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Lee Gyu-lee

Korea Times Business Reporter

Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.

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Companies

Gov’t orders probe into KHNP’s nuclear deal with US Westinghouse

The presidential office Tuesday ordered an investigation into allegations that the state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) struck an unfair deal with U.S.-based nuclear technology firm Westinghouse to resolve a legal conflict that had stalled KHNP’s nuclear power project in the Czech Republic. Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik instructed the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to thoroughly examine the agreement between KHNP, the state-run utility Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) and Westinghouse, following concerns that the deal may have been unfavorable for Korea. “KHNP and KEPCO are public entities,” presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said during a briefing. “The presidential chief of staff has instructed an investigation into two matters: whether the deal with Westinghouse had a proper legal basis, and whether all the rules and procedures were followed in the signing process.” In January, KHNP and KEPCO reached an agreement with Westinghouse to resolve an intellectual property (IP) dispute over the APR1000 nuclear reactor technology, which KHNP has be

Aug 19, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
Gov’t orders probe into KHNP’s nuclear deal with US Westinghouse
Tech & Science

WRTN partners with LG AI Research to boost AI literacy

Artificial intelligence (AI) startup WRTN has signed a partnership with LG AI Research to adopt the large language model (LLM) EXAONE for a nationwide AI literacy project, forming a broader strategic cooperation to maximize the two companies’ synergies for the initiative. National AI literacy is a government project that aims to strengthen the country’s AI competitiveness by making AI more accessible to the public through educational programs and by expanding the ecosystem for AI technology. As part of these efforts, WRTN signed a strategic partnership with FuriosaAI last month to build high-performance and energy-efficient reasoning infrastructure, and the latest agreement with LG AI Research further reinforces this effort. “Strengthening the nation’s AI competitiveness begins with empowering AI literacy of each citizen,” WRTN CEO Lee Se-young said in a press release. “We will continue working closely with a wide range of companies to ensure that AI delivers real value in people’s everyday lives, not just inside the lab.” Under the agreement, the two companies will close

Aug 19, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
WRTN partners with LG AI Research to boost AI literacy
Companies

Gov't AI initiative faces financing questions

President Lee Jae Myung unveiled an ambitious plan to spend 210 trillion won ($151.11 billion) for its five-year policy agenda, which includes a package of technology and industry initiatives aimed at making Korea one of the world's top three powerhouses in the global artificial intelligence (AI) industry. However, questions loom over how these transformative ambitions will be financed. With the country's towering national debt, concerns are growing that further stretching the nation's finances to support the AI policy could seriously undermine the country’s fiscal prudence. The State Affairs Planning Committee on Wednesday announced the Lee administration's economic policy plans, highlighted by its goal of becoming the world’s top three AI powerhouses. As part of this goal, the government has proposed an "AI energy highway" project, which will secure over 50,000 graphics processing units (GPUs), set up advanced data and electric infrastructures across the nation, develop next-generation core AI technologies and nurture specialized talent. However, it remains uncertain whether the pr

Aug 16, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
Gov't AI initiative faces financing questions
Tech & Science

Naver, Kakao chart divergent AI paths for 2nd half

Entering the second half of the year with record-breaking second quarter earnings, Korea’s two leading tech giants, Naver and Kakao, are pushing to build on their momentum with sharply contrasting artificial intelligence (AI)-driven business models. Naver is focusing on global expansion through its sovereign AI strategy while deepening AI integration into its existing services, whereas Kakao is leveraging its vast domestic user base to infuse AI into everyday life, spanning messaging, e-commerce, advertising and more. Naver has placed its bets on sovereign AI, which refers to locally developed, self-owned AI technology, as the foundation for its global expansion drive. The company aims to extend its reach beyond Asia and the Middle East into new territories such as Africa, reinforcing its presence with high-profile projects, including building digital twin platforms in Saudi Arabia and an AI data center in Morocco. A digital twin is a technology that creates a dynamic virtual replica of real-world environments, optimized for urban planning. Alongside international reach, Naver is doubl

Aug 15, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
Naver, Kakao chart divergent AI paths for 2nd half
Tech & Science

Dexter Studios becomes Korea’s first to deliver in-camera VFX for Hollywood project

Dexter Studios has partnered with Amazon’s MGM Studios to showcase its leading virtual production (VP) technology, becoming the first local studio to apply in-camera visual effects (ICVFX) to a Hollywood project. Dexter announced Thursday that it joined the production of Amazon Prime Video original series “Butterfly” and contributed ICVFX to the project. ICVFX is a virtual production technique where visual effects are captured in real time through the camera. The rendered backgrounds sync with the camera’s movement, allowing actors to be filmed in front of LED displays that show virtual environments. “Butterfly,” which was released Wednesday, is a six-part spy action series about a former American spy living in isolation in Korea, pursued by an active agent tasked with eliminating him. During its filming in Korea, Dexter used its VP technology to help film dynamic action scenes, including car and bike chases, not only shortening the turnaround time but also enhancing the quality of the scenes. The studio handled every phase from previsualization and film planning to the prod

Aug 14, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
Dexter Studios becomes Korea’s first to deliver in-camera VFX for Hollywood project
Policy

AI, energy drive Korea’s innovation strategy

Korea is seeking to position itself at the forefront of the global innovation race, unveiling a sweeping five-year economic strategy built on industries such as artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology and clean energy to overcome its stagnation crisis and secure leadership in the high-tech sectors. The State Affairs Planning Committee announced a five-year plan for President Lee Jae Myung’s administration Wednesday, consisting of three major governing principles, five main policy goals and 123 key national tasks, fiscal support plans and legislative initiatives. “Korea’s growth engine is losing steam, putting the nation’s potential growth rate at risk of falling to zero. Capital remains heavily concentrated in real estate, holding back the broader economy. In this changed environment, we need to rebuild the framework for growth from the ground up,” Rep. Jung Tae-ho of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said during a policy briefing at Cheong Wa Dae, the former official presidential office, in Seoul. Jung heads one of the committee’s two economy-related subcommittees.

Aug 13, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
AI, energy drive Korea’s innovation strategy
Companies

KOGAS expands mentoring program for slow learners

Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS) will be expanding its mentorship program for slow learners to help children and teens in the Daegu area with borderline intellectual abilities better adapt to everyday life. The company announced Tuesday that it signed a partnership for the slow learners mentoring program with Kyungpook National University and Ieum Development Support Center the previous day. The term "slow learners" refers to individuals with an IQ between 71 and 84, who are not intellectually disabled, but have cognitive abilities below the average range, causing difficulties in communication, interpersonal relationships and social adaptation. The program was first launched last year and paired local university students with children and teens for one-on-one mentoring to help children boost their cognitive skills, emotional well-being and social relationships through various activities. This year, KOGAS is investing 10 million won ($7,200) in the program to pair 10 student mentors from the university with as the same number of children and adolescents facing learning challenges. “The project, l

Aug 12, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
KOGAS expands mentoring program for slow learners
Tech & Science

Science ministry, telecom giants join forces to boost AI competitiveness

The Ministry of Science and ICT, along with major telecom companies SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus, are teaming up to accelerate innovation and strengthen Korea’s position in the global artificial intelligence (AI) race. On Tuesday, the ministry held a ceremony with the Korea IT Fund (KIF) to announce expanded public-private investment in the AI sector. KIF is a private fund founded in 2002 with a combined investment of 300 billion won ($216 million) from the three companies. Its termination date was recently extended from 2030 to the end of 2040 and a new sub-fund focused on investment in AI was created. The event, attended by Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon and executives from the three telecom companies, focused on outlining government and telecom company strategies to boost AI competitiveness, highlighting the growing role of private investment in determining national AI leadership. SK Telecom CEO Ryu Young-sang, KT CEO Kim Young-shub and LG Uplus Vice President Lee Chul-hoon met with the minister and discussed their visions for AI investment and measures for cooperation durin

Aug 12, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
Science ministry, telecom giants join forces to boost AI competitiveness
Tech & Science

Korea wins world’s top hacking contest for 4th consecutive year

Korean white hat hacker team Maple Mallard Magistrates (MMM) won the Capture the Flag (CTF) hacking competition at this year’s DEF CON conference, held in Las Vegas from Thursday through Sunday (local time). The final round of CTF, the largest open computer security hacking competition, was held during the security conference, with four Korean teams — SuperDiceCode, Cold Fusion, Friendly Maltese Citizens and MMM — among the 12 finalists. MMM clinched first place for a fourth consecutive year, showcasing their world-class skills, while SuperDiceCode took third. “I thank the four teams for their tireless effort and passion in proving the skill of Korea’s white hat hackers at the world’s top international hacking competition,” Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon said Monday. “We will continue to actively train elite white hackers to operate on the front lines of cyberspace defense.” The win came just a day after a team from Samsung, KAIST and Pohang University of Science and Technology claimed first place in the conference’s two-year artificial intelligence (AI) compe

Aug 11, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
Korea wins world’s top hacking contest for 4th consecutive year
Companies

Son Heung-min transfer clouds Coupang’s $303 mil. EPL streaming bet

Korean international Son Heung-min's surprise move across the pond has dealt a blow to e-commerce giant Coupang's ambitious bid to stream the English Premier League (EPL). Coupang, which has hosted the Coupang Play Series since 2022 by inviting top European football clubs to Korea for preseason matches, signed a six-year deal earlier this year to exclusively broadcast all EPL matches starting with the 2025–26 season, reportedly worth 420 billion won ($303 million). The massive investment was aimed at attracting more users — with Son’s star power at Tottenham Hotspur seen as a major draw — in an increasingly fierce streaming war. But last week, the former Tottenham captain completed a transfer to Los Angeles FC of Major League Soccer. Coupang has been focusing its strategy on sports to carve out a competitive edge against Netflix and local rivals in Korea’s cutthroat streaming market. In June, it rolled out the Sports Pass subscription plan, requiring users to pay an additional 9,900 won monthly on top of the existing Coupang Wow membership fee of 7,890 won to access premium liv

Aug 11, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
Son Heung-min transfer clouds Coupang’s $303 mil. EPL streaming bet
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