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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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Tech & Science

NC cruises toward brisk earnings recovery on AION2 success

Game studio NC on Wednesday reported a solid recovery in its first-quarter earnings, driven by the success of its signature massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) titles, including AION 2 and Lineage Classic. During its earnings call, NC announced 557.4 billion won ($372.25 million) in sales and 113.3 billion won in operating profit for the January-March period this year, up 55 percent and 2,070 percent, respectively, year-on-year. The numbers mark a solid recovery in the company’s profitability. In 2024, the company suffered an annual operating loss of 109.2 billion won. Since then, the company has pursued aggressive restructuring and efficiency improvements, returning to an annual operating profit of 16.1 billion won in 2025 and extending the momentum into the first quarter of this year. Driving the improvement were the company’s PC titles, whose revenue reached a quarterly record of 318.4 billion won, up 210 percent from a year earlier. AION 2 generated 136.8 billion won in revenue, as the title, released in November last year, made a full-quarter contribution. Du

May 13, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
NC cruises toward brisk earnings recovery on AION2 success
Companies

Samsung Electronics labor talks break down, general strike looms

An additional round of wage negotiations between Samsung Electronics’ management and labor unions collapsed Wednesday, as the dispute spirals toward an 18-day strike involving more than 40,000 employees, mostly from the company’s chipmaking division, starting May 21. While a last-minute settlement before the strike remains possible, concerns are growing over potential fallout from a walkout, with losses expected to reach 1 trillion won ($671 million) per day. Prolonged disruptions to semiconductor production lines could lead to structural damage for the company, including the possible loss of key clients such as Nvidia. Samsung Electronics has filed an injunction with the Suwon District Court seeking to ban the planned labor actions, and the court is expected to issue its ruling before the strike begins. If the court accepts the request, the company may avoid large-scale disruption, but problems could drag on longer under a reduced workforce maintained only by essential personnel. According to the government and industry officials, the two-day follow-up mediation session arranged by

May 13, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Samsung Electronics labor talks break down, general strike looms
Companies

Policy chief 's idea for 'national dividends' using AI profit triggers concerns

Kim Yong-beom, presidential chief of staff for policy, has proposed distributing excess tax revenue generated from Korea’s artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor sectors to citizens, raising concerns in the business community amid an ongoing labor dispute at Samsung Electronics over bonuses tied to the company’s soaring profits. Though the top policymaker stressed that the idea assumed that excess tax revenue would actually be generated, the proposal, posted on his Facebook page on Monday night, affected the uptrend of the benchmark KOSPI and Samsung Electronics shares on Tuesday. In the post, Kim wrote, “If Korea’s strategic position in the AI infrastructure supply chain creates a structural boom that leads to record-high excess tax revenue, how to use that money is not merely a matter of choice, but a matter of policy design.” “The gains from the AI infrastructure era are not the result of a few specific companies alone,” he added. “They are built on an industrial foundation accumulated by the entire nation over the past half-century. If so, part of those gains

May 12, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Policy chief 's idea for 'national dividends' using AI profit triggers concerns
Companies

Celltrion takes over French health care firm Gifrer

Celltrion said Tuesday it acquired French health care firm Gifrer, securing a sales network capable of responding swiftly to changes in local health care policies. According to the Korean biopharmaceutical firm, its French unit acquired the entire stake in Gifrer. The two sides did not disclose the financial details of the deal, but said they plan to finalize administrative procedures related to the acquisition by the end of this month. Celltrion said it will operate Gifrer as an independent entity and retain the employment of around 70 employees working at the French firm. Established in 1912, Gifrer is a small company but holds a sales network spanning more than 9,000 pharmacies and about 800 hospitals across France. It also holds a meaningful market presence in local over-the-counter products, including physiological saline solution, tooth whitening products, infant care products and other drugstore medicines. The acquisition marks Celltrion’s strategic move aimed at leveraging Gifrer’s local sales network. Through the deal, the company secured pharmacy sales capabilities tailored

May 12, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Celltrion takes over French health care firm Gifrer
Companies

AMCHAM warns Samsung labor dispute could ripple through global chip supply chains

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) expressed concerns Monday over the potential impact that the ongoing labor dispute at Samsung Electronics could have on global chip supply chains, as the company’s management and labor unions resumed their wage negotiations 10 days before the unions' planned strike. In a statement, AMCHAM said Samsung Electronics plays a critical role in the global semiconductor ecosystem, particularly in the production of memory chips essential to artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and other advanced industries, and any significant production disruptions at the company could place additional strain on the global memory chip market. “Many AMCHAM member companies across industries such as AI, cloud infrastructure, automotive, manufacturing, industrial technology and energy remain highly dependent on stable semiconductor supply chains based in Korea,” the statement read. “Continued labor uncertainty in key export-driven industries could affect confidence in Korea’s reputation as a stable and dependable global partner in manufacturing, t

May 11, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
AMCHAM warns Samsung labor dispute could ripple through global chip supply chains
Tech & Science

Doosan, Lotte plan aggressive investments in chip materials

The brisk semiconductor demand led by artificial intelligence (AI) services is prompting Doosan and Lotte Energy Materials to make aggressive investments in expanding production capacity. According to a regulatory filing from Doosan Corp., the company plans to invest 244.5 billion won ($166 million) in its copper clad laminate (CCL) business this year. CCL is a key material used in printed circuit boards for semiconductors, while AI accelerators require high-end CCL capable of minimizing signal loss and withstanding heat generated during high-speed data processing. The amount represents a 2.8-fold increase from a year earlier. Given that Doosan Corp.’s Electro-Materials business group plans to invest a total of 272.5 billion won this year, allocating 244.5 billion won solely to CCL facilities underscores the company’s concentration on the business. The investment reflects the company's robust revenue. In the first quarter of this year, the business group’s sales reached 617.3 billion won, growing 53.2 percent year-on-year to set a new record. The utilization rates at the company’s

May 11, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Doosan, Lotte plan aggressive investments in chip materials
Tech & Science

Subnautica 2 to test Krafton's long-term growth capability

Krafton will launch its highly anticipated adventure game Subnautica 2 through early access on May 15, in what could become a defining moment for the company’s long-term growth beyond its global hit PUBG: Battlegrounds franchise. Subnautica 2 is an underwater survival action title developed by Unknown Worlds Entertainment, a U.S. game studio acquired by Krafton in 2021. The franchise’s first title, Subnautica, has surpassed 18 million cumulative global sales since its release in 2018, while the sequel has remained at the top of gaming platform Steam’s global wish list rankings for the past nine consecutive months. Subnautica 2 is set on a different alien planet and introduces four-player cooperative mode for the first time in the series, allowing players to explore and develop survival strategies together. While the original game was built on the Unity engine, the sequel was developed using Unreal Engine 5. The game will be released on PC and Xbox Series X and Series S. Subnautica 2 has long been central to discussions about Krafton’s upcoming release pipeline, but its path to l

May 8, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Subnautica 2 to test Krafton's long-term growth capability
Companies

Korea’s employer federation discusses economic cooperation with China

The Korea Enterprises Federation (KEF), a business lobby representing employers, held the third Korea-China Employer Meeting in Shanghai on Thursday, discussing ways to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation with Chinese business leaders. Jointly hosted by the China International Council for the Promotion of Multinational Corporations (CICPMC), the meeting focused on the importance of cooperation between the two countries’ companies amid growing global economic uncertainty, as well as exploring new growth opportunities through expanded cooperation in emerging industries. More than 50 business leaders and government officials attended the event, including KEF Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik, Bank of China Board Chairman Ge Haijao, Shanghai Vice Mayor Lu Shan, CICPMC Vice Chairman Su Deliang and Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs of the Korean Embassy in China Kim Jin-dong. “Since establishing diplomatic ties in 1992, Korea and China have achieved remarkable growth across trade, investment and industries on the back of close economic cooperation,” Sohn said. “Bilateral trade has e

May 7, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Korea’s employer federation discusses economic cooperation with China
Companies

Individual shareholders step up criticism of Samsung labor unions

Individual shareholders of Samsung Electronics are raising their voices against a planned strike by the company's labor unions, warning of legal action if the walkout violates the law and causes damage. A Samsung Electronics individual shareholder group, whose name roughly translates in English to the “Republic of Korea Shareholder Activism Headquarters,” said Thursday that it will take “stern shareholder actions” against the unions, while urging lawmakers to increase efforts to protect shareholders’ rights. “If an illegal strike takes place or management reaches an unfair agreement with the unions, we will take comprehensive shareholder actions,” Min Kyung-kwon, head of the group, said during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul. “If excessive strike actions by the unions damage the company’s core assets, shareholders will coordinate through online platforms and respond firmly.” The warnings came in response to the unions' plan to launch a massive strike May 21 demanding the company remove a cap on performance-based bonuses and allocate bonuses equal

May 7, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Individual shareholders step up criticism of Samsung labor unions
Companies

Samsung Biologics labor dispute drags on amid tensions over police complaint, AI plants

The labor dispute between Samsung Biologics’ union and management is escalating as talks over wages and bonuses remain stalled, with the union continuing to demand provisions requiring its consent for the introduction of new technologies and machinery — a move that could be viewed as encroaching on management rights. According to industry officials, Wednesday, Samsung Biologics has filed a criminal complaint with Incheon police against a union member for allegedly disrupting the company’s operations by entering a production site without authorization and monitoring manufacturing processes on Monday, when the union was staging a strike. The union member is accused of monitoring operations without proper authority and disrupting normal manufacturing activities. Samsung Biologics views the act as a clear deviation from legitimate labor activities and a serious violation of its management and facility control rights. The complaint marks the latest escalation in the dispute between the company’s management and labor union. Samsung Group United Union's Samsung Biologics chapter staged

May 6, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Samsung Biologics labor dispute drags on amid tensions over police complaint, AI plants
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