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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

Samsung, SK, Hyundai expand AI partnerships with Big Tech firms to $950 bil.

Samsung, SK Group, Hyundai Motor Group and other Korean tech conglomerates expanded their artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor partnerships with U.S. Big Tech companies to $950 billion during President Lee Jae Myung's visit to San Francisco over the weekend. According to presidential chief of staff for policy Kim Yong-beom, Korean companies and Big Tech firms agreed to pursue a combined $950 billion worth of semiconductor and AI partnerships, on the occasion of the San Francisco AI Summit on Friday (local time). Among them, Samsung Electronics signed a $200 billion memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Broadcom, under which Samsung's memory and foundry businesses will supply AI-specific high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips and logic semiconductor manufacturing services for Broadcom's AI accelerators through 2030. Broadcom is one of the world's leading fabless companies specializing in application-specific integrated circuit chips, designing custom processors tailored to the needs of individual hyperscalers and cloud service providers. As such customers increasingly seek AI accele

Jul 26, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo and Lee Gyu-lee
Samsung, SK, Hyundai expand AI partnerships with Big Tech firms to $950 bil.
Tech & Science

Samsung seeks smart glasses edge over Meta with smartphone expertise

LONDON — Samsung Electronics is distinguishing its upcoming smart glasses from rival products in the market, defining them as a “wearable device made by a smartphone specialist.” During a press briefing after Galaxy Unpacked 2026 in London on Thursday, Samsung Electronics Head of Extended Reality Research & Development Team Choi Jae-in said the company's smart glasses are not intended to replace smartphones but to extend the mobile experience through a new wearable device. “Smart glasses are an extension of the experience centered on the smartphone, rather than being a post-smartphone device,” Choi said. “Running artificial intelligence (AI) effectively requires significant computing power, but packing all the necessary chips into a pair of glasses makes it difficult to deliver a lightweight and comfortable experience that smart glasses should provide. … That's where our technological strength lies. As the first major smartphone brand to enter the smart glasses market, we have a lot of things to offer (to the market).” At Galaxy Unpacked 2026, Samsung showcased four smart

Jul 26, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Samsung seeks smart glasses edge over Meta with smartphone expertise
Tech & Science

Samsung drops Exynos for Galaxy Watch, turns to Qualcomm

LONDON — Samsung Electronics' new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and Galaxy Watch 9 will be powered by Qualcomm application processors (APs) for the first time, marking another step away from the company’s in-house Exynos APs. The move highlights Samsung's continued reliance on Qualcomm’s logic chips, eroding one of the Korean tech giant's key competitive strengths as a company that develops both devices and the semiconductors that power them. During Galaxy Unpacked 2026 in London, Wednesday, Samsung Electronics unveiled the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and Galaxy Watch 9, the company's first smartwatches powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite APs. So far, Samsung has used Exynos W application processors designed by its Device Solutions Division for the Galaxy Watch lineup. This year, however, the premium Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and the mainstream Galaxy Watch 9 are both powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite, with Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon taking the stage at the launch event to highlight the companies' deepening partnership. “The Qualcomm and Samsung partnership is also expanding into sm

Jul 23, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Samsung drops Exynos for Galaxy Watch, turns to Qualcomm
Tech & Science

Samsung CEO explains why new Galaxy foldable phones are cheaper in Korea

LONDON — Samsung Electronics has unveiled the global prices for its new Galaxy Z8 foldable smartphone lineup, which are up to 48 percent higher than the launch prices in Korea. With soaring memory prices making the pricing of new smartphones more challenging than ever, Samsung has adopted a more aggressive pricing strategy in its home market, a move that can prompt complaints from overseas consumers who are being asked to pay significantly more for the same products. However, Samsung Electronics co-CEO Roh Tae-moon said offering Galaxy devices at lower prices in Korea will remain the company's direction and goal, describing the Korean market as the foundation for strengthening the Galaxy brand's global competitiveness. During Wednesday's Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event here, Samsung announced that the flagship Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra with 256 gigabytes (GB) of storage will be priced at $2,099 in the United States and 2,199 euros ($2,509.5) in Europe. The prices are 20.4 percent and 44 percent higher, respectively, than the model's launch price in Korea of 2.58 million won ($1,743). The price ga

Jul 23, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Samsung CEO explains why new Galaxy foldable phones are cheaper in Korea
Tech & Science

Samsung revamps foldable branding amid rising memory costs

LONDON — Samsung Electronics has reorganized its foldable smartphone lineup, assigning its highest “Ultra” branding to the traditional bar-type foldable form factor while giving the newly introduced wider model the standard Galaxy Z Fold8 name without any additional modifier. Samsung said the branding reflects its strategy of applying the "Ultra" designation to its highest-specification model and offering foldable devices tailored to different user needs. However, it is also seen as part of Samsung's pricing strategy to cope with soaring memory costs by securing greater flexibility to sustain premium pricing. The company said the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra starts at 2.58 million won ($1,740) for the 256-gigabyte (GB) model, rising to 2.83 million won for the 512 GB version and 3.45 million won for the 1-terabyte model. The prices represent increases of 8.3 percent, 11.5 percent and 17.7 percent, respectively, from the launch prices of corresponding Fold7 models. After memory prices began rising sharply this year, Samsung raised prices for higher-storage Fold7 models in April, and the Fo

Jul 22, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Samsung revamps foldable branding amid rising memory costs
  • Galaxy Z Fold8 unfolds wider viewing experience
Tech & Science

Galaxy Z Fold8 unfolds wider viewing experience

LONDON — Samsung Electronics unveiled the Galaxy Z8 series on Wednesday, introducing a wider addition to the lineup that delivers a more optimized viewing experience enabled by a redesigned display and aspect ratio. During the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event here, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Z Fold8, Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip 8 series, expanding its lineup previously comprised of the horizontally folding Galaxy Z Fold and vertically folding Galaxy Z Flip series. "As AI (artificial intelligence) continues to evolve, mobile devices will become the primary touchpoint that best understands users and seamlessly integrates into their daily lives," Samsung Electronics Co-CEO and Head of Device Experience Division Roh Tae-moon said. "The new Galaxy Z series represents Samsung's most refined foldable devices yet, elevating the mobile experience while delivering personalized services to usher in the next era of intelligence." With the launch of the Galaxy Z8 series, Samsung has reorganized its foldable lineup. The traditional Galaxy Z Fold form factor — which becomes a bar-type phone

Jul 22, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Galaxy Z Fold8 unfolds wider viewing experience
Companies

Samsung launches 1st co-branded credit card ahead of Galaxy Unpacked

Samsung Electronics unveiled its first co-branded credit card in the United States on Monday (local time), expanding its digital wallet ecosystem ahead of its Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday, where the company is expected to introduce its latest Galaxy devices. The Samsung Galaxy Card, issued by Barclays U.S. Consumer Bank on the Visa network, offers cash rewards on everyday purchases, with higher rewards for Samsung-related purchases. Eligible customers can apply for the card beginning Tuesday, while general public applications will open on Wednesday, the same day Samsung is scheduled to hold its Galaxy Unpacked event. The company said cardholders who spend $2,000 within the first 90 days of opening an account will receive $200 in bonus cash rewards. The card offers 5 percent cash rewards on eligible Samsung purchases, 3 percent on purchases made through Samsung Wallet, 2 percent on select streaming services including Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify, and 1 percent on all other purchases. Cardholders also receive a 20 percent discount on Samsung VIP Advantage memberships and can earn add

Jul 21, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Samsung launches 1st co-branded credit card ahead of Galaxy Unpacked
Companies

Samsung Biologics to acquire PolyPeptide for $1.8 bil.

Samsung Biologics said Monday it will acquire Swiss peptide drug manufacturer PolyPeptide Group through an all-cash public tender offer valued at approximately 1.46 billion Swiss francs ($1.8 billion), marking its largest overseas acquisition as it expands beyond antibody manufacturing into peptide therapeutics. The Korean contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) will offer 44.31 Swiss francs per share for all outstanding shares of PolyPeptide, representing a 40 percent premium to the company's unaffected closing price before acquisition rumors emerged in April. The transaction, expected to close toward the end of 2026, is subject to shareholder approval, regulatory clearances and other customary conditions. Samsung Biologics must secure at least a two-thirds acceptance rate from shareholders. PolyPeptide's largest shareholder, which owns about 55.7 percent of the company, has already agreed to tender its stake. PolyPeptide's board of directors unanimously recommended that shareholders accept the offer, saying the acquisition provides an attractive outcome for investor

Jul 20, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Samsung Biologics to acquire PolyPeptide for $1.8 bil.
Tech & Science

Price to be key as Samsung takes on Meta in smart glasses

Samsung Electronics is expected to reveal its smart glasses series at the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked July 2026 in London next week, with the company seeking to challenge Meta's dominance in the market. Market observers say smart glasses will become the next battleground for global device makers in the wake of physical artificial intelligence (AI), and pricing is expected to play a key role in determining market leadership. Samsung Electronics in May unveiled two designs of its smart glasses, developed in partnership with eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. Scheduled to debut in the global market this autumn, Samsung said the smart glasses will allow users to access Google's Gemini AI for navigation, location recommendations, real-time voice translation and text message summaries. The Samsung glasses will reportedly feature a built-in camera, speakers and microphones — primarily serving as the eyes for an AI in paired smartphones. They are not expected to include a display function, but are expected to weigh around 50 grams, offering improved comfort compared to existing smart

Jul 17, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Price to be key as Samsung takes on Meta in smart glasses
Tech & Science

'AI for everyone' gov't initiative faces feasibility questions

The government plans to roll out a general artificial intelligence (AI) service allowing unlimited use for all Koreans without any fees, but the initiative is facing questions about its feasibility, particularly over how it would cover token costs and ensure the operator's financial sustainability. During a policy briefing with President Lee Jae Myung Thursday, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it will introduce “a ChatGPT-like chatbot service” by using Korea’s proprietary AI model by the end of this year. The government also plans to integrate public services into the platform, allowing users to search and apply for government services through the AI model. Once the service gets on track, the government plans to upgrade it next year into an AI agent that will offer greater accessibility than a chatbot, with the goal of providing every Korean with a personal AI agent. "In addition to a general-purpose AI chatbot service, we will continue to expand public AI agent services," Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon said. "Starting in 2027, we

Jul 17, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
'AI for everyone' gov't initiative faces feasibility questions
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