LG Energy Solution validates cobalt-free LMR battery cells
A joint study with Seoul National University demonstrates 92.2% energy retention over 883 cycles in 40-ampere-hour pouch cells by narrowing operating voltage windows.
South Korea
All coverageSemiconductors, batteries, shipbuilding and defense — and the industrial policy behind them.
Samsung Electronics opens HBM4 base die supply to rival TSMC for AI
The South Korean memory maker will offer customers external wafer fabrication alongside its internal 4nm lines as it prepares…
TOK completes $76M chip chemical plant in Pyeongtaek, Korea
The Japanese supplier built the high-purity chemical facility to serve Samsung and SK hynix directly, with commercial operations…
HD Hyundai Samho and ClassNK Partner on Autonomous LNG Ships
The joint development project applies Avikus autonomous navigation software to a 180,000-cubic-meter vessel to establish safety…
SK On signs 9 GWh US storage battery deal with NeoVolta Power
The five-year agreement covers lithium iron phosphate cells from Georgia, shifting manufacturing volume toward utility storage as…
LS Cable enters non-China rare earth magnet supply chain
Affiliates pair Vietnamese refining and Lynas feedstock to deliver 1,000 tons of permanent magnets annually by 2027 as Western…
HD Hyundai wins DNV approval on 271,000 cbm LNG hull design
The twin-skeg hull matches Qatar's Q-Max scale while preserving canal transit access, challenging China's monopoly in ultra-large…
SK hynix denies US memory fab deal with Intel at Ohio site
The South Korean memory maker refuted reports of leasing space at Intel's New Albany facility, while Seoul noted any HBM transfer…
Korea signs uranium and nuclear pacts with Kazakhstan in Seoul
The 13 bilateral pacts signed Sept. 15 target uranium from the top global producer and establish a joint critical metals…
South Korea faces 70% foreign reliance on humanoid robot parts
Actuator supply chains expose humanoid builders to Japan for strain-wave gears and China for rare-earth motor magnets.
HD Hyundai agrees to develop wind-assisted 174K LNG carrier
A four-party pact signed in Bangkok pairs rigid WindWings sails with a forward-deckhouse hull to cut fuel burn ahead of 2027…
HD Hyundai wins ABS approval for 100MW floating power barge
The gas engine-powered marine platform bypasses land-based grid bottlenecks to deliver direct electricity to coastal artificial…
Hanmi Semiconductor Wins Tool Order for Musk's Terafab PlantMembers
The South Korean packaging toolmaker secures its first supply contract for Elon Musk's Texas AI fab, though formal regulatory…
SK hynix taps TSMC for 3D DRAM logic, diverging from Samsung in 2026
The memory maker is outsourcing peripheral circuit fabrication to Taiwanese foundries, challenging Samsung Electronics' vertical…
Hanwha Ocean equips MOL LNG carrier with dual rigid sailsMembers
The 174,000-cubic-meter vessel combines wind propulsion with hull air lubrication to reduce fuel use by up to 12% ahead of…
LiBEST signs non-China graphite anode deal with Canada's GBM for 2027
The non-binding agreement covers Canadian natural graphite qualification for defense cells, targeting initial shipments by 2027…
HD Hyundai Wins LR Approval for Hybrid Electric LNG Carrier
The 185,000-cubic-meter vessel design integrates batteries with dual-fuel power to curb emissions ahead of tightening…
Strong Won Cuts Samsung and SK hynix Profit Views by 21T WonMembers
A rapid 10.4% won appreciation wiped 21 trillion won off combined 2026 operating profit estimates for South Korea's top memory…
HD Hyundai Unveils Three-Tank LNG Carrier Design at Gastech
The shipbuilder secured design approvals for wind-assisted hull layouts and three-tank vessels delivering from late 2028 to…
Hanwha Ocean unveils 60MW floating data center for AI demand
The South Korean shipbuilder secured technical approval from ABS for its modular offshore platform, using seawater cooling and…
KT deploys 5G AI welding robots at HD Hyundai Samho yard
A 16 billion won state-backed trial links private 5G standalone networks and AI radio access nodes to automate block fabrication…
Hanwha Ocean taps Maum AI for shipyard welding automationMembers
The 11-month research contract equals 21.52% of Maum AI's 2025 revenue and supports Hanwha Ocean's broader push to fully automate…
HD Hyundai Heavy union stages strike over 30% profit sharing
The four-hour walkout threatens delivery schedules at Ulsan docks running above 100% capacity with four years of orders as Seoul…
Hanwha Ocean signs $345m Dorian LPG order to lock 2030 slots
The three dual-fuel Panamax gas carriers extend the South Korean yard's commercial backlog through late 2030 as fleet renewal…
Semiconductors
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SK Hynix, Micron Shares Fall as Chip Sell-Off Hits Korea Market
A broad decline in Korean chip stocks on Oct. 13 dragged SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics lower, tracking losses in Micron shares…
Samsung backs chip suppliers as fab output rises in KoreaMembers
A 78.9 billion won incentive fund and free test wafers target domestic parts vendors as rising run rates test supplier balance…
SK hynix honors Onto Innovation for advanced HBM inspection
The US toolmaker was the sole supplier recognized for technology achievement after deploying its Dragonfly G5 system to catch…
Batteries & EV
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SK On Cuts Jobs at Stanton, Tennessee Battery Plant Amid Slower EV Demand
SK On trimmed staffing at its Stanton, Tennessee battery plant on Oct.
LG Energy Solution tests sodium batteries for US power grids
The South Korean cell maker plans a 30-megawatt-hour sample verification by early 2027, converting Ochang lines to counter…
POSCO Future M plans domestic LFP precursor supply by 2029
The battery materials maker is using steelmaking waste acid to forge non-Chinese lithium iron phosphate cathode inputs after…
Robotics
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HD Hyundai Offers Welding Robots to U.S. Naval Shipbuilders
The South Korean shipbuilder expanded its American robotics push on Oct.
Rainbow Robotics files US waiver to bypass robot import ban
The South Korean firm sought conditional approval after the FCC blocked equipment authorisations, halting American deliveries of…
Doosan Robotics and DEEPX develop AI nuclear welding robotsMembers
A 45-month South Korean state project targets a 50% cut in multi-layer cycle time at Doosan Enerbility, countering a severe…
Shipbuilding
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Hanwha Ocean Sets Up Dedicated Nuclear Submarine Development UnitMembers
The shipbuilder created the organizational unit on Oct. 13, a step that follows months of talks on US-Korea naval cooperation…
HD Hyundai and Siemens launch Busan digital shipyard center
The Global Marine Center deploys 50 engineers to test virtual shipyard tools, aiming to cut vessel construction time by 30% by…
HD Hyundai Marine Solution buys Goltens for $247.5 millionMembers
The South Korean firm acquired the repair specialist to secure 28 global hubs for green ship retrofits and service data center…
Energy & Minerals
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Gaon Cable builds US nuclear wire lines in North Carolina
The South Korean supplier will equip its Tarboro factory for reactor circuits, expanding beyond a $50 million distribution cable…
LS Cable backs Korea Future Materials in $15M US copper push
The South Korean wiremaker is taking up 40 million new shares to finance a recycling plant near LS GreenLink in Virginia, raising…
HD Construction Equipment wins $286M data center engine deal
The South Korean machinery group will supply 22-liter natural gas engine blocks to Enchanted Rock through 2028 to power North…
Trade & Policy
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Seoul Creates Chip Policy Office to Speed Up 800 Trillion Won Push
The new unit is meant to cut approval times for subsidies and permits tied to Korea's semiconductor investment plans, though its…
Commerce locks in Korean steel duties as mills press quota review
Countervailing rates of up to 3.68% land on Seoul producers as U.S.
Korea rejects Russia fuel breach claims as port checks widen
Trade authorities confirmed refined petroleum falls outside current export controls after reports alleged 176,000 tonnes moved…
Analysis
More →Strong Won Cuts Samsung and SK hynix Profit Views by 21T WonMembers
A rapid 10.4% won appreciation wiped 21 trillion won off combined 2026 operating profit estimates for South Korea's top memory…