Business - The Korea Times

Celltrion opens production site in New Jersey

Celltrion officially launched the operation of its new production facility in Branchburg, New Jersey, Monday (local time), just five months after the Korean biotech firm took over the facility from Eli Lilly to expand its U.S. presence. Celltrion Chairman Seo Jung-jin, U.S. Senator Andy Kim, Rep. Thomas Kean Jr., Branchburg Township Mayor Thomas Young and other dignitaries attended the opening ceremony, where Kean presented a U.S. flag and asked that it be displayed at the facility. “We will expand the Branchburg facility into an integrated contract development and manufacturing hub by setting up R&D centers,” Seo said during the ceremony. “This will make Celltrion Branchburg one of the key pillars of Celltrion’s global growth alongside our headquarters in Songdo (Incheon).” The company also appointed Todd Winge, former site head of Eli Lilly’s Branchburg operations, as CEO of Celltrion Branchburg, establishing a locally based management system. The launch came just five months after Celltrion was selected as the preferred bidder for the Branchburg facility in late July. Cell

Jan 6, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo

Celltrion opens production site in New Jersey

Korea faces dilemma on Arctic routes due to international sanctions on Russia

BUSAN — Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries appears at a loss over how it will help domestic shippers tap into the Arctic shipping route, which was one of the main reasons for the ministry’s relocation to Busan. The ministry on Monday declined to elaborate on how it plans to work with Russia, which is under international sanctions, to enable Korea’s use of Arctic routes, or how it intends to persuade local firms to transport cargo via the North Pole. Although the ministry relocated from Sejong to Busan just six months after President Lee Jae Myung floated the idea, stressing the need to prepare for the era of Arctic shipping, uncertainty still surrounds the ministry’s plan to operate a 3,000-TEU container ship from Busan to Rotterdam via the North Pole in September. “Cooperation with Russia is absolutely crucial for using Arctic shipping routes, as I mentioned during last month’s presidential policy briefing,” acting Oceans Minister Kim Sung-bum told reporters. “However, we cannot disregard the Western bloc’s sanctions on Russia, since Korea is also part of them

Jan 6, 2026By Park Jae-hyuk

Korea faces dilemma on Arctic routes due to international sanctions on Russia

CES 2026 Samsung unveils Galaxy Book 6 Series with advanced AI features, longer battery life

LAS VEGAS — Samsung Electronics on Monday (local time) unveiled the Galaxy Book 6 series, which it describes as its most advanced Galaxy Book lineup to date, featuring enhanced performance powered by the latest Intel processors and significantly improved battery life. According to the Korean tech giant, the new lineup consists of three models — the Galaxy Book 6 Ultra, Galaxy Book 6 Pro and Galaxy Book 6 — offered in two display sizes:14 inches and 16 inches. Lee Min-cheol, vice president of the Samsung Mobile Experience Division's Galaxy Eco Business Team, expressed strong confidence at a briefing on Sunday, saying the company’s latest product “will deliver top-tier performance unlike anything seen before.” The Galaxy Book 6 series is powered by Intel’s latest Core Ultra Series 3 processors, built on the company’s advanced Intel 18A process. These chips deliver improved power efficiency and processing performance, while ensuring more stable and consistent operation through enhanced thermal control. In addition, the Galaxy Book 6 Ultra is equipped with NVIDIA’s latest G

Jan 6, 2026By Kang Seung-woo

[CES 2026] Samsung unveils Galaxy Book 6 Series with advanced AI features, longer battery life

CES 2026 Hyundai Motor Group ushers in era of AI robotics

LAS VEGAS — Hyundai Motor Group will open a new era of artificial intelligence (AI) robotics by converging its manufacturing prowess with vast datasets compiled from its complete value chain in auto production, logistics and sales, the carmaker said Monday (local time) on the sidelines of this year’s CES tech fair. Jumping on the AI bandwagon, the carmaker pledged to transform itself into a key player for what it calls “human-centric AI robotics” by overcoming challenges from conventional hardware- and mobility-focused robots. "Physical AI" is the catchphrase for this year’s CES, referring to the integration of AI with hardware to interact with the physical world. Embracing the latest tech trend, the carmaker displayed confidence in boosting its presence, particularly in humanoid robots, smart factories and autonomous driving. Hyundai Motor Group is one of the world’s largest carmakers, with a strong global value chain across its entire business process, giving it an edge in compiling the datasets needed to become a leading player in physical AI. The carmaker also unveiled a

Jan 6, 2026By Lee Min-hyung

[CES 2026] Hyundai Motor Group ushers in era of AI robotics

CES 2026 LG Electronics pushes AI beyond screen with ‘AI in Action’

LAS VEGAS — LG Electronics on Monday (local time) unveiled its vision for “AI in Action” at its annual LG World Premiere, held ahead of CES 2026, outlining how artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving from a conversational tool into an active agent that orchestrates devices, spaces and services across homes, vehicles and commercial facilities. Held under the theme of “Innovation in tune with you,” the showcase highlighted LG’s approach to integrating AI seamlessly into everyday life. An annual tradition on the eve of CES, the LG World Premiere serves as a platform for the company to present its latest developments and long-term strategy, reaffirming its commitment to customer-centric innovation focused on delivering practical, everyday value. The event drew more than 1,000 attendees, including global media, industry experts and partners, with thousands more joining via livestream worldwide. The strong turnout underscored LG’s determination to bring AI beyond the screen and into real-world environments, signaling the next phase of innovation in smart homes, connected mobil

Jan 6, 2026By Kang Seung-woo

[CES 2026] LG Electronics pushes AI beyond screen with ‘AI in Action’

CES 2026 CES 2026 to showcase real-world AI applications

LAS VEGAS — This year’s CES tech fair will focus on the shift of artificial intelligence (AI) from mainly digital uses to real-world applications, especially in robotics, by turning conceptual ideas into tangible physical products, an organizer of the world’s largest IT exhibition said Sunday (local time). CES 2026 will run for four days starting Tuesday, and one of the event’s most striking features will be the real-world application of artificial intelligence and its growing integration into robotics, according to Kinsey Fabrizio, president of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the show’s organizer. “At CES 2026, visitors are going to see a lot of AI concepts go from concept to actual implementation on products and their development,” she told reporters during a media briefing. The remark reflects the rapidly evolving landscape of AI. In recent years, generative AI has dominated the global tech industry in the wake of ChatGPT. So far, generative AI has enabled individuals and companies to create text and image content using massive datasets. However, the paradigm i

Jan 6, 2026By Lee Min-hyung

[CES 2026] CES 2026 to showcase real-world AI applications

Shinsegae, Alibaba sign MOU to expand global sales of Korean products

Korean retailer Shinsegae Group signed an agreement with China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding on Monday to help expand overseas sales channels for competitive South Korean sellers. Under a memorandum of understanding (MOU), the two companies aim to introduce high-quality Korean products identified by Shinsegae to global markets through Alibaba's e-commerce platforms, with a goal of achieving more than 1 trillion won ($691 million) in annual transactions through the partnership in five years. As part of the initiative, the companies plan to expand cross-border e-commerce operations to South Asia via Alibaba's Daraz platform and to southern Europe, including Spain and Portugal, through Miravia. The partnership will later extend to China and eventually to more than 200 countries and regions where Alibaba operates. Shinsegae Group will focus on discovering competitive domestic products and recruiting sellers and manufacturers, while also providing strategies to help them succeed in global markets, the company said. Alibaba International will offer its e-commerce platforms to facilit

Jan 5, 2026By Yonhap

Shinsegae, Alibaba sign MOU to expand global sales of Korean products

Gov't to audit KCCI over spending on APEC events

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) faces a government audit over alleged misappropriation and misuse of the budget for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events held in October and early November last year. On Thursday, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources will start looking into the lobby group, which led the APEC CEO Summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The KCCI said on Monday it had launched its own investigation over the issue and will cooperate with the government’s audit. The allegations stemmed from a report that said one of the organizing committee’s team leaders attempted to obtain a rebate from a hotel the committee booked to provide accommodation for participants of the CEO Summit held from Oct. 28 to 31. An internal KCCI report showed the person got the hotel to issue an invoice charging 48.5 million won ($33,500) when the actual amount was 45 million won. He then tried to have the hotel wire the surplus 3.5 million won to his personal bank account. KCCI said the act did not go beyond the attempt stage, and the official has been su

Jan 5, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan

Gov't to audit KCCI over spending on APEC events

Struggling battery makers bet on ESS, AI, cost cutting to power 2026 rebound

Korea's three major battery manufacturers began 2026 with renewed confidence in their ability to regain growth momentum, despite lingering skepticism about their earnings prospects amid sluggish global demand for electric vehicles (EVs). Acknowledging a difficult business environment, the leaders of LG Energy Solution (LGES), Samsung SDI and SK On urged employees to overcome current challenges by diversifying portfolios, cutting costs, improving technology and adopting artificial intelligence (AI). LGES and SK On both stressed the need to expand the production of batteries for energy storage systems (ESS), along with broader cost-saving efforts and the use of AI in daily operations. “Demand for ESS is growing more sharply than ever before, and this is the crucial opportunity for the success of portfolio rebalancing,” LGES CEO Kim Dong-myung said in his New Year’s address Monday. “We will speed up converting our facilities in North America, Europe and China to produce ESS batteries, stabilizing their supply and streamlining operations.” To reduce costs, Kim pointed to innovation

Jan 5, 2026By Park Jae-hyuk

Struggling battery makers bet on ESS, AI, cost cutting to power 2026 rebound

JobKorea closes Jobplanet acquisition, accelerates AI-driven shift

JobKorea has completed the acquisition process for the job search platform Jobplanet. The company announced on Monday that the acquisition process was closed as of Dec. 31, making Jobplanet officially a subsidiary of JobKorea starting the next day. With the acquisition, the company is set to move beyond a model centered on job posting and accelerate its transformation into an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven platform that integrates corporate insights and career data. “This acquisition is a strategic decision to become an AI-driven career partner that supports job seekers not only after hiring but also with making decisions to apply,” JobKorea CEO Yoon Hyun-jun said. “Building on the data and technological capabilities we have accumulated as Korea’s leading recruitment platform, JobKorea will further solidify its leadership in the human resources-tech market.” By combining JobKorea’s extensive recruitment database with Jobplanet’s company reviews and work environment insights, the company said, it will deliver AI-based support that not only recommends suitable job opport

Jan 5, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee

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