Samsung, SK hynix on edge over US chip waiver rollback

South Korean chipmakers are facing renewed uncertainty over their operations in China, as Washington reportedly considers revoking waivers that have allowed them to bring in American chip equipment for facility upgrades. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, Korea’s leading chipmakers with major semiconductor fabs in China, were reportedly notified last week that the US government plans to cancel the exemptions, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal on Saturday. The waivers had been grant

June 23, 2025

LG supports Korean War veterans in Ethiopia, US, Thailand

LG Electronics said Monday it had provided food, daily necessities and financial support to 54 surviving Korean War veterans in Ethiopia, the only African nation that dispatched ground troops to the 1950-53 war. Since 2013, the Korean tech giant has provided scholarship for 230 descendants of Korean War veterans in Ethiopia. It has been also operating the LG-KOICA Hope Technical and Vocational Education and Training College in the country’s capital, Addis Ababa, with the Korea International Coop

June 23, 2025

LG's AI chief named science minister nominee

Bae Kyung-hoon, a 49-year-old artificial intelligence expert who currently heads LG AI Research, has been nominated to be the next minister for the Ministry of Science and ICT as the Lee Jae Myung administration looks to accelerate AI growth. Bae, who has led LG’s AI unit since December 2020, serves as the co-director of a joint lab between Seoul National University and LG AI Research. He is also a member of the presidential AI council as well as the presidential advisory council on science and

June 23, 2025

SK Group teams up with AWS for Korea's largest W7tr AI data center

SK Group said Sunday it has signed a partnership agreement with Amazon Web Services to expand cloud infrastructure in Korea by jointly building an artificial intelligence data center in Ulsan. SK plans to invest 7 trillion won ($5.1 billion), including $4 billion raised through investment from AWS. It is scheduled to begin operations by 2027 and generate up to 78,000 direct and indirect jobs as operations expand. Once completed, the facility will be Korea's largest AI infrastructure, powered by

June 22, 2025

US may target Samsung, Hynix, TSMC operations in China, sources say

The US Department of Commerce is considering revoking authorizations granted in recent years to global chipmakers Samsung, SK Hynix and TSMC, making it more difficult for them to receive US goods and technology at their plants in China, according to people familiar with the matter. The chances of the United States withdrawing the authorizations are unclear. But with such a move, it would be harder for foreign chipmakers to operate in China, where they produce semiconductors used in a wide range

June 21, 2025

Kakao Bank secures 'virtual bank' license in Thailand

South Korea's internet-only lender Kakao Bank said Thursday it has received approval from the Thai government to operate a "virtual bank," marking the first reentry of a Korean bank into the Thai market in 25 years. The Thai Ministry of Finance recently selected a consortium formed by Kakao Bank and Thailand's leading financial group SCBX as one of three operators of the country's upcoming virtual banking system. "This license is a crucial step in exploring new markets and a valuable opportunity

June 19, 2025

S. Korea suffers OECD's 4th-biggest AI brain drain

South Korea, despite being a leading producer of educated professionals in artificial intelligence and science, is rapidly losing talent to countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan and Germany, according to a new report released Wednesday by the Korea Chamber of Commerce’s Sustainable Growth Initiative. In 2024, South Korea recorded a net loss of 0.36 AI experts per 10,000 people. That puts it near the bottom of the 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and D

June 19, 2025

Apple joins Google in push to export Korea's high-precision map data

The debate over the overseas transfer of South Korea’s high-precision map data, a sensitive issue that had been largely dormant since the launch of President Lee Jae Myung’s administration, has reignited. The government is moving to develop countermeasures as global tech giants intensify their efforts to gain access to the data. Apple recently sought legal advice from a Korean law firm regarding its application to export 1:5,000 scale map data. The move follows the company’s earlier attempt in 2

June 18, 2025

[Photo News] LG’s US headquarters doubles as science and tech hub

LG Electronics has been operating the LG Inspiration Lab at its North American headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, showcasing interactive exhibitions featuring OLED displays, robots and EV simulators. The lab allows local students to experience cutting-edge technology, drawing over 4,000 visitors last year, quadrupling from 1,000 in 2023. The site also hosts college students studying the Korean language and foreign diplomats for tech briefings and discussions about cross-border partner

June 18, 2025

Hyundai Motor showcases AI-powered robotics, smart mobility tech at MARS 2025 Expo

Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday it has showcased a range of cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies in robotics and smart mobility at the MARS 2025 Expo, underscoring its commitment to next-generation innovation. The group has set up dedicated booths for both its Robotics Lab and Kia Corp. brand at the AI-focused three-day exhibition under way at COEX in Seoul. The exhibition, organized by the municipal government of Hwaseong, a city south of Seoul, explores how AI is reshaping urba

June 18, 2025

LG Display to invest W1.26tr in OLED push for growth

LG Display said Tuesday it would invest 1.26 trillion won ($926 million) to bolster its organic light-emitting diode technology competitiveness and strengthen its long-term growth foundation. This marks the first trillion-won scale investment plan officially unveiled by a domestic company since the launch of President Lee Jae Myung’s administration. The decision, approved at a board meeting, reflects the display maker’s commitment to enhancing its differentiated technological edge and securing l

June 17, 2025

LG CNS partners with US robotics firm Skild AI on industrial humanoid robots

LG CNS, a Korean IT solutions provider under LG Group, announced Tuesday it has entered a strategic partnership with US-based robotics company Skild AI to develop industrial humanoid robot technologies. The agreement also includes an investment via LG Technology Ventures, the group's corporate venture capital arm. Skild AI, co-founded by Carnegie Mellon University professors Deepak Pathak and Abhinav Gupta, is recognized for its Robot Foundation Model RFM, which functions as a robot’s AI-driven

June 17, 2025

Zyx Technology, Seoul National University sign MOU to support landscape design education

Zyx Technology, a Korean AI digital design platform company, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional System Engineering at Seoul National University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences on June 10. The signing ceremony was held at the university’s Seoul campus, with Vice Dean Heo Jin-hoe of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Zyx Technology Chairman Choi Jong-bok, and other key officials. As part of the agreement, Zyx Techno

June 16, 2025

SK, AWS to build Korea’s largest AI data center in Ulsan

SK Group is partnering with Amazon Web Services to build South Korea’s largest artificial intelligence data center in Ulsan, with both companies investing several trillion won, according to industry sources Monday. The two companies are set to kick off the project this month, with a groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for August. The mega-sized facility will be built on a 36,000-square-meter site in the Mipo Industrial Complex in Ulsan, sources said. Once completed, the facility, powered by 60,000

June 16, 2025

Samsung, TSMC set stage for fierce race in 2nm chip tech

The global race to lead the market for next-generation 2-nanometer semiconductors is set to intensify in the second half of this year, with leading foundries TSMC and Samsung Electronics preparing to begin mass production. Meanwhile, Intel is looking to leapfrog the competition with the more advanced 1.8nm process, aiming to revive its struggling foundry business. According to industry sources Sunday, TSMC has already begun receiving client orders for its 2nm process node, which is expected to b

June 15, 2025