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  Hyundai Motor Group to expand plug-and-charge EV network in South Korea SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group said on Thursday it will begin a large-scale expansion of its plug-and-charge (PnC) electric vehicle charging network next year, aiming to make EV charging more convenient and secure for drivers. Plug-and-charge is an international standard that automatically manages user authentication, charging and payment when a vehicle is connected to a charger, the automaker said. Unlike conventional EV charging systems that require drivers December 18, 2025
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  OPINION: Cooperation between Türkiye and Republic of Korea in building fair international order SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - At a time when power balances are being reshaped, the conventional international order is entering a phase of disintegration, and normative values are being eroded, the global system has been drawn into a multi-layered environment of uncertainty. In this age of uncertainty, multidimensional issues, such as intensifyin December 18, 2025
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  HOT STOCK: Ford's EV retreat delivers 10% blow to LG Energy Solution SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) -Shares of South Korea’s top battery maker LG Energy Solution have fallen more than 10 percent over the past week after Ford Motor announced it was withdrawing several electric-vehicle models amid changing market conditions. The move triggered the cancellation of a long-term battery supply agreement with LG Energy Solution valued at 9.6 trillion won ($6.5 billion). Shares of LG Energy Solution — the third-largest stock on the KOSPI by market ca December 18, 2025
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  K-Sure provides $1.7 billion financing for Verizon's purchase of Samsung devices SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Korea Trade Insurance Corp. (K-Sure) said on Thursday it will provide $1.7 billion in financing for a project under which Verizon Communications Inc., the largest telecommunications operator in the United States, will purchase mobile devices from Samsung Electronics. Verizon, which K-Sure said has about 150 million subscribers and the largest share of the U.S. telecom market, will use the entire amount to buy Samsung-made communications devices, includ December 18, 2025
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  US Senate approves defense bill prohibiting unilateral USFK troop cuts SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed a defense bill that includes a provision prohibiting a unilateral reduction of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea. The annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which sets defense policy, allocates funding priorities, and provides guidance on key security matters, was approved by the Senate in a decisive 77-20 vote, following its passage in the House of Representatives last week. The bill, which allocates a December 18, 2025
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  Hanwha Systems to supply cockpit displays for F-15 jets in deal with Boeing SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - South Korea's Hanwha Systems said on Thursday it has secured its first foothold in the U.S. defense market by winning a contract to export digital avionics equipment to Boeing. The South Korean defense company said it has signed a deal to supply Boeing with a large-area multifunction display, known as the enhanced large-area display (ELAD), for F-15K fighter jets and the U.S. Air Force’s F-15EX aircraft. The display integrates information December 18, 2025
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  Samsung C&T advances Australian energy push with HVDC transmission deal SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Samsung C&T Corp.’s construction unit said on Thursday it has won a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission project in Australia. The company said it signed a contract with Marinus Link, a government-backed company established by Australia’s federal government and the state governments of Victoria and Tasmania, for the Marinus Link HVDC project. The project involves the engineering, procurement and construction of a 750-meg December 18, 2025
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  Naver seeks to complete acquisition of Spain's Wallapop, steps up European expansion SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - South Korean internet company Naver Corp. is entering the final stages of its acquisition of Wallapop, Spain’s largest consumer-to-consumer marketplace, accelerating its expansion into Europe, industry sources said on Thursday. Naver said the deal is aimed at strengthening its position in the global consumer market while enhancing services through the integration of its core artificial intelligence technologies. Naver said on Tuesday that it wil December 18, 2025
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  Opposition parties push for independent probe into Unification Church scandal SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is working together with the minor centrist Reform Party (RP) to push for a probe by independent prosecutors into bribery allegations involving the Unification Church, also known as the Moonies. After a meeting between the two parties' floor leaders Song Eon-seok and Cheon Ha-ram on Wednesday, they agreed to proceed with it as early as this week, although they need to resolve some differences including the s December 18, 2025
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  Korea's Doosan Corp. named preferred bidder for wafer maker SK siltron SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Heavy-equipment-strong South Korean conglomerate Doosan Group has moved closer to the chipmaking segment after being named the preferred bidder to acquire SK siltron, the world’s third-largest maker of silicon wafers. SK Inc. said in a regulatory filing Wednesday that it had notified Doosan Corp. of its selection as the preferred negotiating partner for the sale of its stake in SK siltron. SK Inc. holds 70.6 percent in the wafer entity. Given December 18, 2025