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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

KITA celebrates 80th anniversary

The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) celebrated its 80th founding anniversary on Tuesday, honoring its contributions to the country's trade and economic growth as a private organization. KITA held a 80th anniversary ceremony at the Coex exhibition center in southern Seoul, attended by more than 1,000 government officials, foreign envoys and business leaders, including Prime Minister Han Seong-sook and Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo. "Having grown over the past 80 years with the trust and support of the government and the trade community, we will repay that trust with even greater responsibility and contributions," KITA Chairman Yoon Jin-sik said. "Based on the private sector's creativity and a strong sense of public responsibility, we will stand alongside Korean businesses in their global ambitions and serve as their most trusted partner as they expand into markets around the world." Founded in 1946 with 105 member companies, KITA has grown into one of Korea's leading business organizations, now representing more than 80,000 member firms. The ceremony also featured the unveili

Jul 14, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
KITA celebrates 80th anniversary
Tech & Science

Google eyes expansion in Korean enterprise AI market

Google unveiled its vision to expand the presence of its Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) in Korea's enterprise AI market on Tuesday, highlighting its strengths as a full-stack AI company spanning infrastructure, models and platforms. During a press conference on the sidelines of the Google AI for Business 2026 event in Seoul, Google Korea Country Managing Director Yoon Koo and Google Cloud Korea Country Head Ruth Sun stressed that Korea is one of the world's most competitive AI markets and a key strategic partner for Google. “When the world was transitioning to the mobile era, Korea was often described as a global test bed,” Yoon said. “But Korea is no longer just a place where technologies are tested. It has become a fiercely competitive arena where all the key players driving global AI innovation come together and compete head-on. The competition here is so intense that nearly every AI use case developed in Korea goes on to become a global reference case for innovation.” Yoon and Sun emphasized that forging partnerships with Korean companies at the center of that competitio

Jul 14, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Google eyes expansion in Korean enterprise AI market
Companies

Tight timeline puts southwestern chip cluster plan at risk

As the Korean government pushes to complete a new 800 trillion won ($532 billion) semiconductor cluster in the country's southwestern region and begin mass production there by 2030 — within President Lee Jae Myung's single five-year term — concerns are growing that the tight timeline could put the entire project at risk. The government stresses that the target is achievable by rolling out measures to address concerns raised by experts over securing sufficient industrial water, power supply, workforce and land, but industry officials argue the timeline is based on the optimistic assumption that every step will proceed without delays. Given that the downside risks are as significant as the scale of the investment, they say the government should allow for greater flexibility rather than becoming overly fixated on its political timetable. According to government officials, the central government is accelerating plans to relocate facilities at Gwangju Military Air Base, the site selected for the semiconductor cluster, to nearby Muan County, South Jeolla Province. It aims to begin the rel

Jul 13, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Tight timeline puts southwestern chip cluster plan at risk
Companies

AMCHAM launches 'K-Doorknock' to support Korean companies expanding in US

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) has launched "K-Doorknock," a new advocacy program aimed at helping Korean companies strengthen their business and investment presence in the United States. The initiative will debut Monday (local time) in Washington, D.C., as part of AMCHAM's annual Washington Doorknock mission, which runs through Thursday. Washington Doorknock has long served as AMCHAM's flagship advocacy program, bringing business leaders to the U.S. capital to meet policymakers and opinion leaders on issues affecting bilateral economic ties. The newly introduced K-Doorknock expands that effort by providing a dedicated platform for Korean companies to engage directly with U.S. government officials and business leaders as they expand operations and investments in the U.S. AMCHAM said the new initiative reflects the increasingly two-way nature of the Korea-U.S. economic partnership, with the chamber seeking to support not only U.S. companies operating in Korea but also Korean companies investing and creating jobs in the United States. The inaugural K-Doorknock delegation

Jul 13, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
AMCHAM launches 'K-Doorknock' to support Korean companies expanding in US
Tech & Science

Samsung Taylor fab enters production phase for Tesla's AI5 chip

Samsung Electronics has completed designing its version of Tesla’s AI5 chip for self-driving systems, with production set to begin soon at its foundry fab in Taylor, Texas, according to industry officials on Monday. James Kim, a principal engineer at Samsung Foundry, wrote on LinkedIn that “the Tesla-Samsung AI5 chip has reached tape-out” and it is “scheduled to be manufactured at the Taylor fab using our latest 2nm (nanometer) process and will soon be integrated into Tesla's newest products.” He deleted the post after news reports. Tape-out marks the completion of a chip's design process, meaning the design has been finalized and handed over for manufacturing. After passing the prevalidation stage, the taped-out design is used to produce photomasks and undergo wafer fabrication to create engineering samples, which then go through the qualification process with customers before entering mass production. In April, Elon Musk wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Tesla’s AI5 team has taped out the chip’s design to Samsung Electronics and TSMC for foundry manufacturing. Musk said

Jul 13, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Samsung Taylor fab enters production phase for Tesla's AI5 chip
Tech & Science

D4D Hackathon lays foundation for defense AI ecosystem in APAC

Deploy for Defense (D4D) Hackathon APAC successfully completed its inaugural event in Seoul, laying the foundation for a defense artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem in the region. According to D4D, Sunday, it hosted the hackathon event from July 3-5, with more than 200 builders and officials from academia and defense AI companies including Palantir Technologies, Stealth Mole and BONE AI. The event awarded eight teams across five tracks. A team from BONE AI won the autonomous and unmanned systems track. Teams DoS and ANGAE won in the defense intelligence category, while DELPHI, SEASIDE and Nyx were recognized in battlefield networks, maritime domain awareness and combat readiness, respectively. Supporty and Kestrel also received special awards linked to an Oregon-based UAS accelerator program in the United States. Organizations from Oregon are scheduled to visit Korea on July 14 to sign a memorandum of understanding, marking the first case in Korea in which a domestic hackathon resulted in a direct U.S. market entry. “Korea's defense industry has long been defined by the export succe

Jul 12, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
D4D Hackathon lays foundation for defense AI ecosystem in APAC
Companies

Samsung Electronics' largest union urges withdrawal of local voucher wage bill

Samsung Electronics' largest labor union on Friday called for the withdrawal of a proposed revision to the Labor Standards Act that would allow employers to pay part of workers' wages with local gift certificates, arguing that the bill undermines the principle that wages should be paid in legal currency. According to a wage agreement reached in May, employees in Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) Division could receive performance-based incentives of up to 600 million won ($397,000) each if earnings meet expectations, while employees in the Device eXperience (DX) Division, the company's consumer electronics business, are expected to receive company shares worth about 6 million won. The Samsung Electronics Labor Union (SELU) criticized proposed legislation, introduced Wednesday by Rep. Park Min-kyu of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, which would amend the Labor Standards Act to allow employers to pay part of workers' wages, including performance bonuses, in local gift certificates or other non-cash forms with employees' explicit consent or under a collective bargaining agre

Jul 10, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Samsung Electronics' largest union urges withdrawal of local voucher wage bill
Tech & Science

Space Frontier Forum kicks off to draw attention to space startups

Korean space industry consulting firm SpaceRadar and venture capital firm STIC Ventures hosted the inaugural Space Frontier Forum on Thursday, creating a platform for space industry startups, researchers and policymakers to explore new opportunities. Under the theme, "Understanding and Growing the Space Industry Ecosystem Together," the forum brought together over 150 participants, including officials from Korean space companies, startups, the Korea AeroSpace Research Institute (KARI), the foreign ministry and venture capital firms. "For the space industry to grow, it is essential for companies, researchers and policymakers to communicate and collaborate," SpaceRadar CEO Park Si-soo said. "We hope today's forum will serve as the starting point." During the forum, participants discussed the latest trends and emerging opportunities in the private space industry. Established space companies, including KT SAT and Nara Space, shared their experiences, while Mirae Asset Capital and KARI delivered presentations on investment trends and the latest developments in the space sector. Nara Space CEO

Jul 9, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Space Frontier Forum kicks off to draw attention to space startups
Companies

KEZAD offers risk buffer for K-biz as Korea-UAE CEPA opens opportunities

As geopolitical tensions around the Strait of Hormuz persist, uncertainty continues to cloud Korea's trade with the Middle East, with businesses here increasingly exploring ways around that risk while looking to best capitalize on growing regional demand for Korean goods. Khalid Al Marzooqi, vice president of Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi (KEZAD) Group, said the United Arab Emirates and KEZAD are well positioned to support such efforts as regional manufacturing, assembly and distribution hubs for Korean companies, noting that the implementation of the Korea-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) makes this an opportune time for Korean businesses to establish operations there. “Korean businesses are increasingly viewing UAE as an outstanding base for manufacturing location for their global operation and also viewing UAE as a stable, innovation‑driven base for regional and global expansion,” Al Marzooqi told The Korea Times in an interview on Tuesday during his visit to Seoul. “And today we see more interest for production activity, not just export. Companies se

Jul 9, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
KEZAD offers risk buffer for K-biz as Korea-UAE CEPA opens opportunities
Companies

Galaxy Robot Park sells out July weekend shows ahead of official opening

Galaxy Corp. said Wednesday that ticket sales for the preopening of its new Galaxy Robot Park have exceeded expectations, with all July weekend shows selling out immediately despite the venue's official grand opening being scheduled for September. The company said about 8,000 visitors secured reservations during the initial July booking period. Following the rapid sellout of weekend performances, it has received numerous requests to release additional tickets. Galaxy Robot Park is billed as the world's first physical artificial intelligence (AI) theme park, combining AI, robotics, live performances and intellectual property into an immersive entertainment experience. Unlike a conventional exhibition venue, the park is designed as a permanent performance space where humans and robots appear on stage together, offering interactive experiences intended to showcase advances in AI-powered robotics. At the center of the venue is the Robot Arena, where visitors can watch performances including synchronized K-pop robot dance shows and robot boxing matches. Other attractions include a "Hugging Ro

Jul 8, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Galaxy Robot Park sells out July weekend shows ahead of official opening
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