Korea's Enhans makes global top 3 in AI agent benchmark

Enhans, a South Korean startup specializing in vertical commerce AI agents, said Tuesday that its artificial intelligence model, ACT-1, ranked third in the global benchmark for web-based AI agents, Online Mind2Web. The model placed just behind global tech giants OpenAI and Anthropic. The Online Mind2Web benchmark assesses AI agents on their ability to perform complex tasks on the web, emulating human behavior. The evaluation covers 300 real-world tasks across 136 actively operating websites, ass

July 29, 2025

Seoul shares open lower amid US tariff concerns

South Korean stocks opened sharply lower Tuesday as investors await a potential deal in high-stakes tariff talks with the United States, with just three days remaining before the negotiation deadline. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 24.34 point, or 0.76 percent, to 3,185.18 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Last-minute negotiations are under way between Seoul and Washington to reach a deal on the US President Donald Trump administration's aggressive tariff scheme before th

July 29, 2025

Posco honors skilled workers in talent push

Posco Group is investing in workforce excellence through its “Master Artisan” system, which recognizes outstanding technical professionals and passes down field expertise to the next generation, the Korean steel giant said Tuesday. Established in 2015, the system selects employees with world-class technical skills and exemplary character to enhance the prestige of technical positions and promote the development and transmission of steelmaking technologies. Artisans are evaluated not only on tech

July 29, 2025

S. Korean shipbuilders' global order share rises in H1 amid US-China tension

South Korean shipbuilders saw a significant rebound in their global order share in the first half amid US sanctions targeting Chinese rivals, an industry report showed Tuesday. According to the report from the Export-Import Bank of Korea, South Korea secured 25.1 percent of global shipbuilding orders in terms of compensated gross tons during the January-June period. It marks a substantial rise from 17.2 percent a year earlier, narrowing the gap with leader China from 51 percentage points to 26.7

July 29, 2025

Finance minister to hold talks with U.S. treasury secretary Thursday

Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol will hold high-level trade talks with his U.S. counterpart in Washington later this week, the finance ministry said Monday, as the Aug. 1 deadline for tariff negotiations approaches. Koo will depart Tuesday for the U.S. capital, where he will hold talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday (local time), just one day before the United States is expected to resume hefty tariff enforcement on South Korean goods. The minister had originally been slate

July 28, 2025

Seoul event honors 40 years of Korea-Trinidad and Tobago relations

The Honorary Consulate Office of Trinidad and Tobago to the Republic of Korea celebrated 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations in Seoul on Wednesday, with key officials and members of the Trinidad and Tobago diaspora in attendance. The event also honored the longstanding service of Honorary Consul Choi Seung-woong, who has served since the consulate’s opening in 1993. Choi reflected on several key milestones, including the inaugural ceremony attended by Miss World 1993, Caribb

July 28, 2025

Doosan Robotics invests $25.9m to acquire US automation firm ONExia

Korea’s leading collaborative robotics manufacturer, Doosan Robotics, announced Monday that it will acquire ONExia, a US-based robotics engineering and advanced automation solutions provider, as part of its strategic push into artificial intelligence-driven robotics. On the same day, Doosan Robotics’ board of directors approved a $25.9 million investment to acquire an 89.59 percent stake in the Pennsylvania-based firm. “This merger and acquisition is expected to generate meaningful synergies by

July 28, 2025

Seoul shares up for 4th day on Samsung gains amid US tariff caution

South Korean stocks finished higher Monday, led by strong gains by tech giant Samsung Electronics amid caution over last-minute negotiations with the United States on its aggressive tariff scheme. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 13.47 points, or 0.42 percent, to close at 3,209.52, extending its winning streak to a fourth day. Trade volume was heavy at 500.22 million shares worth 13.83 trillion won ($10.01 billion), with losers

July 28, 2025

Samsung SDI beats rivals in W1tr government ESS bid

Samsung SDI has secured the lion's share of the 1 trillion won ($725 million) worth of South Korean energy storage systems up for government bidding, leveraging its technological prowess in the advanced battery cells. According to media reports Monday, Samsung SDI won bids for six out of Korea’s eight ESS projects, outpacing its domestic rivals — LG Energy Solution and SK On. This was the first round of ESS construction project bids overseen by the government, and covered a total of 3,390 megawa

July 28, 2025

Samsung to produce Tesla's next-gen AI chips in $16.5b foundry breakthrough

Samsung Electronics will be producing Tesla’s next-generation artificial intelligence chip, known as AI6, under a record-breaking $16.5 billion contract deal. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a social media post Monday that Samsung’s chip manufacturing facility in Texas will be dedicated to producing his company’s chips. His post on X came shortly after Samsung announced a foundry deal, disclosing only that the customer is a “global conglomerate.” “Samsung’s giant new Texas fab will be dedicated to m

July 28, 2025

[Photo News] 30 years flying to Washington

Korean Air officials, including Seok In-hak, Korean Air’s station manager at Washington Dulles International Airport (fourth from right), and airport authorities pose for a photo during an event marking 30 years of flight service to Washington, DC, held at the airport on Friday. Launched in 1995, the route has been central to diplomacy, business and Korea-US ties. Initially operating via New York, it became a direct service in 1999. Since 2008, Korean Air has been the only South Korean carrier o

July 28, 2025

Korea pitches multibillion-dollar shipbuilding plan to US: reports

Korea has proposed a multibillion-dollar project reportedly named Make American Shipbuilding Great Again, or MASGA, to the United States as Seoul makes an all-out effort to cut a better tariff deal with Washington ahead of the US-set deadline for tariff talks on Thursday, according to media reports on Monday. Citing multiple unnamed sources, the reports said Kim Jung-kwan, Korea’s minister of trade, industry and energy, presented the MASGA project and Korea’s vision for shipbuilding cooperation

July 28, 2025

Pernod Ricard Korea names company veteran as new CEO

Pernod Ricard Korea, the local unit of the French spirits giant, announced Monday the appointment of Fadil Tasgin as its new CEO, bringing on a company veteran who most recently oversaw key growth markets in Asia. With over three decades of experience in the consumer goods and beverage industries, Tasgin pledged to enhance brand experiences and strengthen Pernod Ricard Korea’s market position, while maintaining a strong focus on consumer-centric marketing. “I am well aware of the Korean market’s

July 28, 2025

Seoul's average apartment price tops $1m

Rising home prices in Seoul pushed the city’s average apartment price beyond 1.4 billion won ($1 million) for the first time, data showed Monday. KB Kookmin Bank’s monthly real estate report showed that the average price of apartment homes in Seoul reached 1.45 billion won in July, marking a 1.28 percent increase from the previous month. The figure climbed past the 1.4 billion won mark just three months after surpassing 1.3 billion in April. Apartment prices averaged 1.76 billion won in Seoul’s

July 28, 2025

Hanwha says Five Guys Korea leads in sales, but divestment still on table

Hanwha Galleria, the retail unit of South Korea’s Hanwha Group, said Five Guys Korea is the burger brand’s top performer globally, dismissing speculation that a potential sale is tied to weak financials. In a statement released Thursday, the company pushed back on rumors of declining profitability at Five Guys Korea, calling them "baseless," and cited steady growth supported by globally leading sales figures. Sources earlier indicated that FG Korea, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hanwha Galleria,

July 28, 2025