Smart Glasses Sales Hit 8.7 Million in 2024, Korea's Share Near Zero
Global AI smart glasses shipments hit 8.7 million units in 2024 with Meta taking 85.2%, while Korea's share remains near zero. Samsung plans Galaxy Glass launch as counterstrike.
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Strategic business news and industry trends for executives and decision-makers. Covers M&A, corporate strategy, leadership changes, and major business developments.
HD Hyundai Builds Shipbuilding Bases in India, Vietnam to Counter China
HD Hyundai is building new shipyards in India and Vietnam to counter China's dominance in commercial vessels, as Korea's market share fell from 31% to 20% while China's rose to 62%.
SK hynix Taps TSMC 3nm for HBM4E to Block Samsung's Pursuit
SK hynix is applying TSMC's 3nm process to HBM4E base die to double power efficiency, intensifying its technology race with Samsung Electronics, which first mass-produced HBM4 in February.
Naphtha Supply Crisis Shakes Korea's Petrochemical and Consumer Goods Chain
Strait of Hormuz blockade triggers naphtha supply crisis as Hanwha TotalEnergies, Lotte Chemical, and LG Chem declare force majeure, pushing packaging prices up 20-30% and shaking Korea's consumer goods supply chain.
Samsung SDS Secures 1.2 Trillion Won from KKR to Accelerate AI and M&A Expansion
Samsung SDS secures 1.2 trillion won from KKR for AI and M&A expansion, bringing total cash reserves to 7.6 trillion won. Nvidia unveils quantum AI model 'Ising' while global supply chain risks mount amid Hormuz Strait blockade.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics to Invest $1.2 Billion in Vietnam FC-BGA Plant, Bringing Total to 3 Trillion Won
Samsung Electro-Mechanics invests $1.2 billion in Vietnam FC-BGA plant for AI semiconductors, while Meta is projected to overtake Google in digital ad revenue for the first time in 14 years.
China Sulfuric Acid Export Halt, Aluminum Surge Sound Supply Chain Alarm for Korean Manufacturing
China's potential sulfuric acid export halt and aluminum prices hitting 4-year highs at $3,498.50/ton are raising supply chain alarms for Korean manufacturers, while major firms accelerate Vietnam investments and AI transformation strategies.
Kia, Samsung, Hyundai Steel Adopt Digital Twins, Cutting Labor Hours by 92%
Kia's Gwangmyeong EVO Plant cut equipment monitoring time by 92% using digital twins, as Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and Hyundai Steel adopt similar technology for manufacturing optimization.
SKT Partners with Arm and Rebellions to Develop GPU-Alternative AI Server Solution
SK Telecom partners with UK's Arm and Korean startup Rebellions to develop CPU-NPU combined AI server solutions, aiming to reduce GPU dependency as AI industry shifts from training to inference.
Kia Bets 49 Trillion Won on Humanoid Robots, Urban Autonomous Driving by 2029
Kia announces 49 trillion won investment through 2030 for EVs, robotics, and autonomous driving, while U.S. MATCH Act threatens global semiconductor supply chains and Fed minutes reveal rate hike discussions.
War-Proven 'Cost-Effective Weapons' Position K-Defense Exports to Surpass $20 Billion
Korea's Big 4 defense companies project record 6.5 trillion won operating profit amid global arms race, with exports expected to surpass $37.7 billion as combat-proven weapons gain international recognition.
Morgan Stanley Cuts Korea Growth Forecast to 1.8% on Middle East Risks
Morgan Stanley cuts South Korea's 2025 GDP growth forecast to 1.8% citing Middle East war risks, while Samsung Electronics posts record Q1 operating profit of 57.2 trillion won and POSCO plans direct hiring of 7,000 subcontractor workers.
Nobel Laureate Professor Baker: "Generative AI Opens Era of Designing Proteins That Don't Exist in Nature"
Nobel laureate David Baker says generative AI-based protein design will transform bio and chemical industries.
SpaceX, OpenAI Among Five Hectocorns Eyeing IPOs Worth $3.8 Trillion Combined
Five hectocorn companies — SpaceX, OpenAI, Anthropic, ByteDance and Databricks — are pursuing IPOs this year with a combined valuation of $3.8 trillion, potentially reshaping the global investment landscape dominated by the Magnificent Seven.
Middle East Oil Dependency at 69%: Iran War Exposes Structural Weakness in Korean Industry
South Korea's 69.1% dependency on Middle Eastern crude oil is exposed as a critical vulnerability as the U.S.-Iran war disrupts Strait of Hormuz shipping, driving up costs across semiconductors, chemicals and steel sectors.
Koo Kwang-mo Inspects U.S. ESS Hub, Pushes Integrated Solutions Beyond Hardware
LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo inspects U.S. ESS operations pushing integrated solutions, Korea Zinc launches $7.2B Tennessee smelter, and KOSPI plunges 4.47% on Trump's Iran strike remarks.
March Exports Hit Record $86.1 Billion as Semiconductors Drive 70% of Gains
South Korea's March exports hit a record $86.1 billion, driven by a 151.4% surge in semiconductor exports that topped $30 billion for the first time, while raw material spikes disrupt manufacturing.
Hanwha Becomes First Korean Firm to Join U.S. Navy Ship Design
Hanwha Philly Shipyard becomes the first Korean company to participate in U.S. Navy ship design for the NGLS program, targeting a $40 billion annual market, as Korea's semiconductor output posts its biggest jump in 38 years.
LG Chem Targets 2 Trillion Won in Electronics Materials Revenue by 2030
LG Chem plans to double its electronics materials revenue to 2 trillion won by 2030, pivoting to AI and semiconductor materials, while Samsung's HBM revenue surges 300% and the won-dollar rate nears a 17-year high.
AI Draws the Divide: Capital Floods Only 'Irreplaceable' Industries in K-Curve Phenomenon
Korea's Q1 M&A deals surged 113.73% to 10.1 trillion won as AI reshapes capital flows. Professional and IT youth jobs fell by 147,000 while global markets plunged on U.S.-Iran tensions.
Tianjin Port Hits 88% Automation as DeepSeek, Huawei AI Transform Operations
China's Tianjin Port hits 88% automation using Huawei's PortGPT and DeepSeek AI. Meanwhile, naphtha shortages from the Hormuz blockade disrupt Korean industries, and LG Energy Solution raises $1.6 billion in oversubscribed bonds.
LG's Koo Kwang-mo Orders AX Speed Drive: "Execution Over Perfect Plans"
LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo orders 40 presidents to accelerate AX with "execution over perfect plans," as OECD cuts Korea's 2024 growth to 1.7% and Google's TurboQuant rattles memory chip stocks.
SK hynix Eyes 100 Trillion Won Net Cash to Match Samsung's Financial Firepower
SK hynix unveils plan to grow net cash from 12.7 trillion won to over 100 trillion won, matching Samsung Electronics. Also: Arm launches first self-developed CPU; Qatar LNG crisis threatens semiconductor supply chains.
Samsung, SK hynix Invest 1.5 Trillion Won in China Plants for Process Upgrades
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are investing over 1.5 trillion won in Chinese factories to upgrade memory chip processes amid surging AI demand, while the U.S. launches a $1 trillion allied semiconductor fund.
Samsung, Hyundai Motor Expand Manufacturing Alliance to Batteries, Robots, Smart Factories
Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor expand their manufacturing alliance to batteries, robots, and smart factories, while a naphtha supply crisis hits petrochemical plants and KOSPI plunges 6.49% on a triple shock of oil, FX, and rate fears.