Korea’s sovereign AI push stumbles over ‘from scratch’ rule

South Korea’s ambitious state-led project to foster a sovereign AI model is facing mounting skepticism, as rigid criteria for technological independence and shifting evaluation standards have led to the disqualification of key participants — undermining trust and weakening momentum behind the initiative. The project, designed to propel Korea into the global AI top-tier alongside the US and China, aims to cultivate homegrown large-scale AI models and designate a select group of companies to recei

Jan. 20, 2026

Samsung family nears completion of inheritance tax payments

Hong Ra-hee, the widow of late Samsung Electronics Chair Lee Kun-hee, is selling shares worth about 2.08 trillion won ($1.41 billion) to help cover a massive inheritance tax bill totaling roughly 12 trillion won, a regulatory filing showed Monday. Hong, an honorary director of the Leeum Museum of Art and the mother of Samsung Electronics Chair Lee Jae-yong, signed a share sale agreement with Shinhan Bank to dispose of 15 million Samsung Electronics shares by June 30. Based on the stock’s closing

Jan. 19, 2026

N. Korea-linked hacking group exploits Naver, Google ads to spread malware: report

A North Korea-linked hacking group has recently conducted a sophisticated malware distribution campaign by abusing online advertising systems operated by Naver and Google, a report showed Monday. According to the online threat assessment report released by Genians Security Center, Konni, the hacking group tied to Kimsuky and other Pyongyang-sponsored hacking groups, has launched an advanced persistent threat (APT) campaign by exploiting the online portals' ad systems. The group exploited a proce

Jan. 19, 2026

Seoul seeks to shield chipmakers as US tariff threat resurfaces

South Korea is moving swiftly to shield its chipmakers from renewed trade headwinds, following Washington’s warning of steep tariffs on foreign-made semiconductors — a move widely interpreted as targeting the country's tech giants. According to industry sources Sunday, government officials are preparing to hold internal meetings to assess the broader implications of the proposed measures. While the details of Washington’s tariff plan remain unclear, companies like Samsung Electronics and SK hyni

Jan. 18, 2026

Samsung, SK hynix to hand out record bonuses on memory windfall

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are paying out their biggest performance bonuses in years, as the global memory chip supercycle driven by the artificial intelligence boom translates into historic profits. Samsung’s semiconductor division, known as Device Solutions, has confirmed that eligible staff will receive bonuses equal to 47 percent of their base annual salary this month. The payout applies across the division's three core businesses — memory, system large-scale integration and foundry —

Jan. 18, 2026

Naver Cloud, NC AI opt out of retender in sovereign AI project

Naver Cloud and NC AI, the two developers eliminated in the first round of South Korea’s national competition to build sovereign foundation artificial intelligence models, said Friday they will not participate in the government’s retender. NC AI said it will instead focus on industry-specific AI models, reiterating its original strategy. Both companies had been among five teams initially shortlisted for the government-led project aimed at developing fully domestic foundation models trained from

Jan. 16, 2026

Korea sees limited impact from new US tariff on advanced chips

South Korea’s semiconductor industry is assessing the fallout from a new US tariff on advanced chips, though analysts say the near-term impact on Korean chipmakers is likely to be limited. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a proclamation imposing a 25 percent tariff on certain high-performance chips and related products that are imported into the US and then reexported to third countries. While the proclamation does not name specific products, an accompanying annex sets performance t

Jan. 15, 2026

LG, SKT, Upstage advance in Korea’s sovereign AI project; Naver, NC dropped in 1st round

Three artificial intelligence developers — LG AI Research, SK Telecom and Upstage — have cleared the first cut in South Korea’s high-stakes push to build sovereign foundation AI models, advancing to the next stage of the government-led program, officials said Thursday. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, two of the five teams initially selected — Naver Cloud and NC AI — failed to advance past the first round, which assessed technical sophistication and model originality. Launched as pa

Jan. 15, 2026

Zeta gains traction in Japan, eyes US expansion

Zeta, a Korean AI storytelling app developed by Seoul-based startup Scatter Lab, has rapidly gained traction in Japan and is now entering the US market through a closed beta. The app ranked No. 1 among artificial intelligence entertainment platforms in Japan across daily, weekly and monthly active user metrics last month, according to analytics firm App Ape. Launched in April 2024, Zeta allows users to co-create fictional narratives with AI-generated characters. The platform has attracted a youn

Jan. 15, 2026

After CES spotlight, Korean firms pivot to humanoid actuators

As CES 2026 wrapped up last week with Hyundai Motor Group’s humanoid robot Atlas dominating attention on the show floor, Korea’s electronics and component makers are converging on actuators as the decisive gateway into humanoid commercialization. Actuators, which function as a robot’s muscles and joints, are among the most complex and cost-intensive components in humanoid systems. Industry estimates suggest they account for as much as 60 to 70 percent of a robot’s total manufacturing cost, depen

Jan. 14, 2026

LG CNS sees physical AI hitting factory floors within two years

LG CNS CEO Hyun Shin-gyoon said physical artificial intelligence is likely to be deployed commercially within two years, as robots move beyond experimental trials and begin operating on factory production lines. At the CES 2026 tech show in Las Vegas, Hyun said robots are expected to be deployed in manufacturing environments within that time frame, marking a shift from proof-of-concept testing to actual industrial use. "While we are already conducting PoC projects using robots in manufacturing s

Jan. 13, 2026

SK hynix to pour W19tr into advanced packaging for HBM chips

SK hynix said Tuesday it will invest 19 trillion won ($13 billion) to build a new advanced packaging fab in Cheongju, as it responds to surging demand for high bandwidth memory, a key memory chip in AI applications. Via its newsroom, the company announced plans for a new package and test facility to be built within the Cheongju Technopolis Industrial Complex, near the M15X semiconductor fab currently under construction. The new facility, dubbed P&T7, will be built on a 231,000-square-meter site.

Jan. 13, 2026

Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold sells out again in minutes

Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Z TriFold sold out in about two minutes during its fourth domestic release at 10 a.m. Tuesday, extending a rapid sellout streak despite carrying the highest price tag ever for a Samsung smartphone. Samsung has not disclosed the size of the latest batch, but industry observers say it is likely similar to earlier releases, which were produced in limited quantities. The first batch, released on Dec. 12, was approximately 700 units. Since its debut in December, the trifol

Jan. 13, 2026

Korean display-makers step up OLED upgrades for even thinner phones

Samsung Display and LG Display are accelerating equipment deployment and capital allocation for next-generation OLED production, positioning themselves to secure long-term dominance in the premium smartphone display segment ahead of a key Apple decision later this year. According to local industry sources, both companies are now mobilizing Color Filter on Encapsulation, or CoE, production capacity in anticipation of Apple’s internal third-quarter 2026 deadline to finalize whether its 2027 iPhone

Jan. 12, 2026

[CES] LG Innotek pushes shift toward high-performance portfolio

LG Innotek CEO Moon Hyuk-soo said the company will continue to shift toward higher-margin and high-value businesses, positioning itself as a solutions provider rather than a traditional parts maker. Speaking to reporters at CES 2026 on Wednesday, Moon said the company plans to reorganize its portfolio around profitable package solution businesses, combining hardware and software to offer integrated services to customers. “LG Innotek is no longer just a parts supplier,” Moon said. “We are providi

Jan. 11, 2026