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  NHN returns to annual profit as Q4 earnings hit record high SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - South Korea’s NHN Corp. reported record quarterly revenue and operating profit in the fourth quarter, supported by broad-based growth across its core businesses and improved profitability. In a regulatory filing Thursday, NHN said consolidated revenue for the October–December period rose 6.5 percent from a year earlier to a record 685.7 billion won ($480 million), while operating profit surged 120.5 percent to 55.1 billion won, also the hig February 12, 2026
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  Kakao's profit jumps 48 percent in record year, plans AI push in 2026 SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - South Korea’s Kakao Corp. said Thursday its annual revenue exceeded 8 trillion won for the first time last year, with operating profit surging on stronger platform performance and improved cost efficiency. In a regulatory filing, the company said consolidated revenue for 2025 rose 3 percent from a year earlier to a record 8.1 trillion won, while operating profit jumped 48 percent to an all-time high of 732 billion won. Fourth-quarter revenue February 12, 2026
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  VW's electrification push adds pressure on South Korea in Canada's $41bn submarine bid SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - Germany’s industrial offensive is widening beyond defense and into electric vehicles, adding fresh pressure on South Korea in Canada’s $41 billion submarine procurement race. On Wednesday, Volkswagen Group doubled down on its global electrification drive despite slowing EV demand worldwide, highlighting production milestones that underscore Germany’s manufacturing scale — a key factor as Berlin backs a consortium competing against S February 11, 2026
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  South Korea's HMM posts sharp earnings drop on falling freight rates SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - HMM, South Korea’s largest shipping firm, reported a sharp decline in operating profit for 2025, falling nearly 60 percent from a year earlier as weaker freight rates and excess vessel supply weighed on its earnings. In a regulatory filing Wednesday, the company reported consolidated operating profit of 1.46 trillion won ($1.1 billion), down 58.4 percent from the previous year. Revenue declined 6.9 percent to 10.89 trillion won, while net profit February 11, 2026
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  E-Mart posts sharp profit rebound in 2025 on cost cuts, pricing power SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - South Korea’s largest retailer E-Mart reported a sharp improvement in profitability last year despite inflationary pressures and sluggish consumer spending. In a regulatory filing Wednesday, the company said consolidated revenue for 2025 slipped 0.2 percent from a year earlier to 28.97 trillion won ($21.7 billion), while operating profit surged 584.8 percent to 322.5 billion won. E-Mart attributed the turnaround largely to cost savings February 11, 2026
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  Samsung Heavy secures $351 million container ship deal SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - Samsung Heavy Industries said Wednesday it has secured an order worth 468.6 billion won ($351 million) from an Africa-based shipping company to build two container ships. In a regulatory filing, the company said the vessels are scheduled for delivery by May 2028. With the latest contract, Samsung Heavy’s total orders for the year have reached $1.2 billion across seven vessels, equivalent to about 9 percent of its annual order target of $13.9 b February 11, 2026
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  Samsung to unveil Galaxy S26 at unpacked event in San Francisco on Feb. 25 SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will unveil its flagship Galaxy S26 smartphone series later this month, with the launch event set to take place in San Francisco. The company will hold its “Galaxy Unpacked 2026” event at 10 a.m. local time on Feb. 25, corresponding to 3 a.m. on Feb. 26 in South Korea. Samsung is expected to highlight enhanced artificial intelligence features. A 17-second invitation video released by the company shows a Galaxy AI-them February 11, 2026
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  HJ Shipbuilding wins $260 million order for two container ships SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - South Korea's HJ Shipbuilding has secured a 353.2 billion won ($260 million) contract from a European shipowner to build two eco-friendly container ships with a capacity of 10,100 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). The order marks the first time the company will construct container ships exceeding 10,000 TEU at its main Yeongdo shipyard in Busan. The vessels will incorporate a newly developed hull form and fuel-efficient design aimed at reducin February 11, 2026
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  Boston Dynamics' Spot robot dog assists UK nuclear decommissioning work SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - Four-legged robot Spot, developed by the Hyundai Motor Group affiliate Boston Dynamics, is being deployed in the United Kingdom to assist with nuclear facility decommissioning. Sellafield Ltd., a state-owned company operating under the U.K.’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, recently disclosed that it is using Spot at nuclear cleanup sites. Sellafield oversees the dismantling of nuclear facilities and the management of radioactive waste acro February 11, 2026
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  Asiana Airlines to boost China flights 20 percent amid growing two-way tourism SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - Asiana Airlines will increase capacity on its China routes by about 20 percent from late March as travel demand between South Korea and China continues to recover. The carrier said Tuesday it will add 28 weekly flights from the winter schedule starting March 29, bringing total operations to 161 flights a week across 18 China routes. Asiana will resume daily services on the Incheon–Chengdu and Incheon–Chongqing routes, both suspended duri February 11, 2026