UPDATE: Samsung SDI eyes humanoid batteries after 3-year profit high SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - Samsung SDI posted its highest quarterly operating profit in three years on Thursday and said it expects batteries for humanoid robots and aerospace to make a meaningful contribution to earnings by 2028. The South Korean battery maker swung to a third-quarter operating profit of 407.8 billion won ($304.5 million) from a 591.3 billion won loss a year earlier, according to its preliminary earnings filing. Operating profit doubled from 203.8 billion won in th October 29, 2026

K-choppers struggle to lift off amid factory-floor constraints SACHEON, South Korea, October 28 (AJP) - Rows of unfinished helicopters dotted Korea Aerospace Industries’ (KAI) rotary-wing assembly plant in Sacheon, their pale green and peach-colored bodies exposing the nuts and bolts of South Korea’s next defense ambition. Sacheon on South Korea’s southern coast is breeding the country’s next defense ambitions. The problem is they are missing a crucial element for liftoff. "We are currently focusing on mass prod October 28, 2026

Guryong becomes no-man's land. What of those who called it home? SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - A shantytown, others may call it. For those who stayed as their neighbors moved away, Guryong Village was home — a place where lives had taken root, however fragile the walls around them. By dawn Wednesday, fire had consumed swaths of the settlement tucked into Seoul’s affluent Gangnam district. It took nearly 13 hours to put out the flames. What would become of the lives they had uprooted was far less certain. One man in his 70s had been a October 28, 2026

New billboard marks Itaewon tragedy anniversary A citizen prays during a ceremony unveiling a new billboard along the "Path of Remembrance and Safety" at the site of the Itaewon crowd crush in Yongsan District, Seoul, on October 28, 2026, a day before the fourth anniversary of the tragedy. 2026.10.28 October 28, 2026

Itaewon tragedy: new memorial billboard unveiled Family members of victims and officials attend a ceremony unveiling a new billboard along the "Path of Remembrance and Safety" at the site of the Itaewon crowd crush in Yongsan District, Seoul, on October 28, 2026, a day before the fourth anniversary of the tragedy. 2026.10.28. October 28, 2026

Unionized workers at Samsung Biologics to resume wage talks next week SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - Unionized workers at Samsung Biologics will resume negotiations over wages and other labor-related issues next week, warning that they will launch strikes if talks with management fail to produce an agreement. According to the biopharmaceutical company's union on Wednesday, the talks, scheduled to begin on Nov. 3, would be "all-or-nothing" negotiations, with the union calling them a final opportunity to reach an agreement. The union also October 28, 2026

LG Electronics' Q3 results show it too is riding the AI boom SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) -White-goods powerhouse LG Electronics is rebranding itself as a stalwart of AI data centers and automotive technology, and its latest earnings are a testament to that shift. The company reported a 55.9 percent jump in operating profit for the first nine months of the year, while orders for its AI data center cooling solutions surpassed 3 trillion won ($2.3 billion) by the end of September, up from roughly 600 billion won in the first half. Automotive el October 28, 2026

Korea reaps AI harvest. What happens after the party? SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - The AI harvest is here in South Korea, enriching chipmakers and equipment suppliers, rewarding shareholders and employees, and filling tax coffers. But the borrowing binge financing the global boom is drawing scrutiny from policymakers concerned about how long the bounty can last. Flush with cash after six consecutive quarters of record earnings, SK hynix on Wednesday pledged about 100 trillion won ($75.5 billion) in shareholder returns this year. Attention October 28, 2026

Families return to a quiet Itaewon alley with unanswered questions SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - Tucked between the European-style cafes and bars of Itaewon, the alley remains in shadow even in daylight. About four meters wide and 40 meters long, it usually draws little more than passing foot traffic. On Wednesday, people came to linger. A day before the fourth anniversary of South Korea’s deadliest crowd crush, bereaved families and other visitors returned to the narrow passage in Seoul’s nightlife district to r October 28, 2026

Seoul ends legal fight over Elliott arbitration award SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - South Korea has decided not to challenge an international arbitration ruling ordering it to pay approximately 153 billion won ($114 million) to U.S. investment fund Elliott Management, the government announced Wednesday. The decision follows a September 30 ruling that upheld Elliott's claim for damages over the controversial 2015 merger of Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries. The tribunal ordered South Korea to pay approximately $48.49 million in October 28, 2026