Industry

  • Seoul, Beijing agree to speed up services and investment talks under FTA
    Seoul, Beijing agree to speed up services and investment talks under FTA SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) -South Korea and China have agreed to speed up second-stage negotiations under their bilateral free trade agreement, focusing on services and investment, as the two sides seek to broaden economic cooperation. Yeo Han-koo, South Korea’s minister for trade, met Li Chenggang, China’s international trade negotiation representative, in Beijing to discuss ways to accelerate follow-up negotiations under the Korea-China FTA. The two sides agreed to hold December 30, 2025
  • South Koreas An Mu submarine completes long-range Guam mission without any failure
    South Korea's An Mu submarine completes long-range Guam mission without any failure SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - The South Korean Navy said on Tuesday that its An Mu submarine has completed a roughly 7,000-kilometer round-trip blue-water deployment and overseas training mission without a single equipment failure. The 3,000-ton An Mu, part of the KSS-III program, returned to Jinhae Naval Port after taking part in the South Korea–U.S. combined anti-submarine exercise “2025 Silent Shark.” The Navy held a welcome ceremony on Tuesday, hosted by Rea December 30, 2025
  • South Korean business sentiment improves for second month, but services outlook slips
    South Korean business sentiment improves for second month, but services outlook slips SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - South Korean companies reported improved business conditions for a second consecutive month in December, supported by year-end seasonal factors, the central bank said on Tuesday. However, sentiment for the coming month weakened sharply in the nonmanufacturing sector as the seasonal boost is expected to fade. According to the Bank of Korea’s December business survey and Economic Sentiment Index, the all-industry Corporate Business Sentime December 30, 2025
  • UPDATE: Koreas factory output rebounds on chips, domestic front remains slack
    UPDATE: Korea's factory output rebounds on chips, domestic front remains slack *Updated with additional information and market response SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - South Korea’s factory output rebounded in November after two consecutive monthly contractions, supported by a sharp pickup in semiconductor production and increased facility investment linked to AI-driven chip demand, government data showed Tuesday. Mining and manufacturing output rose 0.6 percent from the previous month, reversing declines of 4.2 percent in October and 1.0 percent in Sept December 30, 2025
  • Samsung Electronics taps AI startup Nota for next Exynos mobile chip
    Samsung Electronics taps AI startup Nota for next Exynos mobile chip SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - South Korean artificial intelligence software firm Nota has signed a contract with Samsung Electronics to embed its AI model optimization technology in the latter's next mobile application processor, the Exynos 2600. The deal, announced Tuesday, follows an earlier agreement covering the Exynos 2500, extending a partnership aimed at boosting on-device AI performance in Samsung’s flagship chipsets. Nota, led by Chief Executive Chae Myung-soo, December 30, 2025
  • Nota to supply AI optimization tech for Samsungs next-gen Exynos 2600 chip
    Nota to supply AI optimization tech for Samsung's next-gen Exynos 2600 chip SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - Korean AI model optimization firm Nota AI said Tuesday it has signed an agreement with Samsung Electronics to supply AI optimization platform technology for the tech giant's next-generation mobile application processor, the Exynos 2600. The deal marks a consecutive contract for Nota, following its previous partnership for the Exynos 2500. Under the agreement, Nota will participate in developing the next version of Samsung's proprietary toolchain, E December 30, 2025
  • Coupang falls under pan-government scrutiny in Seoul despite remedy program
    Coupang falls under pan-government scrutiny in Seoul despite remedy program SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) -The South Korean government maintained that it will press ahead with a sweeping investigation into Coupang despite the e-commerce giant’s announcement of a large-scale compensation plan, vowing to leave “not a single suspicion” unresolved over a massive data breach affecting nearly all of its 34 million users. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon, who chairs a pan-government task force on the case, on Mon December 30, 2025
  • Koreas Hanwha Aerospace signs $4 bn third-stage Chunmoo deal with Poland
    Korea's Hanwha Aerospace signs $4 bn third-stage Chunmoo deal with Poland SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) -South Korean defense company Hanwha Aerospace has signed a third-stage contract for its multiple rocket launcher system with Poland’s arms procurement authority, enabling the European country to domestically produce guided rockets under a joint manufacturing framework. The 5.6 trillion won ($4 billion) agreement, covering 80-kilometer-range guided missiles, was signed Monday at the Warsaw Military Museum between Hanwha WB Advanced Systems &mdash December 30, 2025
  • Korean banks fight for deposits deepens as rate inversion signals liquidity strain
    Korean banks' fight for deposits deepens as rate inversion signals liquidity strain SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - South Korean banks are raising deposit rates aggressively to stem an outflow of funds into buoyant stock markets at home and abroad, triggering an unusual inversion in short-term deposit yields and adding pressure to already strained borrowers. The competition for liquidity has pushed both lending and deposit rates higher, even as the Bank of Korea keeps its policy rate on hold. According to data released Monday by the central bank, the average interest December 29, 2025
  • Samsung to highlight regional startups as it expands C-Lab presence at CES 2026
    Samsung to highlight regional startups as it expands C-Lab presence at CES 2026 SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will expand its startup program footprint at next year’s CES by bringing 15 C-Lab startups — including the largest number of regional teams to date — to the global tech show, signaling the company’s continued shift toward broader ecosystem-building rather than in-house product promotion. The companies will showcase AI, robotics and digital-health technologies inside Eureka Park at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas December 29, 2025