KMI partners with Guardant Health on liquid biopsy cancer screening

The Korea Medical Institute said Tuesday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with US-based Guardant Health to collaborate on liquid biopsy-based precision cancer screening. The agreement was signed March 5 at the KMI Foundation headquarters in Seoul, with KMI Chairman Lee Kwang-bae, KMI Strategic Planning Office Head Lee Kwang-yup, Guardant Health AMEA Vice President Divya Mehta, and Guardant Health Korea Country Manager Michael Jung in attendance. Under the partnership, the two organiza

March 12, 2026

Taihan Cable breaks ground on Vietnam UHV cable plant

Taihan Cable & Solution said Thursday its Vietnamese subsidiary, Taihan Cable Vina, has begun construction of an ultrahigh voltage cable plant in southern Vietnam, marking the company’s first overseas facility dedicated to 400-kilovolt-class cables. The project is part of the Korean cable maker’s strategy to expand its global manufacturing network and meet rising demand for power grid infrastructure worldwide. The new facility will be built on a 56,200-square-meter site within the Long Thanh Ind

March 12, 2026

Huons wins IND approval for Phase 2 dry eye drug trial

Huons, a South Korean pharmaceutical company specializing in ophthalmic and injectable medicines, said Thursday it has received Investigational New Drug approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to begin a Phase 2 clinical trial of its dry eye treatment candidate. HUC1-394 is a peptide-based ophthalmic solution licensed from Novacell Technology. The drug selectively binds to Formyl Peptide Receptor 2 (FPR2) — a receptor involved in the body’s natural resolution of inflammation — activat

March 12, 2026

Starbucks taps Seoul flavors

Starbucks Korea said Thursday it will introduce Seoul-themed beverages — Seoul Makgeolli Cold Brew and Seoul Sunset Omija Fizzio — at 100 stores across Seoul starting Monday. The drinks reinterpret traditional Korean elements, including the aroma of makgeolli, a traditional Korean rice wine, and the sunset over palace ponds. The rollout will begin at stores in major tourist districts such as Myeong-dong, Gwanghwamun and Gangnam, as the number of foreign visitors to Korea reached a record 18.7 mi

March 12, 2026

LG CNS teams up with Palantir on enterprise AI

LG CNS said Wednesday it has signed a strategic partnership with US artificial intelligence software company Palantir to accelerate enterprise AI transformation initiatives. The agreement was announced ahead of Palantir’s AIPCon event, attended by LG CNS CEO Hyun Shin-gyoon and Palantir CEO Alex Karp alongside executives from both companies. Palantir provides enterprise data and AI platforms, including Foundry, which integrates and analyzes large volumes of corporate data, and the Artificial Int

March 12, 2026

[Photo News] Jinro pop-up pocha in Melbourne

HiteJinro said Thursday it opened Jinro Pocha Melbourne, to promote accessibility to the soju brand, on Feb. 27. The space is decorated in the style of a Korean pocha, featuring Jinro’s signature toad figurines and limited-edition merchandise. The menu includes Jinro soju, Terra beer, as well as specialty highballs and cocktails (HiteJinro)

March 12, 2026

Seoul shares open lower amid extended woes over oil prices

South Korean stocks started slightly lower Thursday amid escalating oil price fluctuations sparked by the lingering US-Iran conflict and shipping disruptions at the key waterway in the Middle East. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 42.3 points, or 0.75 percent, to 5,567.65 at the opening bell. The index edged up 1.4 percent Wednesday. Overnight, investors sat on the sidelines on Wall Street despite major countries' decisions to release reserve oil amid concerns tension

March 12, 2026

AMD's Lisa Su to visit S. Korea next week, may meet with Samsung chief

Lisa Su, the head of Advanced Micro Devices Inc., is expected to visit South Korea next week and meet with local conglomerate executives, industry sources said Wednesday. The chief executive officer of the US chip giant may arrive in South Korea next Wednesday, in what would be her first trip to the country since taking the position in 2014, the sources said. During her visit, Su is expected to meet with Choi Soo-yeon, the CEO of the country's largest local portal operator, Naver. A meeting with

March 11, 2026

Samsung SDI warns patent infringement, tech leakage on prismatic batteries

Samsung SDI has issued a clear warning against patent infringement and technology leakage in its prismatic battery technology, an area where it holds longstanding competitive edge over rivals. During The Battery Conference, a side event of InterBattery 2026 held at Coex in Seoul on Wednesday, Joo Yong-lak, head of the R&D center at Samsung SDI, emphasized that Samsung SDI would not tolerate unauthorized use of its prismatic battery technology. When asked about its competitors’ recent foray into

March 11, 2026

LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI flex patent muscle

South Korea’s two leading battery makers — LG Energy Solution and Samsung SDI — highlighted their patent strength at InterBattery 2026, signaling an intensifying race to secure next-generation battery technologies for emerging sectors such as energy storage systems and robotics. Speaking at The Battery Conference, a side event of the industry exhibition held at Coex in Seoul on Wednesday, Joo Yong-lak, head of Samsung SDI’s R&D center, warned that the company would take action against patent inf

March 11, 2026

Seoul shares up for 2nd day on bargain hunting amid Iran woes

South Korean stocks finished higher for the second straight session Wednesday as investors hunted for bargains amid the market's recent volatility caused by the US-Iran war. The local currency rose against the greenback. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index moved up 77.36 points, or 1.4 percent, to close at 5,609.95 after rising as high as 5,746.36. Trade volume was heavy at 1 billion shares worth 26.3 trillion won ($17.9 billion), with gainers far outpacing losers 701 to 198. Individual invest

March 11, 2026

Mirae Asset Securities launches first global pension desk

Mirae Asset Securities said it will launch the industry’s first dedicated service center for global companies in Korea’s rapidly expanding retirement pension market. The new unit, called the Global Pension Desk or GPD, is designed to help multinational corporations navigate Korea’s complex pension regulations and align local operations with global standards. The desk will operate through a specialized network of certified tax accountants, actuaries, financial analysts and labor attorneys, provid

March 11, 2026

Samsung Electro-Mechanics brings 200MP continuous zoom to Xiaomi flagship

Samsung Electro-Mechanics has begun mass production of a 200-megapixel continuous optical zoom camera module, with the technology debuting in Xiaomi’s latest flagship smartphone, according to the company’s 2025 business report released Tuesday. The Korean electronic components manufacturer said the module supports continuous optical zoom from 3.2x to 4.3x. The design allows a smartphone camera to maintain true optical image quality while zooming across a range rather than switching between fixed

March 11, 2026

Starbucks Korea first globally to fund graduate degrees for staff

Starbucks Korea said Wednesday it has expanded its employee scholarship program to cover master’s and doctoral degrees, becoming the first Starbucks market globally to offer graduate-level tuition support. The initiative is part of the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, an education assistance program designed to help employees pursue higher education while working. While the program previously supported bachelor’s degrees, Starbucks Korea expanded the benefit last year to include graduate prog

March 11, 2026

Hyundai Motor tops Volkswagen in profit for first time

South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group recorded the world’s second-largest operating profit among global automakers last year, surpassing Germany’s Volkswagen Group for the first time, industry data showed Wednesday. The group — which includes Hyundai Motor, Kia and luxury brand Genesis — posted 20.5 trillion won ($13.95 billion) in operating profit in 2025. That placed it behind only Toyota Group, which topped the list with 4.3 trillion yen ($27.15 billion) in operating profit. Industry watchers sai

March 11, 2026