Korea doubles disability care target, invoking 'Peter Pan' father SEOUL, September 10 (AJP) - South Korea will double state-funded daytime care for adults with developmental disabilities to 30,000 by 2030, in a plan the health ministry closed by invoking a father who died searching for a home for his autistic son. Jeon Gyeong-chul, who for 26 years raised a severely autistic son he called Peter Pan after the boy who never grew up, died on Sept. 5 at 63. Given about six months to live in April last year, he spent most of what remained looking for s September 10, 2026

Foldables flip the script in Apple VS Samsung Round 2 SEOUL, September 10 (AJP) - Nineteen years ago, Apple's iPhone rewrote the rules of the mobile phone industry, forcing Samsung Electronics and other handset makers into a frantic race to catch up. Round two is unfolding with the roles reversed. Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable smartphone, entering a form factor Samsung helped bring into the mainstream with the original Galaxy Fold in 2019. This time, Samsung is the incumbent and Apple the latecomer. September 10, 2026

Kia to unveil PBV at Germany's IAA SEOUL, September 10 (AJP) - Kia will unveil its large electric purpose-built vehicle (PBV) at this year's IAA Transportation, which kicks off in Germany next week. The automaker said Thursday that it will showcase the PV7 for the first time during the biennial trade show, which runs from Sept. 15 to 20 in Hanover, marking its second appearance since announcing plans to enter Europe's PBV market in 2024. Kia will display three variants of the PV7 at its 1,531-square-meter September 10, 2026

'AI for All' starts work at SK Telecom SEOUL, September 10 (AJP) - SK Telecom set out to build an artificial intelligence assistant that books the hospital slot, files the government form and pays the bill in one conversation, one of three such services South Korea has commissioned. Partners across eight fields joined the launch at the carrier's T Tower headquarters in central Seoul on Thursday. Areas spanned from education, finance, to public administration and welfare checks on older people living alone. The ann September 10, 2026

U.S. bidder challenges Hanwha with higher offer for Austal USA SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - A U.S.-led investment group has emerged as a rival to Hanwha in the race for Austal USA, offering as much as $1.35 billion for the American shipbuilding business, above the South Korean defense group's earlier proposal. “Austal has received a non-binding indication of interest from a syndicate led by Wildcat Resources LLC” to acquire Austal USA, the Australian shipbuilder said in a filing to the Australian Securities Exchange on Wednesday. September 9, 2026

South Korea takes state-led route in AI race as latecomer SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - America's biggest technology companies are preparing to pour roughly $725 billion into artificial intelligence infrastructure this year. South Korea cannot come close to matching that private-sector firepower. So Seoul is reaching for something Silicon Valley does not need nearly as much — the state balance sheet. The government's 2027 budget bill submitted to the National Assembly on Sept. 3 lifts spending on AI and three linked mega-pro September 9, 2026

Samsung deepens Galaxy Watch heart-health push SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - The smartwatch is no longer merely a supplement to a smartphone. Samsung Electronics is pushing its latest Galaxy Watch deeper into preventive health care, seeking to turn a device once used mainly for checking messages and counting steps into an always-on health monitor capable of spotting changes before users themselves notice them. The effort also puts Samsung in a more direct contest with Apple, which has steadily transformed the Apple Watch into September 9, 2026

Smilegate divorce may top Chey's as Korea's costliest at $1.79 bln SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - A Seoul court ordered Smilegate founder Kwon Hyuk-bin to pay his estranged wife roughly 2.4 trillion won ($1.79 billion) in stock, the largest divorce settlement in South Korean history. The Seoul Family Court granted the divorce petition filed by the wife, surnamed Lee, and ordered that the award be paid in shares rather than cash. "The marriage has broken down to a point beyond repair," the court said, adding that both spouses bore equal re September 9, 2026

Samsung partners with Mistral AI to develop semiconductor-specific AI SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has formed a strategic partnership with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI to jointly develop AI models tailored to semiconductor design and manufacturing, according to the company on Wednesday. The partnership, reached around the time of a South Korea-France summit, will combine Samsung's semiconductor technology and manufacturing data with Mistral AI's AI models to improve productivity and precision across ch September 9, 2026

Korea picks 32 startups for cross-ministry finals SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - South Korea's startup ministry named 32 early-stage companies to advance to the cross-ministry finals of its flagship entrepreneurship contest. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced Tuesday that 32 firms emerged from its two preliminary leagues, 10 from the artificial intelligence league and 22 from the innovation startup league. The firms were drawn from about 344 and 630 applicants respectively. This year nine ministries including the sc September 9, 2026