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Nam Hyun-woo

Korea Times Business Reporter

Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.

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Companies

Coway launches slim office chair combining recliner, massage functions

Coway has launched the Berex Triple Chair 2 Slim, a multifunctional chair that combines the functions of an office chair, recliner and massage chair. The new product reflects growing demand for space-saving furniture as housing costs rise and one- and two-person households become more common, the home appliance maker said. The Triple Chair 2 Slim is 9 percent smaller in volume than the previous model, making it easier to fit into tight spaces. It also features hidden wheels that give the chair a cleaner look while making it easier to move. The chair is designed for people who spend long hours sitting, such as those working from home or studying. The massage balls are tucked inside the backrest when the massage function is not in use, reducing pressure on the back. The head cushion supports the head and neck, while the seat height can be adjusted by up to 5 centimeters to suit different body types. The backrest can be reclined from 110 degrees for working to 150 degrees for relaxing. Users can also adjust the backrest and leg rest separately for a more comfortable position. The chair also f

9h agoBy Nam Hyun-woo
Coway launches slim office chair combining recliner, massage functions
Companies

Doosan Corp. bets $700 mil. on chip substrate material biz

Doosan Corp., the holding company of Doosan Group which also operates an electromaterials business, will invest 970 billion won ($702.6 million) to expand its production capacity for copper clad laminates (CCLs), a key material for advanced semiconductor substrates. Doosan Corp. said in a regulatory filing Thursday that its board approved investment to expand the domestic and overseas production capacity of its electromaterials business unit. Under the plan, the company will invest 970 billion won by Dec. 31 next year to expand its production capacity in Korea and overseas. The investment is the largest in Doosan Corp.’s history and accounts for about 8 percent of its equity capital. CCL is a key material used in advanced chip substrates and printed circuit boards (PCBs) found in virtually all electronic devices. The market for the material has remained strong in recent months as demand continues to outpace supply across the broader semiconductor value chain. Doosan Corp. will spend 420 billion won to expand its domestic production lines for CCLs used in optical transceivers — device

1d agoBy Nam Hyun-woo
Doosan Corp. bets $700 mil. on chip substrate material biz
Companies

LG chairman stresses 'prompt, tenacious execution' in AI investment

LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo stressed “prompt and tenacious execution” in making investments in artificial intelligence (AI) businesses, asking affiliate CEOs to treat AI as a key factor that will determine the group’s future competitiveness. According to the group, Thursday, Koo made the comments during a meeting with LG affiliate presidents at the group’s training center in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, a day earlier. The meeting was attended by Koo and over 40 top executives of LG Electronics, LG Display, LG Innotek and other key affiliates. Participants explored how AI is bringing changes to the industrial and technological landscape and discussed investment priorities and execution plans to secure future competitiveness. “AI is no longer an area where we can selectively choose whether to respond,” Koo said. “It is the key pillar that will determine our future competitiveness. I ask our CEOs to focus on prompt and tenacious execution so that we can win in the future competition driven by AI.” During the meeting, participants reviewed past investments in areas including

1d agoBy Nam Hyun-woo
LG chairman stresses 'prompt, tenacious execution' in AI investment
Companies

Hanwha, EDGE to build UAE's integrated air defense network

Hanwha Systems will team up with the United Arab Emirates’ state-run defense conglomerate EDGE to establish an integrated air defense network, covering long- and medium-range capabilities as well as counter-drone defenses. According to Hanwha Systems, Thursday, the CEOs of the two companies signed a term sheet for the air defense network project during a ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday (local time). The term sheet outlines the direction of the planned introduction of weapons systems for the integrated air defense network and review agendas at each stage of the project. The two sides plan to determine details of the project in line with the direction of defense cooperation between the two countries. Through government approvals and consultations, the two companies will pursue establishing a local joint venture and discuss its operation and local production. Through the partnership, Hanwha Systems plans to expand its role from supplying individual weapons systems to participating in the integrated air defense network, by linking ground weapons systems, including the Chunmoo multiple roc

1d agoBy Nam Hyun-woo
Hanwha, EDGE to build UAE's integrated air defense network
Companies

LG, Hyundai distance themselves from workers' legal actions over Georgia raid

LG Energy Solution and Hyundai Motor Group are distancing themselves from the legal actions of workers against the U.S. government over their detention during last year’s immigration raid at the companies’ joint battery plant in Georgia. An LG Energy Solution official told The Korea Times Wednesday that the company was not aware that employees were taking legal action until media reports emerged Tuesday night. The official added that the company would not get involved because the legal actions were based on individual decisions by the workers, and the company is not tracking who is joining the campaign. An official at Hyundai Motor Group also said none of the company’s employees were among those detained at the time, adding that it is not involved in legal action taken individually by workers from partner companies or those dispatched to the site. A day earlier, CNN reported that more than 300 Korean workers detained during the raid started filing administrative claims with nine federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I

2d agoBy Nam Hyun-woo
LG, Hyundai distance themselves from workers' legal actions over Georgia raid
Companies

SK hynix unions agree to receive half of bonuses in cash, half in shares

SK hynix’s production workers’ unions on Wednesday approved a revised tentative agreement reached between their representatives and management, under which employees will receive half of their performance bonuses in cash and the other half in company shares, concluding this year’s wage and collective bargaining negotiations without a labor dispute. According to SK hynix, the two production workers’ unions at the company approved the tentative agreement with a 57.08 percent vote in support. More than 15,000 of the unions’ 16,000 eligible members took part in the vote. The two unions respectively represent production workers at the company’s Icheon plant in Gyeonggi Province and Cheongju plant in North Chungcheong Province. A key feature of the agreement is that half of the performance bonuses, known as excess profit-sharing, will be paid in cash, while the other half will be paid in the form of treasury shares. The revised agreement replaces an earlier tentative deal that called for 60 percent of the bonuses to be paid in treasury shares and the remainder in cash, which the t

2d agoBy Nam Hyun-woo
SK hynix unions agree to receive half of bonuses in cash, half in shares
Education

CONFERENCE Universities must rethink curricula instead of restricting students' use of AI, professor says

Choi Jae-boong, professor of interdisciplinary AI service design at Sungkyunkwan University, said education in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) should focus on cultivating humanity, while universities should move away from simply trying to restrict students’ use of AI and instead rethink how their curricula are designed. Choi shared such visions during his keynote speech at the 2026 Korea Times Global Conference at Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry building in Seoul, Tuesday. Under the theme of “Beyond AI: building human-centered leadership for the next era,” he stressed that AI innovation is an inevitable future and that both leadership and education must undergo a fundamental shift to prepare for it. “Many Big Tech companies carried out layoffs over the past several years, but when I looked at their headcounts again earlier this year, they had increased because the companies were hiring more AI talent,” Choi said. “However, the focus of Korean universities last year and even this year was how to prevent students from using AI to do their assignments. Almost no

Sep 15, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
[CONFERENCE] Universities must rethink curricula instead of restricting students' use of AI, professor says
Companies

LG AI Research seeks to address industrial challenges with 'expert' AI models

LG AI Research, an artificial intelligence (AI) institute of LG Group, has unveiled “expert” AI models based on its EXAONE large language model, which are already delivering tangible results by addressing practical challenges encountered in real world industrial environments. The models were unveiled during LG AI Talk Concert 2026, held by LG AI Research to introduce use cases of its expert AI models, each specialized in manufacturing, science and finance. “Building a good AI model is important, but LG AI Research’s mission is to solve difficult problems that industries have struggled with for years,” LG AI Research co-head Lim Woo-hyung said during his keynote speech. “There are already many general-purpose AI models in the world that generate excellent answers. But solving problems in industrial settings requires AI that can understand numerous variables, even the 1 percent of exceptional cases. AI can prove its value in industry only when it can demonstrate tangible results.” As part of that approach, LG AI Research unveiled EXAONE Tabular and EXAONE Omni-Inspect. Tabular

Sep 14, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
LG AI Research seeks to address industrial challenges with 'expert' AI models
Companies

Michigan governor courts Korean businesses' investments

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday called on Korean businesses to invest in advanced technologies in the U.S. state. She made the call during a business luncheon hosted by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), where Whitmer, KITA Chairman Yoon Jin-sik and representatives from the Korea-U.S. Economic Council, Samsung SDI, LG Energy Solution, Hansae Mobility and other companies operating or considering investments in Michigan discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The Michigan delegation included Whitmer, Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) CEO Quentin Messer Jr. and other officials. “Michigan is ready to work with Korean companies to develop next-generation technologies, backed by our highly skilled workforce, advanced manufacturing capabilities and strong supply chains,” Whitmer was quoted as saying. “Building on the decades long partnership between Michigan and Korea, we look forward to work with Korean companies to open new opportunities in future industries.” Whitmer has led efforts to revive Michigan’s auto industry and attract investmen

Sep 14, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Michigan governor courts Korean businesses' investments
Companies

Owner's property division to change Smilegate's governance

The ruling on Smilegate founder and chief vision officer Kwon Hyuk-bin’s divorce settlement is expected to bring changes to the company’s governance structure, which is currently based on Kwon’s full ownership. The Seoul Family Court on Wednesday ordered Kwon to transfer a 35 percent stake in the company to his wife, surnamed Lee, as part of property division. Although the two sides can appeal and the size of the stake could change, it is highly likely to alter the ownership structure Kwon has maintained since 2012. Smilegate had previously consisted of several separate entities, including Smilegate Holdings, Smilegate Entertainment which operates CrossFire, and Smilegate RPG, which operates Lost Ark. Earlier this year, however, the group merged the entities into a simpler structure fully owned by Kwon. Without public explanation on why he maintains full ownership, the structure has drawn both positive and negative assessments. On the positive side, it is seen as a strategy to operate the company independently without disputes among shareholders or pressure from outside investors s

Sep 13, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Owner's property division to change Smilegate's governance
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