Samsung unit enters humanoid robot market with investment in Norwegian robotics firm

SEOUL, December 10 (AJP) - Samsung Electro-Mechanics said Wednesday it has made a strategic investment in Norwegian electric motor company Alva Industries, marking its entry into the humanoid robot components market. Alva Industries said on its website on Dec. 9 that it will work with Samsung Electro-Mechanics on the development of advanced motor drive solutions for robots, following a multi-million euro investment. Founded in 2017, Alva is known for its proprietary fiber-p

December 10, 2025

South Korea's government opens talks on nuclear expansion in drafting long-term power plan

SEOUL, December 10 (AJP) - South Korea is drafting a long-term energy roadmap that prioritizes renewable power while accelerating a phase-out of coal and reopening debate over the construction of new nuclear reactors. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Climate and Energy convened the first general committee meeting for electricity supply and demand at the government complex in Seoul, chaired by Minister Kim Sung-hwan. Updated every two years, the plan sets out national power demand f

December 10, 2025

North Korea launches multiple artillery shells into West Sea

SEOUL, December 10 (AJP) - The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday that North Korea fired about a dozen projectiles into the West Sea the previous day. "We detected around 10 artillery shells launched toward the West Sea at around 3 p.m. the previous day. The launch is presumed to be part of Pyongyang's regular artillery exercises," the JCS said, adding that it is conducting a thorough analysis of the launch. The launch comes as North Korea continues its winter

December 10, 2025

South Korea to host 4th UN Ocean Conference in 2028

SEOUL, December 10 (AJP) - South Korea will host the 4th United Nations Ocean Conference in June 2028 after the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution endorsing the bid in New York on Dec. 9, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday. The UN Ocean Conference, held every three years, is the world’s largest high-level maritime meeting, focused on implementing Sustainable Development Goal 14, which seeks to conserve and sustainably

December 10, 2025

ADB raises South Korea's 2025 growth outlook to 0.9% on stimulus, chip demand

SEOUL, December 10 (AJP) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) raised its 2025 economic growth forecast for South Korea to 0.9 percent from 0.8 percent, citing the impact of government stimulus measures and stronger global demand for semiconductors. In its latest regional outlook, the ADB also lifted its projection for 2026 growth to 1.7 percent from 1.6 percent. The ADB’s 0.9 percent growth estimate aligns with forecasts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

December 10, 2025

Kookmin University wins national program to train next-generation eco-biological materials specialists

SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - Kookmin University said Tuesday it has been selected for the government's "Specialized Graduate School in Environmental Fields" initiative in the area of biological materials, a program overseen by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and supported by the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute. The project will run for five years from 2025 to 2030 with a total budget of 6.2 billion won. Professor Park Yong-cheol of

December 9, 2025

Chinese, Russian military jets briefly buzz South Korean airspace

SEOUL, December 9 (AJP) - Around nine Chinese and Russian military aircraft buzzed South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ) on Tuesday, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) here. According to the JCS, two Chinese and seven Russian aircraft entered the KADIZ at around 10 a.m., before leaving shortly after. This prompted South Korean military fighter jets to scramble in response to any incidents. They were bombers and fighter jets involved in the two big

December 9, 2025

Korean memory makers eye bumper year to extend into 2026

SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc., enjoying their best-yet bumper cycle, are set to reap more than $20 billion in combined operating income for the quarter ending December, according to upgrades by brokerage houses following stronger-than-expected price gains in memory chips from mass-market to high end. Kiwoom Securities on Monday projected SK hynix’s fourth-quarter operating profit at 16.2 trillion won ($11 billion), about 1.6 trillion won

December 9, 2025

SRT bullet train clocks up over 205 million passengers in nearly a decade

SEOUL, December 9 (AJP) - Tuesday marks the 9th anniversary of high-speed rail service Super Rapid Train (SRT). Operator SR Corporation said its high-speed trains, with a maximum speed of 305 km/h, have carried a total of 205 million passengers over the past nine years. Passenger numbers grew sharply from 1 million in 2016 to 26.69 million last year. As of early this week, approximately 24.33 million passengers have used the service this year. The number of daily commuters a

December 9, 2025

KTX-SRT integration after 10 years enabling easier rail access from southern Seoul

SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - Korea will merge its two high-speed rail operators — KTX, run by the state-owned Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), and SRT, operated by SR Corporation — by the end of next year, which can enable easier rail travel from southern part of Seoul and reduce overlapping costs. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Monday that the two services will begin cross-operating their trains in March. Under the plan, SRT trains,

December 9, 2025