SK hynix holds onto rival Kioxia as AI turns NAND into battleground SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) — Bain Capital earlier this month has closed the book on one of the biggest private equity wins of the artificial intelligence era by fully exiting Japanese memory chipmaker Kioxia. SK hynix, however, is staying put. The South Korean memory giant continues to hold an indirect 14 percent stake in Kioxia through a special-purpose investment vehicle established during Bain's 2018 acquisition of Toshiba Memory, underscoring that the investment has ev July 26, 2026

Samsung-Broadcom AI pact signals race for long-term chip supply SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics' sweeping five-year semiconductor partnership with Broadcom underscores a structural shift in the AI era, as leading technology companies increasingly lock in long-term chip supplies rather than rely on the notoriously volatile memory market. The memorandum of understanding, unveiled during the AI Summit in San Francisco on Friday, extends Samsung and Broadcom's collaboration through 2030 across high-bandwidth memory (HBM), advanc July 26, 2026

South Korea swelters through hottest vacation weekend SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) — South Korea's peak summer vacation season opened under suffocating heat on Sunday, with the heat index approaching 38 degrees Celsius across parts of the country's south, prompting heat-related deaths, livestock losses and a mass exodus to beaches and water parks. The Korea Meteorological Administration maintained its highest-level heat warnings across parts of North Gyeongsang, South Gyeongsang, South Jeolla and Daegu, where apparent temper July 26, 2026

When merits break: Will cockroach movement test Asia's youths? SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) - The most remarkable thing about India's Cockroach movement is not that it forced the resignation of a cabinet minister. It is that it began with an insult. When a senior judge reportedly dismissed unemployed young Indians as "cockroaches" and "parasites," Generation Z did something previous generations rarely attempted. Instead of rejecting the slur, they adopted it, transforming a satirical Instagram page into a nationwide movement t July 26, 2026

Southeast Korea sizzles as heat hotspot spreads beyond 'Daefrica' SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) -South Korea's notorious summer heat is no longer confined to "Daefrica," the nickname long used for the sweltering city of Daegu, as extreme temperatures spread across much of neighboring North Gyeongsang Province in what meteorologists describe as a broader and more persistent heat wave. The Korea Meteorological Administration on Sunday expanded its highest-level extreme heat emergency warning to additional areas including Gyeongsan and Cheongdo, July 26, 2026

Love, legacy and the price of a chaebol divorce SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) -There is no shortage of Korean dramas built around chaebol heirs falling in love against the odds. Real life has produced stories just as compelling — except that the endings are often written not by scriptwriters but by judges. Record 944 billion won ($680 million) divorce award involving SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and former wife Roh Soh-yeong last Friday has added another chapter to the small club of Korea's most consequential corporate brea July 26, 2026

Lee courts Silicon Valley's 'kingmakers' to back Korean startups SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung met six of Silicon Valley's most influential venture capital firms on Saturday, urging them to help turn South Korea into an indispensable global hub for innovation and startup investment. The "Silicon Valley Venture Investment Meetup," held at a hotel in San Francisco, came a day after Lee met the chief executives of major U.S. technology companies, extending his U.S. visit from discussions with established Big Tech lea July 26, 2026

Korea's big chip week begins as SK hynix, Samsung face AI boom reality check SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) - South Korea's technology sector enters its most closely watched week of the earnings season as memory giant SK hynix reports second-quarter results on Wednesday, followed by Samsung Electronics' full earnings on Thursday, with investors looking beyond record profits for clues on whether the AI-driven semiconductor boom still has room to run. The two companies now sit at the center of the global AI infrastructure cycle, and their earnings conference c July 26, 2026

HD Hyundai Samho secures crane project in US as part of MASGA SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) -South Korea's Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA) initiative recorded its first visible commercial milestone after HD Hyundai secured a contract to supply four port cranes for an HMM-operated terminal in the U.S., in a project combining Korean shipbuilding, steelmaking and port logistics. HD Hyundai said Sunday that HD Hyundai Samho signed an agreement with Washington United Terminals (WUT), the operator of HMM's container terminal at the P July 26, 2026

Russia preparing to receive 30,000 more North Korean troops, Zelensky says SEOUL, July 26 (AJP) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Russia is preparing to deploy another 30,000 North Korean troops to support its war in Ukraine, warning that the deepening military partnership poses a growing security threat beyond Europe. In his nightly address posted on X, Zelensky said Moscow had been preparing since June to receive the additional North Korean forces in Russia's Voronezh region, which borders northeastern Ukraine. "Rus July 26, 2026