Samsung to invest W450tr in next 5 years for new facilities, R&D in Korea

Samsung Electronics said Sunday it will invest 450 trillion won ($309.2 billion) in the next five years to build new manufacturing plants in South Korea for its key affiliates. The announcement came after Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong met with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung along with chiefs of other conglomerates to discuss the recent tariff agreement with the US and their companies' domestic investment. Samsung said part of the 450 trillion won investment will be spent on fac

Nov. 16, 2025

Lee pledges regulatory overhaul to remove barriers for businesses

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung vowed to remove regulatory barriers to support business activities during a Sunday meeting with heads of the country’s top conglomerates, held to discuss follow-up measures to the recently closed tariff deal with the US. Underscoring their joint efforts in successfully concluding the tariff negotiation, Lee also expressed appreciation for the dedication of corporate leaders. “I will do my best to minimize the barriers for companies to do business. It is the r

Nov. 16, 2025

Samsung forms M&A unit, raising anticipation for Lee’s next moves

As Samsung Electronics formally establishes a mergers and acquisitions team within its newly launched Business Support Office, anticipation is building over the tech giant and its chaebol chief charting a fresh management strategy heading into the new year. Earlier this month, Samsung upgraded its Business Support Task Force into a permanent organization, and, just a week later, added its first-ever team devoted solely to M&A. With the shift coming after Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong

Nov. 16, 2025

LG, Mercedes-Benz chiefs agree to bolster collaboration on next-gen auto parts

Top executives of LG Group's key affiliates met with Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius in Seoul on Thursday, agreeing to expand collaboration in EV components and software-defined vehicle (SDV) technologies, and build on LG's combined battery, display and automotive electronics capabilities. LG Electronics said Kallenius held talks with LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan, LG Display CEO Jeong Cheol-dong, LG Energy Solution CEO Kim Dong-myung and LG Innotek CEO Moon Hyuk-soo at the group’s Twin Tower i

Nov. 13, 2025

ASML opens major Korea base to deepen ties with Samsung, SK hynix

Dutch manufacturer of chip equipment ASML on Wednesday opened a new office complex in South Korea, expanding its research and development efforts and operations in the country as it seeks closer cooperation with Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in advanced chipmaking. Traveling to Korea, ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet attended the opening ceremony of the company's new Hwaseong campus in Gyeonggi Province and met Samsung Electronics Vice Chair Jun Young-hyun, according to industry officials. Fouquet

Nov. 12, 2025

Korea delays Google mapping decision again

South Korea has again delayed a decision on whether to approve Google's request to export high-precision map data outside the country, saying the company failed to submit key documents required for review. The National Geographic Information Institute under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Tuesday that a government review committee deferred the deliberation until Feb. 5, giving Google an additional 60 days to supplement its application. Google applied in February to export

Nov. 11, 2025

Samsung keeps highest export control rating

Samsung Electronics said Monday it has retained the highest rating in South Korea’s Internal Compliance Program for export control, highlighting its efforts to apply strong compliance standards to its handling of strategic products such as semiconductors and network equipment. The rating, granted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, recognizes companies that voluntarily meet export control requirements for items subject to national security regulations. It rates companies according to

Nov. 10, 2025

'No AI bubble': Industry veterans see chip supercycle intact

Despite the steep selloff in global chip and AI stocks that rattled markets this week, industry veterans Colley Hwang and Kim Sung-soo Eric laid out a rosy outlook, downplaying concerns of an "AI bubble" and predicting that the semiconductor "supercycle" will continue. "I think the concerns about an AI bubble come from not really understanding how much the technology is evolving right now," Kim, CEO of Datacrunch Global, said during an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul on Friday. "The cur

Nov. 7, 2025

Samsung chief's 'right-hand man' steps down

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Chung Hyun-ho, a longtime confidant and “right-hand man” to Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, is stepping back from frontline management as the company reorganizes its de facto management coordination unit. Samsung said Friday that Chung, who has led the Business Support Taskforce, will relinquish his role and remain at the company as a senior advisor to Lee. The taskforce — created in late 2017 after Samsung disbanded its powerful Future Strategy Office in the w

Nov. 7, 2025

'Samsung must rethink everything to survive AI era'

Samsung Electronics needs a bold new strategy to navigate the next industrial shift driven by artificial intelligence — one on par with the late Chair Lee Kun-hee’s “New Management” initiative that reshaped the company more than two decades ago, according to Colley Hwang, founder and chair of Taiwan-based tech research firm Digitimes. Hwang, a four-decade industry veteran, said such reinvention is vital for the future survival of South Korea’s largest industrial powerhouse. He spoke in an interv

Nov. 7, 2025