The chief of Korea's antitrust watchdog said Tuesday he will work to "restore justice" after a local court recently cleared the way for the agency to resume its stalled probe into U.S.-listed e-commerce giant Coupang Inc. Ju Biung-ghi, head of the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), made the remarks during an interview with local radio broadcaster CBS, signaling the agency's intention to resume its investigation. Last month, Coupang refused to cooperate with the watchdog's on-site probe into allegations the company had shifted the costs of discounts onto its suppliers and asked a court to suspend the inspection. The court initially granted a temporary suspension of the FTC's on-site inspection but eventually rejected Coupang's request to halt the probe last week. "(Coupang) deals with various vendors, and the company could be subject to regulatory action if it has imposed unfavorable terms on them," Ju said. "It is a relief the judge handling the case ruled in favor of the public interest, including the rights of the economically vulnerable and hundreds of thousands of small merchants," he added

Celltrion will use one of the world's largest pharmaceutical trade shows next month to seek partners in new drug development, contract manufacturing and supply chains, the Korean biopharmaceutical company said Tuesday. The company will take part in CPHI Worldwide, which runs Oct. 6-8 in Milan. Now in its 37th year, the event covers pharmaceutical manufacturing, supply chains and contract development and manufacturing. More than 60,000 industry professionals from about 2,400 companies in some 170 countries are expected to attend. Celltrion, best known for biosimilars — lower-cost versions of biologic drugs whose patents have expired — said it will look for partners in oncology, obesity and metabolic diseases, and autoimmune diseases. The company said its new drug research in these areas has recently begun producing results. It described the effort as part of its push to become a global developer of new drugs. As demand for its main products grows, the company also plans to strengthen existing partnerships with overseas raw material suppliers and contract manufacturers. It will look f

Samsung Electronics said Tuesday that the number of customers for its foundry business could grow roughly fourfold by 2029 compared to 2017. "The number of customers has increased about threefold from when the foundry business was first established as an independent unit in 2017," Noh Mi-jung, a senior vice president at Samsung's foundry business, said during Korea Premium Week 2026. "We expect the customer number to grow about fourfold by 2029," she said. Samsung's foundry business plans to diversify its portfolio, which is currently focused on mobile products, toward artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC). HPC accounted for just 5 percent of the foundry business in 2017 but has since risen to 28 percent. The company expects the share to reach 66 percent by 2029. "By 2029, we expect HPC customers to account for more than half of our customer base, while HPC will also account for well over half of our sales," the executive said. Samsung aims to begin mass production of its third-generation 2-nanometer process in 2028, followed by mass production of its 1.4-nanome

Korean food manufacturers, despite K-food’s growing presence in global markets, continue to face hurdles from overseas trade barriers that constrain further export growth, according to the head of the country’s major food industry lobby group, Tuesday. Park Jin-sun, chairman of the Korea Food Industry Association (KFIA), said difficulties faced by the group’s member companies ranged from tariff to custom, certificates and food regulations in foreign markets. Global supply chains that prevent Korea’s imports of necessary materials for the industry also posed a threat. Issues related to food safety, production technologies, eligibility for government subsidy programs and sustainable operation practices were also major concerns for the companies. “We have witnessed rising crude oil prices worldwide, tightening naphtha supplies, disrupting packaging operations and a weakening Korean won,” Park said during a press conference in Seoul marking his first year as chairman. “Not just our importers, our exporters seeking to expand their global markets also suffered from various trade

LG Innotek will dispatch a fleet of sensor-packed test vehicles to Korean roads to gather real-world data aimed at sharpening technologies that determine how self-driving cars see the world. The company said Tuesday it has begun operating data collection vehicles in Korea in partnership with Applied Intuition, a U.S. autonomous driving software company. The two companies plan to expand the fleet to 20 vehicles by 2028. Operations will initially focus on Seoul, Incheon and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, with the fleet including both data collection vehicles and vehicles used to develop autonomous driving software. LG Innotek said direct access to road data will help it refine sensors that serve as the “eyes” of autonomous vehicles and strengthen its sensor-fusion technology. The vehicles combine cameras, radar and lidar to capture information about road conditions, vehicle movements, object locations and changes in weather, with the data to be paired with digital twin environments for sensor improvement and system validation. Sensor fusion combines camera imagery with radar measure

The chief of Korea's financial watchdog on Tuesday called on securities firms to shore up shareholder value and heighten risk management for rising interest rates. In a meeting with heads of 28 securities firms, Lee Chan-jin, governor of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), said local brokerage firms had racked up record profits amid a stock bull run. "Securities firms that benefited the most from the growth of the capital market should play a greater role in leading market reform, and work to boost shareholder value," Lee said. The FSS chief also called for better management of loans extended to investors as part of efforts to reduce market volatility. Lee, in addition, urged securities firms to better prepare for rising interest rates.

Samsung SDI is unveiling a range of battery solutions designed for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers at Data Centre World Asia (DCWA) 2026, which kicked off Tuesday in Singapore, as the battery maker seeks to expand its presence in the fast-growing data center market. The event, which is one of Asia's largest data center exhibitions, brings together companies across the data center ecosystem, from design and construction to operations and management. This year’s edition is drawing more than 600 companies from around the world. Samsung SDI is participating in the annual event for the first time, showcasing products and technologies in four exhibition zones dedicated to uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, battery backup units (BBUs), Samsung battery box (SBB) and a range of battery cells. At the UPS zone, Samsung SDI is showcasing a UPS solution that it said was the first in the world to meet all criteria in an indoor large-scale fire test conducted by UL Solutions, a global safety testing and certification company. The installation-level test involves intentionally igni

With the flu spreading earlier than usual this year, market interest is growing in products that may help support immune health, including red ginseng. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the number of patients with influenza-like illnesses reached 25.3 per 1,000 outpatients during the first week of September. This is nearly double the epidemic threshold of 12.9 and up sharply from 13.3 in late August. COVID-19 is also spreading alongside the flu. During the same period, 193 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19, more than triple the number four weeks earlier. Last year, the government issued a flu advisory on Oct. 17, but this year it issued the advisory on Sept. 11 and began its vaccination program on Sept. 21. Against this backdrop, consumers are showing growing interest not only in vaccination but also in products that support immune health as part of broader preventive care, with red ginseng among those drawing increased attention. Red ginseng has been officially recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for seven potential health benefits, inclu

Samsung Electronics and SK Group each made a high-profile show of support for Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang after he received the Van Fleet Award, a prominent honor recognizing individuals who contribute to Korea-U.S. relations. The two companies' efforts underscore the importance they place on ties with the artificial intelligence (AI) accelerator giant as competition for next-generation memory and computing technologies intensifies. Samsung Electronics ran congratulatory videos for Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on a Times Square billboard in New York City on Sunday and Monday (local time), while Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong attended the Korea Society’s annual gala, where Huang received the award, in the city on Monday. The Korea Society honored Huang for his “visionary leadership and transformative contributions” to the AI and semiconductor industries, which it said are central to the evolving Korea-U.S. economic partnership. In his remarks at the gala, Lee highlighted Huang’s role in reshaping the technology industry and the significance of the bilateral partnership. “He has made the

Naver, the Korean tech powerhouse best known for operating the country’s dominant search engine and digital ecosystem, is expanding its global artificial intelligence (AI) push into Latin America. Company executives met with Mexican government officials and business leaders this week to explore joint initiatives aimed at building a regional AI ecosystem and accelerating industrial modernization. Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon and other company executives visited Mexico from Thursday through Friday as members of President Lee Jae Myung’s economic delegation, the company said Tuesday. Choi met with Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, Mexico’s economy minister, and Rosaura Ruiz Gutiérrez, minister of science, humanities, technology and innovation, as well as officials from the Agency of Digital Transformation and Telecommunications and Mexican IT company Softtek. Choi introduced Naver’s public-sector AI transformation capabilities, sovereign AI strategy and AI factory project being developed with Nvidia and Brookfield, while proposing cooperation on Mexico’s public sector digital transformation a

KB Financial Group's surprise decision to replace its incumbent chairman despite record earnings is under closer shareholder scrutiny, with the world's two largest proxy advisory firms reviewing the nomination ahead of a shareholder vote, industry officials said Tuesday. Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis told The Korea Times that they are currently reviewing company proposals ahead of an extraordinary shareholders meeting scheduled for Nov. 20. Neither has yet issued a recommendation on the appointment of Lee Jae-keun as KB Financial's next chairman. Glass Lewis said it was unable to comment on the nomination at this stage because its research on the company was still underway. ISS similarly said its recommendation would be available once its research is published. "I’m happy to send you our shareholder meeting research and recommendations for KB Financial Group once we publish, which is typically 14-16 calendar days ahead of the shareholder meeting, as noted in our media policy," an ISS spokesperson said. Their recommendations could carry particular weight at KB

SK hynix Inc. has announced that it will expand its support programs for partner companies, including providing upfront funding of up to 50 percent of research and development (R&D) costs. The plan was announced at an event hosted by SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung and attended by key executives and representatives of about 100 partner companies on Monday. At the technology development stage, SK hynix will introduce a program under which it will provide upfront funding of up to 50 percent of initial R&D costs. Even if a project fails to result in a successful technology or an actual purchase, SK hynix will make a post-development settlement based on the technological achievements and contributions of the partner company. At the testing and verification stage, SK hynix will provide access to infrastructure, including production lines, to help partner companies verify the performance and reliability of their products. At the mass-production stage, SK hynix will provide low-interest financing through its shared-growth fund and expand its consulting program to include second- and third-tier suppli

Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang and AMD chief Lisa Su have joined an influential advisory board at a prestigious Chinese university, placing the two key American AI tech leaders in a high-level forum known for connecting global executives with senior Chinese officials. Huang and Su were among three new members appointed to the advisory board of Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management (SEM), alongside Marc Pictet, senior managing partner of Swiss wealth and assets manager...

These headphones will likely sound different, thanks to a new tuning partner.

Lane Cove residents are planning a street party. The rest of the data centre industry has a problem.

US chip giant Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has agreed to acquire World Labs, the artificial intelligence start-up founded by renowned Chinese-American computer scientist Li Fei-Fei, for US$8.2 billion in an all-stock deal, as the company steps up its rivalry with Nvidia. The acquisition, expected to close by the end of this year, would integrate World Labs’ research team and spatial-intelligence model expertise into AMD, according to an announcement on Monday. Li, a Stanford University professor...

OpenAI says its model ran commands, wrote files and took credentials from a Medicare portal, going further than the government’s account.

The renewed agreement will take effect on 1 April 2027.

The eight-episode series will include additional content not seen in the version currently screening in Japanese cinemas.

Funcom’s survival game arrives on consoles with a full single-player mode and optional PvP.

Alibaba Group Holding has become an official technology and cloud partner of NBA team Brooklyn Nets, as the tech giant pushes for a deeper presence in the sports industry. The collaboration was announced on Monday under a multi-year strategic partnership between Alibaba and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the basketball team. It would also see Alibaba become Brooklyn Nets’ official jersey patch sponsor ahead of the basketball team’s 60th anniversary season, according to a...

A small number of users are said to be facing issues with their new iPhone’s Face ID system.

Korean conglomerate Samsung Group said Tuesday it will invest a combined $1 billion in Helix Digital Infrastructure, a U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure company backed by private equity firm KKR & Co. Six affiliates — Samsung Electronics, Samsung C&T, Samsung SDS, Samsung SDI, Samsung Life Insurance and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance — will participate in the investment, Samsung said in a statement. Samsung Electronics will invest $500 million, while the other five affiliates will invest a combined $500 million. Helix was launched in June by KKR, the Kuwait Investment Authority, Nvidia and U.S. power producer Vistra Corp., with more than $10 billion in committed long-term capital. The company is led by Adam Selipsky, the former chief executive of Amazon Web Services. Nvidia is a strategic partner, while Vistra is Helix's preferred power partner. The Samsung affiliates will join KKR, Nvidia, Vistra and the Kuwait Investment Authority as founding investors in Helix through the investment, Samsung said. As the AI industry expands rapidly, the importance of infrastructure n

Korean Air faces a growing maintenance capacity challenge, as its acquisition of Asiana Airlines creates a fleet of more than 230 aircraft at a time when heavy-maintenance slots remain increasingly difficult to secure across Asia. The integrated carrier, scheduled to launch in December, will operate the larger fleet and employ more than 4,000 maintenance workers. It will require more airframe, engine and component maintenance that must be handled internally or secured through outside maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) providers. However, constrained global MRO capacity and a shortage of international heavy-maintenance slots have become a material operational risk to Korean Air. Securing wide-body base-maintenance slots has become particularly difficult across Southeast Asia. Korean Air is responding by expanding its own capabilities. In November last year, the airline and Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC) agreed to invest 176 billion won ($130 million) to build a next-generation maintenance hangar at the airport's High-Tech Aviation Complex. The facility will be able to ac

Korea was ranked 12th place in the global artificial intelligence (AI) diffusion scale, with more than 40 percent of the population using the technology in the second quarter, a report from Microsoft Corp. showed Monday. Generative AI usage rate among Koreans aged 15 to 64 rose 3.5 percentage points from the previous quarter, bringing the country up by four ranks as of end-June, according to the global AI diffusion report published by the U.S. software developer. Global usage rate of generative AI was up 1 percentage point from 17.8 percent in the January-March period to 18.8 percent in the April-June period, the report showed. United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the highest in AI adoption, with a usage rate of 73.3 percent. Followed by Singapore at 64.3 percent, Ireland at 49.9 percent and France estimated at 49.6 percent. The AI usage rate was 28.8 percent in the Global North and 16.2 percent in the Global South, widening the adoption gap to 12.6 percentage points. Global North is a term referring to wealthy, industrialized countries, such as the United States, Korea, Japan, Israel and New Z

Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) said Monday it will work with POSCO International Corp. and a Mexican aerospace industry group to strengthen aerospace cooperation in Mexico and explore opportunities in the broader Latin American market. KAI, POSCO International and the Mexican Federation of Aerospace Industry (FEMIA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on aerospace industry cooperation on the occasion of President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to Mexico last week. Under the agreement, KAI plans to develop business models involving supply chain cooperation and explore new business opportunities in Latin America. POSCO International will support efforts to integrate selected Mexican companies into KAI's aerospace manufacturing supply chain. FEMIA, which represents more than 100 member companies, will facilitate exchanges with Mexico's aerospace ecosystem, help identify potential local partners and provide information on relevant government policies. "Building on our cooperation with Mexico, we will accelerate efforts to expand the FA-50 light combat aircraft into Central America

LG Chem signed an agreement with Volkswagen Group to jointly develop next-generation and eco-friendly materials for vehicles, the Korean chemical maker said Monday. The memorandum of understanding (MOU), a nonbinding agreement, was signed recently at the LG Twin Towers in Seoul's Yeouido financial district. Stefan Gramse, a Volkswagen Group executive vice president in charge of exterior parts procurement, and LG Chem executives from its petrochemicals business attended the signing. Under the deal, the two companies will use LG Chem's acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and engineering plastics to make vehicles lighter, improve performance and develop new plastics and composite materials. Both are high-performance plastics known for impact strength, durability and ease of processing, and are widely used in home appliance casings and car interiors and exteriors. Volkswagen will also consider wider use of LG Chem's post-consumer recycled plastics, made from products discarded by consumers, as well as lower-cost materials for the interiors and exteriors of its major car brands. The companies agr

Samsung Biologics showcased manufacturing technologies designed to accelerate biopharmaceutical development and improve product quality at BioProcess International (BPI) 2026 in Boston, highlighting efforts to streamline complex drug production. The company said Monday it participated in BPI from Sept. 22-25, drawing more than 3,000 biopharmaceutical professionals from around the world. Samsung Biologics, which has attended BPI for nine consecutive years, operated its own booth featuring capabilities spanning contract research, development and manufacturing, along with Samsung Organoids, differentiated contract development and manufacturing services and production for multiple modalities. During a presentation Wednesday, the company's antibody purification process development team outlined an integrated chemistry, manufacturing and controls strategy for bispecific and multispecific antibodies. The team said molecule-specific process development reduced a development timeline from 13 months to 9.5 months while maintaining high quality. Scientific posters presented during the conference als

Almonty Korea Tungsten Corp. (AKTC) has produced its first bulk bag of salable tungsten concentrate produced at its Sangdong mine in Yeongwol County, Gangwon Province, ready for shipment, marking a key step toward commercial production. The Korean subsidiary of New York-based Almonty Industries said Monday that the production of 1 ton of minerals came after the Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corp. issued a mining facility inspection certificate for the mine’s processing plant and crushing facilities on Sept. 17. The state-run company under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources inspected the facilities on Sept. 14 and found the plant and facilities compliant. The certification has formally opened doors for AKTC to operate the facilities and process ores mined at Sangdong into tungsten concentrate for domestic supply and export. Production involves crushing, grinding and flotation to separate tungsten-bearing material from the ores. AKTC said it will gradually increase output and begin supplying customers in Korea and overseas after the production process stabili

Mobile platform giant Kakao Group named Kakao Investment CEO Kim Do-young as co-chair of the group’s control tower, ahead of the planned spin-off of its flagship unit Kakao Corp. Kakao Group said Monday that its CEOs agreed to appoint Kim as co-chair of the Corporate Alignment (CA) Council. Kim will lead the council alongside existing CA Council Chair Chung Shin-a, who is also CEO of Kakao Corp. The group said the appointment is intended to ensure continuity in key decision-making and enhance organizational stability ahead of the spin-off. Kim and Chung will jointly oversee major decisions until the split, while strengthening group-wide coordination and execution. Kim is an investment specialist who built his career as an investment banking director at Samsung Securities. Before joining Kakao Group, he served as chief financial officer of Kolon Mobility Group from 2022 to 2025. The appointment is in line with the proposed spin-off of Kakao Corp. Under the plan, the company will be split into Kakao AI, which will oversee flagship messenger KakaoTalk, artificial intelligence (AI), advert