SK hynix workers organize to defend bonuses

SK hynix employees are forming a companywide union spanning production and office workers, escalating a dispute over the chipmaker’s attempt to revise a profit-sharing agreement struck with labor representatives last year. About 3,800 employees have joined an online organizing group since it opened Aug. 5, according to industry sources Monday. The figure is equivalent to 11 percent of SK hynix’s 34,466 employees as of the end of last year. Organizers filed an application to establish the union S

2026-08-10 14:16:35:00

Lotte Mart unveils automated grocery fulfillment center

Lotte Mart unveiled its first automated customer fulfillment center in Busan on Friday, part of a 1 trillion won ($710.3 million) investment to upgrade its online grocery logistics operations. The four-story Zetta Smart Center Busan spans 40,000 square meters and can handle up to 35,000 products, automating operations from picking and receiving goods to packing and delivery. It will serve online orders across Busan and southeastern Korea, Lotte Mart said. The facility is the first in Korea to ad

2026-08-09 14:10:56:00

SK hynix weighs options for Chongqing packaging plant

SK hynix is weighing options for its chip packaging plant in Chongqing, China, the company said Sunday, following reports it may sell a stake in the operation. "We are reviewing various options for the Chongqing plant to strengthen its competitiveness, but nothing has been decided yet," an SK hynix official said. Bloomberg reported Saturday that SK hynix is speaking with prospective advisers about the facility, with a potential stake sale valuing the plant at about $3 billion. Chinese investment

2026-08-09 13:42:35:00

Samsung teams up with US lab to develop heat pumps for extreme cold

Samsung Electronics has teamed up with the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to develop technology designed to provide stable heating and hot water even at temperatures below minus 30 degrees Celsius, the company said Sunday. The research will focus on advancing vapor-compression technology, the core mechanism behind heat pumps that absorbs heat from outside and transfers it indoors. Samsung and the US laboratory aim to maintain reliable heating performance in extreme cold

2026-08-09 10:21:05:00

Not time to tap into chip profits: Industry minister

South Korea should resist calls to tap into the record profits of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix beyond the taxes they already pay, Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said Thursday, warning that Korea could begin losing its grip on the global memory market within a year unless investment accelerates. “The government’s share should end with taxes,” Kim said at a debate hosted by the Kwanhun Club, a senior journalists' association, in Seoul. “Semiconductors are the only strategic asset Korea has. T

2026-08-06 15:20:36:00

China’s homegrown DUV jolts chip industry, but yield test looms

Recent reports that China has developed its own immersion deep-ultraviolet lithography system have jolted the global semiconductor industry, suggesting that Beijing may be closing one of the most formidable technology gaps maintained by US export controls. Korean experts caution, however, that building the machine is only the first step. China could still need years to prove that the equipment can operate reliably, process wafers at competitive speeds and deliver commercially viable chip yields.

2026-08-06 14:52:03:00

Cohere makes Seoul APAC base for sovereign AI push

Cohere will establish a standalone legal entity as its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Seoul as it expands operations and handles rising sovereign AI needs in the region, the Canadian AI startup said Wednesday. In a press conference in Seoul, Cohere announced it will expand its APAC business fourfold by the end of 2027. "Korea is one of the most dynamic competitive markets in the world, and we believe expanding our solution here in Korea would be a great test case to be able to expand it throughou

2026-08-05 15:01:48:00

FuriosaAI to supply 8,800 AI chips for Stockholm data center

South Korean artificial intelligence chip startup FuriosaAI said Wednesday it will supply more than 8,800 of its RNGD inference accelerators for a new artificial intelligence data center being developed in Stockholm. The 15-megawatt project is being developed with US AI infrastructure company I/ONX HPC and data center developer and operator Velox. A 2 MW first phase is scheduled to begin operations in early 2027, with another 8 MW to be added later that year. The site will eventually be expanded

2026-08-05 14:52:12:00

Hyundai Motor Group names former US diplomat to lead Washington office

Hyundai Motor Group said Tuesday it had appointed former US diplomat Michael Kleine to head its Washington office as the automaker seeks to deepen engagement with the US government amid expanding investment in American manufacturing and technology. Effective immediately, Kleine will oversee the group’s US public policy, strategic advisory and government affairs operations, including relations with federal government officials and other key stakeholders. “Michael’s appointment reflects our deep c

2026-08-04 20:49:14:00

Korea, Bangladesh reach preliminary CEPA deal

South Korea and Bangladesh reached a preliminary agreement Tuesday on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement that would cut tariffs on Korean food, vehicles and industrial goods while widening access to each country’s services and infrastructure markets. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo and Bangladeshi Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir announced the conclusion of negotiations in Dhaka. The deal is Korea’s second CEPA with a South Asian country after India. Seoul said the accord would

2026-08-04 20:35:46:00