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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

US-Iran deal eases pressure on supply chain, gov't cautious on fuel price cap

The United States and Iran are set to sign a peace agreement and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, easing concerns over crude oil supplies and broader disruptions to the global energy trade, but the Korean government is taking a prudent stance regarding the full normalization of supply chains. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media Sunday (local time) that “the Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” adding he would authorize “opening of the Strait of Hormuz” and the removal of the U.S. naval blockade. The two countries have agreed on a framework deal to end the war, which is scheduled to be signed on Friday in Switzerland. The agreement is expected to improve crude import conditions for Korea, which sources roughly 70 percent of its oil from the Middle East as of last year, while also reducing pressures on shipping routes that have been strained for months by the conflict. The reopening of the critical oil chokepoint is set to help normalize supplies of petroleum and petrochemical products that faced delays and logistical bottlenecks after the war brok

Jun 15, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
US-Iran deal eases pressure on supply chain, gov't cautious on fuel price cap
  • Korean firms express relief for eased uncertainties over US-Iran peace deal
Companies

BCCK Business Awards recognize innovation, excellence, community leadership

The British Chamber of Commerce in Korea honored companies and organizations advancing bilateral trade, sustainability, workplace inclusion and public health at its second annual British Business Awards on Friday, highlighting the growing role of business in strengthening U.K.-Korea ties. The awards, held Friday at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul alongside the chamber’s annual King Charles III Birthday Dinner and in partnership with Dwight School Seoul, recognized organizations and initiatives across five award categories. This year's judging panel included The Korea Times' publisher and president Oh Young-jin, Dwight Seoul Head of School Tom Ferguson and British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks. Intralink, an international business development consultancy, received the U.K.-Korea Trade Award for its effort in helping British companies enter the dynamic Korean market by providing deep local expertise and prioritizing relationship-building, cultural bridging and long-term strategic partnerships over transactional wins. The company also helps Korean businesses gain their foothold in Britain

Jun 15, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
BCCK Business Awards recognize innovation, excellence, community leadership
Companies

INTERVIEW Life sciences company bBHC bets on regenerative medicine through Energy Water, novel stem cell platform

Life sciences company bBHC is seeking to position itself at the forefront of regenerative medicine through two technologies developed over decades by its founder and Chairman Lee Kye-ho: Energy Water, a proprietary structured water platform, and KHCs, a novel pluripotent stem cell technology. Founded in 1989 as a life sciences research company, bBHC has spent more than four decades developing technologies that Lee believes could contribute to both environmental sustainability and next-generation human healthcare. “At the center of our work is the idea that life itself can be influenced by the structure and behavior of water,” Lee said during an interview with The Korea Times at the company’s headquarters in Seoul. According to the company, Energy Water is a next-generation water platform developed through proprietary molecular structure control technology designed to enhance stability and functionality. The company says studies in livestock and agricultural systems have demonstrated the potential to improve productivity and growth efficiency. The technology is currently being comme

Jun 15, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
[INTERVIEW] Life sciences company bBHC bets on regenerative medicine through Energy Water, novel stem cell platform
Companies

Gaon Cable gains traction in US AI data center power infrastructure market

Gaon Cable, a subsidiary of LS Cable & System, is emerging as a key beneficiary of the artificial intelligence (AI) data center boom in the United States, as its U.S. subsidiary LSCUS secures a series of power infrastructure contracts linked to projects by global tech giants including Google, Meta and Amazon. LSCUS has been winning bus duct supply contracts for AI data centers since last year and recently secured additional projects worth about 4 trillion won ($2.9 billion), accelerating its expansion in North America. The growing attention surrounding the company centers on bus ducts, a product that has traditionally received less attention than cables, transformers or switchgear but is increasingly recognized as a critical component of AI-era power infrastructure. Bus ducts are high-capacity power distribution systems designed to efficiently and reliably deliver large volumes of electricity. Unlike conventional cable systems that rely on multiple bundles of wires, bus ducts use copper or aluminum conductors enclosed within a metal housing, enabling the stable transmission of large ele

Jun 15, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
Gaon Cable gains traction in US AI data center power infrastructure market
Companies

Coupang’s record privacy fine sparks proportionality debate, investment concerns

The record-high 624.68 billion won ($409 million) penalty imposed on Coupang over a massive data breach is fueling debate over regulatory proportionality, as the e-commerce giant was ordered to pay more than four times the fine levied on SK Telecom for last year's hacking incident, while matchmaking company Duo received a far lighter sanction despite a breach involving highly sensitive personal information. The penalty is also casting doubt on Coupang’s ability to maintain the aggressive investment that has driven its growth, fueling speculation that the e-commerce giant could rein in future spending. On Thursday, the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) imposed a 624.68 billion won fine and a 16.8 million won administrative penalty on Coupang over its data breach, involving more than 33 million users, and related privacy violations. The regulator concluded that Coupang failed to maintain even basic security safeguards, citing lax management of an authentication signing key and inadequate access controls that allowed a former employee to forge tokens and reach pages conta

Jun 12, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
Coupang’s record privacy fine sparks proportionality debate, investment concerns
Tech & Science

AI model rivalry expands into defense sector

Artificial intelligence (AI) competition is expanding into the defense sector as domestic tech firms pivot to military applications, leveraging proprietary models and infrastructure in a market where security and data sovereignty are paramount. The shift comes as Naver Cloud and NC AI move beyond the government-led foundation model competition to target a fast-forming defense AI market. Naver Cloud held a seminar on Wednesday and unveiled its strategy for sovereign AI-based defense AI transformation (AX) advancement, outlining practical pathways to deploy AI in real-world military operations. The move follows the company’s launch earlier this month of a dedicated task force for defense AI adoption, marking its first standalone organization focused exclusively on military applications. The team, under company CEO Kim Yu-won, brings together business development, strategy, engineering and deployment personnel to accelerate military AI projects. The company is positioning itself as more than a model provider, aiming instead to build a full-stack Korean defense AI platform. By combining its

Jun 12, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
AI model rivalry expands into defense sector
Tech & Science

LG CNS, LX Pantos partner on humanoid-powered smart logistics

LG CNS is teaming up with LX Pantos to pilot humanoid-driven automation in logistics operations, marking a step toward next-generation smart warehouses. The company announced on Thursday that it has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with logistics provider LX Pantos to develop a robot-based smart logistics system and deploy it at LX Pantos’ logistics center in Cheongna, Incheon. The partnership will integrate humanoid robots with shuttle robots to automate end-to-end warehouse operations, from inbound handling to sorting and outbound shipping. LX Pantos, which operates more than 380 global logistics hubs, provides services spanning freight forwarding, contract logistics, last-mile delivery and e-commerce fulfillment, with end-to-end capabilities from transportation to warehousing and customs clearance. “This agreement will serve as a proof-of-concept to validate the real-world applicability of robotics and integrated learning and operations platforms in logistics environments,” said Park Sang-kyun, head of the Telecommunication, Distribution and Service Division at LG C

Jun 11, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
LG CNS, LX Pantos partner on humanoid-powered smart logistics
Tech & Science

Kakao union holds 1st-ever walkout over bonus pay dispute

Tech giant Kakao’s labor union staged its first-ever walkout on Wednesday, escalating a dispute with management over performance-based compensation after labor and management failed to reach an agreement. It is rare for a labor union in the IT industry to launch a strike. The industry is closely watching how the labor dispute at Kakao develops, as it could affect bonus talks in other companies across the sector. The union staged a partial strike from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday. The walkout included employees from Kakao and its affiliates — Kakao Pay, Kakao Enterprise, DK Techin and XL Games. According to the union, about 1,500 workers across the five entities, including around 1,000 employees from Kakao itself, took part in the action. About 800 union members also held a sit-in rally in front of Kakao’s Pangyo office in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, followed by an 800-meter march from Pangyo Station on the Shinbundang Line. “Management failures resulted from management decisions, so why should workers bear the burden through restructuring and layoffs?” a union official said

Jun 10, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
Kakao union holds 1st-ever walkout over bonus pay dispute
Tech & Science

Samsung SDS partners with AI security firms to boost cloud protection

Samsung SDS is partnering with U.S.-based artificial intelligence (AI) security startup XBOW and Korean cloud security firm Tatum Security to strengthen its AI-powered cloud security capabilities. The company said Wednesday that the partnerships with specialized AI security firms at home and abroad will enhance its end-to-end cloud security framework, spanning vulnerability detection, integrated monitoring and incident response, helping its customers adopt and operate AI and cloud environments more securely. “Through collaboration with advanced security startups at home and abroad, we have built a comprehensive cloud security framework covering prevention, monitoring and recovery,” said Chang Yong-min, head of Samsung SDS’ security business unit. “By combining advanced global technologies, locally tailored solutions and Samsung SDS’ operational expertise, we will proactively address the growing wave of security threats driven by enterprise AI adoption.” Through its partnership with XBOW, Samsung SDS will expand AI-based vulnerability detection for web-based IT assets. Founded

Jun 10, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
Samsung SDS partners with AI security firms to boost cloud protection
Photo News

PHOTOS The Korea Times Forum

Korea Times Vice Chairman Seung Ji-soo, front row fifth from right, poses with dignitaries and speakers during a VIP session ahead of The Korea Times Forum at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in central Seoul, Tuesday. In the front row from left are Midas PE Partner Sung Lee, Hyosung ITX CEO Hong Hye-Jin, GR Korea Associate Director Choi Chan-kyeong, Indian Ambassador to Korea Gourangalal Das, Blackstone Advisors Korea Chairman Ha Yung-ku, Rep. Song Young-gil of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, Seung, American Chamber of Commerce in Korea Chairman James Kim, Korea Investors Service CEO Patrick Yoon, Hanwha Ocean Management Support Office Head Jung In-sub and Swiss Ambassador to Korea Nadine Olivieri Lozano. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Jun 9, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
[PHOTOS] The Korea Times Forum
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