DB Insurance to Close $1.65B Fortegra Buyout May 30 in Korea's First US Insurer M&A
DB Insurance (005830.KS) closes its $1.65B Fortegra buyout May 30 — Korea's first US insurer takeover and the industry's largest cross-border M&A.
Wall Street Chip Rout Stacks Onto Friday's 6.1% KOSPI Plunge, Setting Up Anxious Monday for Samsung, SK Hynix
If Monday opens down another 3-4%, do I cut KOSPI exposure or buy the dip? That depends entirely on whether you believe the AI memory trade is correcting or ...
Samsung, SK Hynix Drive 43% of Record ₩48 Trillion KOSPI Turnover Even as Foreigners Dump ₩46 Trillion
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix accounted for 43% of KOSPI's record ₩48 trillion daily average May turnover even as foreigners net-sold ₩4.6 trillion of Korean stocks over 12 record sessions.
Kakao Books ~300x Return on ₩2B Dunamu Seed, Pivots ₩1T to AI
Kakao Investment will sell its 6.55% Dunamu stake to Hana Bank for ₩1.003 trillion on June 15, booking roughly a 300x return on ₩35.5B invested since 2012 and earmarking proceeds for AI.
Korea Gains a Point on MSCI Scorecard, but Wednesday's Reclassification Review Is the Real Test
MSCI cut Korea's minus-rated accessibility categories to five from six, upgrading investment-instrument availability. The annual classification review on June 23 will determine whether Korea re-enters the developed-market watchlist for the first time since 2014.
Samsung (005930.KS) Overtakes Meta to Enter Global Top 10
Samsung Electronics HBM4 Sales Top USD 1 Billion Four Months After Launch as Nvidia Vera Rubin Demand Accelerates
Samsung Electronics crossed the USD 1 billion milestone in HBM4 chip sales just four months after its February 2026 launch, targeting USD 1.2 billion by month-end as Nvidia Vera Rubin ramps.
Samsung Wage Deal Passes 73.7%, Hard-Wiring 10.5% of Chip Profit Into a Bonus Pool That Shareholders Want to Void
Samsung Electronics' joint unions ratified the 2026 wage deal at 73.7%, but a minority-shareholder group said on May 27 it will file a nullification suit against the 10.5%-of-chip-profit bonus pool as a disguised dividend that bypassed shareholder approval.
Samsung Electronics' ₩600M Bonus Resets the Math for Samsung Biologics Strike Talks
The tentative wage deal that pulled Samsung Electronics — Korea's largest chipmaker — back from an 18-day general strike has handed the still-striking union at Samsung Biologics — Korea's largest cont
SK Group Chair Vows to Double HBM Wafer Output in Five Years as Huang Hails Hynix’s USD 1 Trillion Cap
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won pledged at Computex 2026 to double SK hynix’s wafer production capacity within five years, warning the global HBM supply crunch will persist through 2030, as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang hailed SK hynix’s USD 1 trillion market-cap milestone at a bilateral Taipei meeting.
SK Square Hits Record ₩1.891 Million Intraday, Outpacing SK Hynix as Index Cap Drives Proxy Demand
SK Square's shares touched a record intraday high of ₩1,891,000 in June, climbing 44% on the month as a 10% index weight cap on SK Hynix pushes institutional investors toward the holding company.
Kakao Unveils Kanana Agentic AI at KPAIX 2026, Positions KakaoTalk as Korea's Government Service Gateway
Kakao Corp. (035720.KS) unveiled its Kanana agentic AI at KPAIX 2026 in Goyang, partnering with South Korea's government to turn KakaoTalk into a national AI service hub while launching Commerce Catalog Advertising.
SK hynix Orders ₩44.2B HBM4 Griffin Bonders From Hanmi
SK hynix ordered HBM4 production equipment worth ₩44.2 billion ($28.7 million) from Hanmi Semiconductor, Korea's dominant maker of HBM thermo-compression bonders.
Hyundai Rotem Seals ₩748.2 Billion, 20-Year Morocco Maintenance Pact, Lifting Korea's Total Rail Bet Near ₩3 Trillion
Hyundai Rotem sealed a KRW 748.2 billion (USD 487.3M) 20-year maintenance contract with ONCF, pushing Korea's total Morocco rail commitment to ~KRW 2.98 trillion ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
MU Rallies +6.4%; SK Hynix Set for +1.56% Average Next-Session Move in 31-Case Analog
China Blocks Meta's $2 Billion Manus Deal, Forcing Korean AI Sector to Reprice Cross-Border Risk
Samsung Union Vote Tops 87% as 18-Day Strike Recedes — Locking In a 10-Year Treasury-Share Bonus Engine
Combined turnout in Samsung Electronics' two-union ratification ballot reached 87.4% by Day 4, locking in a 10-year, 10.5%-of-DS-profit treasury-share bonus engine worth ~₩37 trillion in 2026 alone.
The 2-Week Ceasefire: The Heavy Burden of Uncertainty Behind the Price Tag
LG Chem Commits KRW 15 Trillion to R&D by 2035, Targeting Semiconductor Packaging and Robotics Materials
LG Chem commits KRW 15 trillion (USD 9.74 billion) in R&D through 2035, with 70% targeted at semiconductor, EV, and robotics materials and 30% at anticancer drugs, as the company pivots from petrochemicals to high-margin specialties.
Samsung Electronics to Shutter Malaysia Plant, Outsource Dishwashers in Appliance Overhaul
Hanmi Pharmaceutical to Debut Second Muscle-Preserving Obesity Drug at ADA 2026
Hanmi Pharmaceutical will unveil LA-MSTN, its second muscle-preserving obesity drug candidate, at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting in New Orleans on June 5-8, 2026, alongside seven other obesity-pipeline studies.
Samsung (005930.KS) Anchors $175M Element Biosciences Round
SK Hynix Unveils 'iHBM' In-Package Cooling, Cuts Thermal Resistance 30% as HBM5 Race Opens
SK Hynix disclosed iHBM, an in-package cooling architecture that cuts HBM thermal resistance by more than 30%, slated to debut in HBM5 as the AI memory race pivots from stacking to heat control.
onsemi's $7B Synaptics Deal Reshapes Edge-AI Chips for Korea
The Double-Edged Sword of Southeast Asia's Property Boom: A view from Cambodia
Samsung Biologics Partial Strike Extends Into Day Three; Full Walkout Set for May 1
Samsung (005930.KS) Chair Warns 18-Day Strike Risks ₩30T Hit
KakaoBank Launches Unified 'Investment Tab' as Korean Fintechs Pivot to Hyper-Personalization
NTS Audit Targets Meritz Securities as Korea's Finance Sweep Widens
Korea's National Tax Service (NTS), the country's central tax authority, opened a special tax audit of Meritz Securities on May 11, according to Chosun Biz.
Samsung Electronics Closes 1.8% Higher as KOSPI Defies OpenAI Selloff
Korea to List 18 Leveraged ETFs on Samsung, SK Hynix May 27
Samsung (005930.KS) Averts Strike; Treasury Deal Sparks Lawsuit
Naver Shares Jump 5% on Speculation It Will Bid for Baemin Operator
Shares of Naver (035420.KS), the operator of Korea's dominant search portal and a sprawling commerce, fintech and AI stack, jumped more than 5% on Thursday, May 14,
Samsung (005930.KS) Mediation Fails; 40K Chip Strike Looms May 21
Samsung's NLRC bonus mediation collapsed before dawn Wednesday, with the union setting an 18-day general strike from May 21 involving more than 40,000 chip-division workers.
SK Hynix (000660.KS) Tops ₩1,000T Market Cap, KOSPI's 2nd Ever
Celltrion Launches Tocilizumab Biosimilar Avtozma in Japan, Expanding Autoimmune Portfolio to Four
Samsung (005930.KS) Names Lee Won-jin TV Chief in Reshuffle
KB Financial Drafts 3-Year Strategy as Yang Eyes Second Term
KB Financial Group, Korea's largest financial holding group by net profit, has begun drafting a fresh mid-to-long-term strategy at the very moment it opens the contest to choose its next chairman — a
Nvidia's Huang Meets Samsung (005930.KS) on HBM4 Deal
Nvidia's Huang in Seoul as Hyundai AI Hub Nears Sign-Off
Nvidia (NVDA) Chief Executive Jensen Huang spent the third day of a four-day South Korea visit moving between two ends of the same bet: cars and video games. On
Samsung and SK hynix Bonus Windfall Lifts Luxury Sales Up to 200% at Korea's Semicon-Belt Department Stores
Department stores in Korea's semiconductor-belt — home to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix facilities — logged luxury sales surging up to 200% year-on-year in the first five months of 2026, as AI-chip profits translated into some of the biggest paychecks in Korean corporate history.
SK Hynix Drives 5.5% KOSPI Plunge as SpaceX IPO, US CPI Loom
LG Innotek Crosses ₩1 Million as Hana Lifts Target to ₩1.3M on AI Substrate Re-Rating
LG Innotek (011070.KS) opened up 20% on May 26, 2026, crossing the ₩1 million emperor-stock tier as Hana Securities lifted its target to ₩1.3M from ₩700,000.
Samsung Deploys ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude Group-Wide
Samsung Electronics officially launches its company-wide AI transformation, deploying ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude across all affiliates in June 2026.
Dutch Envoy Pushes Korea Tech Pact Beyond ASML, Flags Photonics as Next Joint Frontier
Dutch ambassador Peter van der Vliet told Nikkei Asia that Seoul-Hague tech ties now reach beyond ASML's lithography stack, flagging photonics as the next field for joint cooperation.
Concrete Strike Threatens Samsung (005930.KS), SK Hynix Fabs
Kakao (035720.KS) Faces First HQ Strike; MSIT Steps In
Kia to Retire Granbird After 60 Years as Chinese EV Buses and Emissions Rules Squeeze Korea's Last Diesel Coach Maker
Kia will discontinue its Granbird large bus within 1-2 years, ending a 60-year legacy as Chinese EV buses and emissions rules make the diesel coach unprofitable.
Samsung's System LSI Guides to Annual Loss Despite Record Q1 Revenue as SoC Drag Persists
The head of Samsung Electronics' (005930
Pulmuone Extends 11-Year U.S. Tofu Lead as Jan–May Sales Climb 16.8% to ₩107.8 Billion
Pulmuone Foods USA logged ₩107.8 billion in Jan–May 2026 U.S. tofu revenues, up 16.8% year on year, as water-pack and high-protein formats drive record-pace sales across 15,000 U.S. stores.
KakaoPay, Toss Pay Pull Payment Services From Megabox as Court Freeze Locks Out Refunds
KakaoPay and Toss Pay pull payment gateway services from Megabox after Seoul Bankruptcy Court freezes JoongAng Group assets. Megabox carries 2,212% debt-to-equity ratio after 6 consecutive loss years.
IMM PE Seals ₩1.11 Trillion Deal to Take 80% of CGBio, Betting on USD 1.6 Billion in U.S. Medical Device Sales
Intel Hires Former SK Hynix CEO Seok-Hee Lee to Run Its Advanced Packaging Push
Intel named former SK Hynix president Seok-Hee Lee as EVP of Intel Foundry, putting the Korean memory veteran in charge of advanced packaging as Intel chases profitable foundry revenue.
KOSPI Closes Above 8,000 on the Eve of Korea's First 2x Single-Stock Leverage ETFs on Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix
Korea's KOSPI closed at a record 8,047.51 on May 26, 2026 — its first-ever close above 8,000 — one day before eight asset managers list the country's first 2x single-stock leverage ETFs on Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
Korea Debuts 2x Samsung, SK Hynix Leverage ETFs May 27 as FSS Curbs Launch Marketing
South Korea's first single-stock leveraged exchange-traded products tracking Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) and SK Hynix (000660.KS) at ±2x daily returns will list on the Korea Exchange (KRX, Korea's
Celltrion (068270.KS) Adds ₩200B to 2026 Buyback as 0.05 Bonus Issue Sets June Listing
Celltrion added a ₩100B treasury buyback plus a ₩100B parent purchase on May 21, lifting 2026 cancellations toward ~₩2T as a 0.05 bonus issue lists 10.92M shares.
Samsung Electronics Strike 2026: Why an 18-Day Walkout Could Cost South Korea $22 Billion and Break Global Chip Supply
Kiwoom Securities in Exclusive Talks to Acquire Bithumb Stake as Korean Brokers Race for Crypto Foothold
Kiwoom Securities is negotiating to acquire a stake in Bithumb through a third-party share issuance, joining Samsung Securities and Mirae Asset in Korea's broker–crypto exchange consolidation race.
LG Display (034220.KS): 3rd-Gen Tandem OLED Cuts Power 18%
Samsung Electronics Faces May 21 General Strike as Court Sets Mid-May Ruling on Injunction
Samsung Electronics Launches Korean-Spec EHS Heat Pump Boiler, Targets Climate-Tech Appliance Segment
Upstage Closes Daum Acquisition from Kakao (035720.KS)
Upstage closed its share-swap acquisition of AXZ from Kakao (035720.KS), taking control of Daum, Korea's oldest internet portal.
LG Innotek, Applied Intuition CEOs Meet in Seoul to Widen Physical AI Pact
KB Financial Completes Won-Stablecoin Pilot Linking Hollys Coffee QR Payments to a Three-Minute Vietnam Remittance
KB Financial demoed a won-stablecoin chain linking Hollys QR payments to a Vietnam remittance via Kaia — under 3 minutes, 87% under SWIFT.
Kakao Averts First HQ Strike With Mediation Extension; Bonus Standoff Continues
Hana Financial (086790.KS) Faces Korea Special Tax Probe
Korea's FSS Opens Wash-Trading Probe Into Samsung-SK Hynix Single-Stock Leverage ETFs One Day After Debut
Korea's Financial Supervisory Service opened a wash-trading probe into single-stock leverage ETFs tied to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, one day after the products drew record day-one retail flows
Biosimilar M&A Tests Celltrion (068270.KS), Samsung Bioepis
SK Innovation Breaks Ground on $2.3 Billion Vietnam LNG-Power Hub, Targeting 2030 Start
LG Innotek Jumps as KB, NH Hike Targets on Substrate AI-Server Thesis
Samsung Unveils First AI Smart Glasses, Targeting Meta's 73% Lead
Samsung unveiled its first AI smart glasses with Google at I/O 2026, partnering with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker for a fall launch — challenging Meta's 73%
Samsung (005930.KS) Averts 18-Day Strike After Bonus Deal
Korean Retail Sells US Stocks a Third Straight Month as Samsung-SK Hynix Bet Tips KOSPI Volatility Past Wartime Highs
Korean retail investors net-sold USD 793M of US stocks in early June, a third straight month of outflows, as Samsung and SK Hynix now dominate 50.7% of KOSPI.
LG Energy Solution (373220.KS) Files for US Tariff Refund
NH Investment (005940.KS) Raises ₩400B for IMA Expansion
Korea's Samsung, SK Hynix Single-Stock Leverage ETFs Churn ₩37 Trillion in Turnover in Four Days, Stoking Overheating Alarms
Single-stock leveraged ETFs on Samsung and SK Hynix racked up ₩37 trillion in turnover within four trading days of their May 27 launch, while Samsung Electronics' market cap crossed USD 1.56 trillion to displace Meta from the global top 10.
Kakao Faces First Strike; the Real Risk Is the Pay Formula
Kakao (035720.KS) — operator of KakaoTalk, the messaging-and-payments app on which roughly 49 million South Koreans depend (Tech Times) — faced the first walkout in its history on Wednesday, June 10,
Samsung Medison Wins Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Ultrasound Deals
Samsung Medison, the medical-device subsidiary of Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), has won back-to-back ultrasound supply contracts at two of the most prestigio
Indonesia Nickel Cuts Hit LG Energy Solution (373220.KS)
Dual Sidecars Fire as Korea's KOSPI and KOSDAQ Erase Black Monday Losses
South Korean equities triggered consecutive buy-side sidecars Tuesday as the KOSPI and KOSDAQ staged a sharp recovery from Monday's 8.29% plunge, with Samsung and SK hynix reclaiming key price levels.
SK hynix (000660.KS), Nvidia Sign HBM Pact for Vera Rubin AI
Foreign Ownership of KB Financial Tops 80% for First Time Since 2008, Reframing Chairman Reappointment
Foreign investors now own more than 80% of KB Financial Group for the first time since the holding company was established in 2008, bolstering Chairman Yang Jong-hee reappointment prospects.
South Korea Jumps to 21st in IMD World Competitiveness, Second-Highest Ever as Business Efficiency Surges 10 Spots
South Korea climbed six spots to 21st among 70 economies in the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook, its second-highest result ever, driven by a 10-place surge in business efficiency and a rise to 15th in infrastructure.
KOSPI Tops 9,000 for First Time, Led by Just Two Chip Stocks
South Korea's KOSPI (the country's benchmark stock index) closed above 9,000 for the first time on June 18, finishing at 9,063. 84, up 199.
Korean Banks' JoongAng Group Exposure Tops ₩800 Billion as Receivership Tests Record Earnings
Five JoongAng Group units, including JTBC, sought court rehabilitation after a ₩700 billion sports-broadcast-rights bet went wrong. Hana Bank holds the largest exposure at ₩307 billion; analysts project limited provisioning impact on Korean lenders.
Samsung and SK Hynix Back Anthropic's Record USD 65B Round as AI Unicorn Files Near-$1 Trillion IPO
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix joined Anthropic as strategic infrastructure partners in its USD 65 billion Series H, lifting the AI lab to a USD 965 billion valuation ahead of a confidential S-1 filing. SK Telecom's USD 100M stake, booked at KRW 1.3 trillion, could revalue to KRW 3 trillion-plus at IPO.
Hormuz Held Hostage: The US-Iran War's Hidden Bill the World Is Paying
SK Biopharmaceuticals Signs USD 2.5 Billion AI Drug Discovery Deal With Insilico Medicine at BioUSA 2026, Expanding CNS Reach Beyond Epilepsy
SK Biopharmaceuticals (326030.KS) signed a USD 2.5 billion AI drug discovery deal with Insilico Medicine at BioUSA 2026 to develop neuroimmune CNS therapies, as 51 Korean biotech firms set new partnership benchmarks at the San Diego event.
Korean PM Threatens Emergency Arbitration as Samsung Electronics Strike Looms
PM Kim Min-seok told the nation Sunday that Seoul will weigh emergency arbitration if Samsung's 18-day chip strike proceeds, citing damage up to ₩100T.
Korea's 'Korea Discount' Cure Freezes IPO Market: HD Hyundai, LS, SK Ecoplant Shelve USD 6 Billion in Listings as Dual-Listing Rules Stall
South Korea's dual-listing ban has paralysed the KOSPI IPO pipeline — 2026 H1 fundraising collapsed 91% to USD 700M as HD Hyundai Robotics (USD 5.4B), SK Ecoplant, and LS Group shelve major listing plans.
Samsung (005930.KS): May 11 Bonus Mediation, Union Splits
KB Lifts LG Chem (051910.KS) to ₩470,000 on Q2 Profit Swing
Kakao Heads to Final Mediation as First-Ever Headquarters Strike Looms
Kakao Corp. (035720.KS) heads into a second and final mediation session Wednesday, May 27, with the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission, with a failure unlocking the legal right to stage the first walkout in Kakao headquarters history.
Samsung Bonus Civil War: '1%' Question Splits Unions Before Strike-Eve Mediation
Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), the world's largest memory chipmaker, enters two days of state-supervised mediation Monday with an unusual problem: the labor side c
Hyundai Wia Weighs ₩370–880B Sale of K9/K2 Artillery Unit to Sister Rotem
Hyundai Wia is exploring a ₩370–880B sale of its defense unit to sister affiliate Hyundai Rotem, transferring K9 howitzer barrels and K2 tank main guns 50 years afte
Korean Retail US Stock Holdings Cross ₩300 Trillion as AI Rally Outpaces KOSPI Boom
Korean retail investors — locally nicknamed "Seohak Ants" (the colloquial term for Koreans buying overseas equities) — pushed their US stock holdings above ₩300 tril
Samsung and LG Race to Build the USD 176 Billion AI Modular Home Market
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are racing to dominate a USD 176 billion smart housing market by bundling AI, HVAC, and modular prefab homes — a pivot beyond traditional white goods.
Korea's 'Big-Hand' Retail Orders Hit Record as Samsung-Hynix Drive KOSPI Past 7,000
Korea's wealthiest retail investors are pouring money into the country's two semiconductor giants at an unprecedented clip.
Uber, Naver, Alibaba Circle Korea's ₩8 Trillion Baemin as Delivery Hero Seeks Exit
Delivery Hero is selling Baemin for up to ₩8 trillion, with Uber, Naver, and Alibaba in active due diligence — but KFTC antitrust risk and slowing delivery growth...
Samsung Biologics Files Criminal Complaint Against Striking Union Chair Over Leaked PR Records
Samsung Biologics (207940.KS) filed a criminal complaint against union chair Park Jae-sung for leaking PR-department tax invoice records and defamation, per Yonha...
Korea's Presidential Chip Push: Samsung, SK Hynix to Sign KRW 300T Honam Cluster June 29 as Yongin Fast-Tracked a Decade
President Lee meets Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong June 25 to finalize KRW 300T+ Honam semiconductor cluster, signing set June 29-30 in Gwangju. Yongin mega-cluster pulled forward by a decade to 2034-35 alongside Samsung KRW 110T capex commitment.
Nomura: KOSPI 11,000; ₩1.94T Flows Into Samsung, SK Hynix
Kakao (035720.KS) Workers Strike June 29 Over Bonus Standoff
Doosan (000150.KS), LG CNS Sign AI and Data-Center MOU
Samsung (005930.KS) Retakes $1T on Apple Foundry Talks
Samsung Electronics reclaims its $1 trillion market cap and Intel surges 14% after Bloomberg reports Apple is exploring both as U.S. foundry alternatives to TSMC.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics, LG Innotek Pivot From Apple to AI Servers, Robot Vision
Samsung Electro-Mechanics (009150.KS) and LG Innotek (011070.KS) are pivoting from Apple/Samsung suppliers to AI-server substrates and humanoid robot vision, with...
Lotte E&C Lands AAA Rating on ₩300 Billion ABS in Credit Rehabilitation Step
Lotte Engineering & Construction (Lotte E&C), the Lotte Group construction affiliate and South Korea's eighth-largest builder by capability evaluation, said Monday i
Korea Decree Would Bar State Support for New Capital-Area Chip Clusters, Sparing Samsung-SK Hynix Yongin Buildout
Korea's decree would deny state support for any new chip complex in Seoul, Incheon, or Gyeonggi, sparing Samsung-SK Hynix's ₩1,000T Yongin buildout.
Samsung Biologics Wage Impasse Lingers After Electronics' 12% Profit-Share Reset
Samsung Biologics (KRX: 207940), Korea's largest contract drug manufacturer (CDMO), has not yet matched the wage settlement its memory-chip affiliate concluded
KOSPI Tops 7,000; Samsung (005930.KS), SK Hynix Set Records
KOSPI breaches 7,000 for the first time as Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) and SK Hynix log fresh records on AI-driven memory demand and surging foreign inflows.
Korea's F4 Warns Samsung Strike Poses Significant Risk to Growth, Exports, Markets
Korea's four top economic policymakers (F4) jointly warned a planned May 21 Samsung Electronics walkout could pose a significant risk to growth, exports and finan...
Nvidia's Jensen Huang Heads to Korea After GTC Taipei to Court Four Chaebol Chairmen on HBM and Physical AI
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is set to visit Korea in early June after GTC Taipei, meeting Samsung, SK Hynix, LG and Hyundai chairmen on HBM supply and physical AI.
KB Financial (105560.KS) Pledges ₩10bn to SME Win-Win Fund
Samsung Family Stock Wealth Tops ₩100 Trillion as Lee Jae-yong Crosses ₩50 Trillion Mark
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong's stock holdings rose to ₩51.66 trillion ($35.1B) on May 11, making him the first South Korean businessman to clear the ₩50 trillion mark.
Naver Hits Record ₩602B Quarterly R&D as Kakao Trims Spend, Pivots to OpenAI and Google
Seoul — Naver (035420.KS), the Korean internet and AI services group behind the country's leading domestic search engine, spent ₩602.0 billion ($439 million) on
Korea Biopharma: $10.4B Exports, Approvals Drop 38% — ING
Hana Financial, POSCO International, Dunamu Sign MOU on Blockchain Cross-Border Remittance
Korea's KRW 1,100 Trillion Pension Giant Faces USD 43.5 Billion Selling Overhang as KOSPI Rally Breaches Domestic Equity Cap
South Korea's National Pension Service sold USD 920M in four days and may need to offload up to USD 43.5B more as the KOSPI's 94% rally pushed domestic equity weight above 30%, breaching a 28.8% ceiling before the June 30 grace-period deadline.
SK Hynix (000660.KS) Leads HBM4 Three-Way Race for Nvidia
Celltrion (068270.KS) Buys France's Gifrer to Tap 9,000 Pharmacies
Celltrion (068270.KS), Korea's largest biosimilar maker, said on May 12 it has acquired 100% of Gifrer, a 1912-founded French over-the-counter (OTC) and pharmacy pro
Samsung, Union Restart Pay Talks 72 Hours Before 18-Day Chip Strike as Suwon Court Curbs Picket Tactics
Samsung Electronics and its largest union resumed pay talks 72 hours before an 18-day strike as the Suwon court partly granted Samsung's injunction barring plant ...
Samsung Exits China TV and Home Appliance Sales After 34 Years
Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), the world's largest television maker by shipments per The Korea Times, has formally decided to wind down home appliance and TV sales
Samsung Securities (016360.KS) Opens IBKR Omnibus Channel for Foreign Retail Investors
Samsung Securities (016360.KS), a full-service Korean brokerage whose largest shareholder is Samsung Life Insurance (29.4%), said on May 12 it has formally launched
Boston Dynamics Commits USD 100M to Waltham Robotics Campus, Putting 1,250 Jobs and Atlas Mass Production on Track for Hyundai Factories
Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary Boston Dynamics is investing USD 100M in a 323,000 sq ft campus in Waltham, MA, targeting 1,250 new jobs by 2033 and Atlas humanoid robot mass production for 25,000-unit Hyundai factory deployments from 2028. Massachusetts awarded a USD 25M EDIP grant. HL Mando (204320.KS) and Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) are key listed proxies.
Chip-Bonus Boom Drives Korea Q1 Tax Revenue Up 16.7% to ₩108.8 Trillion
Korea's Q1 2026 tax revenue rose 16.7% to ₩108.8T as chip-sector bonuses and a new KOSPI transaction tax lifted income and securities tax lines.
LG Corp Cancels Remaining ₩350 Billion in Treasury Shares, Closing Out 2024 Value-Up Pledge
LG Corp (003550.KS), the Seoul-listed holding company of South Korea's LG Group, said on May 22 it will cancel its entire remaining treasury stake — 3,029,581 c
Korea's First Single-Stock 2x ETFs Set May 22 Debut on Samsung, SK Hynix
Kakao Ex-CEO Wins Second Acquittal in Baram Buyout Case
Seoul High Court dismissed prosecutors' appeal, upholding the not-guilty verdict for former Kakao Entertainment CEO Kim Sung-su on breach-of-trust charges over the 2020 Baram Pictures acquisition.
LS GreenLink Breaks Ground on World's Tallest Submarine Cable Tower in Virginia, Targeting AI-Driven Power Grid Market
LS Cable & System unit LS GreenLink breaks ground on a 201-meter VCV tower in Chesapeake, Virginia — set to become the US largest submarine cable plant, targeting AI data center power demand by 2028.
Korea's Big Banks Raise Deposit Rates After ₩19 Trillion Flees to Stocks in Two Weeks
South Korea's five largest commercial banks lost nearly ₩19 trillion ($13.7 billion) in demand deposits over the two weeks ending April 16, prompting KB Kookmin Bank
Samsung (005930.KS) Unveils Z Fold8, AI Glasses July 22
Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), Korea's largest consumer-electronics and memory-chip maker, plans to hold its second-half Galaxy Unpacked event in London on July 22
Nomura Sets Street-High ₩4M SK Hynix Target as Korean Brokers Pile Into TSMC-Style Re-Rating
Nomura Securities became the first broker on record to put a ₩4,000,000 price target on SK Hynix , up from ₩2,340,000 in a report dated May 17, 2026 .
South Korea Logs First-Ever 10 Million Foreign Arrivals in H1 2026, Monthly Tourist Card Spending Hits USD 1.3 Billion Record
South Korea welcomed over 10 million foreign visitors by June 20, 2026—the first time ever before mid-year. Monthly card spending hit USD 1.3B (+47%), with KCTI forecasting 22 million full-year arrivals.
Korea Floats AI 'Citizen Dividend'; KOSPI Whipsaws, Samsung Falls 2.3%
Korea's policy chief Kim Yong-beom floated an AI-revenue 'National Dividend,' sending KOSPI down as much as 5.12% before Cheong Wa Dae called it a personal view.
Samsung Biologics (207940.KS) Files Criminal Complaint on Strike
Samsung Biologics filed a criminal complaint against six union members, including the branch chair, alleging obstruction during last week's first-ever strike.
S-Oil (010950.KS) Lifted to ₩135K as Refining Beat Meets Fuel Cap
Mirae Asset raised its S-Oil target to ₩135,000 from ₩120,000, citing refining-margin strength, with Korea's revived fuel price cap as the swing risk.
Hanmi Semiconductor Targets TSMC Supply Chain With FC Bonder 3.5, Breaking Into AI Chip Foundry Market
Hanmi Semiconductor (042700.KQ) launched FC Bonder 3.5 for 2.5D AI chip packaging, targeting global foundries and OSATs with 340mm substrate support.
Samsung Biologics' First-Ever Strike Halts Cancer-Drug Output, Company Cites ₩150 Billion Loss
Korean Banks Warn US Investors Over Lee Government's Inclusive Lending Push
Three of Korea's largest banking groups — KB Financial Group (105560.KS), Shinhan Financial Group (055550.KS) and Woori Financial Group (316140.KS) — used their U.S.
Hyundai Motor and KAI Restart South Korea's eVTOL Race After Supernal Pause, Target 2034 Commercial Launch
Hyundai Motor Group (005380.KS) and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI, 047810.KS) sign MoU to jointly develop eVTOL aircraft, reviving the stalled Supernal program with a new 2034 commercial target after a September 2025 pause and 80% workforce cut.
Samsung, SK Hynix Join Anthropic's $65B Round; Foundry Order Unconfirmed
Samsung Electronics , the world's largest memory-chip maker, and SK Hynix , the global leader in high-bandwidth memory , have joined the Series H funding round of Anthropic, the U.S. developer of the
Hana Bank Pays ₩1 Trillion for 6.55% of Upbit Operator Dunamu
Hana Bank will pay ₩1 trillion ($669M) for a 6.55% stake in Dunamu, Korea's largest-ever bank investment into a crypto-exchange operator.
Samsung Biologics Pegs Strike Damage at ₩150 Billion ($102 Million) as Labor Unrest Spreads to Kakao
Samsung Electronics Braces for 18-Day Chip Strike as Bonus Talks Collapse
Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), the world's largest memory chipmaker, is now within a week of its largest-ever planned labor walkout after the company's biggest uni
Doosan Locks In SK Siltron at ~₩5 Trillion, Cementing Chip Pivot
Doosan (000150.KS) to sign SPA this week for SK Siltron at ~₩5T ($3.4B): 70.6% from SK Inc plus Chey's 29.4% personal stake by year-end.
South Korea Wins Softer EU Steel Quota Carve-Out Days Before July 1 Cutoff, Shielding POSCO and Hyundai Steel
South Korea secured preferential treatment under the EU new steel safeguard regime effective July 1, 2026, protecting POSCO and Hyundai Steel from the full 46% duty-free quota reduction targeting global exporters.
SK Hynix Hits Record High as Citi Lifts Target 82% on Memory Supercycle
SK Hynix jumped 7.3% to a record ₩1.97M after Citi lifted its target 82% to ₩3.1M, with KB Securities following at ₩2.8M on a 2026 memory supercycle call.
Google-SpaceX $29B Deal: SK hynix (000660.KS) HBM in Focus
Korean Chip ETFs Top ₩3T and ₩1T as KOSPI Touches 8,000, Then Plunges 6.1%
Two Korean semiconductor ETFs crossed marquee asset thresholds within 24 hours of each other, evidence that Korean savers and institutions are channeling the AI-memo
SK Hynix (000660.KS) 2x ETF Tops TSLL as Global No. 1
A Hong Kong-listed leveraged ETF tracking SK Hynix (000660.KS), Korea's largest memory-chip maker after Samsung Electronics, has become the world's biggest single-st
Broadcom Loses Appeal Against ₩19.1B Korean Antitrust Fine Over Samsung Coercion
A Seoul appellate court on Wednesday rejected Broadcom's bid to overturn a ₩19.1 billion ($14 million) fine imposed by Korea's antitrust regulator in 2023, ruling th
KB, Shinhan, Woori Defend SEC Risk Filings Over Korea's Inclusive-Finance Push
KB Financial Group (KB금융지주, 105560.KS), Shinhan Financial Group (신한지주, 055550.KS) and Woori Financial Group (우리금융지주, 316140.KS) — three of Korea's top banking holdin
Kakao Union Sets June 29 'Log-Out Day' as Full Work Stoppage, Wage Talks Still Stalled
Kakao Corp's union will proceed with a full-day work stoppage on June 29 across five group entities, as wage negotiations remain deadlocked after the company's first-ever strike on June 10.
Celltrion (068270.KS) Nears ₩2 Trillion Cancellation Goal
Hana (086790.KS) $647M Dunamu Buy Stirs Kbank-Upbit Renewal
Second Worker Dies at S-Oil's USD 7B Shaheen Site as Soil Collapse Strikes Hyundai E&C Package
A soil collapse killed one worker at Hyundai E&C's package at S-Oil's KRW 9.3 trillion Shaheen ethylene complex in Ulsan, the second fatality at the site in 31 days.
Kia (000270.KS) Tops Hyundai in Korea, First Time Since 1998
Prosecutors Raid 3 SK Hynix Suppliers in Price-Fixing Probe
Seoul prosecutors raided three semiconductor-materials suppliers to SK Hynix on May 28, alleging price-fixing on bonding wire and solder ball materials sold to the world's second-largest memory-chip m
Kakao Heads Into Final Mediation as First-Ever Joint Strike Looms at Five Affiliates
Kakao sits down Wednesday for a second mediation at the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission with unions at five group companies, where failure would trigger the first-ever strike at Kakao headquarters alongside walkouts at Kakao Pay, Kakao Enterprise, XL Games and DK Techin.
SK Hynix, Micron Eye HBM Wins as Samsung Strike Threatens 3-4% DRAM Cut
A planned 18-day strike at Samsung Electronics' (005930.KS) chip division has moved from possibility to base case after final-round mediation collapsed, threatening
SK Inc. (034730.KS) Halts $3.7B Siltron Sale — AI Chip Boom
Huang-Wei Taipei Dinner Telegraphs AI Supply Crunch — and Sets the Stage for SK's Chey at GTC Taipei
Nvidia's Jensen Huang and TSMC's C.C. Wei held a closed-door Taipei dinner on May 26 over next-gen AI chip production, days before SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won meets both at GTC Taipei on June 1.
NPS Sits on ₩200 Trillion Gain as KOSPI Closes In on 7,000
BIOSECURE Spillover Reaches Korea's Small-Molecule API CDMOs: Yuhan Chemical, ST Pharm in Focus
Korea's BIOSECURE-driven CDMO tailwind is now visibly spreading into small-molecule API outsourcing, with Yuhan Chemical and ST Pharm as principal beneficiaries.
Samsung Presidents Bow in Public Apology as 18-Day Chip Strike Looms
Samsung's presidential leadership issued a rare public apology on May 15, with 18 executives bowing over an unresolved labor dispute as an 18-day strike looms May 21
KOSPI Record 8,476: Jensen Huang Visit Sends LG to Limit-Up
Korea's Record KOSPI Hides a Stark Divide: Samsung + SK Hynix Cross 50% of Index as 82% of Stocks Fall
The KOSPI has surged 90.9% year-to-date, leading global markets — yet 82% of listed Korean stocks fell last month as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix together crossed 50% of total benchmark market cap for the first time, leaving most investors behind the record-breaking headline.
Samsung Union Ratifies Wage Deal at 73.7%, Tying DS Bonuses to 10.5% of Chip Profit
Samsung Electronics' union ratified the 2026 wage deal at 73.7%, formally lifting strike risk; the Chogieop chip union approved 80.6% versus just 21.1% at Jeonsamno, with a May 29 court hearing on a separate DX-union injunction still pending.
KB Financial Pulls Rebellions Into Korean Banking AI Stack Months Before Chip Maker's IPO
KB Financial Group signed a partnership with Rebellions on May 27 to embed the AI-chip startup's NPUs into its banking AI stack, reframing a 4-year VC relationship months before Rebellions' 2026 IPO.
Seoul Extends Electricity and Gas Rate Freeze Through Year-End, Deepening KEPCO's KRW 206 Trillion Debt Trap
South Korea freezes electricity and gas rates for H2 2026, extending KEPCO and Korea Gas Corporation cost recovery delays as the government prioritizes inflation control.
KOSPI Q1 Operating Profit Triples to ₩156 Trillion; Samsung and SK Hynix Drive Over 60% of the Surge
KRX reports KOSPI Q1 2026 operating profit at ₩156.3T (+176%); Samsung-SK Hynix supply 60%+, but ex-chip cohort still posts +44%.
SK Hynix (000660.KS) CEO Kwak to Meet Gates, Nadella at Microsoft Summit
SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-Jung is attending Microsoft's invitation-only CEO Summit in Redmond this week, with meetings expected with Bill Gates and Satya Nadella.
Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong Apologizes Days Before Looming 18-Day Chip Strike
Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong bowed three times Saturday in his first public apology over the 18-day chip strike, as Reuters revealed a 607% memory bonus offer.
Shinhan Chairman Jin Takes Value-Up 2.0 Pitch to North American Investors in 13-Day Roadshow
Jin Ok-dong, chairman and CEO of Shinhan Financial Group (KRX: 055550, NYSE: SHG) — one of Korea's largest financial holding companies — flew out Sunday for a 13-day
Korea Card Lobby CREFIA Taps Ex-KB Insider Lee Dong-chul
Samsung's Smaller Union Asks Court to Block Record Chip-Bonus Deal Backed by Larger Unions
A minority labor union at Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), the world's largest memory-chip and television maker, said Friday it will keep fighting in court to stop a freshly ratified wage agreement th
Korean Ministers Split: Reinvest or Share the AI Chip Windfall?
South Korea's cabinet has aired an unusually public disagreement over what should happen to the record profits its memory-chip makers are reaping from the artificial-intelligence boom.
MSCI Cuts Three Korean Stocks in May Review, Shrinking Korea Index to 77
MSCI deleted Hanjin KAL, HD Hyundai Marine Solution and SK Biopharmaceuticals from the MSCI Korea Index in its May 2026 review, with no Korean additions.
BYD Launches Korea's First PHEV at KRW 37.5 Million, Challenging Hyundai and Kia at Busan Mobility Show
BYD Korea unveiled the Sealion 6 DM-i plug-in hybrid at the 2026 Busan Mobility Show on Thursday, marking its first PHEV launch in Korea at KRW 37.5 million — a direct price challenge to Hyundai Motor and Kia's dominant mid-size SUV lineup.
LG Uplus Launches Carrier-Exclusive Galaxy Buddy5 at ₩528,000, Extending Samsung's Budget 5G Push
LG Uplus began nationwide sales of the carrier-exclusive Samsung Galaxy Buddy5 at ₩528,000, a Korean rebrand of the Galaxy A17 5G originally launched in August 2025.
Korea's First Single-Stock Leverage ETFs Pull ₩3.5 Trillion on Debut; All 18 Products Halt as SK Hynix Crosses $1 Trillion
Korea's first single-stock leveraged ETFs drew about ₩3.5 trillion ($2.33B) of net inflows on debut, tripped both static and dynamic volatility halts across all 18 products, and helped push SK Hynix into the $1 trillion market-cap club at ₩1,598.6T (about $1.065T).
Samsung and Korea Grid Operator Sign Nation's First Carbon-Free Electricity Certification for Semiconductor Factories
Samsung Electronics and Korea Power Exchange ink Korea's first carbon-free electricity certification for semiconductor factories, targeting AI-era supply chain ESG requirements.
Kakao Faces First-Ever Strike Risk as Union Demands 15% Profit Bonus
Kakao (035720.KS) is heading into formal labor mediation after four affiliate unions sought a 2026 bonus equal to 13-15% of operating profit.
Kakao Strike Looms as Wage Talks Fail; Stock at 52-Week Low
Kakao Corp. faces its first general strike in 16 years after a second round of government-mediated wage talks broke down on May 27. CEO Chung Shin-a apologized, and the union has set a June 10 Pangyo
Hanwha Lifts Dunamu Stake to 9.84% in $432M Deal Three Months Before Postponed Naver Merger Vote
Hanwha Investment & Securities (003530.KS), the brokerage arm of Korea's Hanwha conglomerate, said on May 20, 2026 its board approved the cash purchase of 1,361
LG Innotek Eyes Record H2 as AI Substrate Revenue Poised to Surge 14x by 2030, KB Securities Maintains KRW 2M Target
KB Securities maintains BUY on LG Innotek with KRW 2M target as AI substrate FC-BGA revenue is set to grow 14-fold to KRW 2T by 2030; Q2 2026 operating profit forecast at KRW 202.8B, 18x year-over-year.
Kakao Games (293490.KQ) Sets June 22 Vote on LY Co-CEOs
Samsung (005930.KS), SK Hynix Q2 Record Profit Seen at ₩150T
Concrete Strike Threatens Samsung, SK Hynix Fab Construction
Greater Seoul concrete mixer truck drivers went on strike June 8, 2026, raising concerns about construction delays at Samsung and SK Hynix semiconductor fabs in Gyeonggi.
Apple Halts Siri AI in EU — Korea's iPhone Suppliers Exhale
Korea Earns Record $85B Trade Surplus But Can't Lift the Won as $65B Capital Flight Drains the AI Chip Windfall
South Korea's Q1 current account surplus hit a record $85 billion — yet the won has hovered above 1,500 per dollar for 19 trading days in 2026, touching a 17-year real effective low, as $65.4 billion in net capital outflows nearly erase the AI chip trade windfall.
Kakao Pay Buys Out Kakao Pay Securities for KRW 173 Billion, Ending Dual-Listing Overhang and Clearing Path for Stablecoin Push
Kakao Pay will spend KRW 172.98 billion to lift its stake in Kakao Pay Securities from 72.93% to 100% by July 20, removing dual-listing concerns and accelerating its stablecoin and STO strategy.
Korea's $1.2 Trillion NPS Raises Domestic Stock Cap to 20.8%, Defusing a ₩200 Trillion Forced-Sale Threat
Korea's $1.2 trillion NPS pension fund raised its domestic equity ceiling from 14.9% to 20.8% on May 28, averting ₩200 trillion in forced selling triggered by KOSPI's 94% surge.
Kakao Union Locks In June 10 Walkout After Second Mediation Fails, Targeting 13-15% Profit Share
Kakao Corp.'s five-entity labor coalition confirmed a four-hour partial walkout for June 10 after second mediation failed. The union demands 13–15% of Kakao's ₩440B 2025 operating profit as bonuses (est. ₩15M/worker); management warns the package would be 'a huge burden.' A prolonged stoppage risks delaying the KakaoTalk Kanana AI rollout.
SK Hynix Cheongju Fab Fire: Hydrogen Fluoride Leak Hospitalizes Seven
A fire broke out around 10:32 a.m. on June 1 at SK Hynix's Cheongju Campus 4 — part of the memory giant's main NAND flash and back-end hub in North Chungcheong Province — releasing hydrogen fluoride and injuring six people, according to Korean outlets chosunbiz and Electronic Times (etnews). SK Hynix is the world's second-largest memory chipmaker and the leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory (
Celltrion's First-Ever Union Lands as Record Margins Peak
Celltrion (068270.KS), the Incheon-based biosimilar maker that is South Korea's largest by sales, saw workers form the first labor union in its history on June 1, ending a no-union stretch that has held since the company's 2002 founding (Yonhap; Korea Times). The timing is what matters to investors: the union arrives weeks after Celltrion booked the most profitable year it has ever reported.
Samsung (005930.KS) Holdings Top ₩60T on AI-Memory Surge as KOSPI Hits Records
Samsung Bio Strike Hardens; Celltrion Forms First Union
Celltrion (068270.KS), South Korea's largest biosimilar developer, said its workers launched a labor union on June 1 — the first in the company's history since founder Seo Jung-jin started it in 2002, according to Chosun Biz and The Korea Times. The move lands as a separate dispute at Samsung Biolog
KOSPI Surges 3.7% to Record 8,788 as Jensen Huang's Korea Blitz Fires AI-Chip Stocks
South Korea's KOSPI closed at 8,788.38 on June 1, 2026—a new all-time high—as Jensen Huang's Korea Partner Night in Taipei ignited fresh demand for Samsung Electronics (+10.9%) and LG Electronics (upper limit). Only 183 of 915 listed stocks advanced, raising concentration-risk warnings even as the NPS fund crossed ₩1,900 trillion with a 25% YTD return.
Samsung's First Majority Union Loses Its Footing as 100-Fold Bonus Gap Drives 17,730-Member Exodus
The cross-enterprise union that made history as Samsung Electronics' first-ever majority labor body slipped to 58,270 members by June 4 — 6,230 short of the 64,500 threshold — as a wage deal granting chip workers up to ₩600 million while capping DX employees at ₩6 million triggered a sustained exodus from the union's April 7 peak of 76,000.
Samsung Biologics (207940.KS) Backs ₩200B Third Bio Fund
SKT Surges 13% as Jensen Huang Names It Physical-AI Linchpin at GTC Taipei
SK Telecom shares jumped 13.42% to ₩114,100 on June 1 after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang named the Korean carrier a key partner in manufacturing and physical AI at GTC Taipei, spotlighting its Omniverse-powered digital twin running inside a SK hynix chip fab.
KB Financial (105560.KS) Opens Chairman Succession Early
Samsung and SK Hynix Target Hundreds of Trillions of Won in Honam and Chungcheong Semiconductor Clusters as Minister Urges Speed
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are reviewing plans to build semiconductor fab clusters in Honam and Chungcheong regions, with investment discussed at hundreds of trillions of won as Korea's industry minister urges speed.
Korea Cuts EUV Tool Clearance to 9 Days for Samsung, SK Hynix
South Korea's cabinet on June 2 cut EUV scanner import clearance from 34 days to 9 days, reducing each installation's overhead by 25 days and USD500 million per tool.
Foreign Selloff Hits Record ₩103tn; Won at 17-Year Low
South Korea's won touched its weakest level since the 2009 financial crisis as foreign investors net sold a record ₩103.
Samsung (005930.KS) Shows HBM5, Targets SK hynix HBM Lead
Samsung Turns Galaxy Watch Into an AI Health Companion With Seven New Metrics, Ahead of July Unpacked
Samsung unveiled seven new AI-powered health features for Galaxy Watch on Wednesday — including a Heart Health Score, Hearing Health monitor, and five-signal overnight Vitals tracker — with the update rolling out June 8 and Galaxy Watch 9 widely expected at Samsung Unpacked in London on July 22.
KOSPI Plunges 9.99%, Triggering Circuit Breaker, as Samsung and SK Hynix Each Lose Over 12% in Largest Single-Day Crash of 2026
South Korea's KOSPI fell 9.99% to 8,203.84 on June 23, 2026 — its steepest single-day drop of the year — as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix each shed more than 12%, triggering a full circuit breaker halt.
Samsung, SK Hynix Weigh Regional Chip Plants as Korea's Cluster Law Nears
Samsung and SK Hynix are reviewing sites in Honam and Chungcheong for new chip packaging fabs as Korea moves to restrict capital-area semiconductor clusters.
LG Chem Defends Eutropin, Korea's No. 1 Growth-Hormone Brand
LG Chem releases 14-year observational data on growth hormone Eutropin, confirming 0.2% serious adverse reaction rate and stable thyroid/glucose markers, as new EcoPen device aims to defend Korea's top pediatric growth-hormone franchise.
LG Energy Solution Ends Sunwoda Patent Fight in Licensing Deal
LG Energy Solution (373220.KS), Korea's largest electric-vehicle battery maker, has converted a two-year cross-border patent war into a license agreement with Chinese cell maker Sunwoda — but the f...
Korea Investment Joins Goldman, BofA and Barclays on Carlyle's €7.7 Billion BASF Coatings Deal in Korean Brokerage's Global First
Korea Investment & Securities Co. has secured its first joint lead arranger seat on a global mega-deal, joining Goldman Sachs, Bank of America Securities and Barclays on the roughly €4.5 billion debt package backing Carlyle Group's €7.7 billion acquisition of BASF SE's coatings division.
Samsung Electronics Overtakes Meta to Become World's 10th-Largest Company by Market Value
Samsung Electronics ranked 10th globally by market cap on June 2, surpassing Meta at USD 1.56 trillion — the first time the Korean chipmaker has entered the top 10.
KOSPI Firms Paid a Record ₩52.8 Trillion in 2024 Dividends as Chip Boom Flooded Payout Pool
KOSPI-listed firms returned a record ₩52.8 trillion to shareholders in 2024, up 15.9% from a year earlier, as the semiconductor super cycle inflated profits and the number of companies disclosing value-enhancement plans tripled to 329.
NH Investment Bets on H2 ESS Order Surge for Korean Battery Makers
NH Investment & Securities forecasts ESS and EV order surge in H2 2026 will drive earnings upgrades for LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, and Korean battery sector peers.
SK On CEO Lee Seok-hee Steps Down After Completing Ford JV Exit; Lee Yong-wook Takes Sole Helm
SK On President Lee Seok-hee is stepping down at end of May 2026 on health grounds after sealing the BlueOval SK dissolution with Ford. Lee Yong-wook takes sole CEO helm as SK On posts ₩349B operating loss in Q1 2026.
K-water Drill Cements KakaoTalk in Korea Disaster Alert
K-water staged a flood-season drill at Soyang Dam on May 28, confirming KakaoTalk (035720.KS) as one of three official channels for alerting downstream residents to dam discharges before Korea's June
LG Energy Solution: $1.6B ESS Deal With DTE Lifts Shares 15%
LG Energy Solution signed a $1.6 billion (₩2.4 trillion) two-year ESS supply contract with DTE Energy for 6 GWh of batteries, sending shares up 15% on May 28.
Korea's National Growth Fund Hits 87% Sell-Through on Day One; KOSDAQ Surges 4.99%
South Korea's first retail-accessible tranche of the National Growth Fund — a five-year, ₩150 trillion ($109.
LG Display Headed for Another Q2 Loss, But Samsung Securities Lifts Target to ₩17,000 on a Restructuring Read
Hanmi Semiconductor Bets KRW 50 Billion on SpaceX, Citing AI and Satellite Demand as Long-Term Growth Rationale
Hanmi Semiconductor (042700.KQ) disclosed a KRW 50 billion open-market purchase of SpaceX shares, equivalent to 7.24% of its shareholders' equity, citing explosive AI and satellite demand as the long-term growth rationale.
Samsung Biologics Unveils Four Drug Delivery Platforms at BIO USA 2026, Targeting Technology Licensing as New Revenue Pillar
Samsung Biologics presented four proprietary drug delivery platforms at BIO USA 2026, signaling a push into technology licensing to diversify revenue beyond contract manufacturing.
KOSPI Nears 8,500 But Record Margin Loans and $74B Foreign Exit Cast Shadow Over June
Korea's benchmark index closed within 24 points of 8,500 on its best weekly gain of 2026, even as margin debt hit a record ₩37.07 trillion and foreign investors marked a 16th consecutive net-selling session.
Samsung, SK Hynix Executives Sitting on ₩101B as Chip Boom Delivers Up to 400% Returns on Self-Held Shares
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix senior executives are sitting on a combined ₩101.2 billion in unrealized stock gains, with return rates reaching 400%-plus for SK Hynix President Cha Sun-yong and 241% for CEO Kwak Noh-jung, as the AI-driven chip supercycle pushes Korean tech valuations to record levels.
Samsung Ships World-First HBM4E Samples; Stock Hits 2026 High as Market Cap Crosses KRW 2,000 Trillion
Samsung Electronics became the first company in the world to ship samples of HBM4E, its seventh-generation high-bandwidth memory, sending shares up 5.84% to a 2018-split high and pushing its market cap above KRW 2,015 trillion for the first time.
Hanwha's KSS-III Docks in Canada as Korea-Germany Showdown Over $42B Submarine Contract Enters Final Stretch
The Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, South Korea's most advanced submarine, arrived at CFB Esquimalt in Victoria, BC on May 23 — the first Korean-built vessel to cross the Pacific — and successfully tested NATO C4I interoperability. The visit anchors Hanwha Ocean's pitch for Canada's $42B Patrol Submarine Project, which pits the KSS-III against Germany's Type 212CD in a contest expected to be decided in late June 2026.
Meta (META) AI Glasses Hit Korea; Dev API Still Delayed
Nvidia N1X Arm Chip Heads to Computex With SK Hynix LPDDR5X Inside, Sealing Korea's Role in the Windows AI PC Era
Nvidia's N1X Arm laptop chip — packing a Blackwell GPU and SK Hynix LPDDR5X memory — will debut at Computex next week, with Microsoft Surface and Dell among first OEMs, opening a lucrative new memory front for Korean suppliers.
Toyota and BYD Target Korea's Vacant PHEV Market at Busan Show as Hyundai Motor Sits Out
Toyota and BYD are staging competing PHEV launches at the Busan International Mobility Show (June 26–July 5, 2026), targeting a domestic market niche that Hyundai Motor and Kia have vacated since 2021. Korean PHEV registrations fell 26% year-on-year to 4,745 units in Jan-May 2026, accounting for just 0.8% of the domestic auto market.
Samsung Defends Global TV Crown as China's TCL Narrows the Gap to 2.7 Points
Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), Korea's largest company and the world's top television maker by shipments, held its No. 1 position in the global TV market in the first quarter of 2026 — but the lead
Kakao Nears First-Ever Strike Over Pay vs. Record Profit
Kakao management declared the union's demand for 13-15% of operating profit as performance pay an unbearable burden on company survival, while announcing contingency plans ahead of a first-ever strike
Samsung 2026 Wage Deal Done; Union Sheds 6,000 in DS-DX Rift
Samsung's largest union shed 6,000 members in days after the 2026 wage deal passed at 73.7%, as the DS chip division split from DX over a bonus formula tied to semiconductor profits.
U.S. Solar Makers Seek Anti-Circumvention Probe Into Hanwha Qcells' South Korean Cell Imports
A U.S. coalition led by Canadian Solar, SEG Solar, and Heliene filed an anti-circumvention probe petition against Hanwha Qcells on June 18, 2026, alleging the Korean solar maker evades Chinese anti-dumping tariffs by routing cell production through South Korea.
Broadcom (AVGO) AI Miss Sinks Samsung, SK Hynix; KOSPI -6%
Korea Slashes Hong Kong ELS Bank Penalty to ~₩600bn, Lifting a Multi-Year Overhang on Lenders
South Korea's FSS cut the combined Hong Kong ELS bank fine from ₩1.4tn to ~₩600bn, sending KB Financial and peer bank stocks sharply higher on June 5.
SK Hynix ETF (000660.KS) Plunges 37% on Market-Maker Glitch
Samsung Shareholders Sue for Register Access in Bonus-Pool Dispute
Act, a Korean certification-based platform that organizes minority investors into shareholder associations, said on June 10 it has filed a court injun
Hanmi Semiconductor (042700.KQ) Bets ₩50B on SpaceX Pre-IPO
South Korean HBM bonder maker Hanmi Semiconductor will buy ₩50 billion ($36.5 million) of SpaceX shares ahead of its Nasdaq IPO, betting on Elon Musk's Terafab semiconductor complex.
Microsoft and Chevron Sign 20-Year Power Deal for 2.67 GW Texas AI Data Center, Boosting Korean Memory Demand Outlook
Microsoft and Chevron have signed a 20-year power supply agreement to develop Project Kilby, a proposed West Texas AI data center with 2.67 GW of capacity — one of the largest in the US. The deal, backed by Engine No. 1 ESG fund, targets a 2028 production start and signals sustained hyperscaler demand for Korean HBM and DRAM chips from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
Gaon Cable's U.S. Busduct Backlog Tops ₩5 Trillion as AI Data Center Deals Drive 2026 Orders to Double
LS Cable subsidiary Gaon Cable has amassed ₩5 trillion in U.S. AI data center busduct contracts via LSCUS, with 2026 orders set to double to ₩200 billion ($131M) as gen-AI firms join its customer base.
Samsung, SK hynix Drive an HBM Equipment 'Supercycle'
AI demand has turned HBM memory into a capital-spending story: UBS projects wafer-fab-equipment revenue at USD250B by 2028 as Samsung and SK hynix race to build new packaging fabs.
Seoul Court Upholds KakaoPay's ₩5.97 Billion Fine Over Alipay Data Transfers
A Seoul court has rejected KakaoPay's bid to overturn a privacy fine for sending tens of millions of users' data to China's Alipay—a ruling that matters far more for what it validates than for the cas
L&F (066970.KQ) Wins ₩220bn Loan for Korea's First LFP Plant
Krafton Bets KRW 50 Billion on HyperAccel's LPU Chips to Cut AI Inference Costs, Marking Rare Game-to-Chip Move
PUBG maker Krafton is investing KRW 50 billion in Korean AI chip startup HyperAccel's Series B, backing LPUs designed to cut LLM inference costs by 90% versus Nvidia GPUs.
SK Hynix to Triple Wafer Capacity by 2034, Eyes Overseas Fabs
SK Hynix (000660.KS), Korea's second-largest chipmaker by revenue and the world's leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AI servers,
Pentagon China Military List: An Edge for Korean Chipmakers
The U.S. Department of Defense on June 8 (Washington time) added Alibaba, Baidu and electric-vehicle maker BYD to its Section 1260H list of "Chinese military companies" operating in the United States, expanding the roster to 188 entities (Reuters via Seoul Economic Daily; The Next Web; etnews, chosu
Foreign Investors Trade $4.4B via Korea's Omnibus Accounts
Samsung Opens 9th C-Lab Outside Cohort for AI, Robotics
Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), Korea's largest company and the world's biggest memory-chip and smartphone maker, on June 15 opened applications for the ninth
Samsung Group Market Cap Tops ₩2,200 Trillion ($1.61 Trillion) as Labor Deal Sparks Record Kospi Surge
Samsung Group's listed market cap pushed past ₩2,200 trillion ($1.61T) as Samsung Electronics jumped 8.51% after a tentative wage deal; Kospi posted record 606-point gain.
Huang's Seoul Dinner Reignites Korea's Nvidia (NVDA) Trade
Kakao Faces First Strike June 10, but Bonus Gap Is Narrow
Kakao workers will stage the company first-ever strike on June 10, a four-hour partial walkout over bonuses, but the cash gap between the two sides is smaller than the historic headline suggests.
Korea Orders Weverse, Kakao to Scrap No-Refund K-pop Terms
South Korea's antitrust regulator has ordered the operators behind the country's biggest K-pop fan platforms to rewrite paid-membership contracts that blocked refunds and barred cancellations, a consu
Hanmi Semi (042700.KQ) Chairman Adds ₩8B Buy as Q1 Profit Sinks 88%
Hanmi Semiconductor's chairman Kwak Dong-shin will spend an additional ₩8 billion ($5.8 million) of personal funds on company shares on June 16, the same week Q1 2026 operating profit collapsed 87.9% year-on-year.
Korean Won Closes at 17-Year Low of 1,539 as Foreign Rout, Broadcom Shock and Dollar Strength Pile On
The won closed at 1,539.1—touching 1,549.1 intraday—as foreigners dumped ₩3.52 trillion in Korean equities for the 19th consecutive day, the KOSPI shed 5.54%, and a triple pressure of Broadcom-triggered chip selloff, strong dollar and global capital preconditioning converged.
SK Hynix (000660.KS) Nears US ADR Listing, $14B Raise Eyed
South Korea Stays in MSCI Emerging Markets for Third Straight Year as Won Convertibility Gap Delays USD 24 Billion Inflow to 2028
MSCI keeps South Korea classified as an emerging market in its 2026 review, citing limited Korean won convertibility. A developed-market upgrade—worth an estimated USD 24 billion in passive fund inflows—is now deferred to 2028 at earliest.
SK Telecom Denies China-Link Behind US Anthropic AI Ban
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Flashlight Capital Takes USD 40 Million Stake in Samsung Affiliate S-1 Corp, Demands Independent Directors and Cash Return
Activist fund Flashlight Capital discloses a USD 40 million (approximately 2%) stake in S-1 Corporation (012750.KS) and issues a five-point governance overhaul plan targeting Korea's largest security company, citing a 3.3x EV/EBITDA valuation versus 12.0x for domestic peer SK Shieldus.
Samsung Opens Its Workforce to ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude as Altman Heads to Suwon
Samsung Electronics opens ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude to its DX division starting June 12, as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman heads to Suwon and Seoul for AI partnership talks with Samsung, Kakao, and Naver.
K-Biotech's Animal-Free Pivot: Samsung Biologics and Peers Race to Meet New FDA and EU Drug Rules
The EU and FDA are converging on a phaseout of animal testing in drug development, creating a new competitive arena where Samsung Biologics and a cohort of Korean biotech firms are building organoid and AI capabilities to stay ahead.
Celltrion Touts HER2 Bispecific Cancer Data, Eyes FDA Fast-Track in 2026
Celltrion (068270.KS), one of South Korea's two largest biopharmaceutical companies by revenue alongside Samsung Biologics and best known for biosimil
SK Hynix HBM Fab M15X Catches Fire Again — Second Cheongju Blaze in 11 Days, No Output Hit
SK Hynix reported a second fire in 11 days at its Cheongju M15X fab — the HBM4 plant anchoring Nvidia supply. Six workers hospitalized; the company says no production was interrupted.
SpaceX Record IPO Revives Tesla Merger Talk, Korea Exposed
SpaceX's record USD 75B IPO debuted up 11%, reigniting Tesla merger speculation. Korean retail investors hold USD 24.74B in Tesla as LG Energy Solution and Samsung SDI supply Tesla's battery chain.
Korea's Record KRW 624.7B Fine Hits Coupang Over 37.5M-User Data Breach; Stock Surges 14%
Korea's PIPC imposed a record KRW 624.7 billion privacy fine on Coupang — nearly equal to its full-year 2025 operating profit — over a data breach affecting 37.5 million users. The stock closed up 14.25% on the day, suggesting markets viewed the ruling as the worst-case scenario now quantified.
Samsung SDI Issues Equipment Orders for Indiana ESS Conversion, Targeting 31 GWh LFP Capacity as EV Demand Slumps
Samsung SDI issues LOI and purchase orders to Korean equipment makers including Innometry and Phil Energy to convert three StarPlus Energy lines from EV to ESS LFP battery production.
Korea-Italy Roundtable Yields Aerospace, Grid, Pharma Deals
Korean and Italian business leaders turned a state-visit photo opportunity into signed commercial deals on Friday, including aerospace, grid and pharma agreements. Samsung’s Lee Jae-yong attended.
Nomura Calls Korea’s Chip Supercycle “Just Beginning,” Lifts KOSPI Target to 11,000 as Foreigners Snap 24-Day Sell-Off
Nomura Securities declared at a Seoul briefing on June 12 that South Korea's semiconductor supercycle has “only just begun” — even as the KOSPI was still digest
Shinhan Folds Its Super-App Into SOL Bank as Korea's Lenders Reignite the Platform War
Shinhan Financial Group (055550.KS), Korea's second-largest financial holding company by assets, will relaunch its all-in-one "Super SOL" platform on June 17, but the new version quietly concedes that its first attempt missed. Rather than maintain a standalone super-app, Shinhan is embedding card, securities and insurance functions directly into SO
SK Telecom, NTT, and Chunghwa Telecom Launch USD 500 Million IOWN AI Fund to Back Asia's AI Infrastructure
SK Telecom, Japan's NTT, and Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom announced on June 10 a joint $500 million (approximately ₩760 billion) fund targeting artificial intellig
Samsung, SK Hynix Weigh Chip Plants in Korea's Southwest — But Both Deny Any Decision
A wave of reports that Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), the world's largest memory-chip maker, and SK Hynix (000660.KS), the world's top supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM), are weighing major ...
Hanwha Ocean Wins ₩7.8T Destroyer Program as Rival’s Data-Leak Penalty Overturns Technical Lead
South Korea’s KDDX program has selected Hanwha Ocean as preferred bidder, awarding ₩7.8 trillion in destroyer contracts even as HD Hyundai Heavy Industries led on pure technical merit—until a court-upheld security deduction rewrote the score sheet.
Samsung Foundry in Talks to Build Google's Icefish TPU I/O Die as TSMC Runs Full
Samsung Electronics' contract chipmaking unit is in talks to produce the memory I/O die for Google's 10th-generation AI chip 'Icefish' using its 2-nanometer process, with mass production targeted as early as 2028.
Korea Launches First Joint FX-Bank Probe in 14 Years as Won Slides to 17-Year Low
Korea's BOK and FSS launched their first joint examination of FX banks since 2012, as the won slid to KRW 1,555.2 — a 17-year low — prompting warnings of imminent rate hikes to defend the currency.
Samsung SDI's Data Center Bet Begins to Pay Off as Q1 Loss Narrows 64%
Samsung SDI narrowed its Q1 2026 operating loss 64% to ₩155.6B as AI data center battery backup demand and US ESS shipments drove battery revenue up 13%. US capacity booked through 2027.
KOSPI's 109% Rally Masks a K-Shaped Market: 31% of Stocks at New Lows as Two Chipmakers Claim 72% of Gains
As the KOSPI hits record highs near 8,800, market breadth has collapsed: 31% of listed stocks are at 52-week lows while Samsung and SK Hynix alone account for 72% of year-to-date gains.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics, LG Innotek Set for Q2 Record as AI Substrate Squeeze Deepens
SEMCO Q2 operating profit seen +79% to KRW380.7B; FC-BGA demand outstrips supply by over 50% with no new capacity before 2028. LG Innotek FY26 OP est. KRW1.1T.
SK Hynix Eyes August U.S. ADR Debut, Eyes USD 14 Billion as HBM Crown Meets Capital Markets
SK Hynix (000660.KS), the world's second-largest memory chipmaker and dominant supplier of high-bandwidth memory to AI data centers, is targeting an American De
Korea ICT Exports Shatter Monthly Record at $47.79 Billion in May as AI Server Demand Marks Third Consecutive $40B-Plus Month
South Korea's May ICT exports soared 128.9% year-on-year to a record $47.79 billion, driven by semiconductor shipments that surged 169.2% to $37.16 billion on AI server demand.
SK Hynix Confirms Nasdaq ADR Listing on July 10, to Raise Up to KRW 45.5 Trillion for Yongin Chip Cluster
SK Hynix board approved a Nasdaq ADR listing on July 10, issuing 17.79 million new shares worth KRW 45.5 trillion (~USD 29B) to fund the Yongin chip cluster, Cheongju packaging fab, and EUV tools. The deal would top Alibaba's record 2014 US offering.
Overnight Lines Return as CJ Olive Young Opens Second U.S. Outpost Near Beverly Hills
CJ Olive Young opened its second U.S. store at Westfield Century City on June 13, 2026, as the USD 2 billion U.S. K-beauty market grew 37% in 2025 — the retailer now eyes a third California location a
Forest Partners Backs Battery 'Foundry' JR Energy Solution at ₩100 Billion in EV-Downturn Bet
Forest Partners, a Seoul-based private equity firm, has invested more than ₩10 billion ($7.3 million) in JR Energy Solution, a battery contract manufacturer fou
Celltrion Adds Two Cancer Biosimilars in Vietnam
Celltrion is widening its footprint in Vietnam, a small but fast-growing Southeast Asian market — a move that tells investors more about strategy than about this quarter's revenue.
Korean Chips Jump 4-6% as U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Reopens Hormuz, Lifting KOSPI Past 8,500
South Korea's chipmakers led a broad risk-on surge on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump declared that negotiations on a memorandum of understanding (MOU)
LG Energy Solution Courts US AI Talent as Q1 Losses Persist
LG Energy Solution (373220.KS), the world's third-largest electric-vehicle battery maker, held its annual Battery Tech Conference (BTC) — a recruitment-linked event that invites graduate-level researc
Korea's New Bio 'Control Tower' Holds First CEO Sit-Down — The Real Test Is a Strategy Due This Month
Korea's National Bioinnovation Committee held its first CEO meeting with pharma leaders on June 15, 2026. The real test comes with the Bio Innovation Strategy expected before end of June.
SK Plasma Breaks Ground on ₩900B Turkey Plasma Plant, Targeting European Drug Markets
SK Plasma and Turkish Red Crescent began construction of a ₩900 billion plasma fractionation facility in Ankara on June 15, marking South Korea's largest plasma
Samsung Securities, Hyundai, and LG Electronics Backed Tenstorrent — Now Qualcomm Is Circling at Up to $10 Billion
Qualcomm is in talks to acquire AI chip startup Tenstorrent at $8-10B. Three Korean firms — Samsung Securities, Hyundai Motor, LG Electronics — led its $693M Series D at a $2.6B valuation and stand to earn a 3-4x return.
Samsung Biologics Returns to BIO USA for 14th Straight Year, Backed by Record Revenue and a $21 Billion Order Book
Samsung Biologics (207940.KS), the Songdo-based contract drug manufacturer that ranks as the world's largest biopharmaceutical producer by installed c
Japan's LY Corp Closes Kakao Games Takeover, Taking 33.43% Control Stake
Kakao Games (293490.KS), the listed game-publishing arm of Korean internet conglomerate Kakao, disclosed on June 19, 2026 that control has formally passed to a Japanese owner. LAAA Investment, a speci
Genesem Jumps 15% on Second SK hynix Back-End Equipment Order in Two Months
Shares of Genesem (제너셈; KOSDAQ: 217190), a Korean special-purpose machinery maker that builds semiconductor back-end (packaging and test) equipment, surged as much as roughly 15% on June 16 after d...
Hanmi's Peptide Obesity Drugs Target GLP-1's Muscle-Loss Gap at ADA 2026
Hanmi Pharmaceutical (128940.KS), one of South Korea's most R&D-intensive drugmakers — which spent 14.8% of 2025 revenue on R&D and has led domestic outpatient prescription sales for eight con
KB Securities: CXMT IPO a 'Catalyst,' Not a Threat for Samsung
South Korea's KB Securities, one of the country's largest brokerages, told clients on June 10 that the looming initial public offering of Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT) — China's largest DRAM mak
Samsung Electronics Weighs KRW 90 Trillion Buyback as Memory Export Boom Signals Q2 Earnings Beat
Samsung Electronics surged 9.84% after Yonhap reported a KRW 90 trillion (USD 59B) share buyback plan, while NAND export prices surged 822% YoY and Nomura raised its target price to KRW 670,000.
Lee Dong-chul Leads Korea's Card Lobby on Stablecoin Push
Lee Dong-chul, the former vice chairman of KB Financial Group — one of South Korea's largest financial holding companies, listed in Seoul as 105560.KS
Samsung-Boston Dynamics Stake Talk Is a Brokerage Scenario, Not a Deal — and Samsung Calls It 'Groundless'
What actually happened
Kakao Embeds ChatGPT in KakaoTalk Chats for 49 Million Korean Users
Kakao has launched a ChatGPT chatbot inside KakaoTalk chat rooms, letting 49 million South Korean users access OpenAI AI without leaving the app.
Hanwha Lifts KAI Stake to 9.04%, Locks In No. 2 Spot With a USD 332 Million Purchase
Hanwha Group combined holdings in Korea Aerospace Industries reached 9.04% on Monday, making it the second-largest shareholder as the group declared management-participation intent and approved another USD 332 million tranche.
Labor Panel Orders Hyundai Motor Into Direct Talks With Subcontractor Unions in Korea's First Yellow Envelope Ruling
South Korea's Ulsan labor commission ruled Hyundai Motor must bargain directly with 1,675 subcontracted workers — the first test of the March 2026 Yellow Envelope law, with manufacturing-wide implications.
Lotte Shopping Hits 52-Week High as Korea's Department Stores Post Up to 13% Single-Day Gains on Tourist Boom and Semiconductor-Belt Wealth Effect
Lotte Shopping surged 13.3% to a 52-week high and Shinsegae gained 8.7% on June 16 as record foreign tourism and semiconductor bonus spending push Korea's big-three department store operators toward f
Samsung Retakes North American Mini-LED TV Lead From Hisense — But the World Cup Quarter Will Settle It
Samsung Electronics captured 40% of North America's mini-LED TV market in Q1 2026, surpassing Hisense's 27% and reversing a narrow 2025 loss.
SK Group Tops ₩2,000 Trillion — and 94% Rides on SK Hynix
SK Group — South Korea's second-largest conglomerate by market value, anchored by memory-chip maker SK Hynix — saw the combined market capitalization of its lis
ABL Bio Gastric Cancer Drug Wins FDA Fast Track as Phase 3 Launch Nears
ABL Bio's bispecific antibody Givastomig received FDA Fast Track designation for HER2-negative advanced gastric cancer on June 16, accelerating its path to a Phase 3 trial opening in Q4 2026.
Samsung Union Puts Chairman to a Vote Amid Bonus Backlash
Samsung's largest union holds confidence vote on chairman after May wage deal's chip-tilted bonus structure drove 20,000 members to quit.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics Extends Record Rally as AI Server MLCC Demand Runs 10–20x Smartphones
Samsung Electro-Mechanics (009150.KS) hit a 52-week intraday high of ₩2,192,000 as AI servers demand 10–20x more MLCCs than smartphones, pitting it ag
LG Electronics Opens Korea's First Humanoid Robot Data Factory, Deploys 300 CLOiD Units by Year-End
LG Electronics has converted its 33,000-sqm Yangjae R&D campus into Korea's first humanoid robot data factory. The company is committing more than KRW 400 billion through 2030, deploying 100 CLOiD humanoid robots in July scaling to 300 by year-end, with a 2028 commercial home-robot launch target.
Hugel's PE Owner Refinances ₩765 Billion Rather Than Cash Out, Signaling a Longer Hold
CBC Group, an Asia-focused healthcare private-equity firm and the controlling shareholder of Hugel (145020.KQ), Korea's largest medical-aesthetics company specializing in botulinum toxin and hyaluroni
Samsung Bonus Revolt Spreads to Profitable Affiliates
Samsung Group's pay dispute is no longer confined to its chip-making flagship. Less than three weeks after Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) reached a landmark bonus deal with its union, the discontent has jumped to profitable affiliates whose workers say they are being left behind, raising the questi
Korea to Scrap Banks' 'Network Separation' Rule by Year-End
KakaoBank Hires Hyundai M&A Veteran to Lead Overseas Push
KakaoBank (035720.KS), South Korea's largest internet-only bank by users, has hired a career Hyundai Motor Group M&A executive to lead its overseas expansion — a signal that the lender intends to grad
LG Energy Solution Hits 100,000 Global Patent Mark, First Battery Maker to Reach the Milestone
LG Energy Solution surpassed 100,000 global patent applications, becoming the first battery company in the world to reach the milestone, backed by record R&D spending of ₩1.33 trillion in 2024.
Posco Opens Korea's Largest Electric Arc Furnace, Launches Rare Gas Unit That Can Supply 52% of Domestic Semiconductor Demand
Posco completed Korea's largest electric arc furnace (2.5M tons, 600B won) and launched a rare gas plant that can cover 52% of domestic semiconductor demand for neon, krypton, and xenon.
Hanwha Ocean Bids for Canada's USD 44 Billion Submarine Fleet as Ottawa Weighs Final Choice Between Korea and Germany
Canada is set to pick between South Korea's Hanwha Ocean and Germany's TKMS for a USD 43.5 billion submarine contract — the largest Korean defense export ever if won. Decision expected June 2026.
Korea's 'Seohak Ants' Outbuy US Retail Investors Fivefold on SpaceX's Debut Day, Pouring ₩1.2 Trillion Into Shares
South Korean retail investors bought ₩1.2 trillion ($885 million) in SpaceX shares on its Nasdaq debut — more than five times what US retail investors purchased on the same day.
Trump-Backed Apple-Intel Chip Pact Adds a Rival to Samsung's Foundry Comeback
President Donald Trump said on June 18 that Apple has agreed to "design and manufacture chips in the U.S." with Intel, a post on his Truth Social account that sent Intel shares up $12.72, or 10.5%, to $133.82 the same day (CBS News). Neither company confirmed the arrangement: Apple did not respond t
Dongtan Home Prices Jump 7%, Korea Eyes Curbs Near Samsung
Home prices in Dongtan, a planned new town in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province that serves as a key dormitory district for Samsung and SK hynix chip worker
LG Innotek Stakes Over ₩2 Trillion on AI Chip Substrates as Gumi Lines Hit 92% Utilization
LG Innotek, the LG Group affiliate that is Korea's largest camera-module maker and one of its two major semiconductor-substrate suppliers, plans to invest more
KOSPI Sinks 8.3% on U.S. Chip Shock — Won Decides Next
Korea's FSC Calls for Swift Mandatory Tender Offer as Academics Demand Full Buyout Rule
Korea's Financial Services Commission Vice Chairman urges rapid mandatory tender offer legislation as academics push for a full 100% buyout obligation, targeting H2 2026 enactment.
Hyundai Steel and LSU Seal Research Pact Tied to USD 5.8 Billion Louisiana Steel Mill, POSCO Taking 20% Stake
Hyundai Steel and LSU signed a Master Research Agreement on June 17 for a USD 5.8 billion EAF mill in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, with POSCO backing a 20% stake worth USD 582 million and commercial launch targeted for 2029.
Kakao Resumes Wage Talks Days Before June 29 'Log-Off' Strike
Kakao (035720.KS), operator of KakaoTalk — South Korea's dominant messaging and super-app platform — returned to the bargaining table on June 17 for its first wage talks since a June 10 walkout, th...
TSMC Glass-Substrate Data Narrows Korea's First-Mover Window
TSMC has for the first time disclosed validation data for glass substrates aimed at next-generation AI-chip packaging, narrowing the window for Korean suppliers Samsung Electro-Mechanics, LG Innotek a
Korean Air Pegs ₩900 Billion–₩1 Trillion Price Tag on Asiana Integration, Targets Breakeven by End-2028
Korean Air estimates ₩900 billion to ₩1 trillion to integrate Asiana Airlines, with ₩300 billion in annual synergies expected to offset costs by end-2028 to early 2029.
Samsung Pushes Foundry Breakeven to 2028 as TSMC Gap Widens to 11x
Samsung Electronics (005930.