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  • Companies

    FTC approves Coupang’s co-prosperity plan for its private brand contract

    The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has approved a 3 billion won ($2 million) "co-prosperity" remedy package proposed by Coupang to resolve its allegation that the e-commerce giant unfairly slashed supply prices for its private brand (PB) products. The decision will allow Coupang to avoid regulatory sanctions and will instead fund product development, advertising and other related expenses for its subcontractors. Since October 2022, Coupang had been under investigation for violating the Fair Transactions in Subcontracting Act. The company allegedly failed to issue formal, legally compliant contracts to 314 subcontractors. It was also accused of forcing 94 suppliers to fund uncontracted promotional events and cut supply prices for its PB goods. The FTC finalized Tuesday the consent decree for Coupang and Coupang Private Label Brands, which handles manufacturing and sales operations for the retailer’s private brand products. Under the consent decree, companies can settle antitrust cases without admitting liability by offering voluntary remedies. The decision marks the first time a consent dec

    2 MIN READBy Lee Min-hyung
    FTC approves Coupang’s co-prosperity plan for its private brand contract
  • Companies

    Homeplus ordered by court to submit 200 bil.-won funding plan by next week

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Homeplus ordered by court to submit 200 bil.-won funding plan by next week
  • Tech & Science

    LG Chem bets $9.7 bil. on semiconductors, mobility, robotics materials

    2 MIN READBy Lee Gyu-lee
    LG Chem bets $9.7 bil. on semiconductors, mobility, robotics materials
  • Banking & Finance

    New fire protection association chief vows shift from response to prevention

    2 MIN READBy Lee Hyo-jin
    New fire protection association chief vows shift from response to prevention
  • Business

    Samsung Electronics, SK hynix to benefit further from AI memory bottleneck

    2 MIN READBy Lee Yeon-woo
    Samsung Electronics, SK hynix to benefit further from AI memory bottleneck
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Tech & Science

Korean nanosatellite establishes contact after successful launch

A Korean nanosatellite has successfully entered orbit after lifting off from a launch site in New Zealand, as part of the nation's project to create a satellite constellation for Earth observation by 2027, officials said Friday. The NEONSAT-1A was deployed to a 540-kilometer low Earth orbit from the Electron rocket of U.S. space company Rocket Lab Corp. after launching from the company's Mahia Launch Complex in New Zealand at 2:21 p.m. (local time), or 10:21 a.m. (Korean time), according to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA). KASA confirmed the satellite's successful deployment after it made its first contact with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute's ground station in the central South Korean city of Daejeon at 1:12 p.m. (Korean time). The satellite is scheduled to begin its observation mission from July following a six-month test run conducted by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), the developer of the nanosatellite, KASA said. It is the second among a total of 11 nanosatellites to form a satellite constellation aimed at monitoring and taking image

Jan 30, 2026By Yonhap
Korean nanosatellite establishes contact after successful launch
Companies

Hanwha Aerospace wins $1.9 bil. Norway rocket deal involving supply of 16 launch units

Hanwha Aerospace, a Korean defense giant, has won a major defense contract from Norway to supply land-based long-range precision artillery systems, the Oslo government said Thursday. Under the deal worth 19 billion Norwegian kroner ($1.9 billion), Hanwha Aerospace will provide the Norwegian Armed Forces with its Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS), along with missiles, launch vehicles, training equipment and integrated logistics support, Norway's Ministry of Defence said in a press release. The systems will give the Norwegian Army a new long-range strike capability, with missiles offering multiple range options of up to 500 kilometers, the ministry said. The contract includes 16 launch units and a larger number of missiles. An official contract signing ceremony is scheduled for Friday in Oslo, with senior officials from both countries, including Kang Hoon-sik, Korean presidential chief of staff, expected to attend. Norway selected Hanwha Aerospace following an international competition launched in November 2024 also involving European and U.S. defense firms. Oslo said Hanwha wa

Jan 29, 2026By Yonhap
Hanwha Aerospace wins $1.9 bil. Norway rocket deal involving supply of 16 launch units
Companies

Upstage moves to acquire Daum in strategic AI push

Korean artificial intelligence (AI) startup Upstage has taken formal steps to acquire Daum, the portal owned by Kakao, in a move that could reshape the country’s AI and digital services landscape. On Thursday, both Kakao and Upstage approved the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a share-swap transaction at their respective board meetings. Under the agreement, Kakao will transfer its AXZ shares to Upstage while acquiring a stake in Upstage. AXZ, which operates Daum, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kakao. Upstage plans to deploy Solar, its proprietary large language model, across Daum’s platforms. Services such as Tistory and Daum Cafe hold decades of user data that can be anonymized and used to train AI systems. The acquisition is expected to strengthen Upstage’s position in the government-led national AI foundation model project, where the use of proprietary AI models is a key evaluation criterion. Upstage, along with LG AI Research and SK Telecom, has already advanced past the project’s first-round selection. The company plans to collaborate with consortium memb

Jan 29, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Upstage moves to acquire Daum in strategic AI push
Companies

Samyang Foods' sales exceed $1.4 bil. in 2025 on Buldak spicy ramyeon

Samyang Foods, known for its globally popular Buldak spicy ramyeon, said Thursday its annual sales exceeded 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion) for the first time since its founding in 2025, driven by strong demand for the Buldak series. Samyang Foods' sales jumped 36 percent to 2.35 trillion won last year from 1.72 trillion won a year earlier, the company said in a press release. Since its launch in 2012, cumulative sales of Buldak ramyeon have exceeded 9 billion units, generating more than 5 trillion won in revenue. The product gained global attention after its extreme spiciness went viral in a food-eating challenge in 2014. To meet growing demand for Buldak products, Samyang said it has diversified its export markets, while expanding distribution channels in Europe and the United States. The company has also expanded its domestic production capacity, contributing to strong earnings performance, the release said. In July, it began construction of its first overseas production facility in China. Net profit jumped 43 percent to 387.56 billion won from 271.25 billion won, while operating profit

Jan 29, 2026By Yonhap
Samyang Foods' sales exceed $1.4 bil. in 2025 on Buldak spicy ramyeon
Companies

US exhibition of late Samsung chairman's collection marks successful run with gala

As the first U.S. exhibition of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s art collection nears its end, Samsung Electronics hosted a high-profile gala in Washington D.C. to celebrate its success and the growing global appreciation for Korean art and culture. The exhibition “Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared,” which opened on Nov. 15 and will run through this Sunday at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art, puts on display some of the masterpieces from the chairman’s extensive personal collection. The gala, held at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building on Wednesday (local time), brought together about 270 guests, including U.S. government officials, diplomats, business leaders, cultural figures and Korean War veterans. Among them were U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Senators Tim Scott and Andy Kim, Korean Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-wha, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun and Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna. Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong welcomed the guests and spoke about the late

Jan 29, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
US exhibition of late Samsung chairman's collection marks successful run with gala
Companies

LG Energy Solution doubles operating profit in 2025

Major battery maker LG Energy Solution reported a sharp rebound in operating profit last year, driven largely by the expansion of its energy storage system (ESS) business in North America, as it accelerates preparations for growth in 2026. The LG Group subsidiary said Thursday its operating profit jumped 134 percent year-on-year to 1.35 trillion won ($16.6 billion), despite a 7.6 percent decline in sales to 23.7 trillion won, as improved production efficiency and rising ESS demand offset a sluggish electric vehicle (EV) battery market. LG Energy Solution Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Lee Chang-sil attributed the earnings improvement to the company’s early start on ESS mass production in North America. “By relocating our ESS production hub in the region from Arizona to Michigan, we were able to begin mass production earlier,” Lee said. “We also converted idle EV battery production lines in Poland and the United States to ESS manufacturing, significantly improving overall efficiency.” Building on last year’s performance, the company said it will further s

Jan 29, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
LG Energy Solution doubles operating profit in 2025
Tech & Science

SK hynix eyes ‘overwhelming dominance’ in HBM4 competition

SK hynix said Thursday it is aiming for “overwhelming dominance” in the competition for high-bandwidth memory 4 (HBM4) to power next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) accelerators at Nvidia and other major tech companies. During its fourth quarter 2025 earnings call, the company expressed confidence in its competition with Samsung Electronics and Micron over HBM4, saying that “customers show strong preference for our products and are prioritizing them in their orders.” “Beyond having technological advantages, the trust we built with our customers and our experience of mass production represent competitiveness that cannot be matched in a short period of time,” the company said. “We are preparing HBM4 in line with customer schedules, and production is underway based on customer requests.” SK hynix is believed to have secured more than two-thirds of the HBM4 supply volume for Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin platform. The company said it is seeking “overwhelming dominance” in HBM4. The company stressed that its HBM4 is based on manufacturing processes that pro

Jan 29, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
SK hynix eyes ‘overwhelming dominance’ in HBM4 competition
Banking & Finance

Hana Financial chief cleared of legal risk as top court backs acquittal

Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo has effectively shed nearly eight years of judicial uncertainty following the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of his acquittal Thursday. With the legal cloud lifted, Ham’s leadership is expected to gain renewed momentum, paving the way for faster execution of key strategies, including expansion into new businesses such as stablecoins and the acceleration of an artificial intelligence (AI)-led digital transformation. After securing reappointment at a group shareholders’ meeting last March, Ham will serve the remainder of his term through March 2028. The Supreme Court overturned the appellate court’s guilty verdict on charges of obstruction of business, remanding the case to the lower court with a ruling favoring acquittal. While the conviction for violating the Equal Employment Opportunity Act was upheld, the penalty amounts only to a fine, which does not affect Ham’s eligibility to serve as chairman. Under the Act on Corporate Governance of Financial Companies, only confirmed prison sentences disqualify executives from holding top man

Jan 29, 2026By Jun Ji-hye
Hana Financial chief cleared of legal risk as top court backs acquittal
Companies

Samsung Electronics labor union secures membership from majority of workers

A labor union representing Samsung affiliates has secured the membership of a majority of workers at Samsung Electronics, becoming the first to do so, industry sources said Thursday, which, if confirmed, would allow the union to independently enter talks with company management over wage negotiations and other collective bargaining. According to the sources, the Samsung Electronics branch had 62,600 employees as members as of Thursday afternoon, meeting the union's claimed threshold of 62,500. Under labor law, a union represented by more than half of employees is granted the authority to independently bargain and sign a collective agreement with the employer. The union said it plans to send a notification to management Friday and begin the process of obtaining official status as the workers' representative. Others, however, believe the threshold should be 64,500, considering the total number of Samsung Electronics employees, including contract workers, stood at 129,524 as of June 2025. There have been multiple labor unions at Samsung Electronics since the first one was launched in 2018, b

Jan 29, 2026By Yonhap
Samsung Electronics labor union secures membership from majority of workers
Companies

JobKorea rebrands as Worxphere, unveils AI-driven vision

JobKorea has rebranded itself as Worxphere in a bold move to expand beyond job matching and redefine the future of work through artificial intelligence (AI)–driven career services. The company unveiled its new corporate identity at the JobKorea The Reboot conference Thursday in Seoul, held to mark its 30th anniversary, outlining a strategic shift toward an AI-driven platform and the rollout of new AI-based services. “Worxphere carries the meaning of innovating every future experience of work to create one new, ideal world,” the company’s CEO Yoon Hyun-jun said during the event. “Going forward, our services will not stop at simply connecting jobs and people, but will build an ecosystem that understands people and memories far more deeply, transforming every experience they have and creating a new work culture.” Worxphere’s reorganization will bring together its affiliated services, JobKorea, Albamon, Jobplanet, Ninehire and KLiK, under one umbrella HR tech ecosystem that supports end-to-end talent and organizational growth. Yoon introduced the core concept of its AI transform

Jan 29, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
JobKorea rebrands as Worxphere, unveils AI-driven vision
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