What's holding back innovation among Korean startups?

The Korea Times - Sep 29, 2026

Korea’s largest fashion shopping platform Musinsa is currently under investigation by the Seoul Regional Tax Office over CEO Cho Man-ho’s alleged appropriation of corporate funds for his real estate investment spinoff firm, Lapel. The investigation, which began last month, is being led by Investigation Bureau 4. Unlike other offices that primarily handle regular tax audits, Bureau 4 is known for conducting special investigations that can begin without prior notice and, in serious cases, develop into tax offense investigations, potentially exposing the targets to criminal complaints and significant business risks. The Bureau 4 investigation began while the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) was still investigating Musinsa in a separate case, which concluded earlier this month. The antitrust watchdog looked into whether Musinsa prevented some partner brands from selling through other retail channels in order to secure exclusive sales of their products. The investigation, which began in August 2024, ended with the FTC concluding that the arrangements were part of normal business or marketing

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Coupang's Korean dominance: double-edged sword for US investors

Sep 28, 2026

Coupang's Korean dominance: double-edged sword for US investors

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Space agency to finalize design of 1st navigation satellite for 2029 launch

Sep 28, 2026

Space agency to finalize design of 1st navigation satellite for 2029 launch

Korea will begin production of its first satellite for the Korean Positioning System (KPS) ahead of a planned launch in September 2029, the space agency said Monday. The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said it will hold a critical design review with related ministries and research institutions for the KPS No. 1 satellite, marking the final review before production of the flight model begins. The KPS is Korea's planned satellite navigation system designed to provide high-precision positioning, navigation and timing services over the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas. The government plans to invest 3.72 trillion won ($2.73 billion) in the project over 14 years from 2022. Despite the delay, KASA plans to maintain its goal of deploying all eight KPS satellites by 2035.

BOK faces scrutiny over cybersecurity after staff data breach

Sep 28, 2026

BOK faces scrutiny over cybersecurity after staff data breach

The Bank of Korea (BOK) is facing scrutiny over its cybersecurity after the personal information of 186 employees was leaked in a hacking incident earlier this year, according to central bank's data submitted to Rep. Lee Jong-wook of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), Monday. The breach occurred between May and June after hackers gained access to a GitHub system used by a contractor for the BOK's online training program. The leaked information included employees' names, email addresses, phone numbers, positions, duties and passwords. "We were notified by the contractor of the breach on June 11 and informed the affected employees the following day. We also reported the incident to the Personal Information Protection Commission," a BOK official said. The PPP lawmaker said the central bank should not take the leak of employees' personal information or repeated disruptions to its websites lightly. "As the central bank, the BOK should thoroughly assess the causes of the repeated incidents, review its overall security system and establish measures to prevent them from happening again

Hanwha Ocean wins $499.6 mil. order to build 2 LNG carriers

Sep 28, 2026

Hanwha Ocean wins $499.6 mil. order to build 2 LNG carriers

Hanwha Ocean said Monday it has won a 680 billion-won ($499.6 million) order to build two liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. The Korean shipbuilder said in a regulatory filing that it will deliver the vessels to an unidentified African shipowner by November 2029. With the latest contract, Hanwha Ocean has secured orders worth a combined $7.71 billion for 41 vessels so far this year, including 18 very large crude carriers, eight LNG carriers and six container ships.

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Sep 28, 2026

KT joins NATO's defense communications standards dialogue

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AIA Life Korea taps AIA China CFO as next CEO

Sep 28, 2026

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Steel, shipbuilding labor tensions to flare up after holiday recess

Sep 28, 2026

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Sep 28, 2026

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Samsung Electro-Mechanics to invest $3.14 bil. for substrate plant in Sejong

Sep 28, 2026

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Samsung Electro-Mechanics said Monday it will invest 4.27 trillion won ($3.14 billion) to expand its semiconductor substrate production capacity at its plant in Sejong, marking the largest amount of capital expenditure on a single product in the company’s history. According to its regulatory filing, the company will expand its production capacity for flip chip ball grid array (FC-BGA) substrates at the Sejong plant to meet growing demand from artificial intelligence (AI) servers. The investment will run from September 2026 through May 2028, with mass production on the new lines scheduled to begin in September 2028. This is part of the company’s commitment announced in July that it will invest 8 trillion won in the nation's central Chungcheong region, which includes Sejong, and 15 trillion won in the Busan area by 2040. FC-BGA is a highly integrated semiconductor substrate that connects high-performance chips — such as AI accelerators, graphics processing units and central processing units — to mainboards, transmitting electrical signals and supplying power. Demand for FC-BGA subst

Evo is coming to Singapore in January 2027, with registrations and tickets now open

Sep 28, 2026

Evo is coming to Singapore in January 2027, with registrations and tickets now open

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ByteDance grabs one-fifth of China’s data centre capacity as AI drives infrastructure boom

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