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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

SK On, Ford to disband US joint venture

SK On said Thursday it has agreed with Ford Motor to end their three-year joint operation of BlueOval SK, restructuring the U.S. battery manufacturing venture. Under the agreement, each company will independently own and operate the joint venture’s production facilities. A Ford subsidiary will take full ownership of battery plants in Kentucky, while SK On will own and run the factory in Tennessee. SK On said the decision is intended to strategically realign assets and production capacity to improve operational efficiency and respond more effectively to evolving market dynamics and diverse customer needs. The Korean company added it will maintain a strong strategic relationship with Ford, as the Tennessee plant is located within the automaker’s BlueOval City campus. “Taking ownership and control of the Tennessee plant will further strengthen SK On’s battery innovation and manufacturing leadership,” the company said in a press release. “SK On plans to focus on profitable and sustainable growth in the U.S. by supplying electric vehicle batteries to Ford and other customers, as we

Dec 11, 2025By Park Jae-hyuk
SK On, Ford to disband US joint venture

Interim CEO seen as Coupang’s move to shield founder from Assembly probe

Coupang has replaced its Korea head to address the aftermath of its massive data breach affecting nearly 34 million users, in what appears to be a strengthened effort to shield founder and Coupang Inc. Chairman Kim Bom-suk, also known as Bom Kim, from growing domestic criticism ahead of a Dec. 17 National Assembly hearing. Coupang Inc., the U.S. parent company of its Korean unit Coupang Corp., has appointed its chief administrative officer and general counsel, Harold Rogers, as the Korean unit’s interim CEO to lead the company’s response to the fallout from the incident. Rogers, who joined Coupang in 2020, is considered one of Kim’s closest aides. A legal expert, he graduated from Brigham Young University and Harvard Law School, and previously worked as an attorney at Sidley Austin and as chief ethics and compliance officer at global telecommunications firm Millicom. Rogers’ appointment is widely seen as a move to prepare for the company’s uphill legal battles. In the wake of the data breach, the company is facing not only class action lawsuits from users but also growing poli

Dec 11, 2025By Nam Hyun-woo
Interim CEO seen as Coupang’s move to shield founder from Assembly probe

PHOTO Award ceremony for heroic firefighters

S-Oil CEO Anwar Al-Hejazi, back row seventh from left, and S-Oil President Ryu Yul, back row eighth from left, pose with Kim Sung-yi, back row fifth from left, chairman of the Korea National Council on Social Welfare, and Kim Seung-ryong, back row sixth from left, acting commissioner of the National Fire Agency, at Seoul Garden Hotel, Thursday, after recognizing firefighters for their heroic work. The oil refiner said it gave a combined 90 million won ($61,000) to eight award-winning firefighters. Courtesy of S-Oil

Dec 11, 2025By Park Jae-hyukphoto
[PHOTO] Award ceremony for heroic firefighters

SPC to build smart bread factory in Eumseong next year

Major food conglomerate SPC Group will start building an automated smart factory next year in North Chungcheong Province to enhance workplace safety and strengthen its production capacity. The plan comes after a recent series of workplace deaths at the group’s manufacturing plants prompted SPC to launch a compliance committee in July to strengthen internal monitoring and improve workplace safety. The committee proposed the new plant to the group’s leadership as part of efforts to improve worker conditions. The new plant will be built inside Human Smart Valley in Eumseong County. Powered by artificial intelligence and equipped with automated pipelines and Internet of Things sensors throughout its operations, it will be the group’s most advanced production facility to date. SPC has secured a 183,000-square-meter site inside the valley. The area accounts for 20 percent of the valley’s entire footprint, the largest among tenant companies, and is 2.5 times larger than the group’s current largest manufacturing plant, SPL, in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. SPC plans to complete constr

Dec 11, 2025By Ko Dong-hwan
SPC to build smart bread factory in Eumseong next year

KHNP deepens Czech cooperation for Dukovany nuclear project

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has been stepping up technical exchanges with the Czech Republic on its nuclear power project after securing a contract in June to build a nuclear power plant in the city of Dukovany. A delegation from Elektrarna Dukovany II (EDU II), the Czech state-run company in charge of the project, visited Korea from Dec. 1 through Thursday for an extensive technical exchange program. During their trip, they held meetings on design procedures, observed key design processes and took part in a specialized training program for the project. A total of 53 EDU II officials participated, including Zbynek Mrazek, general manager of the new Dukovany project. “During this visit, the Czech delegation and KHNP strengthened mutual trust and laid meaningful groundwork for expanding technical cooperation,” said Park In-sik, head of KHNP’s export business division. “We will continue to provide all necessary technical support and exchanges to ensure the project proceeds without delay.” On Dec. 1 and 2, the delegation visited the headquarters of Korea Electric Power Corp.

Dec 11, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
KHNP deepens Czech cooperation for Dukovany nuclear project

Samsung Stepping Stone of Hope program opens 16th center in Incheon

Samsung Group on Thursday opened the 16th center for its Stepping Stone of Hope program in Incheon, marking the latest milestone for the corporate social responsibility program aimed at supporting the financial independence of young adults exiting foster care. First Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Lee Seu-ran, Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, Samsung Global Research Social Contribution President Jang Seok-hoon, Samsung Electronics Communications President Baek Su-hyeon, Samsung Electronics Corporate Relations President Park Seung-hee and 200 other officials from the government, Incheon Metropolitan City and Samsung congratulated the opening during a ceremony in Bupyeong District, Incheon. The program was launched in 2013, inspired by ideas from Samsung Electronics employees who proposed a corporate social responsibility program designed to support young adults transitioning out of child welfare facilities after turning 18. Since 2015, the program has been establishing support centers across the country, providing residential facilities for the recipients, and completed its national netw

Dec 11, 2025By Nam Hyun-woo
Samsung Stepping Stone of Hope program opens 16th center in Incheon

Korean Air carries over 16 mil. passengers in 2025; Tokyo tops destination list

Korean Air has transported more than 16 million passengers so far this year, with Tokyo marking the most popular destination among outbound travelers, the airline said Thursday. According to the company's year-end report based on data from Jan. 1 to Nov. 10, Korean Air flew a total of 280 million kilometers throughout 2025, a distance equivalent to 560,000 round trips between Mount Baekdu and Mount Halla, two of Korea's most iconic peaks stretching from the far north to the far south. Passenger volume reached 16.49 million, with travelers in their 30s and 40s accounting for 40 percent of the total and those in their 50s and 60s making up 30 percent. Foreign nationals represented 35 percent of all passengers, with Americans and Chinese travelers each accounting for 24 percent of that group. The report also highlighted unique travel patterns: the most frequent customer flew 216 times this year; 5,192 unaccompanied minors traveled using Korean Air's children assistance service; and nearly 32,000 pets were transported overseas. Japan was the most favored destination nation for Korean traveler

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
Korean Air carries over 16 mil. passengers in 2025; Tokyo tops destination list

Luxury hotel Christmas cake prices soar in era of high inflation

The prices of Christmas cakes rolled out by luxury hotels for the winter holiday season are soaring amid persistent inflation, industry officials said Wednesday. Christmas cakes are a flagship year-end item where hotels compete against each other with particular intensity. Prices have continued to climb as hotels introduce increasingly elaborate products aimed at consumers willing to pay a premium for exclusivity. Many of this season’s holiday cakes from top-tier hotels are priced above 300,000 won ($204), nearly 10 times the cost of cakes sold at ordinary bakeries. The most expensive offering this year is The Shilla Seoul’s The Finest Luxury, a white truffle cake priced at 500,000 won. The holiday special is 100,000 won more expensive than last year’s black truffle cake, The Taste of Luxury. According to a hotel official, white truffles cost three to four times more than black truffles, and each cake requires up to a week to make due to its intricate production process. Walkerhill Hotels & Resorts released its 380,000-won Lumiere Blanche cake, made with white chocolate and designed

Dec 11, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Luxury hotel Christmas cake prices soar in era of high inflation

LG Electronics, Qualcomm to unveil AI computing solution for automobiles

LG Electronics plans to unveil a new artificial intelligence (AI)-based high-performance computing (HPC) solution for automobiles developed jointly with Qualcomm Technologies Inc. at a major consumer electronics trade show in the United States next month, the company said Thursday. The Korean tech giant said it will showcase the AI Cabin Platform for automakers, which will be applied to digital cockpits of advanced vehicles, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January. LG Electronics said the platform applies various generative AI tools, including vision and image generation models, to automobiles' infotainment systems to enhance drivers' experiences. The company added that the collaboration will help LG Electronics lead the AI-defined vehicles (AIDV) industry beyond the existing software-defined vehicle (SDV) segment. "Based on the verified technology and credibility in the global market, we will expand our strong business collaboration to lead the transition to AIDV from SDV," Eun Seok-hyun, executive vice president of LG Electronics, said in a release.

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
LG Electronics, Qualcomm to unveil AI computing solution for automobiles

InterviewStellantis Korea ready for growth after overcoming external headwinds: CEO

Stellantis Korea is ready to make long-awaited strides, after the carmaker spent the past year overcoming external headwinds and completely revamping its dealership network, CEO Bang Sil said during a recent interview. Bang, who took up the position in February 2024, has moved for radical reform with a special focus on financial structure to emphasize growth. According to Bang, 2026 will be a “golden year” for Stellantis Korea, having spent the past two years laying the groundwork necessary to significantly expand its vehicle sales. “A number of external headwinds in politics and the economy has had a significant influence on our sales this year, but after overcoming such risks, we will be able to focus on sales of our strategic flagship models next year,” she told The Korea Times during the interview on Nov. 20. The challenges included the steep rise in the won-dollar exchange rate and ever-rising raw material prices due to changes in U.S. tariff policies under the Donald Trump administration. As Stellantis Korea relies on imports, the strengthening dollar against the Korean won

Dec 11, 2025By Lee Min-hyung
Stellantis Korea ready for growth after overcoming external headwinds: CEO
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