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China Factor In series
An analytical series on how China’s rise is reshaping competition across Korea’s key industries
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China Factor In series
An analytical series on how China’s rise is reshaping competition across Korea’s key industries
Would you like to subscribe?
BYD charges into Korea’s EV market, a rare win for China brands
Riding the wave of rising oil prices and aggressive pricing strategies, China's largest electric vehicle maker BYD is making bold inroads into South Korea, a market traditionally dominated by Hyundai Motor and German luxury marques. Just 15 months after entering the market in January 2025, BYD has emerged as one of the fastest-growing imported car brands. BYD sold 1,664 vehicles here in March, ranking fourth among imported brands behind Tesla, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, according to data compiled by
April 12, 2026 - 10:53:51
C-beauty comes knocking on K-beauty’s turf
It might take nerve for an overseas brand to press its case on the Korean beauty industry's home turf, more so for Chinese players still dogged by doubts over quality. Yet for the moment, Chinese beauty brands, or "C-beauty," are the challengers du jour. Imports of Chinese cosmetics into Korea climbed to a record $71.76 million last year, up 84 percent from a year earlier, according to the Korea Customs Service. A telling vignette came last October, when Chinese color cosmetics brand Flower Know
April 12, 2026 - 10:00:01
China winning in gaming race as Korea stumbles on policy
China’s ascent in the global gaming industry is no longer a projection but a reality reshaping competitive dynamics across markets worldwide, where Korean developers once held an edge. From sheer market size to global export strength, Chinese game companies are rapidly consolidating influence while Korean firms find themselves battling not only foreign competition but also a domestic regulatory environment many argue has yet to fully evolve in line with industry-leading standards. According to t
April 8, 2026 - 14:43:45
China's YMTC closes in on NAND leaders as Korea moves upmarket
China’s Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. is rapidly closing in on the world’s top makers of NAND flash memory, scaling production and advancing into higher-layer chips at a faster-than-expected pace. Korean chipmakers, long dominant in the market, are accelerating their shift to advanced nodes to defend their technological lead against a fast-rising Chinese challenger once seen as a clear underdog. According to industry sources on Tuesday, YMTC has pulled forward the timeline for its third-phase
April 7, 2026 - 15:13:38
US moves to curb China robots, opens door for Hyundai
The US is moving to curb China’s rise in humanoid robotics with a proposed law that would effectively shut China-made robots out of federal procurement on national security grounds. For Hyundai Motor, the shift could open a strategic window. As Chinese rivals face restrictions in the US market, the focus is now turning to whether the curbs will extend beyond finished robots to components and materials — potentially reshaping the entire robotics supply chain. On March 26, two US senators — one Re
April 6, 2026 - 14:01:35
LG Energy Solution escalates patent fight with China’s Sunwoda
LG Energy Solution is widening its patent offensive to automakers, stepping up pressure across the EV supply chain as it moves to enforce core battery technologies, industry sources said Sunday. The company recently filed for an injunction against Volvo Car Korea, alleging patent infringement in batteries used in the electric SUV EX30. The model uses prismatic nickel-cobalt-manganese batteries supplied by China’s Sunwoda, the apparent target of the legal push. At the same time, LG Energy Solutio
April 5, 2026 - 13:37:01
China’s CXMT IPO clouds memory upcycle outlook
China’s largest DRAM maker, ChangXin Memory Technologies, is accelerating plans for an initial public offering on Shanghai’s Star Market, aiming to raise about 29.5 billion yuan ($4.3 billion) to fund capacity expansion. The planned listing — expected as early as June, according to industry sources — is sharpening focus on the supply outlook in the global memory market, as new capacity could arrive just as the current upcycle begins to mature. CXMT is expected to use the proceeds to build additi
April 5, 2026 - 12:35:07
LG’s budget OLED vs China’s mini-LED: Enough to win?
You're in an electronics store with $1,500 to spend. On your left, a 65-inch LG OLED with blacks so deep they seem to swallow light. On your right, a 75-inch TCL mini-LED that is 10 inches bigger and impossible to ignore. Increasingly, people are picking the bigger screen. Mini-LED shipments and revenue have overtaken OLED in the super-premium TV segment in recent years, according to Counterpoint Research, with shipments of 75-inch-plus premium sets surging 79 percent year-on-year in early 2025.
April 1, 2026 - 14:46:42
Hyundai Motor ramps up EV push in China amid US tariff pressure
Hyundai Motor Company is ramping up its electric vehicle push in China, setting an aggressive target to sell more than 40,000 eco-friendly vehicles this year as it seeks to reduce reliance on the US market amid rising tariff pressures. According to industry sources Monday, the automaker plans to boost production of eco-friendly vehicles at its joint venture, Beijing Hyundai, to 41,500 units in 2026 — a more than 33-fold increase from a year earlier. As a result, such models are expected to accou
March 30, 2026 - 15:01:06
Unitree’s Shanghai listing tests Boston Dynamics: boom or bubble?
China’s leading humanoid robotics company is accelerating plans for an initial public offering on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, widely seen as the world’s first listing of an advanced humanoid robot maker. Unitree Robotics' debut would not only mark a milestone for China’s humanoid robotics ecosystem but also set a benchmark for corporate valuation in this rapidly expanding sector. For competitors such as Hyundai Motor Group’s US-based robotics subsidiary Boston Dynamics, which is gearing up for
March 30, 2026 - 14:08:52
Why China will decide Musinsa’s global ambitions
Just half a year ago, Musinsa had no meaningful presence in China. Today, through a joint venture with the country's largest sportswear conglomerate, it has planted two Shanghai stores and a fast-growing e-commerce storefront, with a third outlet opening later this month. The build has been swift by any measure, signaling what Asia's largest economy means for Korea's leading fashion platform. It is the stage on which Musinsa intends to go global and — in the longer arc — achieve 100 stores by 20
March 25, 2026 - 09:58:46
Korea stands ready to step in as US military moves to ditch Chinese batteries
US efforts to reduce reliance on Chinese battery supply chains are expanding beyond electric vehicles and energy storage into the defense sector, opening new opportunities for Korean battery makers navigating a slowdown in EV demand. The US Department of Defense signaled its intent to deepen partnerships with Korea to standardize batteries for military use at a Korea-US defense battery cooperation seminar held during InterBattery 2026 in Seoul earlier this month — a move aimed at lowering costs
March 23, 2026 - 15:18:28
China’s OLED surge revives LCD lessons for Korea
China is poised to overtake South Korea in OLED production capacity by 2029, raising fresh concerns that the industry could gradually shift toward price-driven competition — echoing the trajectory of the LCD market. According to industry tracker Counterpoint Research, Chinese panel makers are rapidly expanding investments in next-generation production lines, including 8.7-generation fabs, narrowing the gap with Korean rivals faster than expected. Lee Jae-ho, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Rese
March 22, 2026 - 14:59:25
Humanoid race with China may be won by the hand, not on foot
Earlier this month, Seoul's COEX hosted an event whose name said it all: the China Humanoid Conference, "First Journey to Korea." Unitree, Fourier, Leju and Huawei presented humanoids already working in Chinese factories and retail stores. It felt less like an introduction than a declaration. The Korean engineers in the audience knew the scoreboard: China ships the vast majority of the world's humanoids, with over 140 companies in the race. On volume and speed, the contest was over. Not everyone
March 19, 2026 - 14:55:36
China link roils Korea Zinc control battle
Ahead of Korea Zinc’s March 24 annual shareholders' meeting, scrutiny of China Investment Corp.’s investment in MBK’s Fund VI has resurfaced as the ownership fight between the Young Poong-MBK alliance and Korea Zinc further intensifies. Young Poong, Korea Zinc’s largest shareholder, joined forces with MBK in 2024 to challenge Chairman Choi Yun-beom, setting up the current contest for control. With Young Poong and MBK seen as holding the larger stake and Choi relying on friendly shareholders and
March 17, 2026 - 15:15:27
