Industry

  • Samsung scions naval commissioning reunites Lee family, including ex-wife
    Samsung scion's naval commissioning reunites Lee family, including ex-wife SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - Naval Academy commissioning ceremony for 24-year-old Lee Ji-ho, son of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, brought together members of the Samsung family — including the chairman’s former wife Im Se-ryung — in a rare public appearance since their 2009 divorce. Lee Ji-ho, commissioned as part of the 139th class of naval officers, was joined by his grandmother Hong Ra-hee, widow of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, and his aun November 28, 2025
  • South Korea to delay tax audits for foreign firms increasing investment
    South Korea to delay tax audits for foreign firms increasing investment SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - South Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS) will postpone regular tax audits for up to two years for foreign companies that substantially increase their investments in the country. NTS Commissioner Lim Gwang-hyun announced the measure on Friday during a meeting hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AmCham) in Seoul. Companies that raise their domestic investment by a defined percentage compared with the previous year will be eligible to November 28, 2025
  • Korean lawmakers advance bill to close loopholes on synthetic nicotine
    Korean lawmakers advance bill to close loopholes on synthetic nicotine SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - South Korea is moving closer to regulating synthetic nicotine as tobacco after a key parliamentary committee approved an amendment to the related act, paving the way for a full legislative vote on Dec. 12. The amendment would broaden the legal definition of tobacco to include products containing nicotine derived from non-tobacco sources. Synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes are currently treated as industrial products, allowing them to bypass tobacco-r November 28, 2025
  • UPDATE: Koreas factory output and investment slump Oct on stalled chip activity
    UPDATE: Korea's factory output and investment slump Oct on stalled chip activity SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - South Korea’s factory output in October shrank at the steepest rate in five years, while facility investment tumbled by double digits — all tied to stalled chip activity — further underscoring the country’s heavy reliance on the semiconductor sector for economic performance, data showed Friday. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, mining and manufacturing output fell 4 percent on month, the steepest drop since the November 28, 2025
  • AI now essential in Koreas job market for both recruiters and applicants
    AI now essential in Korea's job market for both recruiters and applicants SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming indispensable in South Korea’s job market, with four out of five companies now using AI tools in their hiring processes and a growing majority of job seekers relying on AI to boost their recruitment chances. The Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Employment Information Service on Tuesday released the second part of their 2025 Corporate Hiring Trends Survey, conducted from Aug. 1 to Sept. 1. T November 28, 2025
  • Hyundai Motor Group to set up battery research center in Anseong
    Hyundai Motor Group to set up battery research center in Anseong SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group has unveiled plans to build a major battery research and development hub in Anseong, south of Seoul. The company held a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday for the “Future Mobility Battery Anseong Campus,” located in the city’s fifth industrial complex. Construction began in January, with Hyundai investing 1.2 trillion won in a facility spanning 197,000 square meters. Completion is targeted for late 2026. The Anse November 28, 2025
  • Nexon shares fly in Tokyo with cap nearing $20 bn on strong pipeline
    Nexon shares fly in Tokyo with cap nearing $20 bn on strong pipeline SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - Tokyo-listed shares of South Korean game publisher Nexon have hit their highest level since 2021, sending its market valuation of around $20 billion as investors rally behind its live-service games and global expansion strategy of CEO Lee Jung-hun. Nexon shared closed Thursday at ¥3,768 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, lifting its market cap above ¥3.1 trillion (around $19.8 billion) and extending an upward trend that began after its strong thir November 28, 2025
  • Asian stocks open lower as Wall Street closes for Thanksgiving
    Asian stocks open lower as Wall Street closes for Thanksgiving SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI opened lower on Friday morning, dropping 1 percent to 3,947.53. The decline was driven by foreign investors offloading shares worth a net 260.9 billion Korean won (US$17.8 million), while domestic retail and institutional investors bought a net 258.1 billion won and 9.4 billion won, respectively. But the tech-heavy junior KOSDAQ began the day higher, gaining 3 percent to 906.31 and extending a three-day upward trend. Among November 28, 2025
  • Hanwha Ocean secures $725 million order for 4 container ships from HMM
    Hanwha Ocean secures $725 million order for 4 container ships from HMM SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean announced Friday that it has secured a $725 million (1.07 trillion won) order from HMM to build four container ships. The deal is part of HMM’s broader strategy to transition to eco-friendly vessels and bolster the competitiveness of South Korea’s shipping and shipbuilding sectors. Hanwha Ocean said it will leverage its advanced container ship construction technology and extensive project experience to deliv November 28, 2025
  • South Korea forms council to speed up development of next-generation aircraft engine
    South Korea forms council to speed up development of next-generation aircraft engine SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - South Korea is accelerating efforts to develop next-generation aircraft engines. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Friday it, together with related government bodies, inaugurated a council to review development plans for advanced propulsion systems for future fighter jets and streamline cooperation across ministries. Only a handful of countries — including the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Russia — possess h November 28, 2025