For 2026 rematch with Apple, Samsung fields AI photo studio for short-form gen SEOUL, February 23 (AJP) - Familiar scenes were repeated at the 2026 Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics: medalists capturing once-in-a-lifetime moments by flipping open pocket-sized Samsung phones. Despite strong sales of its foldable fleet, Samsung Electronics lost its decade-long position as the world’s top smartphone vendor last year to Apple, buoyed by the popularity of the iPhone 17 lineup. Samsung readies a rematch with the unveiling of its flagship Galaxy S26 seri February 23, 2026

Korean shipbuilders mull local and robotic options instead of foreign hires SEOUL, February 23 (AJP) - Two out of every 10 workers at shipyards across South Korea are foreigners, but major builders are increasingly looking to scale back overseas hiring by expanding domestic recruitment and accelerating automation, industry officials said. Leading the shift is HD Hyundai, the world's largest shipbuilder by order backlog, which plans to prioritize replacing departing foreign workers with Korean nationals as labor contracts expire. As of the end of 2025 February 23, 2026

Hyundai to invest over $90 bn through 2030 to build robotics ecosystem in Korea SEOUL, February 22 (AJP) -Hyundai Motor Group said Sunday it will invest a record 125.2 trillion won ($93 billion) in South Korea from 2026 to 2030 under a more aggressive and detailed robotics and physical artificial intelligence roadmap unveiled last month after the high-profile debut of its industrial and humanoid robot lineup at a major global technology exhibition. The five-year domestic investment plan marks the largest in the group’s history and reflects Hyundai&rsquo February 22, 2026

INTERVIEW: Formosa Chairman Sandy Wang emphasizes long-term research partnership with KAIST SEOUL, February 22 (AJP) - Wang Ruey-yu, known by her English name Sandy Wang, described the establishment of the KAIST-Formosa Biomedical Research Center as a foundational step in a rare cross-border collaboration between Taiwanese industry and South Korean academia. Speaking in an interview with AJP on February 22, Wang, an executive member of the Formosa Group and chairperson of Formosa Bio, characterized the partnership as a "first seed" for future cooperation. &q February 22, 2026

SK chair sees profit from memory sales topping $100bn amid AI boom, wary of volatility SEOUL, February 22 (AJP) -The surging demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure could push operating profit at SK hynix beyond $100 billion in the near term, but the chip operation is equally at risk of an unprecedented volatility, said Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group. Speaking at the Trans-Pacific Dialogue (TPD) 2026 held Feb. 20–21 at the Salamander Washington DC, Chey said AI is fundamentally transforming industrial structures worldwide. The Trans-Pacific February 22, 2026

Korean president flags plan to move HMM to Busan "soon" SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) -The proposed relocation of South Korea’s flagship shipping line HMM to Busan has returned to the spotlight after President Lee Jae Myung reiterated his commitment to the plan despite continued employee opposition. Lee wrote on social media platform X on Thursday that HMM would relocate to Busan “soon,” following the establishment of a maritime court and a state-backed investment corporation focused on Southeast Asian shipping routes. The m February 19, 2026

Korea's auto exports jump 21.7% to $6.07b, second-highest on record for Jan SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) -South Korea’s auto exports opened the year on a strong footing, extending momentum from a record 2025, as a weak won and resilient demand from Europe and other markets for hybrid and secondhand vehicles helped offset lingering tariff pressures in the United States. Outbound shipments in January rose 21.7 percent from a year earlier to $6.07 billion, the second-highest export total ever recorded for the month, according to data released by the Minist February 19, 2026

SK Innovation selected to develop $2.3 bln LNG power project in Vietnam SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - SK Innovation has been selected as the developer of a $2.3 billion liquefied natural gas power project in northern Vietnam, marking a significant step in the South Korean energy company's push to expand its global LNG footprint. The project, located in the Quynh Lap area of Nghe An province, about 220 kilometers south of Hanoi, calls for the construction of a 1,500-megawatt combined-cycle gas power plant, a 250,000-cubic-meter LNG terminal, and a dedic February 19, 2026

South Korea, Czech Republic forge ministerial framework to fast-track Dukovany nuclear project SEOUL, February 18 (AJP) - South Korea and the Czech Republic agreed to establish a ministerial-level consultative body to oversee the construction of two nuclear reactors at the Dukovany site, as both nations deepen an energy partnership worth about 26 trillion won ($18 billion). South Korean Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Kim Jung-kwan met newly inaugurated Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and his counterpart Karel Havlicek in Prague on Monday (local time) at the Czech gover February 18, 2026

Big tech giants ramp up hiring of Korean semiconductor engineers as AI chip race intensifies SEOUL, February 18 (AJP) - Major U.S. technology firms including Nvidia, Google, and Tesla are aggressively recruiting South Korean semiconductor engineers, zeroing in on the country's deep pool of expertise in high-bandwidth memory as the global race for artificial intelligence hardware accelerates. The hiring push marks a significant escalation from earlier years, when recruitment of Korean chip talent was largely confined to memory makers such as Micron Technology and mobile February 18, 2026