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  KAIST researchers develop AI to automate plastic manufacturing and train new workers SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Professor Yoo Seung-hwa and his research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed an artificial intelligence system that can automatically manage factory machines and guide workers. The technology was created to help factories maintain production quality as experienced experts retire and more foreign workers enter the workforce, potentially creating language barriers on the factory floor. Most plastic items us December 22, 2025
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  Samsung Biologics acquires GSK biopharmaceutical plant in U.S. for $280 million SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Samsung Biologics said Monday it has signed an agreement with GSK plc to acquire a biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Rockville, Maryland, marking the South Korean contract drugmaker's first production foothold in the United States. The deal, valued at about $280 million, will see Samsung Biologics America, a U.S. subsidiary, take over the 60,000-liter drug substance plant formerly operated by Human Genome Sciences. The asset transfer is expec December 22, 2025
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  Estonia taps Hanwha Aerospace's Chunmoo rocket system in $320 mil. arms deal SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Hanwha Aerospace has signed a contract worth about 440 billion won ($320 million) to supply its Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher system to Estonia, the company said on Monday. Under the agreement, Hanwha Aerospace will deliver six Chunmoo launcher systems along with three types of guided missiles with ranges of 80 kilometers, 160 kilometers and 290 kilometers. The company said it plans to pursue localization in Estonia, including partial local produ December 22, 2025
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  Korean Inc. braces for tougher 2026 on FX risk and import-driven inflation: FKI SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) -More than half of South Korea's big companies predict a tough year ahead, citing challenging foreign-exchange conditions and sluggish domestic demand weighed down by inflationary pressure. According to a survey on corporate management conditions for 2026 by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), 52 percent of respondents forecast difficult management conditions next year, including 18 percent who expect the environment to be “very challengin December 22, 2025
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  Celimax serum tops Amazon Australia beauty bestseller rankings SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - South Korean dermacosmetic brand Celimax's flagship product, the Retinal Shot Tightening Booster, ranked first overall on Amazon Australia’s beauty bestseller list, the company said on Monday. The product initially climbed to the top spot in the facial serums category during Amazon Australia’s International Brand Pavilion promotion before rising to No. 1 across the broader beauty category, which includes products from major global bran December 22, 2025
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  OPINION: Are museum admission fees worth it? SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Debate is intensifying over whether the National Museum of Korea should start charging admission fees. Proponents of free entry argue that public museums exist to serve everyone, while opponents point to chronic budget shortfalls that leave few viable alternatives. But this debate often fixates on price, overlooking a more fundamental issue: what, exactly, would visitors be paying for, and is the experience worth charging for? That question becomes clearer December 22, 2025
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  OPINION: A decade that changed US-China economic power SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - The year 2025 is likely to stand as a watershed in U.S.-China relations. After nearly a decade of confrontation, the Trump administration has effectively acknowledged the limits of its strategy to contain China — a campaign pursued in earnest since 2017. The contrast between two tariff battles tells the story. In the trade war launched in 2018, President Donald Trump pressured President Xi Jinping and extracted a Phase One trade deal in early 2020. December 22, 2025
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  Samsung closes in on HBM race after winning top marks from Nvidia SEOUL, December 21 (AJP) -South Korea's Samsung Electronics is rapidly closing the gap with local rival SK hynix in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) race after securing top marks from AI chip frontrunner Nvidia, signaling a potential shift in the balance of power in next-generation memory supply. According Industry sources Sunday, Samsung Electronics recently received the strongest evaluation among memory makers in Nvidia’s HBM4 System-in-Package (SiP) testing, delivering s December 21, 2025
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  S. Korea's consumer watchdog orders compensation for SK Telecom data breach victims SEOUL, December 21 (AJP) - The Korea Consumer Agency has ordered SK Telecom to compensate victims of a data breach earlier this year with 100,000 won ($67.5) per person, a move that could result in total payouts of up to 2.3 trillion won if applied to all affected users. The Consumer Dispute Settlement Commission under the Korea Consumer Agency said Sunday that it reached the decision at a dispute meeting held on Dec. 18. "Based on the findings of a joint public-private inve December 21, 2025
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  Shinsegae Chairman Chung steps up US outreach, meets Trump Jr., AI and media leaders SEOUL, December 21 (AJP) - Chung Yong-jin, chairman of Shinsegae Group, has met with a series of high-profile political and business figures in the U.S. as part of efforts to strengthen the group's overseas network and explore new growth opportunities. According to Shinsegae Group on Sunday, Chung attended a Christmas dinner hosted by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and went on to meet key figures in Florida and Los Angeles from Dec. 16 to 18, including Donald Trump Jr., Misha La December 21, 2025