Global E-commerce Landscape Shifts
JD.com has rapidly expanded into six European countries after acquiring European electronics retailer MediaMarkt and German retailer Ceconomy for 2.2 billion euros (approximately 3.76 trillion won). The Chinese e-commerce giant is challenging the Amazon-Alibaba duopoly in Europe with next-day delivery services backed by more than 60 warehouses and delivery centers.
Korean Autonomous Driving Startup Wins Singapore Contract
Korean startup Autonomous A to Z has secured a logistics automation project at Changi Prison from Singapore's Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX). The company will convert commercial trucks into autonomous vehicles for pilot testing in September. The startup also signed an MOU with NCS, a subsidiary of Singapore Telecom, expanding its global partnership network.
Korean Fintech Eyes KOSDAQ Listing
Affinity, which operates an AI-based financial platform in India, plans to file for KOSDAQ preliminary listing review in April. The company has secured approximately 70 million users through its microcredit services targeting low-to-middle credit borrowers in India. Pre-tax profits surged from 6 billion won in 2023 to 33 billion won last year, more than doubling for three consecutive years.
JD.com's European Strategy
JD.com launched its "Joybuy" commerce platform in London in April last year and has since expanded to Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. JD Logistics operates more than 60 warehouses and delivery centers across Europe, covering over 1 million square meters. The company offers free shipping on orders above 29 euros, half the threshold of Amazon Prime for non-members (49 euros). JD.com directly purchases over 80% of its products, earning praise for superior quality control and delivery reliability compared to Alibaba.
Government Support for SME AI Transformation
UNIST and Korea SMEs and Startups Agency signed an MOU to support AI transformation for small and medium enterprises in the southeastern region. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced plans to discover 1,000 promising local entrepreneurs through audition-style selection and expand local startup towns from 8 to 10 locations.
Domestic Collaboration Tools Gain Ground
Korean collaboration tools are experiencing rapid growth amid public sector AI transformation. Naver Works reported a 157% year-over-year increase in public sector sales, while NHN Dooray recorded approximately 50% annual average sales growth from 2023 to 2025. The Ministry of Public Administration and Security has secured approximately 16 billion won in budget for collaboration tool subscriptions.
