[Bio USA] SK Biopharmaceuticals doubles down on AI, open innovation

Korea Herald correspondent SAN DIEGO — SK Biopharmaceuticals has bet big on artificial intelligence and open innovation as the two core pillars that will drive the Korean drugmaker’s future growth. “It took us almost 30 years to launch Xcopri as we did everything from development to commercialization and sales, unlike other firms,” said Lee Dong-hoon, CEO of SK Biopharmaceuticals, in a press conference at the BIO International Convention in San Diego on Monday. The growing sales of Xcopri, which

2026-06-24 13:47:03:00

[Bio USA] Korea biotech under pressure from China's rapid rise

Korea Herald correspondent SAN DIEGO — Korea’s biotechnology sector faces a shrinking window of opportunity as China’s surge in new drug development accelerates on the global stage, an industry expert warned Tuesday. “The center of gravity in biotech is clearly shifting toward Asia,” said Lee Seung-kyou, vice president at the Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization (KoreaBIO), in a press conference at the BIO International Convention in San Diego. “The question is whether Korea can secure enou

2026-06-23 14:12:54:00

[Bio USA] Korean biotechs bolster AstraZeneca partnership

SAN DIEGO — Korean biotechnology firms have advanced their partnerships with AstraZeneca, bolstering efforts toward open innovation and technological cooperation for eventual entrance into the global market. Under the name Project NOVA, the Korea Health Industry Development Institute on Monday held AstraZeneca partnering sessions for 13 Korean companies on the sidelines of the BIO International Convention taking place this week in San Diego. “We have a very good track record of doing excellent p

2026-06-23 14:12:34:00

Korean biotech eyes deals, partnerships at BIO 2026

A flock of Korean biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are heading to San Diego this week with their eyes on expanding global partnerships and securing contracts at the BIO International Convention, one of the world’s largest exhibitions in the biotechnology industry. Samsung Biologics, which will take part in the annual event for the 14th consecutive year, said it will once again set up a large booth with a floor space of 140 square meters at the center stage. The Korean contract devel

2026-06-21 11:34:31:00

Seoul to host official Oktoberfest celebration in September

A large-scale Oktoberfest celebration modeled on Munich’s world-famous beer festival will be held in Seoul this September, bringing Bavarian culture, food and music to the Korean capital. Deutsche Oktoberfest Korea said Wednesday that the city of Munich recently granted the usage of the name “Oktoberfest Seoul,” marking a significant step in establishing the event as an officially recognized cultural festival inspired by Germany’s iconic tradition. According to the organizers, Oktoberfest Seoul

2026-06-17 17:36:18:00

Court presses FTC on Coupang founder designation

A Seoul court has demanded that the Fair Trade Commission clarify the reason behind its decision to designate Coupang founder Bom Kim as the firm’s controlling figure, or “same person.” The Seoul High Court questioned the basis of the FTC’s changed stance on Kim after its on-site inspection of Coupang during a hearing on Tuesday, asking the FTC to provide clear grounds on how the antitrust regulators confirmed that Kim’s younger brother, Kim Yoo-seok, a Coupang vice president, took part in Coupa

2026-06-17 15:12:39:00

Nexon CEO says context will define gaming winners in AI era

Artificial intelligence may be lowering barriers to game development, but Nexon Korea co-CEO Kang Dae-hyun believes the industry's most valuable asset remains difficult to automate: context. In a keynote speech at the 2026 Nexon Developers Conference on Tuesday, Kang identified "context" and "compound interest" as the two critical factors that will determine success in the AI era. "Now, games must compete through the depth of context, not based on how well they're made," he said. Kang presented

2026-06-16 14:22:21:00

When safety speaks 20 languages: Day in the life of foreign workers at building site with AI as their assistant

Yun Seung-uk, a safety team leader at Lotte E&C, stood at the podium as some 600 workers were getting ready for their morning meeting at a construction site in Seoul on Thursday. As he prepared to read the rundown of the day’s workload, large screens to his right and left, as well as 16 additional monitors, displayed images, action plans, and a window titled "AI translator." Once he began speaking, the window filled with three languages — Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese — almost in real time. For

2026-06-15 15:27:41:00

Coupang to challenge Korean authorities in court over data-leak fine

Coupang has pledged to dispute the Korean privacy authorities’ decision to impose a $410 million fine on the United States-listed e-commerce firm in court. “The (Korean Personal Information Protection Commission)’s regulatory findings and penalties are subject to judicial review,” said Coupang Inc. in its 8-K filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Coupang, Inc, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, owns a 100 percent stake in Coupang Corp. “Coupang Corp. will vigorously p

2026-06-12 15:13:38:00

Daewoo E&C completes $265m fertilizer plant project in Nigeria

Daewoo Engineering & Construction said Friday it has recently completed the Indorama Fertilizer III Project in Nigeria on schedule, further strengthening its track record in one of the largest economies in Africa, as the Korean builder looks to bolster its regional presence. The new site can roll out some 2,300 metric tons of ammonia and 4,000 metric tons of urea as well as production facilities for urea fertilizer. The project was requested by the Indorama Fertilizer Free Zone Enterprise, the N

2026-06-12 13:21:54:00