Korea's Jan exports up 34% on doubled chip shipments, trade surplus streak for 1-year SEOUL, February 01 (AJP) -South Korea’s exports jumped more than 30 percent in January from a year earlier, extending their on-year growth streak to eight consecutive months, driven by steamy semiconductor shipments. Exports totaled $65.85 billion, up 33.9 percent from a year earlier, marking the highest January figure on record, according to data released Sunday by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Semiconductor exports, the country’s top export item, mor February 1, 2026

Korea signs $1bn-plus Chunmoo rocket deal with Norway SEOUL, January 31 (AJP) - South Korea has secured a major defense export deal with Norway, with presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik saying in a Facebook post on Saturday that the Norwegian government had signed a contract to purchase the Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher system. The contract is worth about 1.3 trillion won ($970 million). Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to President Lee Jae-myung, said the agreement was finalized following approval by the Norwegian governmen January 31, 2026

LG Elec profit slumps in 2025 on restructuring costs, media business losses SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - LG Electronics reported a sharp decline in operating profit in 2025, as hefty one-off restructuring costs and persistent weakness in its media and entertainment business weighed heavily on earnings, overshadowing steady growth in its core home appliance and vehicle component units. The South Korean electronics maker said its annual operating profit fell 27.5 percent from a year earlier to 2.48 trillion won ($1.8 billion), after slipping into an operating January 30, 2026

Samsung SDI signs major battery deal in US, possibly with Tesla SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - Samsung SDI has signed a large battery supply contract in the United States for energy storage systems, the company said on Friday. Samsung SDI said details of the contract, including its value and duration, will remain confidential until Jan. 1, 2030. The counterparty was not also disclosed, but industry officials widely view Tesla as the leading candidate. Tesla has been actively securing battery supplies for ESS, including a 6 trillion won contract January 30, 2026

Hyundai Rotem posts record profit on K2 tank exports to Poland SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - South Korea's Hyundai Rotem surpassed 1 trillion won in annual operating profit for the first time, driven by strong export contracts including K2 battle tanks for Poland. In a regulatory filing on Friday, the company said revenue rose 33.4 percent from a year earlier to 5.84 trillion won, while operating profit surged 120.3 percent to 1.01 trillion won. Fourth-quarter revenue increased 12.8 percent to 1.6 trillion won, and operating profit climb January 30, 2026

Korean Economy/Business Calendar SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - Feb 2 (Mon) 4Q 2025 & Annual Results - Samsung SDI Feb 3 (Tue) Jan. 2026 Consumer Price Index (CPI) - Ministry of Data and Statistics Feb 4 (Wed) 4Q 2025 Results - Hanwha Ocean Feb 5 (Thu) 4Q 2025 Results - Hanwha Systems Feb 5–6 (Thu–Fri) 4Q 2025 Results - NAVER Feb 6 (Fri) Dec. 2025 Balance of Payments (Preliminary) - Bank of Korea Feb 8 (Sun) 4Q 2025 Results - HD Hyundai Heavy In January 30, 2026

Korea's finance minister touts AI, new growth sectors in talks with Moody's SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - South Korea’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol met with a delegation from Moody’s Investors Service on Friday, outlining the country’s plan to bolster medium- and long-term competitiveness through artificial intelligence and new growth industries. Koo met the Moody's team, which included Anushka Shah, a director overseeing sovereign ratings, at the Government Complex Seoul to discuss recent economic develo January 30, 2026

KG Mobility's cumulative sales in Turkey top 50,000 vehicles SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - South Korean automaker KG Mobility (KGM) said on Friday that cumulative vehicle sales in Turkey, one of its key export markets, exceeded 50,000 units through last year. The company said it maintained strong momentum through improved product competitiveness and aggressive marketing, exporting 11,122 vehicles to Turkey in 2024 and 13,337 in 2025. Turkey was KGM’s largest export market over the 2024–2025 period and accounted for 19 percent of i January 30, 2026

Daewoong Pharma inks $20.5 million Nabota supply contract for Mexico SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - South Korea's Daewoong Pharmaceutical has signed a 29.5 billion won ($20.5 million) export contract to supply its botulinum toxin product Nabota to Mexico. With the agreement, Nabota has entered Mexico as well as Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile — the five largest aesthetic and plastic-surgery markets in Latin America, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Daewoong said it has expanded Nabota’s pres January 30, 2026

HD Korea Shipbuilding wins order for liquefied CO2 carriers SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering said on Friday it has secured an order to build two liquefied carbon dioxide carriers. The company said it recently signed a contract with Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. to construct two LCO₂ carriers with a cargo capacity of 12,000 cubic meters each. The vessels will be built at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Ulsan and delivered to the shipowner in stages by the secon January 30, 2026