Rapid AI data center expansion is pushing Samsung Electronics and SK hynix to compete over high-capacity enterprise solid-state drives, as the AI infrastructure race moves toward storage solutions. For much of the AI boom, investment has focused on computing power required to accelerate AI model training, particularly graphics processing units (GPUs) and high-bandwidth memory (HBM). But as large language models become more complex and AI inference services expand, the industry faces another chal

South Korean AI startup Wrtn Technologies has begun preparations for an initial public offering, seeking capital to accelerate its overseas expansion after rapid growth in North America. Wrtn recently sent requests for proposals to major Korean securities firms to select lead underwriters, the company said Tuesday. It plans to appoint IPO advisers this month and map out the listing process, with a market debut targeted for 2028 or later. The preparations follow a 100 billion won ($73 million) Se

Samsung Electronics on Tuesday unveiled a next-generation memory strategy at Semicon Taiwan 2026, betting on 3D architectures to boost capacity, bandwidth and energy efficiency as artificial intelligence workloads place growing demands on memory systems. Choi Jang-seok, head of the memory product planning team at Samsung Electronics, presented the road map in a keynote speech at the Memory Executive Summit in Taipei, a day before the main Semicon Taiwan exhibition opened. Samsung calls the strat

Presidential Council on National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Standing Vice Chair Ha Jung-woo said Monday the government would shift its AI policy focus from setting strategies to delivering results that businesses and the public can feel. At his first press briefing following his appointment Sunday, Ha said Korea had reached a point where it needs to turn its AI ambitions into concrete outcomes if it is to emerge as a leading player in the global AI race. “The council has so far focused on

Ha Jung-woo, standing vice chair of the Presidential Council on National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, pledged Monday to put execution at the center of Korea’s bid to become one of the world’s top three AI powers. In his inaugural address, Ha identified semiconductors, physical AI and AI data centers as the three pillars of the government’s strategy. “The world is entering a new era shaped by AI,” Ha said. “The council must set the country’s AI vision and serve as the center of national AI g

LG Electronics said Monday that it has launched AI-Dol, a virtual idol group created to promote its AI WashCombo all-in-one washer-dryer to young consumers. Each member represents a key feature of the appliance, including its large capacity and artificial intelligence-powered washing and drying functions. The group also previewed its song “I Wash” on Instagram ahead of its debut. (LG Electronics)

China’s Yangtze Memory Technologies is forecast to increase NAND wafer output by nearly 25 percent next year, as it seeks to catch up with its Korean rivals, whose major expansions are not expected until 2028. Market tracker Omdia expects YMTC’s annual NAND output will rise by 486,000 wafers, from 2.01 million this year to 2.50 million in 2027, according to industry sources Sunday. The expansion will be driven largely by the company’s third plant in Wuhan, which is scheduled to begin initial ope

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix paid a combined 11.21 trillion won ($7.99 billion) in corporate taxes in the first half, up 167 percent from a year earlier, as the AI-driven chip boom translated into higher tax bills. According to regulatory filings Sunday, Samsung paid 3.99 trillion won, up from 1.12 trillion won a year earlier. SK hynix paid a record 7.22 trillion won, more than double the previous year’s 3.07 trillion won. The combined total was the second-highest for any first half, trailin

SK Telecom said Thursday it will spin off SK Broadband’s artificial intelligence data center business into a new company, SK Horizon, as part of a broader push to expand its AI infrastructure operations. The telecom carrier also signed deals with US investment firm KKR and a consortium comprising Korean investment firms IMM Investment and Stonebridge Capital to invest a combined 3.08 trillion won ($2.23 billion) in the new company. Once the investment is completed, SK Telecom will retain a 51 pe

Apple is preparing to challenge Samsung Electronics in one of the few smartphone segments that is still growing. Entering foldables seven years behind its Korean rival, its ability to catch up may hinge on pricing. Apple has scheduled a special event at its California headquarters for Sept. 9. Industry watchers expect the company to unveil its first foldable iPhone, widely dubbed the iPhone Ultra, alongside its iPhone 18 Pro lineup. The foldable is expected to have passport-like proportions, sim

LG CNS is entering the liquid cooling business with Naver Cloud, starting with a direct-to-chip cooling system at the Samsong data center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, the company said Wednesday. LG CNS took over operations of the facility in April and signed a colocation agreement with Naver Cloud. The 80-megawatt data center is owned by an asset management firm and operated by LG CNS, while Naver Cloud leases part of the space. The cooling infrastructure will support Naver Cloud’s operation of

SK hynix union members rejected a tentative wage agreement Tuesday by just 25 votes, sending the two sides back to the negotiating table after two months of talks. Of the 15,045 votes cast, 7,535 members, or 50.08 percent, opposed the agreement, while 7,510, or 49.92 percent, supported it, the union said. Turnout reached 93.81 percent of the union’s 16,083 members. Electronic voting ran from 6 a.m. Monday to 9 a.m. Tuesday. SK hynix and the union reached a tentative agreement Thursday. It includ

Samsung Electronics said Monday it is moving production of its eco heating system heat pump boilers to Korea, becoming the first heat pump manufacturer to participate in the government’s heating electrification program aimed at reshoring overseas production. The tech giant began trial production Wednesday at a newly built 2,132-square-meter production line at the second campus of its Gwangju plant. Mass production is scheduled to begin at the end of September after Samsung completes checks on ma

Samsung Electronics said Friday it plans to return between 90 trillion won ($65.2 billion) and 110 trillion won to shareholders this year, marking the largest shareholder return ever undertaken by a Korean company. The tech giant said its board approved the plan earlier in the day, with the upper end of the range more than five times its previous record of 20.3 trillion won in 2020. “The record shareholder return is aimed at ensuring that the benefits of the company’s growth are shared with shar

Kakao said Friday that Kakao X, the investment company to emerge from its planned corporate split, will not become a holding company. “There are absolutely no plans to convert Kakao X into a holding company after the split,” Kim Do-young, CEO nominee for Kakao X, said at a briefing. The clarification addresses a central question surrounding the restructuring. Kakao X will retain stakes in major affiliates and manage the group’s investment portfolio, giving it some characteristics of a holding co