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Paris Baguette Expands Global Reach with Entry into Laos and North America Paris Baguette is accelerating its global expansion with its entry into Laos and an expansion in the North American market. Chairman Huh Young-ins long-term efforts to improve overseas operations and expand networks are beginning to bear fruit.On September 9, Paris Baguette announced that it opened its first store in Laos at the Kokkok Mega Mall Patuxai in Vientiane, the capital, in July. This marks the first time a domestic bakery company has opened a store in Laos. With this opening, Paris Baguette now operates in seven Southeast Asian countries, including Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Globally, the company has over 730 stores across 13 countries, including North America, Europe, and Asia.Laos is a key market in the Mekong economic zone, where urbanization and a growing middle class are rapidly increasing demand for dining and café services. Paris Baguette has been preparing for its entry by signing a master franchise agreement with the local representative company, Korao Group, in 2024. The local store will feature global hits like the Fresh Yogurt Cream Cake and Best Ever Garlic Bread, along with local specialties such as the Musang King Durian Roll Cake to attract consumers.The company is also building production infrastructure that extends beyond Southeast Asia to the Middle East and North Africa. Last year, Paris Baguette completed a halal-certified production center in Johor, Malaysia, covering an area of 12,900 square meters. In February, it received halal certification for all its stores in Singapore and last month for all its stores in Indonesia. The Malaysian factory has the capacity to produce up to 100 million baked goods annually.Growth in the North American market is also strong. Since entering the U.S. in 2005, Paris Baguette now operates in 30 states. In May, it opened its first airport store at Philadelphia International Airport, surpassing 300 locations in the region.In the prestigious business publication Entrepreneurs 2026 Franchise 500, Paris Baguette ranked 29th overall and first in the bakery café category, becoming the only domestic brand to break into the top 30.Last year, Paris Baguette opened 77 new stores in North America and plans to add over 150 more this year, aiming for a total of more than 400 locations. In line with this growth, a large-scale bakery factory in Texas, led by Chairman Huh Young-in, began construction in September last year and is expected to serve as a key logistics and production hub for North America upon completion.A representative from Paris Baguette stated, With our entry into Laos, we plan to further expand our Southeast Asian operations and continue opening stores in North America to maintain our growth in the global market.* This article has been translated by AI. September 9, 2026 1 -
Gwangju-Jeonnam Expands Agricultural Exports to Indonesia with $9.31 Million in Consultations The Gwangju-Jeonnam Special City has achieved significant results in expanding the market for local agricultural products in Indonesia, securing $9.31 million in export consultations. The city announced that it recently held an Agricultural Products Export Consultation and Promotion Event in Jakarta, Indonesia, in collaboration with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), resulting in a total of 89 consultations worth $9.31 million. Of these consultations, $5.21 million led to export agreements, and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) worth $100,000 was signed with local buyers. The business-to-business (B2B) export consultation event, held at the Ayana Hotel in Jakarta, featured 10 local agricultural export companies engaging in one-on-one discussions with local buyers. Participating companies included Yeonggeul Farm, Iwoong Food, Daeryuk Food, the Bright and Warm Cooperative, Bada Myungga, Seogwang Food Agricultural Corporation, Jeongnamjin Jangheung Mushroom, Joheun Agricultural Cooperative, ID Farm Jeollado Kimchi, and Hanabio Tech. They showcased a variety of local agricultural products, including seaweed, kimchi, yuzu processed goods, mushrooms, beverages, and teas. Prior to the consultations, KOTRAs Jakarta office held a seminar to introduce trends in the Indonesian consumer goods market and food certification systems, assisting participating companies in developing their local market entry strategies. In addition to export consultations, promotional activities linked to local distribution networks were also conducted. The Special City has partnered with K3 Mart, which operates over 30 stores in Indonesia, to feature products from participating companies in five of its locations for about a month, conducting promotional and sales events. Products that demonstrate competitiveness based on sales performance and local consumer feedback will receive ongoing support for continued placement. At the Kota Kasablanka shopping mall in Jakarta, tasting and promotional events were held for products such as seaweed, kimchi, teas, yuzu tea, and konjac jelly. During this process, Jeongnamjin Jangheungs vegan ham and ID Farms Jeollado Altari Kimchi attracted interest from local consumers and buyers, with Jeongnamjin Jangheung signing a $100,000 MOU with a local buyer. Support for food certification, a key gateway to entering the Indonesian market, was also provided. Participating companies received assistance for up to two items each in obtaining certification from the Indonesian Food and Drug Administration (BPOM), facilitating the necessary procedures for entering the local distribution market. Shin Hyun-gon, the International Cooperation Officer of Gwangju-Jeonnam Special City, stated, Indonesia is a major consumer market in Southeast Asia with a population of over 280 million. We will support the entry of local agricultural products into the Indonesian market by linking buyer consultations, distribution network placements, consumer promotions, and food certifications. Meanwhile, the Gwangju-Jeonnam Special City plans to support follow-up consultations between participating companies and local buyers to ensure that the $5.21 million in export agreements discussed during the consultations lead to actual contracts and exports. They will also assess the potential for expanding into the Indonesian market based on local distribution sales performance and consumer responses.* This article has been translated by AI. September 9, 2026 0
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Hanwha Ocean Selected as Preferred Negotiation Partner for Thailand's Next-Gen Frigate Project Hanwha Ocean announced that it has been selected as the preferred negotiation partner for the Royal Thai Navys next-generation frigate project on September 9.This selection marks the beginning of discussions to finalize technical specifications and project scope before a formal contract is signed. Hanwha Ocean will engage in detailed negotiations with the Royal Thai Navy, with the final contract terms to be determined based on the outcomes of these discussions.With this selection, Hanwha Ocean aims to strengthen its long-term maritime defense cooperation with Thailand while continuously expanding its business opportunities in the global surface ship market, particularly in Southeast Asia.During the upcoming negotiations, the company plans to closely coordinate the specific conditions to ensure that both the Thai Navy and Hanwha Ocean are satisfied with the frigate, thereby maximizing the competitiveness and efficiency of Hanwha Oceans shipbuilding capabilities.Previously, the Royal Thai Navy announced a proposal of 16.73 billion baht (approximately $683 million) for the construction and integrated logistics support of one frigate.In this project, global defense firms, including Hanwha Ocean, Spain, Singapore, and Turkey, competed for the contract. Hanwha Ocean was selected as the preferred partner based on its successful delivery of the first frigate, HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej, to the Royal Thai Navy in 2018 and its accumulated shipbuilding expertise.Additionally, the active support from the Ministry of National Defense, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and the Republic of Korea Navy contributed to this selection process. Ongoing defense exchanges, including bilateral talks, port calls by the Republic of Korea Navys training squadron to Thailand, and the Cobra Gold joint exercises, have built trust between the two navies, serving as a foundation for advancing this project.Meanwhile, the Royal Thai Navy plans to expand its current fleet of four high-performance frigates to eight by 2037, raising the potential for follow-up orders from Hanwha Ocean.* This article has been translated by AI. September 9, 2026 0
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Using 3 Days of Leave for a 9-Day Break During Chuseok This years Chuseok holiday spans four days, prompting many employees to start planning their leave.Chuseok falls on Friday, September 25, 2026. The official holiday period runs from Thursday, September 24, to Saturday, September 26, with Sunday, September 27, included, providing a total of four days off.Employees are particularly interested in how to maximize their time off with just one day of leave. The timing of leave can significantly extend the actual break, as the placement of leave days around weekends and holidays affects the total time off.By taking leave from Monday, September 21, to Wednesday, September 23, employees can enjoy a total of nine consecutive days off, starting from the previous weekend on September 19 and 20, through to the last day of the Chuseok holiday on September 27. This means that three days of leave can effectively stretch the holiday to nine days.While the short four-day Chuseok holiday may seem insufficient for international travel, combining it with three days of leave creates a more appealing nine-day vacation. This extended break allows for not only domestic travel but also short trips to Japan and Southeast Asia, and potentially longer trips to Europe or North America, depending on individual schedules.Travel industry analysts report a 35% increase in demand for international flight bookings around the September Chuseok holiday compared to the same period last year. The proximity of Chuseok to the October holiday has led to increased consideration among employees regarding their leave usage for long-distance travel.Ultimately, the experience of this years Chuseok holiday will depend significantly on how effectively employees can plan their leave. This has sparked a leave war among workers at major companies, public institutions, and small businesses, as employees vie for the best dates to take off. The structure of leave approval often requires that colleagues do not have overlapping schedules, making the days before and after the holiday particularly competitive.Notably, September 21 to 23 are weekdays just before Chuseok, which could lead to staffing shortages if multiple team members request leave simultaneously. In roles where one persons absence necessitates coverage by another, coordination among team members becomes essential.In workplace communities, discussions frequently arise about who will request leave first, how to gauge team dynamics, and when to approach supervisors about time off. While the calculation of three days of leave equals nine days off is possible, not all employees will be able to take the full nine days due to company policies, team workloads, and colleagues leave schedules.This year, with opportunities to use leave for extended vacations in October following Chuseok, employees are expected to engage in even more intense planning regarding their remaining leave days.* This article has been translated by AI. September 8, 2026 1
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SM Vexcell Shares Surge 22% Following First Battery Export to Southeast Asia SM Vexcells shares surged over 20% following the companys first successful battery export. According to the Korea Exchange, as of 1:48 PM on September 8, SM Vexcells stock was trading at 2,105 won, up 22.94% from the previous trading day. The surge was driven by news that the battery division exported its flagship alkaline batteries to CP Group, Thailands largest conglomerate. This marks Vexcells first overseas export. Thailand is one of the largest battery consumer markets in Southeast Asia, making this a significant step in the companys global expansion. The batteries are set to begin shipping in mid-September and are expected to be available across Thailand through CP Extra, a distribution subsidiary of CP Group, as early as next month.* This article has been translated by AI. September 8, 2026 1
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Korea, Thailand deepen police cooperation against K-content piracy SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - South Korea's culture ministry signed an agreement with Thailand's police agency Tuesday to strengthen joint investigations into cross-border copyright crimes involving Korean content. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Central Investigation Bureau of the Royal Thai Police signed the memorandum of understanding at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul in Jongno District, the ministry said. The agreement covers cooperation on law-enforcement operations against copyright infringement, information sharing on copyright crimes and investigations, and joint policy work on copyright protection and public awareness. The agreement builds on a February multinational operation against an illegal IPTV network based in Thailand and Malaysia. South Korea's culture ministry joined the National Police Agency, Interpol, the Royal Thai Police, the Royal Malaysia Police and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations in the crackdown. Officials said the group had illegally distributed Korean and other global broadcast content since 2015, mainly across Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Its service carried 426 live channels worldwide, including eight South Korean broadcasters such as tvN, KBS World and SPOTV, along with more than 8,000 video-on-demand titles. Industry estimates put losses for Korean content owners at about 35 billion won ($25 million). Investigators raided homes and offices in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Selangor, Malaysia, taking four suspects into custody: one Thai national and three Malaysian nationals. After evidence reviews and questioning, local investigators verified charges against two Malaysian suspects in April and one Thai suspect in May, sending them to trial. The operation was supported by a cooperation network built under the second phase of the Interpol Stop Online Piracy project, known as I-SOP. South Korea's culture ministry, National Police Agency and Interpol signed the I-SOP agreement in January 2025. A copyright enforcement meeting hosted by the ministry last June with Thai investigators and Interpol officials also helped build trust before the joint operation, officials said. Kim Jae-hyun, the ministry's director general for culture and media industry policy, said South Korea will keep working with Interpol and foreign law-enforcement agencies to strengthen its response to transnational copyright crimes. AJP Takeaways - South Korea's culture ministry and Thailand's Central Investigation Bureau will sign a copyright protection MOU in Seoul. - The agreement focuses on joint enforcement operations, investigation information sharing and copyright policy exchanges. - The move follows a February multinational crackdown on an illegal IPTV network based in Thailand and Malaysia. September 8, 2026 1 -
U.S. Semiconductor Regulations Bypassed as Data Centers Shift to Southeast Asia Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) server company Inspur Group, which is subject to U.S. sanctions, has been found to be circumventing advanced AI semiconductor export controls by utilizing its U.S. subsidiary and data centers in Southeast Asia.According to a report by the New York Times on September 6, an analysis of thousands of shipping records and supply contracts revealed that Chinese companies are securing computing resources for advanced AI chips by evading U.S. export regulations.Inspur, which has been building AI servers using semiconductors from companies like NVIDIA, was added to the U.S. Department of Commerces export control list in March 2023 due to its attempts to acquire U.S. technology for military supercomputers.In response, Inspur exploited loopholes in the regulations through its subsidiary, iBress, which is not subject to the sanctions. The company first shipped NVIDIA AI chips to Southeast Asia, where it established data centers, allowing its domestic clients to access them remotely. This strategy took advantage of the difficulty the U.S. has in monitoring and blocking remote access to AI centers located in Southeast Asia.Trade records analyzed by the New York Times indicate that from April 2024 to February of this year, iBress exported at least $5.6 billion worth of advanced technology equipment from the U.S. to Southeast Asia, with over $3 billion of that amount consisting of computers equipped with NVIDIAs Blackwell chips.The exported equipment has been supplied to data centers in Southeast Asia that serve major Chinese tech companies, including Alibaba and ByteDance, which are at the forefront of AI utilization. The Chinese company Megaspeed, which has been under investigation by the U.S. for allegedly smuggling advanced chips into China, is also among iBresss suppliers.Evidence has also emerged that AI servers are being routed through Malaysia to China via Inspurs global subsidiary network. According to trade data firm Import Genius, a startup called MagInfra, established in China last year, imported over $700 million worth of servers from Malaysian companies that trade with Inspur affiliates over a six-month period.While it is unclear whether the servers imported by MagInfra contained NVIDIA chips, considering the unit prices, it is estimated that more than 1,500 servers are of advanced quality. Although there is no official documentation linking MagInfra to Inspur, the legal representative of the parent company has previously held positions at Inspur subsidiaries.Notably, MagInfras office is located near Inspurs headquarters in China, but a visit by the New York Times revealed that the office is a shell address with no employees. According to Chinese procurement records, the servers imported by MagInfra have been supplied to Chinese universities and state-owned enterprises.William George, a research analyst at Import Genius, stated, Given this situation, it is very difficult to view this network as operating without support from the Chinese government to evade export controls.The New York Times pointed out that iBress shares the same servers, employees, and office space as Inspur, yet federal authorities have not placed it on the sanctions list. U.S. federal authorities are investigating the status of Inspurs subsidiaries, but no clear results have emerged yet.* This article has been translated by AI. September 7, 2026 2
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Korea Investment & Securities Raises S-Oil Target Price Amid Refinery Shortages Korea Investment & Securities projected on September 7 that global refinery shortages will continue to drive up prices for refined oil products. The firm maintained a buy rating for S-Oil and raised its target price by 20% to 180,000 won.Lee Chung-jae, a researcher at Korea Investment & Securities, stated, It is not a shortage of crude oil, but rather a significant shortage of refinery facilities. He noted that the U.S. refinery utilization rate, which has faced no issues with crude supply or refinery operations, reached an all-time high in August.The U.S. refinery utilization rate climbed to 98% by the end of last month. Analysts attribute supply disruptions to attacks on refineries in Iran and the U.S., as well as operational challenges in Russia due to oil export restrictions following the Ukraine war.Refined product prices are also on the rise. As of September 4, diesel prices in the U.S. surpassed the all-time high recorded in June 2022. At that time, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was priced at $115 per barrel, while it currently hovers around $90, highlighting the high profitability of refined products.Lee added, The fact that higher refined product prices are forming despite lower crude oil prices indicates a real shortage of refinery facilities. Unless there is a decrease in demand from low-income countries in Southeast Asia or a rapid restart of refining facilities in Russia, refining margins are expected to remain high for the time being.He further stated, Even if geopolitical risks are resolved, it will take at least 2 to 3 years for refinery operations to normalize. S-Oil will maintain its competitiveness after the resolution of geopolitical risks, as it produces high-quality refined products reliably from crude oil sourced from various regions worldwide.* This article has been translated by AI. September 7, 2026 0
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IntelliVix Receives Preliminary Approval for KOSDAQ Listing IntelliVix, a safe artificial intelligence (AI) company, announced on September 4 that it received preliminary approval for its listing on the KOSDAQ market on September 3. Mirae Asset Securities will serve as the lead underwriter, with the listing targeted for November.Founded in 2000, IntelliVix specializes in safe AI solutions. The company has developed and supplied the GenAMS AI solution, which detects and responds to risks in industrial and social settings.IntelliVixs competitive edge lies in its ability to commercialize its proprietary AI technology, generating actual revenue. According to the company, it recorded revenues of 18.3 billion won in 2023, projected to reach 34 billion won in 2024 and 46.6 billion won in 2025. The company has reported operating profits for 13 consecutive years, with 4.9 billion won in profit last year.The company has a diverse customer base, supplying AI safety solutions to major corporations such as Samsung, POSCO, Hyundai Motor, and LG Group, as well as government and local authorities.IntelliVix is also expanding its product portfolio. It has introduced the next-generation safety monitoring platform GenAMS, the all-weather AI camera VIXallcam, and the four-legged AI patrol robot ARGOS. Notably, VIXallcam received an innovation award at this years CES.Internationally, IntelliVix is ramping up its overseas operations, having established distribution and business partnerships in eight countries. The company is focusing on expanding its global presence in Japan, Southeast Asia, and Australia.An IntelliVix representative stated, We aim to use this KOSDAQ listing as a stepping stone to expand our verified safe AI technology and business model into the defense and global markets.* This article has been translated by AI. September 4, 2026 1
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Byun Yo-han Reveals Why He Married Tiffany Young: 'She Protected Me First' Actor Byun Yo-han has drawn attention by sharing the reasons behind his decision to marry Tiffany Young, a former member of Girls Generation.On September 3, Byun appeared on the YouTube channel Choo Sung-hoon and discussed his marriage to Tiffany, from the reasons for their union to their newlywed life.Byun stated, This is the first time I’m sharing this. I always dated to protect my partner. But I met a woman who protects me, gives me courage, and helps me overcome challenges for the first time.He continued, I haven’t traveled for about ten years due to health issues. I was afraid of flying, so I started with short trips to Japan, which is just a two-hour flight, and gradually worked my way up to Southeast Asia, which takes over five hours. I never thought I could go beyond that, but Tiffany was the first to book a flight for me and said, Trust me. Just follow me.Upon landing, he recalled feeling a new emotion, saying, As soon as I got off the plane, I thought, What is this feeling? I’ve been acting for a long time and I’m not young, but I felt something new.Regarding his current married life, he expressed, I’m really happy right now. However, I always try to maintain my composure. I want to love for a long time, so I’m managing my energy.When asked by Choo Sung-hoon about what he enjoys doing with his wife, Byun replied, After my schedule, I enjoy walking with our dogs and talking. Traveling is also wonderful.He acknowledged that sometimes they feel their differences, saying, I enjoy listening to my wife, but I realize, Wow, she’s a completely different person. Our rhythms are different. Sometimes I get scolded during our conversations, but I find that the most fun part of our newlywed life.Byun Yo-han and Tiffany Young developed their relationship after co-starring in the Disney+ series Uncle Sam-sik and registered their marriage in February.* This article has been translated by AI. September 4, 2026 1
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Western Business Leaders Pay Premiums for Tours of Chinese Factories Western business leaders are increasingly visiting factories in China. A surge in foreign scientists and business executives seeking to tour Chinese factories has driven up participation fees and ticket prices, according to a commentary by the state-run Global Times on September 4. Citing a Reuters report, the Global Times noted that applications for a five-day factory tour program, with fees reaching as high as $15,000, have surged.The free tours of the Xiaomi Motors factory in Beijing are allocated through a lottery system, with resale tickets reportedly trading for as much as $300 (approximately 420,000 won) on second-hand platforms. The Global Times reported that the Beijing Xiaomi Motors factory produces a completed vehicle every 76 seconds, and since opening, it has welcomed over 250,000 visitors from more than 70 countries. There was even a case where 10,000 people applied for just 20 spots on the tour list.The Xian factory of Geely Automobile boasts a 100% automation rate in key processes such as pressing, welding, and painting, with a new car rolling off the line every minute. Demonstrations of humanoid robots in Hangzhou have become a staple in the itineraries of visiting heads of state. Organizers of the tours stated, Companies from various countries are competing with Chinese firms in the global market and are participating in on-site visits to witness the realities of China.According to the Global Times, one tour organizer indicated that about half of the participants are from Southeast Asia, and since late 2025, several delegations from European companies have also begun to visit. In Shenzhen, the number of foreign tourists entering the city increased by 70% last year, and by August 4 of this year, over 5 million foreign entries and exits through the Shenzhen customs area had been recorded. An anonymous U.S. manufacturing consultant noted that on-site workers are largely unconcerned about the political climate, and American robotics companies continue to purchase Chinese components in large quantities.The Global Times reported that the number of foreign tourists visiting China reached 35.17 million in 2025, a 30.6% increase compared to the previous year, and bookings for factory tour travel packages this summer have surged more than ninefold compared to the same period last year. The Chinese government is also promoting industrial tourism. In May, seven ministries, including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, jointly announced measures to support the development of industrial tourism. Currently, China allows visa-free entry for citizens from 50 countries.* This article has been translated by AI. September 4, 2026 0
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LabUp CEO Shin Jeong-kyu: 'We Identify Problems Before the Market Opens, Aiming for 6x Revenue in 3 Years' LabUp not only solves customer problems but also identifies issues that customers may not yet recognize. We must define problems ahead of the market to provide solutions that can be immediately utilized when the market opens, said Shin Jeong-kyu, CEO of LabUp, during an interview at the companys office in Gangnam, Seoul, on August 28.Shin emphasized the companys core competitiveness, noting that LabUp has proactively developed related technologies in anticipation of changes in the AI infrastructure market, which is shifting from model training to inference and then to agent-based AI. LabUp aims to go public on KOSDAQ in October and plans to accelerate its global market strategy with the funds raised from the IPO.Q&A with LabUp CEO Shin Jeong-kyu- You passed the preliminary review for KOSDAQ listing. What are your thoughts?We confirmed the high interest in the AI sector. As a company developing AI infrastructure systems, LabUp will supply optimized infrastructure to domestic and international AI companies and contribute to reducing the social costs associated with infrastructure construction and operation.- What aspects of LabUp do you think the market has highly evaluated?I believe the market has recognized our ability to predict changes in AI infrastructure ahead of time and prepare the necessary technologies. Since our founding, we have been about four years ahead in technology and approximately one year ahead in commercialization. In the past, operating GPUs for large-scale model training was crucial, but with the emergence of ChatGPT, inference that can handle multiple models and users simultaneously has become a key capability. Recently, as reinforcement learning-based post-training has spread, the boundaries between training and inference are disappearing. LabUp prepared related platforms before these changes manifested as actual market demand.- What is the specific timeline for the IPO?We submitted our securities registration statement last Tuesday. If all goes as planned, we expect to complete the KOSDAQ listing by the end of October.- Where will the funds raised from the IPO be prioritized for investment?We plan to prioritize investments in R&D infrastructure and solution enhancement. To create a good infrastructure solution, it is essential to operate large-scale infrastructure and have firsthand experience in validating new equipment. Setting up one NVIDIA B200 system costs about 1.5 billion won, and the next-generation Vera Rubin system is expected to require about 6 billion won per rack.- How does your main product, Backend.AI, differ from existing GPU management solutions?The biggest difference is that we possess end-to-end technology that encompasses the entire AI infrastructure. Solutions that combine various open-source tools often have limitations in organically optimizing the entire system due to the separation of infrastructure, machine learning operations, and inference layers. LabUps Backend.AI can handle the reallocation of GPUs and the acquisition of additional resources on a single platform, even in situations where user demand suddenly increases.- What benefits can clients expect from implementing Backend.AI?I cannot disclose specific figures for individual clients. However, I recall that in a proprietary AI foundation model project, we reduced the response time for failures to one-fortieth of the original. In a virtualized environment, we achieved performance levels about 97% of bare metal. Excluding resources needed for operating systems, we are pushing GPU performance to near hardware limits.- There are concerns that a GPU-centric business model may have limitations in the long term.LabUps strength lies in its versatility. The AI semiconductor market is rapidly changing, and demand is diverse, making it difficult for a single company to dominate all areas. Currently, LabUp supports about 14 to 15 types of AI semiconductors. Since 2018, we have been responding to various AI semiconductors, starting with Googles TPU. We are also collaborating on the NPU verification projects of domestic companies like FuriosaAI and Rebellion.- Which regions do you plan to target first in the global market?We plan to focus on Southeast Asia and the U.S. first, and then expand into Europe. The U.S. market is dominated by big tech companies, making it challenging for external solutions to enter, as large AI firms often have thousands of in-house infrastructure personnel. However, I believe we need to secure our unique entry routes before the market becomes more entrenched. In Southeast Asia, large neo-cloud providers are emerging rapidly. Given the fast growth of the market, I think it is crucial to establish partnerships with local players for early entry.- How does LabUp differentiate itself from overseas competitors?In a word, it just works. In the AI infrastructure market, many solutions improve stability through customer testing after product release. LabUp can provide day-one ready solutions that clients can implement immediately, based on our extensive experience, particularly in operating products in the enterprise market and encountering various exceptions from hardware to actual AI services.- What motivated LabUp to participate in the AI consortium with KT and what role do you play?While LabUp has extensive experience in operating AI workloads for businesses and developers, we lack experience in large-scale AI services used by the general public. Through the Everyones AI project, we hope to identify technical issues arising from user patterns and address them. I believe we can gain experience in discovering bottlenecks in large-scale services and optimizing AI systems and costs.- What does LabUp look like in three years?Our goal is to establish a platform that manages and integrates AI agents distributed across various locations. In three years, the number of AI agents with human-level intelligence will far exceed that of humans. We anticipate that many office tasks will be handled by AI. LabUp aims to be a company that provides a playground for AI to operate in an environment where humans and AI coexist. If the market grows as expected, we project that our revenue will increase sixfold in three years. LabUps focus is on software; rather than owning cloud infrastructure directly, we will concentrate on software and intelligence to efficiently utilize any hardware. September 2, 2026 1
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K-defense gains traction amid localization push SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - If the AI boom has delivered a windfall for South Korean chipmakers, rising geopolitical risks along Russia’s borders and across the Middle East have pushed Korean weapons makers into the spotlight. Growing pressure for greater self-reliance, fueled by America-first policies and strains among traditional allies, is driving governments across Europe, Asia and the Middle East to sharply increase defense spending and modernize their arsenals. The rush has benefited South Korean defense companies Hanwha Aerospace, LIG Nex1, Hyundai Rotem and Korea Aerospace Industries, or KAI, all of which appeared in Defense News’ latest ranking of the world’s 100 largest defense companies. The four generated a combined $17.79 billion in defense revenue in 2025, up 38.4 percent from $12.85 billion a year earlier, according to an AJP calculation based on the 2026 Defense News Top 100. Hanwha made the biggest leap, rising to 16th from 22nd as defense revenue surged 53 percent to $10.44 billion from $6.82 billion. LIG Nex1 moved to 52nd from 53rd, with revenue rising to $3.03 billion from $2.36 billion, while Hyundai Rotem climbed to 61st from 67th as defense revenue increased to $2.46 billion from $1.74 billion. KAI was the exception, falling to 74th from 62nd as defense revenue declined to $1.86 billion from $1.94 billion. Localization becomes price of entry The European Union’s defense industrial strategy calls for member states to gradually raise procurement from the European defense industrial base to at least 50 percent by 2030 and 60 percent by 2035. Under the EU’s €150 billion ($175 billion) Security Action for Europe, or SAFE, financing instrument, components originating outside the EU, European Economic Area and Ukraine generally cannot exceed 35 percent of an eligible product’s component costs. Similar pressure is building in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia aims to localize more than 50 percent of military equipment and services spending by 2030, putting domestic production, maintenance and technology transfer at the center of its defense strategy. The requirements are changing the equation for Korean exporters, which initially gained market share through relatively fast delivery, proven platforms and competitive pricing. “The markets that can be accessed through direct exports of finished products alone are inevitably limited,” Korea Investment & Securities said in a report, adding that localization can expand both the range of accessible markets and the likelihood of winning contracts while generating follow-on revenue from technology transfer and maintenance. What began as an additional condition attached to major export contracts is increasingly becoming part of the competitive proposition itself. Hanwha: Spain and U.S. open harder markets Hanwha Aerospace is pushing into two markets that have traditionally been difficult for Korean defense companies. It is partnering with Spain’s Indra on a K9-based artillery program covering 128 self-propelled howitzers and 120 ammunition resupply vehicles, with hull design and production to be localized in Spain. Defense News put the broader Spanish tracked-artillery budget at €4.55 billion. In the U.S., the Army selected Hanwha Defense USA in August to provide six Mobile Tactical Cannon prototypes, with options for 12 more, under a contract worth up to $262.9 million. “The U.S. howitzer prototype program and the Spanish artillery deal are significant as footholds for follow-on orders, additional items and entry into new markets,” Yang Seung-yoon, an analyst at Eugene Investment & Securities, said in a report Monday. Korea Investment & Securities also said Hanwha’s experience in building production facilities, localizing supply chains and transferring technology could become a differentiator as localization requirements tighten. LIG: European air defense becomes next frontier LIG Nex1 is moving beyond the Middle East, where Cheongung-II sales created its largest export base, toward establishing a manufacturing foothold in Europe. LIG and Germany’s Rheinmetall agreed in June to pursue a European joint venture, with Rheinmetall holding a majority stake, to localize and market LIG’s medium- and long-range air-defense systems and jointly develop new short-range missiles. LIG has also opened a representative office in Munich. The company is simultaneously expanding in Southeast Asia, including the first export of its Haegung naval missile to Malaysia and prospective missile deals in Indonesia. “Export markets and products are continuing to diversify across Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and South America, particularly in air-defense and ground systems,” Yang said. Hyundai Rotem: Poland shifts from buyer to production base Hyundai Rotem’s Polish K2 program is moving from rapid deliveries of Korean-built tanks toward local production and long-term sustainment. Poland received the first 28 K2GF tanks under its second $6.5 billion contract in August. Of the 64 K2PL tanks included in the deal, the first three will be built in South Korea for testing, while the remaining 61 will undergo final assembly at Poland’s Bumar-Łabędy plant. Maintenance capabilities and the parts ecosystem are also being transferred to Poland. “The revenue structure is becoming longer-term, moving from finished-product exports to local production, maintenance and ammunition,” Yang said. The next potential market is Peru, where the K2 remains in contention for a major tank procurement program. KAI: KF-21 enters service, exports become next test KAI is entering a different transition as the KF-21 moves from development into operational service. The first production fighter is scheduled for delivery to the Korean Air Force on Sept. 17, with eight expected by year-end. Eugene Investment & Securities said the program is now expanding “from aircraft production to an air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons package” as South Korea develops indigenous weapons for the fighter. The bigger test is exports. Indonesia, once the KF-21’s development partner and expected production partner, dropped plans for domestic co-production this year, although purchases of completed aircraft remain possible. That leaves KAI with the task of turning the KF-21’s entry into service into its first firm overseas order while continuing to expand the FA-50 business in markets including Malaysia and the Philippines. The Defense News ranking reflects contracts and deliveries recognized in 2025. Many of the localization moves now underway - Hanwha’s Spanish and U.S. programs, Hyundai Rotem’s Polish production arrangement, LIG’s overseas manufacturing push and KAI’s support networks abroad - will only begin to show their financial impact over the coming years. South Korea’s first defense export boom was largely about proving that its weapons could compete overseas and be delivered quickly. The next phase is about becoming part of customers’ own defense industrial bases, extending the business from finished-product exports into local production, maintenance, ammunition and technology transfer. September 1, 2026 1 -
Airbility raises 6.5 billion won to shoot down drones with drones SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - A Seoul aerospace startup has closed a Series A round to build small aircraft that hunt other aircraft, betting that the cheapest way to stop an incoming attack drone is another drone rather than a missile. Airbility said Tuesday that the 6.5 billion won ($4.7 million) round was led by Sazze Partners, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, with existing backer Stonebridge Ventures returning and the Industrial Bank of Korea joining as a new shareholder. Cumulative funding now stands at 10.5 billion won. The company declined to disclose its valuation. The round lands in the middle of the largest funding boom the defense technology sector has seen. Defense tech startups raised $14.6 billion in the first five months of 2026 alone, already ahead of the full-year record of $9.6 billion set in 2025. Airbility builds what the industry calls air-to-air hard kill, meaning an interceptor aircraft physically strikes or captures a hostile drone in flight rather than jamming its signal. Soft-kill methods fail against drones that fly preprogrammed routes and never need to talk to an operator. Three interceptors are planned. In the company's account, the AB-U10 fires a net at its target at speeds up to 180 kilometers per hour, the AB-U2 is a payload-sized drone carried aloft by a larger mothership aircraft and released to strike directly, and the AB-U4L is a fixed-wing model launched from a tube at up to 300 kilometers per hour. All three sit on the same high-speed electric vertical takeoff and landing platform, an airframe that rises like a helicopter and then transitions to winged forward flight. Airbility said the AB-U10 will reach the market by the end of this year and the other two in the first half of 2027. The economics are the pitch. In Ukraine, air defense crews have repeatedly spent multimillion-dollar surface-to-air missiles on Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones that cost a small fraction of that. Airbility puts the Shahed at roughly $35,000 a unit against about $4 million for a Patriot missile, and says a single engagement using its method costs between $50 and $3,000. The company argues the same arithmetic works abroad. Foreign systems from suppliers such as Anduril of the United States face origin controls and procurement reviews that slow deliveries, Airbility said, while the AB series is built on Korean technology, can be sold into a wider set of countries and is priced at roughly one-tenth of the alternatives. Discussions are under way with more than nine countries across the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America, according to the company, with four memorandums of understanding and two joint ventures in progress. The engineering comes out of South Korea's state weapons laboratory. Airbility was founded in November 2023 by researchers from the Agency for Defense Development who led work on domestic aircraft including the T-50 supersonic trainer and the KF-21 fighter, together with staff from Hyundai Motor and LG Electronics. Of 26 employees, 80 percent work in research and development. In December 2025 the company said it flew three prototypes through transition, the passage from vertical lift into winged flight and the hardest phase of an eVTOL envelope to prove. Government money has followed. Airbility was recently selected for the Korea AeroSpace Administration's 2026 Scale-up TIPS program, worth 3 billion won in research funding, and is building a domestic record through projects with the Marine Corps and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. Sazze Partners has invested in more than 100 artificial intelligence, software and consumer companies since 2018, including the South Korean AI firm Upstage. Airbility said the round is the firm's first investment in defense. "What caught our attention was a company solving the cost asymmetry problem in the counter-drone market, where blocking a single drone can cost hundreds of times more than the drone itself," said Lee Ki-ha, managing partner at Sazze Partners. "If they can convert the rapidly rising global demand for counter-drone systems into contracts, we expect them to grow into a company that represents South Korea's defense sector." Co-chief executive Lee Jin-mo said the goal is to widen the business from selling airframes to selling integrated systems and to reach 50 billion won in cumulative revenue by 2028. South Korea's defense industry has crossed $10 billion in annual orders, and the government has made becoming one of the world's four largest arms exporters a national policy goal. Anduril closed a $5 billion Series H in May at a $61 billion valuation, and Shield AI raised at $12.7 billion in March. Airbility has raised 10.5 billion won since it was founded. September 1, 2026 1 -
KT Revamps Roaming Plans, Doubles Data Allowance KT announced on September 1 that it will revamp its main roaming products, Shared Roaming and All-Day Roaming.The key feature of this update is the increase in data allowances for the Shared Roaming plan, which allows users to share data with family and friends. The 33,000 won plan will increase from 4GB to 5GB, the 44,000 won plan from 8GB to 10GB, and the 66,000 won plan from 12GB to 20GB.The usage period will also be extended. The 33,000 won Shared Roaming plan and the 19,800 won Y Shared Roaming plan will have their usage period increased from 15 days to 30 days, enhancing convenience for customers staying abroad for longer periods.For customers needing high data volumes, a new Shared Roaming 40GB plan priced at 77,000 won will be introduced. The Y Shared Roaming plan for customers aged 34 and under will also see an increase in data allowance, with a 40% discount compared to the standard Shared Roaming plan and an additional 1GB of data.The All-Day Roaming plan will also see increased data benefits. The basic tier will double its daily data allowance from 500MB to 1GB, while the plus tier will increase from 1GB to 2GB.KT is also offering partnership benefits for roaming customers. Discounts of 10,000 won are available at Incheon and Gimpo International Airport lounges. Customers can receive coupons through the KT Membership app and purchase access through a partners exclusive page. Additionally, discounts for travelers in Southeast Asia through Grab will be available. Customers entering Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Cambodia will automatically receive a Grab Travel Pass code via text message, which can be registered in the Grab app for discounts on ride-hailing, food delivery, and grocery shopping services. This offer will end once supplies are exhausted.Kang Yi-hwan, head of KTs Customer Service Division, stated, We focused on expanding data benefits that overseas travelers can feel the most. We will continue to introduce differentiated roaming services that reflect customer usage patterns.* This article has been translated by AI. September 1, 2026 1