Korean companies on edge as Trump signals tariff hike

South Korea’s corporate sector grew wary on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump signaled plans to reimpose higher tariffs on Korean exports, including cars and biopharmaceuticals, raising duties to 25 percent from the 15 percent level agreed upon in bilateral talks last year. Automakers, among the most vulnerable to a policy reversal, were quick to reassess the impact, after Trump said the tariff hike would take effect following what he described as a failure by the National Assembly to appr

Jan. 27, 2026

Samsung Electronics unveils Olympics edition of Galaxy Z Flip 7

Samsung Electronics Co. showcased its Galaxy Z Flip 7 Olympic Edition on Tuesday, introducing features aimed at enhancing athletes' experience during the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy. The device will be provided to around 3,800 athletes from 90 countries participating in the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics, which will kick off Feb. 6, the South Korean tech giant said. The new edition of the Galaxy Z Flip comes with a design reflecting "cultural resonance of Italian azure" and

Jan. 27, 2026

S. Korea, Canada hold industrial cooperation forum amid Seoul's submarine bid

South Korea has held a joint industrial cooperation forum with Canada, Seoul's industry ministry said Tuesday, a move apparently aimed at supporting the country's bid to win Canada's major submarine project. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources held the Korea-Canada industrial cooperation forum in Toronto on Monday (local time), promoting bilateral collaboration in future mobility, defense, space, artificial intelligence and other strategic industries. The automobile industry is known t

Jan. 27, 2026

Samsung nears mass production of next-gen HBM4 chips

Samsung Electronics could begin mass production of its next-generation HBM4 memory chips as early as next month, with initial shipments expected to go to major customers such as Nvidia and AMD, according to industry sources on Monday. The move could mark a turning point for Samsung in the high-bandwidth memory market for artificial intelligence, where it has lagged behind smaller rival SK hynix in recent years. Industry observers say Samsung’s effort to narrow the gap hinges on a bold decision t

Jan. 26, 2026

Samsung chief warns against complacency amid earnings rebound

Despite a sharp rebound in Samsung Electronics’ fourth-quarter earnings last year, Chair Lee Jae-yong urged executives to step up efforts to rebuild the group’s technological competitiveness, warning against complacency driven by short-term financial improvement. According to industry sources on Sunday, Samsung Group shared Lee’s message at a recent executive seminar, where he stated, “We must not become self-satisfied because the numbers have improved. … This is the last chance to restore our c

Jan. 25, 2026

Samsung SDS bets W500b on enterprise AI rollout with OpenAI resale rights in Korea

Samsung SDS is taking a concrete step toward turning artificial intelligence interest into enterprise deployment, launching a new unit to oversee business-focused AI projects and beginning formal sales of OpenAI's ChatGPT Enterprise under a resale agreement that remains unique in Korea. The announcement, made during the company's earnings call on Thursday, also included a 500 billion won ($341 million) capital expenditure plan for this year, with much of it focused on expanding the infrastructur

Jan. 23, 2026

From 12 listings to 5,000 points: Korean market reaches historic peak

South Korea’s benchmark Kospi crossed the 5,000 mark on Thursday, a symbolic milestone that coincided with the 70th anniversary of the country’s stock market and capped a powerful rally fueled by policy optimism and last year’s sharp gains. From just 12 listed companies at its launch, the Korean stock market has expanded to 2,659 firms across the main board and the tech-heavy Kosdaq. Combined market capitalization now stands at about 4,518 trillion won ($3.1 trillion) — nearly 300,000 times larg

Jan. 22, 2026

Dyson tailors robot vacuum to Korea’s wet-mopping homes

Dyson has entered Korea’s crowded robot vacuum market with a product that promises to actively remove stains and repeatedly check if it succeeded. Unveiled Thursday in Seoul, the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai is the company’s first wet-and-dry robot vacuum, priced at 1.79 million won (around $1,200). It leads a trio of new home appliances alongside a floor washer and compact air purifier, but Dyson made clear the robot is the main play for the Korean market. The system uses an onboard HD camera and AI sof

Jan. 22, 2026

[Contribution] Why Korea’s automotive cybersecurity regulation requires an integrated approach

Korea’s automotive cybersecurity legislation has now come into force. Compliance has been required for newly registered vehicle types since August 2025 and will apply to existing mass-production registered vehicle types (production vehicles) from August 2027 as a prerequisite for vehicle sales. The industry, however, now faces a key question: “How should we understand this Korean legislation, and how should we respond?” As the vehicle industry shifts from hardware-centric to software-centric arc

Jan. 22, 2026

Korea weighs split decision on map data exports for Google, Apple

South Korea is entering final-stage talks with Google and Apple over long-pending requests to export what the government classifies as high-resolution map data, with officials signaling that a split decision is on the table — one that might grant Apple conditional approval while continuing to defer Google. The Transport Ministry is holding another round of consultations with both companies this week, according to industry sources. The focus remains on the export of 1:5,000 scale topographic data

Jan. 21, 2026

Samsung Display begins OLED supply for Zeekr’s flagship SUV

Samsung Display said Wednesday it has begun supplying three types of organic light-emitting diode panels for a flagship electric sport utility vehicle made by China's Zeekr, as it seeks to expand its automotive display business amid rapid growth in the global electric vehicle market. The South Korean display-maker said it is providing automotive OLEDs for Zeekr's 9X SUV, a premium six-seater model that has ranked first for two consecutive months since November in China's 500,000 yuan ($71,000) l

Jan. 21, 2026

SK Telecom doubles down on customer trust after data leak

SK Telecom held the 12th regular meeting of its Customer Trust Committee on Wednesday, marking its first meeting of 2026. The committee was launched in May 2025 to help restore customer trust following a massive leak of USIM data in late April. At the meeting, CEO Jung Jai-hun, committee chair Ahn Wan-gi and 12 members reviewed the carrier’s trust-restoration efforts in 2025 and discussed plans for the year ahead. SK Telecom said the committee will establish four subcommittees covering consumer

Jan. 21, 2026

HD Hyundai chair meets Palantir CEO to deepen AI partnership at Davos

HD Hyundai Chair Chung Ki-sun on Tuesday met Palantir Technologies co-founder and CEO Alex Karp to deepen their partnership on artificial intelligence-driven digital transformation during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Since introducing Palantir’s big data platforms and AI solutions at HD Hyundai Oilbank in 2021, the Korean conglomerate has built a data-driven decision-making system across its core businesses, including shipbuilding, marine, energy and construction equipment. HD

Jan. 21, 2026

Korea sets AI safety rules, first in world

South Korea will begin enforcing its Artificial Intelligence Act on Thursday, becoming the first country to formally establish safety requirements for high-performance — or so-called frontier, AI systems — a move that sets the country apart in the global regulatory landscape. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the new law is designed primarily to foster growth in the domestic AI sector, while also introducing baseline safeguards to address potential risks posed by increasingly powerfu

Jan. 21, 2026

Lee downplays US threat of 100% semiconductor tariffs

President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday he is not overly concerned about warnings of a possible 100 percent US tariff on semiconductors, describing such remarks as part of routine trade pressure that tends to surface during periods of heightened uncertainty. Speaking at a New Year's press conference at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee addressed growing concerns over US-led tariff threats, saying, "There has been talk of imposing a 100 percent tariff on semiconductors, but I do not view it as something to be ta

Jan. 21, 2026