Kakao delays split, speeds up W150b share buyback

Kakao has pushed back its planned corporate split by one month to February 2027, as a preliminary relisting review by the Korea Exchange takes longer than expected, while accelerating a 150 billion won ($112 million) share buyback and cancellation plan to bolster shareholder confidence ahead of the restructuring. The company said Thursday that its board had approved the revised schedule, delaying the separation into Kakao AI and Kakao X from Jan. 1 to Feb. 1. An extraordinary shareholders meetin

2026-11-05 17:16:15:00

Samsung honors top researchers in W1.2tr science funding program

Samsung Electronics on Thursday named 10 outstanding researchers from its long-running research funding program, marking the first time the company has presented such honors since launching the 1.2 trillion-won ($893 million) initiative in 2013. The awards were announced at Samsung's annual research forum at The Westin Seoul Parnas in southern Seoul, where some 450 researchers, industry experts and policymakers gathered to discuss breakthroughs in basic science, next-generation batteries and art

2026-11-05 14:42:10:00

SK Inc. scraps SK ecoplant IPO plan, seeks full ownership

SK Inc., the holding company of SK Group, said Wednesday it would launch a tender offer for 16.43 million shares in SK ecoplant, moving to make the affiliate a wholly owned subsidiary and bring its long-running initial public offering plan to an end. The company's board of directors approved the tender offer to address concerns that a separate listing of SK ecoplant could weigh on the parent company's valuation and erode shareholder value. The offer will run from Thursday through Nov. 24, with p

2026-11-04 17:49:14:00

SK Telecom's Q3 profit rebounds higher than before 2025 hacking incident

SK Telecom's third-quarter operating profit surged more than 11-fold from a year earlier, exceeding prehack levels, as South Korea's largest mobile carrier has seemingly recovered from the financial fallout of its massive 2025 data breach. The company said Wednesday that operating profit jumped 1,040.3 percent on-year to 552.3 billion won ($412.7 million) in the July-September period, up from 48.4 billion won a year earlier. The figure surpassed the 533.3 billion won recorded in the third quarte

2026-11-04 14:05:44:00

Altman bets on Samsung, SK as AI race intensifies

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman returned to South Korea over the weekend facing two mounting challenges: securing enough memory chips and raising the billions needed to build the infrastructure behind them. His surprise visit highlighted the growing importance of Samsung and SK to the ChatGPT maker, as tight memory supplies strengthen chipmakers' bargaining power while investors demand clearer returns on massive AI spending. Altman arrived Friday night and met about 50 Samsung executives in Yongin, Gyeong

2026-11-02 14:45:22:00

SK Square eyes record W4.3tr payout from SK hynix dividends

SK Square said Monday it plans to return at least 4.3 trillion won ($3.2 billion) to shareholders, its largest shareholder return commitment since its launch in 2021, as surging dividends from SK hynix fuel a major expansion of its payout policy. The investment holding company expects to receive more than 6.2 trillion won in dividend income from SK hynix, based on the chipmaker's plan to allocate over 30 trillion won to cash dividends for the 2026 fiscal year and SK Square's ownership stake. Und

2026-11-02 11:17:10:00

[Gadget Review] Xreal Aura: Lighter than Galaxy XR, but still tethered

I pinched my thumb and index finger together in midair. A floating window opened; another gesture moved it aside. There was no monitor in sight, yet I was rearranging displays as if using a computer from a science-fiction film. Switching glasses, I watched waves roll across a 3D seascape. A concert clip gave the scene unexpected depth. The two demos served different purposes at a showcase by Chinese extended reality device maker Xreal in Seoul's Hongdae district Friday. The Xreal's next-generati

2026-10-30 17:43:43:00

Samsung co-CEOs urge tech recovery, cost discipline ahead of 57th anniversary

Samsung Electronics' co-CEOs struck a cautious tone Friday ahead of the tech giant's 57th anniversary. Jun Young-hyun, head of the device solutions division, warned that record profits do not mean a full recovery in technological competitiveness, while Roh Tae-moon, who leads the device eXperience division, called for tighter cost controls. The two delivered separate anniversary messages to employees as the company prepares to mark the occasion Sunday without a formal ceremony. Their remarks cam

2026-10-30 15:14:43:00

Samsung SDS targets Asia-first Nvidia Vera Rubin cloud launch

Samsung SDS is seeking to become Asia's first cloud provider to offer Nvidia's next-generation Vera Rubin GPUs in March 2027, accelerating its push into AI infrastructure as demand for computing power surges. CEO Lee Joon-hee unveiled the plan Thursday during the company's third-quarter earnings call, outlining a phased expansion of its GPU-as-a-service business, starting with Nvidia's B300 chips later this year. "Following our selection by the Ministry of Science and ICT to build and operate GP

2026-10-29 17:30:12:00

Business leaders urged to embrace AI, rethink old strategies

Companies that want to survive the artificial intelligence shake-up need more than new tools: They need leaders willing to use them and rethink strategies that once worked, speakers at this week's Global Business Forum said Wednesday. The fifth weekly session of the forum's 10th edition, organized by The Korea Herald and Herald Business, was held in Seoul under the theme "Connecting People and Technology, Opening New Possibilities." Sheikh Saleh Alsharqi, counselor and head of economic affairs a

2026-10-29 14:28:34:00