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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.

Kia’s profit halves amid expanded US tariff shock

Kia has extended a losing streak in its quarterly earnings between July and September, bearing a large-scale loss stemming from the 25 percent auto tariff set by the United States, the carmaker said Friday during a regulatory filing. The carmaker suffered a bigger earnings shock than Hyundai Motor, which saw its operating profit decline almost 30 percent from the same U.S. tariff issue. Kia reported an operating profit of 1.46 trillion won ($1.02 billion) in the third quarter, down 49.2 percent from the previous year. Its sales, however, increased 8.2 percent to 28.68 trillion won during the same period. The carmaker explained that it achieved record third-quarter sales thanks to growing demand for its hybrid and electric cars across the globe, but ended up reporting a sharp profit fall due to the aftermath of the U.S. auto tariffs, increased global incentives and an unfavorable macroeconomic environment. Kia, a fast mover in the global electric vehicle (EV) market, achieved solid EV sales growth in the global market. Data from the carmaker showed that the carmaker’s eco-friendly vehic

Oct 31, 2025By Lee Min-hyung
Kia’s profit halves amid expanded US tariff shock

Naver partners with InBody to enter global digital health care market

Internet giant Naver said Friday it has signed a partnership with InBody, a Korean company known for body composition analyzers, as part of its strategy to enter the global digital health care market. Under the agreement signed the previous day, Naver will acquire an 8.5 percent stake in InBody and strengthen the companies' strategic partnership in the digital health care sector, according to Naver. InBody develops and provides body composition analysis machines and related services worldwide. The partnership comes as Naver has been expanding its business into the health care sector. In August, it invested in Seoul-based medtech company JNPMedi to collaborate on advancing the latter's digital clinical trial platform incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Naver currently offers basic health care features on its platform, such as a step counter and hospital reservation services. "By partnering with InBody, the global leader in body composition analysis, we plan to introduce innovative health care services combining AI and data to the global market — data-driven, personalize

Oct 31, 2025By Yonhap
Naver partners with InBody to enter global digital health care market

SK Innovation achieves major turnaround

SK Innovation reported a major turnaround in its third-quarter earnings, attributing it to the recovery of its petroleum business, the company said Friday. According to the firm’s regulatory filing, the energy and chemical firm reported an operating profit of 573.4 billion won ($400 million) between July and September. This is an outstanding rebound from a year earlier, when it reported an operating loss of 423 billion won. The company explained that it has been able to improve its earnings in the petroleum business, driven by rising oil prices and better refining margin. SK Innovation also chalked up 20.53 trillion won in sales, up 16.3 percent, during the same period. “We have improved our operating profit by a huge margin on the solid earnings performance of our cash cow businesses, in areas such as petroleum and liquefied natural gas,” a company official said. However, SK Innovation’s battery business — operated by the firm’s affiliate, SK On — widened its operating loss in the third quarter on sluggish electric vehicle (EV) demand in the United States. SK On reported thi

Oct 31, 2025By Lee Min-hyung
SK Innovation achieves major turnaround

KT partners with US startup for collaboration on AI agent platform expansion in Asia

KT, a major Korean telecom company, said Friday it has signed a strategic partnership with U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) startup CrewAI to collaborate on expanding the latter's AI agent platform to the Asian market. Under the partnership signed last Friday, KT will have exclusive rights to provide CrewAI's platform in Korea and Vietnam, overseeing localization, integration and commercialization. CrewAI will be responsible for technical support and training, according to KT. The two companies will also explore ways to link KT's AI models and cloud services with CrewAI's platform and expand their business across the broader Asia-Pacific region. CrewAI offers a platform that provides a multi-agent orchestration framework to automate complex workflows and enhance decision-making and operational efficiency. The startup has partnerships with major institutions, including the U.S. Department of War. "Building on our global collaborations with Microsoft, Palantir and others, we will strengthen the realization of agentic AI alongside CrewAI and accelerate innovation across industries," KT Chi

Oct 31, 2025By Yonhap
KT partners with US startup for collaboration on AI agent platform expansion in Asia

Hanjin Group highlights legendary founder’s leadership on 80th anniversary

Hanjin Group has attributed its decades-long sustainable growth to the undaunted leadership of the firm’s legendary late founder, Cho Choong-hoon, and his successor, the late former Chairman Cho Yang-ho. Saturday marks the 80th anniversary of the group. Founder Cho established the company with a small truck shortly after Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. He believed that transport would become the lifeline of Korea’s economy, politics and culture. He placed particular importance on building trust with his clients. Even after the devastation from the 1950-53 Korean War, he rebuilt the company in only two years with the credibility he earned during the initial phase of his business. Hanjin Group offered military logistics services for the U.S. during and after the war, signing a $70,000 transport contract with the U.S. Army in 1956 — a mega-sized deal at a time when Korea’s per capita income was under $100. The devastated postwar business environment was not a hardship for the late founder. Cho was known for his strong confidence and tolerant business attitud

Oct 31, 2025By Lee Min-hyung
Hanjin Group highlights legendary founder’s leadership on 80th anniversary

Nvidia chief meets Samsung, Hyundai leaders ahead of biz tie announcement

Leaders of U.S. tech giant Nvidia, Samsung Group and Hyundai Motor Group gathered in Seoul on Thursday as the companies plan to announce details of their business cooperation in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector this week. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met with Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong for beers at a fried chicken restaurant in southern Seoul. Huang was also seen handing gifts to Chung and Lee, with a message reading, "To our partnership and the future of the world!" Before entering the restaurant, Huang told reporters he looked forward to meeting President Lee Jae Myung on Friday and that there would be various announcements on ongoing projects. The Nvidia head noted there have also been talks with Samsung on the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) sector and that further discussions will follow. Huang arrived in Korea earlier in the day to take part in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit, and meet with a slew of local and global business leaders. The Nvidia chief, who is visiting Korea for the first time si

Oct 30, 2025By Yonhap
Nvidia chief meets Samsung, Hyundai leaders ahead of biz tie announcement

Chipmakers poised to enter super-cycle as AI demand, DRAM shortages drive growth

With both Samsung Electronics and SK hynix reporting record third-quarter earnings, Korea’s semiconductor sector is poised for a strong performance next year, potentially entering a super-cycle, analysts said Thursday. According to financial data provider FnGuide, Samsung Electronics’ consensus estimates for next year — based on the average of brokerage forecasts — anticipate revenue of 367 trillion won ($257 billion) and operating profit of 63 trillion won. SK hynix is expected to record 118 trillion won in revenue and 59 trillion won in operating profit, bringing the combined operating profit of the two companies to more than 120 trillion won. Analysts expect the semiconductor market to enter a super-cycle in 2026, driven by factors such as expanding artificial intelligence (AI) and data center demand, rising high-bandwidth memory (HBM) requirements and robust dynamic random access memory (DRAM) prices. The two Korean chipmakers are forecasted to surpass their previous earnings records in the coming year, a trend already reflected in their third-quarter performance. Samsung Elec

Oct 30, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Chipmakers poised to enter super-cycle as AI demand, DRAM shortages drive growth

Shipbuilding stocks soar as US approves nuclear submarine plan, tariff deal boosts orders

Korean shipbuilding stocks surged Thursday following the conclusion of Korea-U.S. follow-up tariff negotiations, along with U.S. President Donald Trump’s official approval of Seoul’s plan to build a nuclear-powered submarine. Hanwha Ocean stocks rose 6.82 percent to close at 140,900 won ($99) after hitting a record high of 151,600 won earlier in the day. Samsung Heavy Industries also gained 1 percent, ending at 30,300 won after reaching an all-time high during the session. The benchmark KOSPI climbed 0.17 percent, or 6.82 points, to finish at 4,087.97. After a nearly three-month tug-of-war over tariff negotiations, Korea and the United States finalized a comprehensive deal on Wednesday, following an agreement reached between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump during their summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Under the agreement, Korea’s $350 billion investment commitment will be divided into two parts — $200 billion in cash investments made in annual installments capped at $20

Oct 30, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Shipbuilding stocks soar as US approves nuclear submarine plan, tariff deal boosts orders

Korea draws $1.2 bil. globally with Invest Korea Summit amid APEC meetings

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, together with the state-run Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), launched the Invest Korea Summit 2025 on Thursday in Seoul, marking the largest investment achievement in the event’s history. The two-day event, held in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit this year, drew a record-high investment amount of $1.21 billion in total from global companies in various sectors, from artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors and automotive, to energy, chemicals, and food and beverage. “Korea is an attractive destination for global companies looking to invest, and foreign investment plays a vital role in boosting the country’s industrial competitiveness,” Industry Vice Minister Moon Shin-hak said during the summit’s opening ceremony. “In today’s climate of heightened economic uncertainty, Korea remains committed to strengthening its standing as a global business hub by continuously enhancing the competitiveness of advanced industries, diversifying export markets and upgrading support sys

Oct 30, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
Korea draws $1.2 bil. globally with Invest Korea Summit amid APEC meetings

Hyundai Motor displays hydrogen vision at APEC CEO Summit

Hyundai Motor Group displayed its unwavering commitment to leading global hydrogen energy business on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit Thursday. In a dedicated session titled “Hydrogen, Beyond Mobility: New Energy for Society,” the Korean automaker shared its updated hydrogen business strategy and discussed ways to drive the overall growth of the global hydrogen industry. Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chair Chang Jae-hoon brought up the “strategic importance of hydrogen in achieving carbon neutrality” in conversation with Hydrogen Council CEO Ivana Jemelkova during the session. Chang also serves as co-chair of the council. “As the global energy landscape shifts toward sustainable sources, hydrogen is emerging as a key pillar of the transformation,” Chang said. “Hydrogen overcomes the intermittency of renewable energy and enhances overall energy efficiency, driving the world closer to carbon neutrality.” The carmaker called for stronger public-private partnerships to accelerate the era of eco-friendly mobility here and abroad. Hyundai Moto

Oct 30, 2025By Lee Min-hyung
Hyundai Motor displays hydrogen vision at APEC CEO Summit
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