China’s ‘Lipstick King’ hawks tokens as AI gets mass-market Singles’ Day push

South China Morning Post - Nov 3, 2026

China’s “Lipstick King” has traded make-up swatches for artificial intelligence. Top live-streamer Li Jiaqi on Monday evening teamed up with an executive from Alibaba Group Holding to pitch AI subscriptions, selling nearly 100,000 monthly packages in just 30 minutes, according to data provided by the e-commerce giant. The broadcast on Taobao and Tmall – Alibaba’s largest domestic online marketplace – marked the first time generative AI products have taken centre stage during the annual Singles’...

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Hanwha bags 1st US Navy shipbuilding order

Nov 1, 2026

Hanwha bags 1st US Navy shipbuilding order

Hanwha Group has won its first contract to build a warship for the United States Navy after its acquisition of Philadelphia-based Philly Shipyard in December 2024, marking a tangible step forward in the Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation initiative known as Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA). Hanwha Group said Sunday that Hanwha Defense USA has signed a $269 million (357.5 billion won) contract with TOTE Services to build a landing ship medium (LSM). TOTE Services is a vessel construction manager entrusted by the U.S. Navy with overseeing shipbuilding contracts and managing vessel construction. The construction of the LSM is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of next year, and the contract also includes options for three additional vessels. The LSM is an expeditionary landing vessel designed to support the U.S. Navy's operations in contested coastal areas, including the Indo-Pacific region. It is tasked with transporting and deploying Marine Corps personnel, equipment and supplies to coastal areas. The U.S. Navy aims to secure 35 LSMs. The vessel measures 100 meters in

POSCO union to vote on tentative wage deal this week

Nov 1, 2026

POSCO union to vote on tentative wage deal this week

Unionized workers at South Korean steelmaker POSCO will vote this week on a tentative wage agreement reached with management, the union said Sunday. The two sides have held 30 rounds of negotiations since June, while the union staged two partial strikes in September to demand higher wages and bonuses. Last week, the union said it would launch an "indefinite" strike from Nov. 2 unless the company presented an acceptable wage offer. On Friday, the union reached a tentative agreement on the company's latest offer, which includes a 2.6 percent increase in base pay, a one-off payment of 6 million won ($4,500) and improved benefits. Union members are scheduled to vote on the deal on Saturday. The union had initially demanded a 7.1 percent increase in base pay, a performance bonus equivalent to 600 percent of base pay, 50 company shares per worker and a holiday bonus equivalent to 200 percent of base pay. In addition to higher wages, the union cited staffing shortages and aging facilities as factors that could heighten the risk of workplace accidents. Management's previous offer included a 2.5 pe

From 'Lake of Death' to Clavius, Korea searches moon for 2032 landing sites

Nov 1, 2026

From 'Lake of Death' to Clavius, Korea searches moon for 2032 landing sites

Korea is shopping for real estate on the moon, and its newly established space agency has its eye on some of the lunar surface’s most forbidding neighborhoods. At a recent academic symposium, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) revealed a shortlist of prospective landing sites for two robotic missions scheduled for 2032. The agency is weighing 20 candidate zones for its flagship lunar lander and nine for a precursor soft-landing demonstration craft, signaling a decisive shift toward boots-on-the-surface ambitions for a nation long playing catch-up in deep-space exploration. Rather than sticking strictly to the lunar south pole — a crowded target for NASA’s Artemis program and rival missions seeking water ice — Korean scientists are eyeing a broader, strategically varied grid. The candidate list spans ancient impact basins, jagged basaltic plains, and deep pit craters that could house underground lava tubes. Among the standout targets for the early 2032 verification probe is Lacus Mortis, or the "Lake of Death," a pitted plain that scientists suspect holds collapsed lava tub

Hana sponsors autism awareness race for 7th straight year

Nov 1, 2026

Hana sponsors autism awareness race for 7th straight year

Hana Financial Group said Sunday it participated in the 2026 Autism Race the day before to promote public understanding of autism and foster a culture of respect and inclusion. The group has officially sponsored the annual running campaign, organized by the Autism Society of Korea, for seven consecutive years since 2020. About 100 participants, including Hana Financial Group Vice Chairman Lee Eun-hyung, employees and their families, voluntarily joined Saturday’s event, running alongside participants with autism. All registration fees paid by the group’s employees will be donated to the association to support people with autism. The campaign aims to encourage people to view differences not as barriers or grounds for discrimination, but as diversity that enriches society. “It is meaningful to join efforts to broaden understanding and respect for people with autism and build an inclusive society,” Lee said. “We will continue providing sincere attention and support so that people with autism and other members of society can grow together as respected members of our communities.” Han

Samsung chairman highlights chip packaging, visits Japanese unit

Nov 1, 2026

Samsung chairman highlights chip packaging, visits Japanese unit

Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong visited the company’s semiconductor advanced packaging technology laboratory in Japan, Sunday, pledging to continue expanding its research workforce there and develop the lab into a global R&D hub for next-generation packaging technologies. According to Samsung Electronics, Lee visited Advanced Package Lab (APL) in Yokohama and discussed with researchers the latest developments in technologies for advanced packaging materials and processes, as well as ways to strengthen cooperation with Japan's materials, parts and equipment industries. Lee stressed the importance of securing advanced packaging technologies, as they are emerging as critical for artificial intelligence (AI) processor chips. APL was established in 2023 and held its official opening ceremony in September this year. Starting in 2024, Samsung Electronics has been investing 40 billion yen ($254 million) over five years to establish its research infrastructure in Japan and strengthen its competitiveness in advanced packaging technologies. APL specializes in developing and va

ISS backs Lee Jae-keun's appointment as KB Financial chairman

Nov 1, 2026

ISS backs Lee Jae-keun's appointment as KB Financial chairman

Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has recommended that shareholders vote in favor of appointing Lee Jae-keun as chairman of KB Financial Group. In its voting recommendations report obtained by The Korea Times, Sunday, the world's largest proxy advisory firm said "a vote for this resolution is warranted given the absence of any known issues concerning the nominee and the company's board dynamics." ISS also noted that KB Financial Group maintains good disclosure practices regarding committee meetings, voluntarily providing attendance records to help shareholders better assess directors' effectiveness and contributions. Most companies in Korea follow a disclosure template provided by the Korea Exchange that does not require companies to disclose committee meeting attendance records. As a result, it is common for companies to omit such information from regulatory filings, ISS added. The recommendation comes ahead of KB Financial Group's extraordinary shareholders' meeting on Nov. 20, when shareholders will vote on Lee's appointment as group chairman. If appointed, Lee will lead the gr

CJ Olive Young expands Olive Better wellness chain to 5 locations

Nov 1, 2026

CJ Olive Young expands Olive Better wellness chain to 5 locations

CJ Olive Young has expanded its Olive Better wellness retail platform to five locations, adding branches tailored to office workers and tourists as it seeks to make wellness products part of consumers’ everyday routines. The expansion comes nine months after the first store opened in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun area in January. The company added stores at Starfield Coex Mall in southern Seoul and in Seongsu in eastern Seoul both last month, adapting product selections and experiences to each neighborhood’s customers. The Coex store focuses on “office wellness,” targeting workers seeking convenient ways to maintain healthy habits during busy schedules. Healthy snacks and protein products occupy the front of the store, helping shoppers quickly find items suited to their needs. A Daily Routine Bar offers products for individual purchase, allowing customers to try wellness items during commutes or lunch breaks. The Seongsu store, which opened Friday, is the chain’s largest and emphasizes experiences for trend-conscious shoppers and foreign tourists. It includes Better Bar, a food and beve

OpenAI CEO's Codex keyboard gift to Samsung presidents draws attention

Nov 1, 2026

OpenAI CEO's Codex keyboard gift to Samsung presidents draws attention

A miniature keyboard presented by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to Samsung Group executives is drawing attention, as the device is designed not for conventional typing but specifically for vibe coding using OpenAI's Codex. The gift is being seen as a glimpse into what Altman described to the executives as OpenAI's vision for the future of computer interaction. According to OpenAI and Samsung, Altman visited a Samsung Group training center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday and engaged in a fireside chat with more than 50 presidents of Samsung Electronics and other affiliates. During the event, Altman presented the Samsung executives with Codex Micro keyboards, designed to be used with Codex. Altman said the keyboard reflects the idea that people may no longer need a full keyboard in a world where they can interact with computers through voice commands and artificial intelligence (AI), adding that the device could also help users work with Codex more quickly. The Codex Micro Keyboard is a miniature keyboard released as the first hardware product under the OpenAI brand. Developed in collaborati

KB Kookmin Bank to lead $9.45 bil. AI infrastructure financing

Nov 1, 2026

KB Kookmin Bank to lead $9.45 bil. AI infrastructure financing

KB Kookmin Bank has secured the lead arranger role in a 12.6 trillion won ($9.45 billion) project to build artificial intelligence (AI) computing infrastructure in Korea, the lender said Sunday. Led by Brookfield, one of the world’s largest alternative asset managers, the project involves acquiring major high-performance computing equipment, including graphics processing units (GPUs), and supplying the infrastructure to Naver Cloud. The deal marks the largest syndicated loan arrangement in Korea’s history. Such loans allow multiple financial institutions to jointly finance a large-scale project. It is also the country’s first GPU financing deal — a departure from conventional project financing, which has typically centered on assets like real estate or power plants. Rather than relying on immediate returns, the structure uses anticipated long-term revenue from supplying AI computing capacity to support the project's substantial upfront investment needs. Of the 12.6 trillion won in total costs, roughly 10.7 trillion won will be raised through loans. As lead arranger, KB Kookmin Ba

HD Hyundai Robotics, Palantir to slash robot programming costs with AI

Nov 1, 2026

HD Hyundai Robotics, Palantir to slash robot programming costs with AI

HD Hyundai Robotics is working with Palantir Technologies to integrate artificial intelligence (AI), simulation and human engineers’ expertise into robot programming, aiming to cut programming costs by more than half. According to HD Hyundai Robotics on Sunday, Ahn Sung-hwan, the company's chief technology officer and vice president, outlined the collaboration during a keynote address at Palantir’s recent Sovereignty Bootcamp in New York. He presented his company’s strategy for applying physical AI and its vision for the technology. The collaboration focused on changing how human engineers can solve problems on factory floors. Under the two companies’ collaboration, AI agents analyze existing robot programs and propose improvements. The engineers can then refine what the AI comes up with using their practical experiences. Traditionally, skilled engineers have had to observe robots on-site and repeatedly adjust work sequences, movement paths and speeds. This reliance on individual experience has made the process difficult to standardize. HD Hyundai Robotics said the two companies

US or China? Why Kazakhstan refuses to pick sides as it eyes AI revolution

Nov 1, 2026

US or China? Why Kazakhstan refuses to pick sides as it eyes AI revolution

Driving along the wide boulevards of Astana during a recent trip to the Kazakh capital, signs of China’s growing commercial footprint were everywhere. Chinese cars were becoming a common sight on the streets here, as brands from BYD to Changan made aggressive inroads in a market once dominated by South Korea’s Hyundai and Kia, said the driver who picked me up from the airport in a gleaming Changan electric vehicle. But it was not the rise of Chinese tech that had brought me to this energy-rich...

Europe’s answer to Elon Musk’s Starlink wants to build satellites in Australia

Nov 1, 2026

Europe’s answer to Elon Musk’s Starlink wants to build satellites in Australia

As Australia’s telcos lean on Starlink, a Helsinki satellite maker says it could build a sovereign alternative here.

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