KH Explains In series
Major issues broken down to the basics.
#Explained
# Issues
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KH Explains In series
Major issues broken down to the basics.
Would you like to subscribe?
Korea’s decades-old shipbuilding rivalry crosses the Pacific
The decades-old rivalry between HD Hyundai and Hanwha Ocean is moving across the Pacific, as the two shipbuilding giants race for a much bigger prize: entry into the US naval shipbuilding market. Hanwha has seized an early lead. After acquiring Philadelphia-based Philly Shipyard, it is now pursuing Austal USA, a major supplier of vessels to the US Navy and Coast Guard. HD Hyundai has taken a more cautious route, favoring partnerships with American shipbuilders over outright acquisitions, but tha
Aug. 30, 2026 - 11:51:02
Why soaring US long-term yields are becoming Korea’s problem
A surge in long-term US Treasury yields is driving up borrowing costs in Korea, lifting government bond yields and adding pressure on companies, households and stocks. The spillover was on full display last week. As the US 30-year yield climbed to 5.33 percent, its highest since 2007, Korea’s 30-year government bond yield surged to a record 4.751 percent. The yields have since retreated, but the underlying pressures — heavy US debt issuance, aggressive AI-related borrowing and weakening demand f
Aug. 27, 2026 - 16:21:31
Why Korea’s financial watchdogs want to stay in Seoul
South Korea wants to move another wave of public institutions out of the capital region. But unions representing financial regulators and policy bodies warn that decentralization could slow crisis response, weaken oversight and drive skilled employees out. The dispute is intensifying as the government prepares the second phase of its decadeslong effort to spread jobs and economic activity beyond Seoul. A road map initially expected in September may now come in October or November, as the governm
Aug. 26, 2026 - 18:06:55
Why Hyundai's Atlas stirs labor debate in Korea, but not the US
Hyundai Motor Group’s plan to begin deploying Atlas humanoid robots at its Georgia plant in 2028 is exposing a trans-Pacific divide over automation. Korean union workers are demanding job protections, while organized resistance has yet to emerge at Hyundai’s nonunion US factories. Hyundai has not announced plans to deploy Atlas at its Korean plants. Still, its Korean union raised the potential impact of physical artificial intelligence and robotics during this year’s labor negotiations, seeking
Aug. 26, 2026 - 14:53:46
Why is BOK buying gold again?
After more than a decade, the Bank of Korea is back on a gold-buying spree, raising its exposure to the precious metal as it joins central banks around the world in diversifying their foreign reserves. According to the BOK, the central bank currently holds 104.4 metric tons of gold, valued at $4.79 billion, or 1.1 percent of its total foreign exchange reserves of $427.36 billion at end-June. The relatively small share highlights the BOK's limited exposure to gold compared with other central bank
Aug. 23, 2026 - 15:09:12
Foldables revive Samsung Display’s A7 OLED project
Samsung Display is restarting construction of its A7 OLED plant in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, five years after the project was suspended, as demand for foldable smartphones begins to justify fresh capacity. The company’s investment review committee approved structural construction of A7 on Aug. 7, with contracts to be placed from this month. Full-scale construction is expected to begin next year, aiming for completion by early 2028. Samsung Display CEO Yi Chung on Wednesday credited folda
Aug. 23, 2026 - 14:41:55
Why Gates’ visit matters for Korea’s SMR ambitions
Bill Gates’ latest trip to Seoul has drawn attention to a potentially bigger role for South Korea in the fast-growing global market for small modular reactors. During his visit last week, the TerraPower founder met senior government officials and the heads of SK Group and HD Hyundai. TerraPower also signed a series of new agreements that pulled Korean firms deeper into the US nuclear developer’s supply chain. SK Innovation, South Korea’s largest refiner, signed a preliminary agreement to jointly
Aug. 20, 2026 - 15:39:53
Why Samsung’s Fold8 won by breaking the foldable formula
“I thought it would feel awkward because it looked so short and wide in photos,” said Kwon Ji-hyun, a 35-year-old woman who had bought every Galaxy Z Flip before switching last week to Samsung’s new, wider Fold8. “Just a few days later, I felt the opposite. My husband’s larger, more traditional Fold8 Ultra started to seem like the unusual one.” Kwon is exactly the kind of buyer Samsung’s book-style Fold rarely won over before. She was far from alone. Female Fold buyers in their teens through 30s
Aug. 17, 2026 - 11:03:08
Ahn Ha-young debate: Why does a Korean actor’s family history still matter?
Ahn Ha-young’s rising career has hit a major roadblock after comments about her family history sparked backlash over allegations that her great-grandfather was linked to Japan’s colonial rule of Korea, just days before Liberation Day on Aug. 15. The uproar has revived the debate over whether descendants should be held accountable for their ancestors’ actions — with experts stating the Korean public increasingly places more weight on how descendants conduct themselves today than on their lineage
Aug. 12, 2026 - 15:30:22
AI rewrites the rules of memory chip sales
The artificial intelligence boom is changing not only how much memory chipmakers produce, but also how they sell it. The world's top three memory chipmakers — Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and Micron Technology — are increasingly locking customers into long-term supply agreements lasting as long as five years as global tech companies race to secure memory for AI data centers. The shift marks a departure from an industry long dominated by quarterly negotiations and short-term orders, potentially
Aug. 12, 2026 - 15:01:24
Did NPS rebalancing delay amplify Kospi volatility?
The National Pension Service rode the Kospi above 9,000 to record returns. Its decision not to rebalance aggressively during the rally, however, is now under scrutiny for potentially amplifying the market’s violent reversal. The world’s third-largest pension fund posted a 26.18 percent return through May, surpassing its previous full-year record of 18.82 percent in just five months. Assets under management jumped by more than 340 trillion won from the end of last year to a record 1,848.7 trillio
Aug. 6, 2026 - 15:11:27
Why Samsung’s first AI glasses have no display
"Many companies can make AI glasses. Making something people want to wear every day is a different problem." Choi Jae-in, head of Samsung Electronics' extended reality research and development team, was briefing reporters in London on July 23, a day after the company showed its first Intelligent Eyewear at Galaxy Unpacked. Most of what he emphasized was weight and comfort. Samsung's engineers argued over tenths of a gram. For example, the battery sits near one temple and the sensors and speakers
Aug. 5, 2026 - 15:17:05
US-Japan yen intervention raises hopes for stronger won
A rare US-Japan intervention to support the battered yen is giving the Korean won a renewed tailwind, raising hopes that the currency could return to the 1,300-won-per-dollar range. Policymakers confirmed Monday that the US Treasury bought yen in coordination with Japan’s Finance Ministry, marking the first joint intervention to support the Japanese currency since 1998. The move quickly spilled over into the won, which investors often trade as a proxy for the yen because the two currencies tend
Aug. 4, 2026 - 15:03:47
SK Siltron deal puts Chey’s W958b stake in spotlight
SK Group’s sale of its controlling stake in SK Siltron has put Chair Chey Tae-won’s remaining 29.4 percent holding in the spotlight, with its estimated value closely matching the 944 billion won ($660 million) he was ordered to pay in his recent divorce ruling. SK Inc., the group’s holding company, approved the sale of its 70.6 percent stake in Korea’s only semiconductor wafer-maker to Doosan for about 2.3 trillion won at a board meeting Friday, industry sources said Tuesday. Chey’s shares are n
Aug. 4, 2026 - 14:21:46
Hyundai wants to be an AI company, not just a carmaker
Hyundai Motor Group is setting its sights well beyond car manufacturing. The world’s third largest automaker by volume is seeking to transform itself into a physical artificial intelligence company spanning autonomous cars, robots, intelligent factories and urban infrastructure. “Hyundai Motor Group is evolving beyond the traditional boundaries of automotive manufacturing by expanding into autonomous driving, robotics and AI-defined factories, accelerating our transformation into a physical AI s
Aug. 2, 2026 - 13:53:45
