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  • Tech & Science

    Micron's strong earnings stoke hope for Samsung, SK hynix Q2 results

    U.S. memory chip maker Micron’s strong earnings and rosy mid-term outlook are prompting expectations on the profitability of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in the second quarter. According to industry officials, Sunday, Samsung Electronics is expected to release its earnings guidance for the April-June period around July 7, while SK hynix will announce its financial results in late July. Brokerages are already expecting both companies to post record earnings. According to market tracker FnGuide, brokerage consensus forecasts Samsung Electronics to post 86 trillion won ($56 billion) in operating profit and 170.47 trillion won in revenue. The figures would represent year-on-year increases of 1,739.6 percent and 128.62 percent, respectively, exceeding the previous record highs of 57.2 trillion won in operating profit and 133.87 trillion won in revenue posted in the first quarter just three months earlier. SK hynix is expected to post 63.45 trillion won in operating profit and 82.89 trillion won in sales, up 589 percent and 273 percent year-on-year, respectively. The figures would also su

    2 MIN READBy Nam Hyun-woo
    Micron's strong earnings stoke hope for Samsung, SK hynix Q2 results
  • Business

    Lee set to unveil large-scale investment plans in advanced tech, including chip cluster

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Lee set to unveil large-scale investment plans in advanced tech, including chip cluster
  • Companies

    Unionized workers at Kakao to 'log out' from office in 2nd collective action

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Unionized workers at Kakao to 'log out' from office in 2nd collective action
  • Companies

    Unionized workers of Samsung Biologics vote to leave Samsung Group United Union

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Unionized workers of Samsung Biologics vote to leave Samsung Group United Union
  • Tech & Science

    Korea's smart road management system makes foray into Peru

    2 MIN READBy Ko Dong-hwan
    Korea's smart road management system makes foray into Peru
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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.

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Banking & Finance

Daily GenAI users see higher pay, productivity and job security, survey shows

Workers who use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology are found to be higher-performing, as evidenced by their higher pay, output and job security, a survey showed Friday. How effectively they incorporate the latest technology to boost productivity has been found to determine their career paths, as businesses increasingly reorient their corporate strategies to reduce labor costs while maximizing output. According to a survey of 50,000 workers across 48 economies and 28 sectors, released by Samil PwC, around 92 percent of daily GenAI users said their productivity has increased. This is 34 percentage points higher than that of occasional GenAI users. More than half of respondents also said they saw improvements in job stability (58 percent) and salary growth (52 percent). When asked about their career prospects, 69 percent of daily GenAI users expressed confidence in the future of their roles over the next year. In contrast, only 51 percent of occasional GenAI users said so, while 44 percent of those who do not use AI at all agreed. However, daily GenAI adoption overall remai

Nov 14, 2025By Lee Kyung-min
Daily GenAI users see higher pay, productivity and job security, survey shows
Tech & Science

Can Krafton address investors' concerns about stock price?

BUSAN — Krafton, the Korean game developer behind hits like PUBG: Battlegrounds, saw its stock price drop 28.3 percent over the past six months, from 376,500 won on May 12 to 270,000 won on Friday. Over the same period, the country’s benchmark KOSPI jumped 59.2 percent, while another domestic game giant Netmarble saw its stock rise 10.9 percent. Although listed on the Japanese stock market, another Korean game titan, Nexon, recorded a 62.7 percent increase in its stock price. The company’s absence from the broader stock rally came despite its solid earnings. Buoyed by the steady popularity of the PUBG franchise, Krafton has been posting record-high earnings almost every quarter. Most recently, the company, for the first time, surpassed the 1 trillion won ($680.6 million) mark in its cumulative operating profit — from January to September — after posting 870.6 billion won in sales and 348.6 billion won in operating profit for the third quarter. The fundamental reason behind its sluggish stock performance is that its pipeline of new titles have yet to meet the expectations. The c

Nov 14, 2025By Nam Hyun-woo
Can Krafton address investors' concerns about stock price?
Companies

Chances of becoming a corporate executive in Korea drop below 1%

The odds of becoming a corporate executive in Korea continue to shrink. That raises the question: Would Kim Nak-su, the old-fashioned yet sympathetic protagonist of the hit K-drama "The Dream Life of Mr. Kim," ever have a shot at joining the executive ranks of a major company? According to a new survey, the likelihood of reaching an executive position is now below 1 percent. According to an analysis released Tuesday by the Korea CXO Research Institute, the top 100 Korean firms employ a combined 861,076 workers, up 1.4 percent from a year earlier. Over the same period, the number of nonregistered executives fell 1.5 percent from 7,135 to 7,028. The findings are based on semiannual reports submitted this year by the top 100 listed companies by revenue in 2024. With the number of employees growing and executive positions shrinking, each executive at a top 100 company now supervises an average of 123 workers. Executives, therefore, make up just 0.82 percent of the workforce, highlighting the steep competition for the upper ranks. The executive share, which fell from 0.95 percent in 2011 to 0

Nov 14, 2025By Hankookilbo
Chances of becoming a corporate executive in Korea drop below 1%
Business

KOTRA chief sets sights on $1 tril. in exports

Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) President Kang Kyung-sung on Thursday pledged to help drive the nation’s exports to a record $1 trillion, vowing to diversify export routes and utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to support outbound shipments. Marking the first anniversary of his tenure, Kang underscored that Korea has already achieved $579 billion in exports as of last month, the highest-ever figure for the time period. He also noted that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) posted a record quarterly export volume of $30.5 billion in the third quarter, highlighting their growing role in meeting the national export target. Kang stressed that market, product and exporter diversification will be essential to reaching the $1 trillion milestone. KOTRA, he said, will further shift Korea’s global export focus toward emerging markets such as India and Southeast Asian countries. He added that the agency will help expand the global reach of Korea’s new growth drivers — including consumer goods, defense systems and bio products — while raising the number of exportin

Nov 14, 2025By Ko Dong-hwan
KOTRA chief sets sights on $1 tril. in exports
Tech & Science

G-Star 2025 opens with 5-hour queues as gamers rush to try new titles

BUSAN — Long lines, overnight camping and the return of a major franchise set an intense tone as G-Star 2025, Korea’s largest game exhibition, opened Thursday at BEXCO in the southeastern city of Busan. By 10:30 a.m., a holding area of about 3,600 square meters was packed with thousands of visitors. The first attendee arrived at 10:20 p.m. the night before. One office worker who traveled from Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, said he “laid out a sleeping bag after getting off the late train,” hoping to try upcoming indie releases. Another visitor said he drove down from Seoul at 2 a.m. to secure a spot for NCSOFT’s long-awaited title, AION 2. This year’s exhibition runs for four days and features 1,273 companies from 44 countries running 3,269 booths. Although major Korean publishers such as Nexon and Smilegate skipped the event, concerns about weakened turnout quickly faded as crowds surged into the venue. NCSOFT, Netmarble and Krafton each unveiled high-profile titles for the first time, drawing nationwide attention. Five-hour waits for AION 2 NCSOFT’s AION 2, considered one of th

Nov 14, 2025By Hankookilbo
G-Star 2025 opens with 5-hour queues as gamers rush to try new titles
Companies

APR showcases Medicube’s beauty technology at Manhattan pop-up

APR, a leading beauty and skincare device company, has drawn attention with its latest pop-up store in Manhattan, cementing its market presence in the global hot spot. The company said on Thursday that the pop-up, held from Oct. 24 to Nov. 2, showcased its key product lineup under its signature brand, Medicube, including skincare device AGE-R Booster Pro and cosmetic products. The company said some 12,000 people visited the store, including American model and TV personality Kendall Jenner. At the store, visitors could experience the brand by playing an arcade game developed for consumers to better understand different functions of the company’s beauty devices. For example, the game promoted AGE-R Booster Pro’s four main skin-rejuvenating functions by presenting their technological theories and effects. The pop-up store, named Glow Mode On, consisted of the arcade zone, exhibition zone and testing zone. The company said the store drew positive reactions from visitors by showcasing Medicube’s currently rising global popularity and providing engaging product experiences. Alongside the

Nov 14, 2025By Ko Dong-hwan
APR showcases Medicube’s beauty technology at Manhattan pop-up
Companies

LG Chem wins 3.76 tln-won EV cathode material supply deal from US

LG Chem, Korea's leading chemical company, said Thursday it has won a major electric vehicle (EV) battery cathode material supply deal from the United States. The contract is valued at 3.76 trillion won ($2.57 billion) and covers the period from Saturday through July 31, 2029, the company said in a regulatory filing. It did not disclose the buyer, citing confidentiality. The contract marks one of the largest such deals for the company despite a temporary slowdown in global EV demand. LG Chem currently has an annual cathode production capacity of 150,000 tons across Korea, China and other locations, and is building a new 60,000-ton capacity facility in the U.S. state of Tennessee.

Nov 13, 2025By Yonhap
LG Chem wins 3.76 tln-won EV cathode material supply deal from US
Companies

Mercedes-Benz chairman holds high-profile meeting with Samsung, LG

Mercedes-Benz Group Chairman Ola Kallenius held high-profile business meetings Thursday with top executives from Samsung and LG to strengthen their auto parts partnership amid the shift to electrification. He met with Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and a group of other CEO-level officials from the two Korean conglomerates. This marks the first visit by the Mercedes-Benz chief to Korea since 2023. The Mercedes-Benz chief was widely expected to discuss future ties with the carmaker’s major Korean clients in areas such as batteries, in-vehicle displays and auto chips, as the luxury automaker undergoes a major shift to electrification. The focus is on whether Samsung can deepen its battery partnership with Mercedes-Benz. In September, LG Energy Solution secured a large-scale battery supply contract worth 15 trillion won ($10.2 billion) from the German automaker. Mercedes-Benz sells electric vehicles (EVs) equipped with batteries from Korean firms, such as LG Energy Solution and SK On, for the Korean market, but Samsung SDI has yet to supply its EV batteries to the auto

Nov 13, 2025By Lee Min-hyung
Mercedes-Benz chairman holds high-profile meeting with Samsung, LG
Banking & Finance

Seoul shares up for 4th day on end to US gov't shutdown

Seoul shares closed higher Thursday, extending their winning streak to a fourth session, after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a funding bill to end the record-long U.S. government shutdown. The Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 20.24 points, or 0.49 percent, to close at 4,170.63. Trading volume was moderate at 421.75 million shares worth 17.36 trillion won ($11.8 billion), with gainers outnumbering decliners 475 to 383. Foreign investors bought a net 1 trillion won worth of shares, offsetting net selling by institutions and individuals, who respectively offloaded 709.19 billion won and 244.1 billion won worth of stocks. Trump signed a government funding bill on Wednesday (U.S. time), ending a record 43-day government shutdown after both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed the legislation. "Expectations for an end to the U.S. shutdown continued to support investor sentiment, but losses in technology stocks kept the main index from rising further amid a lack of fresh upside momentum," said Lee Seong-hoon,

Nov 13, 2025By Yonhap
Seoul shares up for 4th day on end to US gov't shutdown
Companies

S-Oil CEO wins top industrial honor

S-Oil CEO Anwar Al-Hejazi received the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, the highest industrial honor bestowed by the Korean government, for his contributions to the nation’s economy on Thursday. Al-Hejazi was recognized for enhancing the competitiveness of Korea’s petrochemical industry and leading its development through the successful execution of the 9.3 trillion won ($6.33 billion) Shaheen Project. The large-scale initiative aims to respond to the global energy transition and strengthen S-Oil’s petrochemical business portfolio for sustainable growth. Under his leadership, S-Oil completed the TS&D Center at Seoul’s Magok-dong complex in September 2023 to boost research and development in fuel and petrochemical technologies. The company also secured a final investment decision in November 2024 for a 263 billion won gas turbine generator project, designed to reduce carbon emissions and improve operational efficiency. S-Oil’s continued investment in both traditional and new businesses has significantly contributed to Korea’s economic growth. In August 2024, the

Nov 13, 2025By Ko Dong-hwan
S-Oil CEO wins top industrial honor
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