Samsung Electronics on Friday released its latest flagship model Galaxy S25 series in major markets, starting with South Korea, the US, the UK, India and Thailand. The firm said the devices would eventually be sold in more than 120 countries. In tandem with the launch, Google’s AI model Gemini, which is built into the S25 series, now supports 46 languages. The tech giant unveiled the latest S25 series at its Galaxy Unpacked event in San Jose, California, last month. Even before the launch, the S

Samsung Electronic on Friday said it pledged to donate $1 million worth of electronic products to support relief efforts in Los Angeles, where destructive wildfires throughout January left thousands of residents displaced and homes destroyed. Samsung’s US affiliates, Samsung Electronics America and Samsung Semiconductor, have partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, Team Rubicon and the Los Angeles Unified School District Education Foundation to provide both immediate relief a

LG AI Research, the artificial intelligence arm of LG Group, is accelerating efforts in new drug discovery by partnering with a Seoul National University professor to develop AI for predicting protein structure. LG said Thursday it signed a joint research agreement with Baek Min-kyung, professor of biological science at Seoul National University, at LG Science Park in Magok, western Seoul, a day earlier. Predicting protein structures, which are critical to human biological processes, is essentia

Samsung Electronics Chair Lee Jae-yong walked free from years of legal battles on Monday, after an appellate court cleared him of stock-rigging and accounting fraud charges related to the 2015 merger of Samsung affiliates. With his legal troubles behind him, Lee is expected to focus on spearheading the tech giant through its various business challenges. Conflict origins Lee’s legal troubles trace back to the contentious merger of two Samsung affiliates: Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries. The deal

Naver founder Lee Hae-jin will likely return as chair of the board at South Korea's internet giant, reclaiming a leadership role seven years after stepping down to focus on overseas expansion. According to industry sources on Wednesday, Naver’s board of directors plans to approve a proposal Friday to reinstate Lee as an internal director ahead of the shareholder meeting in March. Once approved by shareholders, he is expected to take on the role of board chair. A Naver official declined to confir

25 Korean companies have 201 entities operating in Canada, Mexico With US President Donald Trump’s long-threatened tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico paused for a month, South Korean companies operating in these countries breathed a sigh of relief. However, firms remain vigilant as the measures are temporary and subject to change in the near future. Following a last-minute deal struck between the leaders of the three neighboring countries, the US plan to impose 25 percent duties on imports

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong was acquitted by an appellate court on Monday, clearing him of all charges related to a contentious merger between Samsung affiliates in 2015. The decision, arriving about a year after the initial verdict, found Lee not guilty, lifted a weight off the Samsung chief, allowing him to focus on steering the tech giant to tackle various challenges. The judges at the Seoul High Court upheld the lower court’s verdict dismissing all charges against Lee, includin

Samsung Electro-Mechanics, the electronic parts subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, said its annual revenue hit a record high last year, exceeding 10 trillion won ($6.99 billion) for the first time in the company’s history. The company said its revenue was 10.29 trillion won in 2024, up 15.8 percent from 2023. Its operating profit rose 11.3 percent from a year earlier to 735 billion won, driven by an expansion in the supply of high-value products. The company said booming demand for premium compo

New US policies prompt aggressive lobbying by biggest players; Hanwha outpaces Hyundai in spending for first time South Korean conglomerates increased their spending on lobbying in the US last year, with Samsung leading the pack with nearly $7 million. The escalating lobbying activities in the world’s largest economy appear to be in response to changes in US policies, such as the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, and in preparation for the new Trump administration. According

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won (right, front), who doubles as head of Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun (left, front) pose for a photo after unveiling a plaque during the kick-off ceremony for the promotion committee of the 2025 APEC CEO Summit held at the KCCI headquarters in Seoul on Thursday. This year's summit is set to be held in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, on Oct. 28-31. Under the theme of "Bridge, Business, Beyond," the summit will bring t

US President Donald Trump wasted no time on his first day back in the White House, signing a flurry of executive orders on Monday aimed at achieving his vision to “put America first.” The sweeping actions included rescinding nearly 80 Biden-era policies and addressing issues such as immigration, climate change and gender. These orders, while centered on US domestic policy, could also have huge implications for South Korean businesses. What is an executive order? An executive order is a directive

As Donald Trump assumes office for a second term on Monday, South Korean businesses are bracing for sweeping changes in US trade policies that could thrust them into considerable uncertainty. From potential tariff hikes to aggressive trade strategies and the rollback of green initiatives, Korea’s export-driven companies are gauging the risks and opportunities in the world’s largest economy. Amid these potential disruptions, firms must be equipped with “robust scenarios” and engage effectively wi

With threat of tariffs and shift in trade policies, major conglomerates prepare for a rocky road ahead in the all-important US market As Donald Trump returns to the White House for a second term, South Korean conglomerates are buckling up to navigate a potentially turbulent economic landscape. With promises of wide-ranging tariffs, renegotiation of trade deals and possible adjustments to key Biden-era policies, such as CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, South Korea’s export-d

Nvidia CEO's comments move share prices for Samsung, SK, Hyundai It is fair to say that the star of recently concluded CES 2025 was none other than Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, with every word the tycoon uttered moving stock prices up or down. His comments on Nvidia’s partners, semiconductors and quantum computing sent ripples through the market, causing fluctuations in the share prices of major industry players, including Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Hyundai Motor and firms engaged in quantum com

Foreign investors bet big on SK hynix amid surging chip profits Riding high on a surge in demand for AI chips, SK hynix is expected to log an operating profit of over 8 trillion won ($5.43 billion) for the fourth quarter of last year, according to analysts, outperforming its bigger rival Samsung Electronics. This would make SK hynix -- the world’s second-largest memory chipmaker -- the top profit earner among South Korea’s listed firms for the October-December period. The jump in SK hynix’s prof