Korean power equipment and industrial automation solution provider LS Electric said Tuesday it has put two of Boston Dynamics' four-legged Spot robots into regular operation at its Busan plant, using them to monitor production equipment and support quality and safety management as part of a broader smart factory push. The company worked with Hyundai Autoever, a systems integration affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, for a roughly two-month trial run starting in July before formally deploying the two robots. The Busan plant is LS Electric's main production site for ultrahigh-voltage transformers, a market seeing rising global demand as investment in AI data centers and power grids accelerates. The company said Spot will help build a predictive maintenance system that flags equipment problems before they cause production delays. The robots are being used to monitor vapor phase drying, a core part of transformer manufacturing in which components are dried in a vacuum chamber. Spot's onboard thermal camera checks chamber door seals and detects heat leaks without physical contact, while sensor

TikTok held its first standalone K-beauty pop-up event on TikTok Shop in the United Kingdom, bringing together 19 Korean beauty brands at Protein Studios in London's Shoreditch neighborhood from Sept. 12-13, the company said Tuesday. The two-day event, called "Where Glow Begins," ran alongside an in-app campaign, "K-Beauty Super Brand Week," from Sept. 13-18. TikTok Shop is the platform's built-in e-commerce feature, allowing users to buy products directly through videos and livestreams without leaving the app. The venue featured brand booths, a livestream commerce zone, beauty masterclasses and photo areas, with about 400 creators taking part in product trials, content creation and livestreamed broadcasts over the campaign period. K-beauty has been one of the fastest-growing categories on TikTok Shop UK. The number of active K-beauty sellers on the platform rose 875 percent as of August compared with a year earlier, while K-beauty livestream sessions increased more than 305 percent over the same period. K-beauty product sales grew about 60 percent in the second quarter of this year com

Korean biopharmaceutical company Celltrion said Tuesday it has renewed European Good Manufacturing Practice (EU-GMP) certification for its Songdo campus production facilities, covering a combined 250,000 liters of capacity across drug substance and drug product manufacturing. The certification, issued by the European Medicines Agency, confirms that a facility meets European Union quality standards required to supply pharmaceutical products to the European market. The renewal applies to Celltrion's Plants 1, 2 and 3 at its Songdo campus in Incheon, west of Seoul. The company said it plans to expand total production volume at the campus by about 15 percent this year compared with last year, driven largely by output from Plant 3, which began commercial production in late 2024. Celltrion projects Plant 3 will produce 128 batches this year, up about 142 percent from a year earlier, as the newer facility stabilizes operations. The company is also preparing to bring a new drug product plant online, having received building-use approval from the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority in June. The f

CJ OliveNetworks said Tuesday that its gift card transaction value rose more than 33 percent in the first half of 2026 from a year earlier, setting a record for a six-month period as corporate demand for rewards helped expand its business-to-business sales. The company said annual transaction value rose about 27 percent last year, as gift cards increasingly moved beyond personal gifting into customer rewards, marketing programs and employee benefits. In July, CJ OliveNetworks began supplying CJ Gift Cards and Olive Young gift cards as rewards for LG Uplus home services, covering internet, IPTV and telephone subscriptions and renewals. Customers signing up for or renewing eligible services can receive gift cards worth up to 400,000 won ($291), depending on their service and contract terms. CJ OliveNetworks said the partnership broadens its reach among households and gives LG Uplus customers a wider range of reward options. The company has also expanded where its integrated CJ Gift Card can be used, adding more than 5,700 Emart24 stores nationwide at the start of the year. The card can now b

CJ CheilJedang is taking Korean distilled spirits to New York, unveiling its premium jari brand as it seeks to introduce Korean drinking culture to consumers in one of the world’s most influential food cities. The company is holding a launch event Tuesday (local time) at Moono, a modern Korean restaurant in Manhattan, where it is presenting three jari products alongside a Korean food pairing dinner. The lineup includes jari Munbae Sul 24 and jari Gamuchee 24, which were released in Korea in July, and jari Munbae Sul 41, which is making its U.S. debut. The higher-proof Munbae Sul 41 is designed to offer a deeper expression of the distinctive aroma of munbae, a pear-like fragrance associated with traditional Korean distilled spirits, according to CJ CheilJedang. CJ CheilJedang’s Lifestyle Food Business division executives are among many expected to attend the event with figures from New York’s food, beverage and cultural industries. Bartender Hong Doo-ui, a mixologist with brand ambassador Pine&Co, and chef Kim Ho-young of Moono and Michelin-starred Jua are also taking part, pairing j

HD Construction Equipment is teaming up with France’s Manitou Group to expand its reach in compact construction equipment, signing a mutual sales partnership Monday (local time) at Manitou Group’s headquarters in Ancenis, France, with HD Construction Equipment President Moon Jae-young and Manitou Group President and CEO Sylvain Blaise attending. Under the agreement, HD Construction Equipment will source compact equipment from Manitou Group and sell it globally under its Hyundai and Develon brands. Manitou Group will add HD Construction Equipment’s compact equipment to its portfolio and market the products under its Manitou and Gehl brands. Manitou Group supplies construction, agricultural and industrial equipment, including telehandlers, forklifts, skid steer loaders and aerial work platforms, through operations spanning 140 countries. For HD Construction Equipment, the agreement is intended to broaden its compact equipment lineup while increasing production scale and improving product quality and price competitiveness. The company has set a goal of generating 1.3 trillion won ($884

Samsung Electronics is turning a German kitchen industry hub into a year-round showcase for its built-in appliances as it seeks to deepen partnerships and expand its presence in Europe. The company opened a roughly 480-square-meter permanent showroom on the first floor of Kitchen Center Löhne in Löhne, Germany, during Küchenmeile, a major business-to-business event for the European kitchen industry. Küchenmeile runs through Friday, drawing more than 300 brands and 25,000 industry visitors, Samsung said. The company has participated in the event since 2013, using it to introduce built-in appliances and connect with kitchen furniture companies and other industry partners. The new showroom is designed as a venue for product demonstrations, business consultations and training, giving industry visitors year-round access to Samsung’s built-in appliances and connected kitchen technologies. Its displays include Bespoke artificial intelligence(AI)-powered refrigerators, a Bespoke AI dishwasher, an induction cooktop with an integrated extractor and a Bespoke AI oven equipped with AI Pro Cooki

Korea’s internet-only banks and regional lenders are expanding their co-lending partnerships beyond consumer credit into corporate lending, as they each look for new ways to grow their businesses, industry officials said Monday. KakaoBank and Busan Bank are preparing to launch a joint lending program for small and medium-sized businesses and sole proprietors, following a memorandum of understanding signed in April. The arrangement will combine KakaoBank’s nationwide digital platform with Busan Bank’s experience in assessing and managing business loans in its regional market. Until now, most co-lending partnerships between the two parties have focused on consumer credit. Toss Bank and Kwangju Bank introduced the industry’s first joint loan in 2024, followed by similar offerings from Kbank and Busan Bank, and from KakaoBank and Jeonbuk Bank in 2025. All three programs targeted salaried workers. Their expansion into business lending marks the next step. The incentives for both sides are clear. For internet-only banks, which have relied heavily on household lending, working with regio

Able C&C’s beauty brand MISSHA promoted its products and expanded consumer outreach in Europe during Milano Beauty Week, underscoring the region’s growing importance to the Korean cosmetics company’s overseas business. MISSHA participated in the event, held in Milan from Wednesday to Sunday (local time), through a partnership with Italian fashion and beauty retailer OVS. The company showcased its BB creams, glow primer line and PDRN-NAD+ skincare products, positioning the range around convergence of skincare and makeup. According to Able C&C, samples prepared for visitors were exhausted early in the event and consumers showed a strong interest in product formulations and performance. Milano Beauty Week, hosted by Cosmetica Italia, an Italian association of personal care solution companies and organized by OVS, brought together beauty brands, industry professionals and consumers at venues across the city. Last year’s event drew about 275,000 participants. For Milan Fashion Week, the brand is also operating a dedicated booth and hosting beauty classes at OVS’s Shakaland Beauty H

Kwon Young-min, the newly appointed CEO of Doosan Robotics, faces the crucial task of turning the company’s artificial intelligence (AI)-driven robotics strategy into a profitable and sustainable growth engine. The robotics arm of Doosan Group recently appointed Kwon, who has extensive experience in strategy and global operations, as its new top executive. Kwon joined the group’s strategy and planning division in 2000, and served as chief strategy officer of Doosan Bobcat from 2018 to 2020 and has led Doosan Mottrol, a Doosan Bobcat subsidiary, since 2021, before taking on the new role. His appointment comes as Doosan Robotics attempts to reposition itself from a manufacturer of collaborative robots into a provider of intelligent robot solutions combining hardware, software and AI. The company has already laid out a strategy to integrate AI into its robotic arms and software, allowing customers to automate tasks with less programming while optimizing work routes and sequences. The robotics firm has also been developing applications for manufacturing and logistics. Doosan Robotics has

Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn has urged Hanwha Systems, the group’s IT solutions arm, to strengthen its defense artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities as the conglomerate seeks to use AI-based command-and-control systems to connect its land, sea, air and space defense systems. Kim visited Hanwha Systems’ Gumi plant in North Gyeongsang Province on Tuesday to review its production and testing capabilities for advanced defense equipment and emphasize the need to secure “unparalleled defense AI capabilities” and uphold a “safety-first” culture. At the site, he inspected the assembly and testing of the multifunction radar for the Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air missile (M-SAM) system. The radar detects and tracks aircraft and missiles, identifies targets and guides interceptor missiles. It has been exported to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. “The Gumi facility has grown into a key export hub for Hanwha’s defense business as it expands into global markets, as well as a center for technological innovation,” the chairman said. “What you mak

Game developer NC’s overseas revenue is expected to account for a larger share of its total sales in the coming months, as the company expands its intellectual properties (IPs) to target global audiences across North America, Europe and Asia. According to NC’s earnings report, overseas revenue accounted for 52 percent of its total sales in the second quarter of 2026, surpassing the halfway mark and increasing for the fourth consecutive quarter. The increased global share came as NC expanded overseas services for its core IPs and continued to generate results from its global-oriented titles. As its revenue structure shifts from a domestic focus toward greater overseas presence, the company is also increasingly orienting its development strategy toward global markets. In Japan, NC is seeking to diversify its genre portfolio with Astraea Oratio, a subculture-themed role-playing game (RPG) title. Japan has a strong consumer base for subculture content spanning animation and fan-created works. According to research firm Oshikatsu Soken, Japan’s subculture game market was valued at 3.5 t

The antitrust watchdog said Tuesday it has received an application from Uber Technologies Inc. regarding its plan to acquire a stake in Germany-based Delivery Hero SE, the parent company of Woowa Brothers Corp., which operates Korea's leading food delivery app. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said the U.S.-based Uber Technologies has submitted the application for a review regarding its plan to acquire a full stake in Delivery Heros. Woowa Brothers operates the delivery platform, Baedal Minjok, or Baemin.

Hyundai Motor Group has opened its robot training and testing facility for Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid robot as part of efforts to bring the group’s physical artificial intelligence (AI) vision into its global production operations. The carmaker said Tuesday the Robotics Metaplant Application Center (RMAC) has started operations at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in the state of Georgia in the United States. The facility will serve as a major testbed where Atlas is trained in an environment designed to replicate actual automotive production sites before the robots are deployed on factory floors. Atlas is being trained to perform a range of manufacturing-related tasks, including preparing materials for logistics operations and sorting automotive parts according to their assembly sequence. The training is intended to help the humanoid robot handle increasingly sophisticated work in real-world production environments. The facility is expected to play a key role in Hyundai Motor Group’s plan to deploy about 25,000 Atlas robots across its Hyundai Motor and Kia producti

Beauty device and cosmetics developer APR has obtained two international artificial intelligence (AI)-related certifications, establishing a global-level framework for AI governance and product reliability. The company said Tuesday it earned ISO/IEC 42001 certification for its AI management system and Nemko’s AI Trust Mark for the reliability of its AI-assisted product. APR said it is the first beauty company in the world to obtain both certifications. ISO/IEC 42001, established by the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission in 2023, is an international standard for AI management systems. It assesses whether an organization has systems in place to manage risks and opportunities associated with AI and support the responsible development, provision and use of AI systems. APR said it has established 46 types of AI management documents across seven stages for its AI-based personalized care services, covering the entire lifecycle of AI systems, from planning to disposal. It has also implemented a governance structure in which individ

Korean telecommunications and technology services provider LG Uplus said Tuesday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Sodomall, a wholesale and retail distribution platform, to jointly develop artificial intelligence (AI) transformation (AX) solutions tailored to small business owners. Sodomall operates an online-and-offline distribution network that supplies groceries and daily necessities at wholesale prices through nationwide group-buying stores. Under the partnership, the two companies will work together on AI and telecom solutions for in-store use, help small merchants expand their sales channels and identify new business opportunities to revitalize local commercial districts. LG Uplus plans to combine its own telecom and AI infrastructure with Sodomall's online and offline distribution data to help individual merchants forecast product demand. Specifically, the companies will pilot a solution that merges the commercial district analysis feature of LG Uplus' Uri Gage Package — a communications and AI solution built for small businesses — with Sodomall's regional sa

Korea has selected a natural gas-fired combined-cycle power plant in Encinal, Texas, as the first project under its $200 billion strategic investment commitment to the United States. It is also drawing up plans for two further projects related to the construction of eight nuclear reactors and an Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan briefed the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs, and Startups Committee on the projects Tuesday, saying the government had decided on the first project following reviews by committees chaired by the industry and finance ministers. “Today, I would like to report on one project the government has decided to pursue,” Kim said during the committee's plenary session. The $22.3 billion project, with planned generating capacity of about 6.3 gigawatts, is aimed at meeting rising electricity demand in Texas as semiconductor plants and artificial intelligence data centers expand in the state. The project will be funded entirely by Korea, while ownership will be split equally between Seoul and Washington. The govern

Facing a sharp slowdown in global electric vehicle demand and fierce price competition from Chinese rivals, Korea is overhauling its battery strategy to recapture its edge in the global market. At a high-level industry summit held Tuesday at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul, officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy met with executives from top battery giants, including LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and SK On. Together, they unveiled the nation’s official Battery Technology Roadmap, outlining a massive public-private push focused on next-generation chemistries and dramatic cost reductions. The strategic shift marks a clear departure from Korea’s long-standing reliance on high-nickel NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) cells. While premium NCM batteries established Korean manufacturers as global leaders in high-performance electric vehicles, Chinese rivals have rapidly gained market share by flooding global supply chains with low-cost lithium iron phosphate alternatives. To counter this squeeze, Korea is pivoting toward a "select and concentrate" strate

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Korea has decided on the first project it will pursue under its $350 billion U.S. investment pledge and drawn up implementation plans for two others as Seoul and Washington continue to finalize details of their investment agreement. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan briefed the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee on the projects Tuesday, saying the government had decided to pursue the project after reviews by committees chaired by the industry and finance ministers. “Today, I would like to report on one project for which the government has decided to pursue,” Kim said during the committee's plenary session. He added that the government had prepared implementation plans for two other projects that have not yet been approved but reflect shared interests between Korea and the United States. “Although we have not yet decided to pursue these projects specifically, I would like to report on the implementation plans for two projects that reflect the interests of both countries,” he said. Kim said the government had identified projects that could benefit

Chinese fintech giant Ant Group has revamped its online payments operations by creating a new business group for Alipay, as it sharpens its artificial intelligence focus on “agentic commerce” to drive new growth. Ant, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate, merged its Digital Payment Business Group, Alipay Business Group and Zhima Credit Business Group into a new business unit dedicated to Alipay, according to an internal letter from CEO Cyril Han Xinyi on Monday, as reported by Chinese media outlet...

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Korea has decided to pursue one U.S. investment project and drawn up implementation plans for two others as Seoul and Washington continue to finalize details of their investment agreement. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan briefed the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee on the projects Tuesday, saying the government had decided to pursue one after reviews by committees chaired by the industry and finance ministers. “Today, I would like to report on one project for which the government has decided to pursue,” Kim said during the committee's plenary session. He added that the government had prepared implementation plans for two other projects that have not yet been approved but reflect shared interests between Korea and the United States. “Although we have not yet decided to pursue these projects specifically, I would like to report on the implementation plans for two projects that reflect the interests of both countries,” he said. Kim said the government had identified projects that could benefit Korea and reviewed U.S.-proposed projects based on

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The strengthening Korean won is emerging as a fresh earnings risk for chipmakers, display firms and other electronics companies that rely heavily on dollar-denominated transactions, prompting brokerages to cut earnings estimates for the third quarter. According to data from the Bank of Korea, Sunday, the Korean currency traded at 1,480 won against the dollar on July 16, before strengthening to 1,413 won on Aug. 17 and 1,382 won on Sept. 17. This represents a 6.6 percent narrowing in the dollar-won exchange rate over the two-month period. The change in the dollar-won exchange rate accelerated particularly from August, with the Korean currency gaining value to 1,336 won per dollar on Sept. 9. This prompted brokerages that had based their earnings forecasts at 1,450 won per dollar to begin cutting their estimates, causing the third-quarter earnings consensus for major companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix to drop. According to market tracker FnGuide, brokerages’ consensus on Samsung Electronics’ third-quarter operating profit stood at 122.35 trillion won ($88.27 billion) o