-
South Korea joins France-led defense chiefs talks on Hormuz
SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - South Korea joined a France-led meeting of chiefs of defense from 35 countries Thursday to discuss security in the Strait of Hormuz, officials said. France’s Ministry of Armed Forces said the video conference was chaired by Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Fabien Mandon and brought together military leaders from countries interested in contributing to maritime security in the strategic waterway. “The meeting provided an opportunity to gather the
March 27, 2026
-
Hyundai Rotem unveils prototype of modified battle tank for Middle East exports
SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - Hyundai Rotem, a South Korean manufacturer specializing in railway vehicles, said Friday that it unveiled a newly modified prototype of South Korea's main battle tank to the public for the first time the previous day. The modified K2 tank, developed by Hyundai Rotem and its partners with the aim of exporting mainly to Middle Eastern countries, was unveiled at the manufacturer's plant in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, during an event attended by
March 27, 2026
-
Korean Inc. gloom deepens under war-driven scourges
SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - Pessimism deepened across the Korean Inc. in March as businesses grappled with worsening trade conditions, a sharply weaker won and rising energy costs stemming from the monthlong conflict in the Middle East. According to the Bank of Korea on Friday, the all-industry composite business sentiment index (CBSI) stood at 94.1 in March, down 0.1 point from the previous month. A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists. The reading also fell far sh
March 27, 2026
-
Samsung SDI to acquire stake in precursor maker Fino to secure battery supply chain
SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - Samsung SDI is set to invest about 30 billion won ($19.8 million) in Fino, a South Korea-listed subsidiary of China's CNGR Advanced Material, as part of efforts to strengthen its battery materials supply chain. Fino released regulatory filing Thursday it had approved a rights issue of about 14.29 million new shares through a board resolution. Samsung SDI will subscribe to about 6.13 million shares, or about 40 percent of the offering, at an issue price of
March 27, 2026
-
Hot Stock: KAI defies market rout as KF-21 rollout fuels defense rally
SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) -Shares of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) bucked a broad market selloff Thursday, riding a surge of investor optimism tied to the rollout of South Korea’s first mass-produced KF-21 fighter jet and rising expectations for arms demand amid expanding Middle East conflicts. While the wider market reeled, KAI climbed. The stock extended its recent rally, gaining for a second straight session and closing at 188,000 won, up 1.6 percent on the day — a
March 26, 2026
-
Samsung targets rebounding marriage boom to drive AI home appliance sales
SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is betting on a revival in South Korea’s marriage market to accelerate adoption of artificial intelligence-powered home appliances, positioning its latest all-in-one washer-dryer as a centerpiece for newlyweds building automated homes. At a media briefing in Gangnam on Thursday, the company unveiled the 2026 Bespoke AI Combo, integrating upgraded hardware with generative AI features as part of its push to dominate the premium &l
March 26, 2026
-
Hyundai's US, Europe plants run full while Southeast Asia lags
SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group is facing widening disparities across its global production network, with plants in the United States and Europe operating at or above full capacity while Southeast Asian facilities remain underutilized. The divergence comes as the automaker accelerates localization strategies amid rising global protectionism, but weak demand and intensifying competition have weighed on its Southeast Asian operations. According to Hyundai Motor Group on
March 26, 2026
-
Korean manufacturers turn sharply pessimistic in steepest BSI drop since Covid
SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) -South Korean manufacturers turned abruptly pessimistic, with sentiment posting its sharpest drop since the Covid-19 shock in early 2020 as the Middle East crisis spilled into the real economy a month after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. The country's largest business association, Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), said Thursday its Business Survey Index (BSI) outlook for April stood at 85.1, based on a survey of the country’s 600 largest compan
March 26, 2026
-
Korea unveils first domestically built KF-21 fighter jet
SEOUL, March 25 (AJP) - South Korea rolled out the first mass-produced KF-21 Boramae fighter jet on Wednesday, marking a major milestone in the country’s decades-long push to develop the domestically built 4.5-generation supersonic fighter. President Lee Jae Myung, who attended the ceremony at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in Sacheon, described the rollout as a historic step toward strengthening self-reliant defense capabilities. “South Korea has finally secured we
March 25, 2026
-
Hanwha's stealth KAI stake signals opening salvo in battle for Korea's fighter
SEOUL, March 25 (AJP) - The widening Gulf conflicts have caused disruption across markets but are simultaneously delivering a windfall for South Korea’s defense sector, galvanizing acquisition appetite around Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the country’s sole aircraft platform maker. Adding to its renewed strategic appeal, KAI rolled out its first mass-produced KF-21 Boramae fighter jet on Wednesday. Hanwha Aerospace disclosed in its latest business report that it
March 25, 2026
