or KLS, is being built on a site in Ochang, North Chungcheong Province, and is targeted for completion by the end of 2029, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Basic Science Institute July 27, 2026

SK hynix tops Samsung as students' employer of choice SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - SK hynix has retained its position as the company South Korean university students most want to work for, outpacing Samsung Electronics for a second straight year as the memory chipmaker continues to benefit from strong demand for AI semiconductors. The chipmaker ranked first with 14.2 percent of respondents in a survey of 1,811 university students conducted by recruitment platform Incruit. Samsung Electronics followed with 8.0 percent, while CJ Olive Young, July 27, 2026

Kia to hire engineers in large-scale recruitment drive next month SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - Kia will launch a large-scale recruitment drive to hire engineers for the second half of this year, the automaker said on Monday. Those interested can apply for a two-week period starting from Aug. 10. Applicants must be at least high school graduates, but there are no age or gender restrictions. Kia said it revamped its criteria for evaluating engineering candidates for the first time since 2014 to reflect changes in the manufacturing industry including el July 27, 2026

LG Elec wins Nvidia nod, eyes bigger role in AI data centers SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - LG Electronics has cleared a key hurdle in its AI infrastructure push after receiving Nvidia's qualification for its coolant distribution unit (CDU), the company said Monday. The CDU is a liquid-cooling system designed to circulate coolant through cold plates attached to GPUs and CPUs, removing heat generated by high-performance AI servers. The system is designed to complement conventional air-cooling infrastructure as power density in AI server racks co July 27, 2026

Hanwha Aerospace signs big deal, possibly linked to Spain's howitzer program SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - Hanwha Aerospace has signed a major deal valued at least 2.5 percent of its annual sales, according to the Financial Supervisory Service's electronic disclosure system on Monday. The aerospace company said the deal was signed last Friday, but it did not disclose details such as the contractor, items to be supplied or contract period at the counterparty's request. "We will make a follow-up disclosure once the reason for confidentiality July 27, 2026

Celltrion confirms record quarterly profit above preliminary estimate SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - Celltrion confirmed record second-quarter earnings on Monday that came in above its own preliminary estimate, as newer, higher-margin biosimilars and faster cost improvements outpaced the company's initial reckoning. Final audited revenue rose 45 percent from a year earlier to 1.39 trillion won ($953 million), while operating profit jumped 86.3 percent to 451.8 billion won, the biosimilar maker said in a regulatory filing. Both figures topped the prelim July 27, 2026

Samsung opens Galaxy Z8 preorders as record Fold7 demand sets high bar SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will begin taking preorders in South Korea on Tuesday for its latest foldable smartphones, testing whether a broader lineup and storage incentives can sustain demand after last year’s record-breaking launch. Preorders for the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8 will run from July 28 through Aug. 3, Samsung said Monday. Customers can receive and activate the devices from Aug. 4, ahead of their official domestic re July 27, 2026

SK hynix holds onto rival Kioxia as AI turns NAND into battleground SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) — Bain Capital earlier this month has closed the book on one of the biggest private equity wins of the artificial intelligence era by fully exiting Japanese memory chipmaker Kioxia. SK hynix, however, is staying put. The South Korean memory giant continues to hold an indirect 14 percent stake in Kioxia through a special-purpose investment vehicle established during Bain's 2018 acquisition of Toshiba Memory, underscoring that the investment has ev July 26, 2026