Korea showcases its chipmaking future at SEDEX 2025

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - South Korea opened its largest semiconductor exhibition on Wednesday, bringing together industry leaders, engineers, and policymakers. The Semiconductor Expo, or SEDEX 2025, runs through Friday at COEX in Seoul and features more than 280 companies — including Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Jusung Engineering, Dongjin Semichem, PSK, and Wonik — across more than 700 booths. Organizers expect roughly 60,000 visitors over the three-day event.

October 22, 2025

KOTRA to operate 'K-Business Square' for APEC delegates

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - South Korea will set up an exhibition booth highlighting its industrial achievements and future growth sectors for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, or KOTRA, said Wednesday that it will operate the “K-Business Square” in collaboration with the provincial government of North Gyeongsang and the city of Gyeongju for five weeks. The exhibition is designed to welcome visiti

October 22, 2025

SK Ecoplant, Gyeryong Construction punished over fatal bridge collapse

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - The South Korean government has ordered two major construction firms, SK Ecoplant and Gyeryong Construction, to suspend operations for six months following a bridge collapse last year that killed a worker and injured several others in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced the decision on Wednesday, saying the suspension will take effect from Dec. 1 through May 31 next year. The ministry said it was in

October 22, 2025

Asian shares in positive, Seoul and Tokyo lead gains on tech and battery upside

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Major Asian stock markets remained broadly positive Wednesday, with Seoul and Tokyo taking the lead, although at moderated pace from recent rallies. In Seoul, the KOSPI advanced 0.7 percent to 3,815, while the KOSDAQ gained 0.9 percent to 1,146 as of midday. Bellwether Samsung Electronics extended gains, whereas SK hynix slipped on profit-taking after briefly touching the 500,000-won threshold. Petrochemical and battery material stocks led the winners on

October 22, 2025

Korea Zinc wins approval for renewable energy project in Australia

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Korea Zinc’s push into renewable energy gained new momentum this week after the government of New South Wales, Australia, approved the company’s plan to build a large-scale battery storage system and solar power plant — a centerpiece of its global clean-energy ambitions. The project, known as the Richmond Valley Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), is being developed by Korea Zinc’s Australian subsidiary, Arc Energy. Once comple

October 22, 2025

Seoul to gradually phase out fuel tax relief by year-end

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) -South Korea will begin winding down the fuel tax relief that has been in place since the post-pandemic inflation surge, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said Wednesday. The measure, which had been scheduled to expire at the end of October, will be extended through the end of the year — though at reduced rates — to “avoid overburdening consumers,” the ministry said in a statement. Starting November, the gasoline tax cut wil

October 22, 2025

S&P upgrades LG Electronics' credit outlook, citing India IPO

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Standard & Poor’s on Tuesday upgraded LG Electronics’ credit outlook to “BBB Positive” from “BBB Stable,” the company’s first improvement since October 2022. The ratings agency cited robust performances in LG’s home appliance and vehicle component businesses, stronger cash flow from its Indian initial public offering, and a rebound at its affiliate, LG Display. The move came months after Moody&rsquo

October 22, 2025

Red-hot streak of Korean chip stocks spills over to downstream suppliers

SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - South Korea’s semiconductor rally shows no sign of slowing, as record gains by memory giants ripple through the broader chip value chain, drawing in downstream suppliers and equipment makers amid growing concerns over a looming memory shortage in the AI era. Memory bellwethers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix both came close to symbolic six-digit milestones—100,000 won and 500,000 won, respectively. Samsung Electronics closed Tuesday 0.4 percent l

October 21, 2025

Samsung fields stronger in-house chip-powered Galaxy to counter AI iPhone hype

SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is equipping half of its upcoming Galaxy S26 lineup with its upgraded in-house processor, the Exynos 2600, to counter rising expectations for Apple’s AI-powered iPhone 17 series and to showcase renewed confidence in its AI chipset design and manufacturing capabilities. The tech giant said the new Exynos delivers more than six times the neural processing power of Apple’s latest A-series chip. The move marks the first time in

October 21, 2025

Asian markets rally, KOSPI the world's best performer led by chip boom

SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - Major Asian stock markets closed mostly higher on Tuesday amid easing global trade tensions and improved investor sentiment, while South Korea’s benchmark index stood out as the world’s best performer of the month. In Seoul, the KOSPI closed at a fresh record of 3,814.69, up 1.76 percent from the previous session. The secondary KOSDAQ gained 1.89 percent to close at 875.77. Institutional investors drove the rally with strong buying despite conti

October 21, 2025