The Korea Times

LG, SK partner on AI cooling solutions

Kim Moo-hwan, left, executive vice president of SK Innovation’s Energy Solution Business Division, and Lee Jae-sung, vice president of LG Electronics’ Eco Solution Division, pose after signing a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in securing contracts for heating, ventilation and air conditioning solutions amid rising demand from artificial intelligence data centers. Under the partnership, LG Electronics will provide air-cooled chillers and fan wall units, while SK Innovation will handle power supply and energy-saving solutions. Courtesy of SK Innovation

Sep 18, 2025By Kang Seung-woo

Sports

Hong wins Mediheal-Hankook Ilbo Championship

Hong Jung-min holds the trophy after winning the Mediheal-Hankook Ilbo Championship at Montvert Country Club in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Hong finished with a KLPGA Tour 72-hole record of 29 under par. Korea Times photo by Choi Joo-yeon

Aug 17, 2025By Kang Seung-woo

Hong wins Mediheal-Hankook Ilbo Championship

Books

Marketing consulting firm CEO publishes new guidebook on B2B campaigns

Jeong Min-a, chief executive officer of Allison HyperM, a marketing consulting firm, has published a new book titled “Essential B2B Campaigns: A Practical Guide for Marketers to Leap from Marketer to Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) in the AI Era.” The book follows the 2024 publication “Essential B2B Marketing,” which became a widely regarded resource for business to business marketers in Korea. While the first volume focused on strategy and business survival, the new book addresses the practical execution of marketing campaigns. Jeong’s latest work tackles the question, “We implemented customer relationship management (CRM), but why are our customers not automatically increasing?” The guide offers detailed methodologies for four core campaigns — brand, demand generation, lead generation and CRM — supported by case studies and actionable checklists. The book encourages marketers to evolve from practitioners to CROs, a role overseeing marketing, sales and customer success to drive company revenue. While this role is common in global firms, it remains less familiar in Korea.

Aug 8, 2025By Kang Seung-woo

Marketing consulting firm CEO publishes new guidebook on B2B campaigns

Opinion

Protecting agriculture in tariff talks

The deadline for Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations is all but here. On Aug. 1, the United States is set to impose the so-called “reciprocal” tariff on Korean exports — a measure that has been suspended since April. While the Korean government is making every effort in last-minute talks to safeguard key export industries such as automobiles and steel, the domestic agriculture sector is growing increasingly anxious, as sensitive products like rice and beef remain on the negotiating table. The U.S. has shown little interest in expanding imports of less sensitive goods, such as corn for fuel use, and is instead pressuring Korea to open its market to symbolic items like rice and beef. This approach has intensified concerns among Korean farmers that agriculture is being used as a bargaining chip in the negotiations. Amid the mounting controversy, the presidential office has acknowledged U.S. pressure but pledged to minimize concessions in order to protect national industries — though this assurance has done little to alleviate the concerns of the agricultural sector. More troubling is tha

Jul 30, 2025By Kang Seung-woo

Others

KCCI chief questions impact of agricultural concessions in US negotiations

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — While Korea considers offering greater access to its agricultural markets as a bargaining chip in ongoing tariff negotiations with the United States, the head of the nation’s largest business lobby group cast doubt on whether such concessions would have any real impact. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo suggested on July 14 that Korea may make “strategic” decisions in agriculture and livestock — such as opening markets for rice and beef — to avoid or reduce a 25 percent “reciprocal” tariff the U.S. plans to impose starting Aug. 1. The proposal has since sparked heated domestic debate. “When I visit Congress, I do occasionally meet some lawmakers who raise rice and beef issues. But honestly, they are too minor to serve as any real solution. Even if the U.S. were to gain concessions on those items, it is doubtful they would make a meaningful difference,” Chey Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said Thursday during a press conference on the sidelines of its annual summer forum. “And even if we were to

Jul 20, 2025By Kang Seung-woo

KCCI chief questions impact of agricultural concessions in US negotiations

Others

KCCI launches summer forum with focus on upcoming APEC summit

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) kicked off its annual Summer Forum, Wednesday, at the venue for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in October and November. Departing from its usual location on Jeju Island, the nation’s largest business lobby group chose Gyeongju this year to highlight the significance of the APEC summit, which Korea hopes will draw leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The four-day forum has drawn more than 500 top business leaders. Alongside the leaders’ meeting, the APEC CEO Summit will also be held, an event that will be a “global showcase of the strength and potential of the Korean economy,” according to KCCI Chairman Chey Tae-won. The KCCI is the official host of the APEC CEO Summit, scheduled for Oct. 28. “The APEC CEO Summit is the largest business event in the Asia-Pacific region, bringing together leaders from 21 member economies — representing 60 percent of global GDP — and over 1,700 global CEOs,” Chey said in his openin

Jul 16, 2025By Kang Seung-woo

KCCI launches summer forum with focus on upcoming APEC summit

Companies

Audi unveils A5, Q5

The new Audi A5, left, and Q5 are showcased during a launch event at the Conrad Seoul, Tuesday. The event followed Audi Korea’s January announcement of its plan to roll out a record 16 new models in the country this year in a bid to regain market presence and boost sales after years of declining profits. Courtesy of Audi Korea.

Jul 1, 2025By Kang Seung-woo

Defense

Starkey Korea CEO honored for decades of dedication to KATUSA program, Korea-U.S. alliance

Honorary Chairman Shim Sang-don of the KATUSA Veterans Association (KVA) received a meritorious service award in recognition of his 18 years of commitment to strengthening bonds among KATUSA veterans, advancing the KATUSA program and reinforcing the Korea-U.S. alliance. The award ceremony was held Friday at the Grand Hyatt Seoul. KATUSA, or the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army, is a unique military program in which Korean soldiers fulfill their mandatory military service by serving alongside U.S. Army troops stationed on the Korean Peninsula. It was launched in August 1950. Shim, who also serves as CEO of Starkey Korea, founded the KVA in 2007 and served as both its inaugural and third president. His link to the hearing aid industry began during his own KATUSA service, where he encountered a hearing aid for the first time. This experience led him to join the industry after his discharge. He has since led Starkey Korea — the local branch of Starkey Hearing Technologies, the largest hearing aid company in the U.S. — for 29 years. With his consulting role concluding next M

Jun 23, 2025By Kang Seung-woo

Starkey Korea CEO honored for decades of dedication to KATUSA program, Korea-U.S. alliance

Companies

PHOTO Honoring Korean War veteran

LIG Nex1 CEO Shin Ick-hyun, second from left, poses with Korean War veteran Serge Archambeau, center, in France, Monday (local time), after presenting him with a plaque of appreciation and commemorative gifts. The French served as part of the United Nations Forces during the Korean War and fought in key battles, including the Battle of Triangle Hill and the Battle of T-Bone Hill in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, from 1951 to 1952. The visit was part of LIG Nex1's ongoing initiative to support U.N. Forces veterans. The company has been actively involved in veteran support activities, including hosting events for veterans from the United States, Colombia and the Philippines, as well as supporting the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea. Courtesy of LIG Nex1

Jun 18, 2025By Kang Seung-woo

Editorial

Korea vs Google: map data battle

Google has once again requested permission from the Korean government to transfer the country’s 1:5,000-scale high-precision map data to its overseas data centers. Currently, the company relies on lower-resolution 1:25,000-scale maps, alongside aerial and satellite imagery, to provide mapping services in Korea. This third request — the first since 2016 — carries added significance, coming just a month after U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, whose administration labeled the restriction as a “nontariff barrier.” Amid Trump’s threats to impose hefty tariffs on Korea, some experts suggest that the government consider leveraging the issue of high-precision map data transfers as a barging chip in trade negotiations with Washington. However, the matter should not be addressed solely under trade pressure. High-precision maps are critical infrastructure for emerging spatial information industries, such as autonomous driving, augmented reality (AR) and digital twins, closely linked to national security and industrial competitiveness. If overseas transfer is all

May 28, 2025By Kang Seung-woo

Kang Seung-woo

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