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  • Tech & Science

    Hyosung launches hyperscale AI data center in Seoul

    Hyosung Group is expanding its push into artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure with the launch of a hyperscale data center in Seoul, marking its entry into Korea’s fast-growing data center market. The company announced Wednesday that Hyosung-STT GDC, a joint venture between Hyosung Heavy Industries and Singapore-based operator ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC), opened STT Seoul 1, a 30-megawatt data center, in Geumcheon District, Seoul, the previous day. Designed to support cloud and AI workloads, the new facility combines Hyosung’s power infrastructure expertise with STT GDC's global standards in data center design, operation and service management. The facility is capable of accommodating increasingly power-intensive and high-density computing environments driven by generative AI applications. The company explained that one of the center's biggest advantages is its location in Seoul, where securing large-scale power capacity has become increasingly difficult due to energy regulations and grid constraints, providing low-latency connectivity to major business districts

    2 MIN READBy Lee Gyu-lee
    Hyosung launches hyperscale AI data center in Seoul
  • Companies

    Samsung Display showcases next-generation XR displays at AWE USA

    2 MIN READBy Nam Hyun-woo
    Samsung Display showcases next-generation XR displays at AWE USA
  • Tech & Science

    Anthropic opens Seoul office to expand ties with Korean AI ecosystem

    3 MIN READBy Nam Hyun-woo
    Anthropic opens Seoul office to expand ties with Korean AI ecosystem
  • Companies

    'Wide Cup' fuels World Cup fever among Korean fans

    2 MIN READBy Ko Dong-hwan
    'Wide Cup' fuels World Cup fever among Korean fans
  • Companies

    Hanwha Ocean faces mounting costs from blocked icebreaker delivery to Russia

    2 MIN READBy Lee Min-hyung
    Hanwha Ocean faces mounting costs from blocked icebreaker delivery to Russia
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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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Tech & Science

LG Chem drives company-wide AI shift to boost efficiency

LG Chem is accelerating a company-wide transformation into artificial intelligence (AI), applying it across manufacturing and nonmanufacturing operations to improve customer value and operational efficiency. As part of its AI transformation strategy, the company is using AI to overhaul workforce development, introducing a new AI-powered career development system that analyzes individual competencies. Employees can assess required capabilities for their roles and receive curated learning resources and execution plans based on AI insights. In legal operations, LG Chem has implemented an AI contract review solution that automatically analyzes agreements against standard templates and internal compliance rules. It reduces contract processing time by up to 30 percent, the company said. Across its workflow systems, the company is leveraging various AI tools, including a chatbot integrated with its own systems and translators that can handle up to 24 languages. LG Chem has launched a company-wide AI analytics solution, called citizen data scientist, to enable employees without analytics experti

Apr 24, 2026
LG Chem drives company-wide AI shift to boost efficiency
Banking & Finance

Hana Financial net hits record high in Q1

Hana Financial Group on Friday reported a record high net profit in the first quarter of the year, driven by a rise in interest incomes. The banking group said it racked up a net profit of 1.21 trillion won ($816 million) in the January-March period, up 7.3 percent from a year earlier. The earnings exceeded market expectations. The average estimate of net profit by analysts stood at 1.12 trillion won, according to a survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data firm of Yonhap News Agency. Operating income rose 11.1 percent on-year to 1.65 trillion won in the first quarter. Revenue surged 71.4 percent to 29 trillion won over the cited period. Its net interest income rose 10.2 percent on-year to 2.5 trillion won, and its non-interest income fell 11.9 percent over the cited period to 584 billion won. Its flagship Hana Bank reaped a net profit of 1.1 trillion won in the first quarter, up 11.2 percent from a year earlier.

Apr 24, 2026By Yonhap
Hana Financial net hits record high in Q1
Companies

KEPCO signs nuclear, power infrastructure deals to expand in Vietnam

Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) is pushing into Vietnam’s energy market, signing a series of agreements on nuclear development and power infrastructure with local energy companies. Company CEO Kim Dong-cheol visited Vietnam from Tuesday through Friday to meet with Vietnam’s senior government officials and state-owned energy executives, discussing areas for cooperation for a strategic push into the country’s power market. On the sidelines of a summit between the two countries’ leaders in Hanoi, Wednesday, KEPCO signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the state-owned Vietnamese oil and gas group Petrovietnam for their potential nuclear power development cooperation. The agreement builds on the two sides' previous MOU on nuclear workforce development, signed during Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary To Lam's state visit to Korea in August last year. The deals are expected to serve as a catalyst for deeper collaboration on future nuclear plant construction projects between the two sides. Also on Wednesday, the companies signed a separate four-party MOU with the E

Apr 24, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
KEPCO signs nuclear, power infrastructure deals to expand in Vietnam
Companies

Kia Q1 net profit drops 23.5% on US tariffs, weak currency

Kia Corp., Korea's second-largest automaker, said Friday its first-quarter net profit dropped 23.5 percent from a year earlier due to the impact of U.S. import tariffs and the weakening Korean won. Net profit for the three months that ended in March declined to 1.83 trillion won ($1.2 billion) from 2.39 trillion won in the same period of 2025, the company said in a regulatory filing. Operating income plunged 26.7 percent on-year to 2.2 trillion won, while sales increased 5.3 percent to a record 29.5 trillion won. The earnings fell short of market expectations. The average estimate of net profit by analysts stood at 1.91 trillion won, according to a survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data firm of Yonhap News Agency. Kia said the full impact of U.S. tariffs on imported vehicles was reflected in its first-quarter results. According to Kia's calculations, the cost of the tariffs amounted to 755 billion won. The weakening Korean won also contributed to the weaker-than-expected first-quarter earnings, the company added. Over the three-month period, Kia sold 779,000 units of vehicles worldwi

Apr 24, 2026By Yonhap
Kia Q1 net profit drops 23.5% on US tariffs, weak currency
Companies

Hyundai Motor premieres China-specific IONIQ V

Hyundai Motor premiered its China-specific electric vehicle (EV) IONIQ V during Auto China 2026, heralding the brand’s strategic expansion in the world’s largest EV market. The IONIQ V is the production version of the VENUS Concept unveiled earlier this month, and marks the IONIQ brand’s first China-specific model, manufactured in China in collaboration with local tech companies to serve the lifestyles of local consumers. The IONIQ V is built on a platform jointly developed with Hyundai’s Chinese joint venture partner Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC) and is equipped with batteries developed in collaboration with China’s leading battery maker CATL. Its driving range is expected to surpass 600 kilometers on a single charge and features advanced driver assistance functions developed in collaboration with Momenta, a Chinese autonomous driving technology firm. The EV is distinguished by an aggressive silhouette, highlighted by a sporty sloping line running from the roof to the hood. Advanced features such as a horizon head-up display, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8295 chipset and a 27-inc

Apr 24, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Hyundai Motor premieres China-specific IONIQ V
Companies

Maxim Mocha Gold marks 37 years of sweetening coffee culture

Dongsuh Foods would not have been the same if it were not for Maxim Mocha Gold. First introduced in Korea in 1989, the brand has consistently dominated the country’s instant coffee market while expanding its domain globally. Last year alone, the brand sold 5.3 billion coffee mix sticks — the equivalent of 170 sticks every second. The brand’s popularity here dates back to 1976. Using its existing expertise in instant coffee processing, Dongsuh introduced Maxwell House Coffee Mix. Enhanced with creamer and sugar to mitigate any bitter taste, the pouch-type packets hit the jackpot, drawing new customers who had never before tasted coffee. Thirteen years later, the domestic market for instant coffee had become incredibly competitive, prompting Dongsuh to roll out Maxim Mocha Gold. The company invested in research to determine the correct level of intensity in coffee bean roasting and improving the coffee extraction process. It also changed from the earlier pouch-type packaging to the current stick-type, allowing consumers more control over the amount of sugar in their coffee. Fast forwa

Apr 24, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Maxim Mocha Gold marks 37 years of sweetening coffee culture
Companies

Procurement agency supports resource recovery firms

The Public Procurement Service (PPS) is supporting nationwide efforts to develop resource recovery technologies to help secure a stable supply of raw materials, the state-run procurement agency said Friday. PPS Administrator Baek Seung-bo visited City Oil Field in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, Thursday, a company that specializes in producing petrochemical feedstock by decomposing waste plastics, to explore ways to expand sales channels and secure stable raw materials through public procurement. The visit was aimed at strengthening domestic alternative supply chains through waste resource recycling and supporting stable market access for innovative enterprises, especially as geopolitical instability in the Middle East increases the price volatility of imported raw materials. City Oil Field’s plant uses low-temperature pyrolysis to regenerate naphtha and refined oil from waste plastics. By reducing import dependency, the facility enhances production stability and eases the cost burdens for businesses amid global supply disruptions. PPS plans to provide active support to ensure that t

Apr 24, 2026By Lee Hyo-sik
Procurement agency supports resource recovery firms
Companies

Court ruling undermines Samsung Biologics labor union's strike plans

A court ruling has partly curbed Samsung Biologics labor union’s plan to stage an all-out strike, in a move seen as undermining its momentum. The Incheon District Court on Thursday partially granted Samsung Biologics’ injunction request against the strike planned for May 1. In its ruling, the court rejected the biopharmaceutical firm’s request to ban the strike itself, but said strike actions should be restricted in final-stage processes where there is a significant risk of product deterioration. “The union shall not cause its members or third parties to suspend work to prevent deterioration or spoilage of thawed cell lines during the strike period,” the ruling read. This means the union can stage a walkout in early-stage processes such as cell culture, purification and virus filtration, but not in finishing operations such as filling and concentration, where completed drug substances are processed into forms suitable for maintenance and storage. Article 38-2 of Korea’s Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act states that any work aimed at preventing raw materials or pro

Apr 24, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Court ruling undermines Samsung Biologics labor union's strike plans
Companies

InterviewInfographic expert dissects hidden layers behind K-culture

The office of Infographics Lab 203 in western Seoul is cozy, dimly lit and filled with design-inspiring books, neatly arranged paraphernalia and framed posters of infographic projects it has produced. The place resembles a small art gallery. Creative Director Jang Sung-hwan occupies one room for himself. He has a lot to say, probably as much as the hundreds of books on the shelves. One argument, however, touched on K-culture. He said the country's cultural products, ranging from music to food and beauty products, are now being consumed extensively worldwide, but many global audiences are missing a point. He asks, are we reading K-culture right? It is easy for global audiences to join millions of fans surfing the Korean wave, but far less easy for them to grasp the hidden layers that form the wave — the history, statistics and fun facts behind those cultural products. These layers underpin the deeper reasons global audiences are drawn to K-culture, but remain as an underutilized selling point for Korea in promoting its culture abroad. This is where infographics step up, a single-page i

Apr 24, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Infographic expert dissects hidden layers behind K-culture
Companies

Naver Cloud, HanmiGlobal set sights on Saudi Arabia's data center market

Naver Cloud and construction project management firm HanmiGlobal signed a strategic partnership agreement Wednesday to jointly pursue large-scale data center projects in Saudi Arabia and other overseas markets. Under the agreement, Naver Cloud will lead infrastructure planning and service model design, drawing on its full-stack capabilities spanning data center construction, cloud and artificial intelligence services. HanmiGlobal will handle design and construction consulting, project management for scheduling and costs, and local licensing and business operations in Saudi Arabia. Naver Cloud has been building a presence in Saudi Arabia through Naver Innovation, a joint venture with the Saudi National Housing Company, focusing on digital twin construction and map-based super-app development. The new data center agreement extends that footprint into infrastructure and is expected to position the company as a key partner in Saudi Arabia's long-term digital transformation. HanmiGlobal entered the Middle East market in 2007 and has since completed more than 50 projects in the region. "Naver C

Apr 24, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Naver Cloud, HanmiGlobal set sights on Saudi Arabia's data center market
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