Industry

  • Koreas producer prices accelerate as fuel and chip cost jump
    Korea's producer prices accelerate as fuel and chip cost jump SEOUL, December 19 (AJP) -South Korea’s producer prices accelerated in November despite easing international commodity prices, driven by a weaker won and a spike in semiconductor production costs. The producer price index (PPI) rose 0.3 percent from the previous month to 121.31 in November (2020 = 100), extending gains since September, the Bank of Korea said. From a year earlier, the index increased 1.9 percent, accelerating from a 1.6 percent rise in October. By category, prices of ag December 19, 2025
  • Imported cars win over more South Korean motorists, survey reveals
    Imported cars win over more South Korean motorists, survey reveals SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - More motorists are showing increased interest in imported cars, according to a survey by the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA) released on Thursday. The association surveyed about 1,500 motorists and found that the majority of respondents or 66.3 percent held a favorable view of imported cars, while only 4.9 percent gave a negative response. The rest were neutral. The main reasons cited were the growing presence of imported cars (37.1 December 18, 2025
  • Koreas shipbuilders to extend order growth streak in 2026
    Korea's shipbuilders to extend order growth streak in 2026 Editor's Note: This is the second installment in AJP's 2026 outlook series on South Korea's key industries, based on forecasts by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). SEOUL, December 17 (AJP) - South Korea's shipbuilding industry is expected to extend its growth streak into 2026 after posting record shipments in 2025, although slowing global orders and intensifying competition from Chinese yards are emerging headwinds, according to forecasts compiled by the Korea C December 17, 2025
  • South Koreas HJ Shipbuilding secures first US Navy MRO contract
    South Korea's HJ Shipbuilding secures first US Navy MRO contract SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - South Korea's HJ Shipbuilding has signed its first maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) contract with the U.S. Navy, marking its entry into the shipbuilding cooperation project between South Korea and the United States, the company said on Monday. The contract covers mid-level maintenance of the USNS Amelia Earhart, a 40,000-ton dry cargo and ammunition ship operated under the U.S. Navy’s Naval Supply Systems Command and Military Sealift Command. Commissi December 15, 2025
  • Australia allows Hanwha to increase stake in strategic shipbuilding firm
    Australia allows Hanwha to increase stake in strategic shipbuilding firm SEOUL, December 12 (AJP) - Hanwha Group has secured approval from the Australian government to increase its stake in Austal, a global shipbuilding and defense contractor, to 19.9 percent, the company said Friday. Austal, which operates major shipyards in the United States, builds vessels for the U.S. Navy and is considered a strategic defense asset by the Australian government. Hanwha sees the stake expansion as a step toward strengthening its shipbuilding capabilities and deepening its presenc December 12, 2025
  • SK hynix mulls ADR listing in US
    SK hynix mulls ADR listing in US SEOUL, December 10 (AJP) - South Korea's memory giant SK hynix is deliberating to list its treasury shares on a U.S. stock market in the form of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) to further bolster its corporate value. In a disclosure responding to the Korea Exchange's request on ADR rumors, the company said Wednesday it would report further details within a month. Shares in Seoul opened 4 percent higher at 588,500 won ($400) upon the disclosure posted before the market opening and cl December 10, 2025
  • South Koreas economy shows gradual recovery as consumption improves: KDI
    South Korea's economy shows gradual recovery as consumption improves: KDI SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - South Korea’s economy is showing signs of gradual improvement, driven by stronger consumer spending, but risks remain from a prolonged construction downturn and persistent global trade uncertainties, the state-run Korea Development Institute (KDI) said in a report published on Monday. In its December economic assessment, KDI said the delayed effects of interest rate cuts and continued government support were lifting household consumption, helping to sustain a mo December 8, 2025
  • South Koreas LIG Nex1 seeks to localize chips for AESA, SAR radar systems
    South Korea's LIG Nex1 seeks to localize chips for AESA, SAR radar systems SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korean defense contractor LIG Nex1 has launched a project to develop key semiconductors for active electronically scanned array (AESA) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems using fully domestic technology. The company said it signed agreements on Nov. 28 with the Defense Technology Promotion Research Institute to co-develop X-band common monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) and front-end module platforms for AESA radar, as well as broadband MMIC a December 5, 2025
  • Hancom Lifecare to supply K5 gas masks to Korean military
    Hancom Lifecare to supply K5 gas masks to Korean military SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Hancom Lifecare, a safety equipment subsidiary of Hancom Group, said Friday it has secured a major contract to supply gas masks to the South Korean armed forces. The company said it signed a 185 billion won ($13.8 million) agreement with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to deliver about 80,000 K5 gas masks by 2026. The K5 model, developed between 2010 and 2014, features a single-lens visor for improved visibility and dual filters designed to lower breat December 5, 2025
  • Koreas C/V surplus halves, outbound stock invest outsized inbound by a factor of 6
    Korea's C/V surplus halves, outbound stock invest outsized inbound by a factor of 6 SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea posted its 30th straight monthly current account surplus in October, but the headline figure shrank to a six-month low as reduced factory activity during the Chuseok holiday dampened trade, according the central bank data, which also showed Korean outbound stock purchases overwhelming foreign inflows by a factor of six to explain the stubbornly weak Korean won against the U.S. dollar. The Bank of Korea said Friday that the country recorded a $6.81 billion December 5, 2025