South Korea

Intelligence for Better Decision Making

SK Group Achieves Record Export Growth on Surging Semiconductor Sales

Nov. 26, 2025 | Firms

SK Group’s export performance has surged this year, driven by strong semiconductor sales and strategic investments.

**Through the first three quarters, SK Group shipped goods worth 87.8 trillion won abroad, a nearly 20 percent increase from the same period last year.**
This pace puts the company on track to achieve roughly 120 trillion won in exports by year’s end, surpassing last year’s total of 102.5 trillion won and establishing a new record high.

**SK Hynix emerged as the primary engine of this growth, accounting for 65 percent of the group’s exports through September, up from 54 percent a year earlier.**
Strong demand for high-value memory semiconductors, especially high-bandwidth memory (HBM), drove SK Hynix’s export revenues to 56.7 trillion won in the first three quarters and underpinned the group’s overall performance.

**This chip-driven expansion also boosted South Korea’s national export figures.**
In the third quarter alone, the country’s exports reached $185 billion—the highest quarterly total since 2010—with semiconductors contributing $46.6 billion of that amount and cementing advanced memory products at the center of its trade success.

**SK Hynix’s financial turnaround amplified its tax contributions and market standing.**
Corporate tax payments jumped to 4.3 trillion won through September, compared with just 94 billion won in the same period last year. Meanwhile, the company’s market capitalization climbed to 379 trillion won, making it the second-largest domestic firm by market value.

**Since acquiring SK Hynix in 2012, Chairman Chey Tae-won has driven a restructuring and diversification strategy across the group.**
SK Group now targets high-growth sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, energy and biotechnology, plans to invest 128 trillion won domestically by 2028, and aims to hire more than 8,000 new employees each year.

Samsung Affiliates Implement 2026 Executive Promotions Amid Shifting Market and Strategic Priorities

Nov. 26, 2025 | Firms

Samsung's electronics affiliates have finalized their 2026 executive appointments, reflecting variations in scale and strategic focus across the conglomerate’s businesses.

**Samsung Electronics elevated 161 individuals—51 to vice president, 93 to senior vice president, one to Fellow, and 16 to Master—reversing a five-year decline and adding 24 more promotions than in 2025.**
The rise in semiconductor performance and advances in AI and robotics drove many of these appointments. Samsung Electronics heavily promoted R&D personnel in its Device Experience division, naming Lee Yun-su to oversee personalized data platforms and GPU AI optimization, Choi Go-eun to lead autonomous robotics, and Lee Seong-jin to advance language AI technology. In the Visual Display division, Kim Dae-young earned a vice presidency for work on quantum dot and OLED displays. In Device Solutions, Samsung advanced several senior vice presidents in their 30s, reflecting a merit-based generational transition. The company plans to announce organizational restructuring and detailed role assignments following these promotions.

**At Samsung SDS, management promoted 10 executives—two to vice president and eight to executive director—to drive AI platforms, agent-based services, and the cloud business.**
Selection criteria emphasized long-term potential and digital transformation capabilities, relying on proven results at domestic and international sites rather than short-term metrics. Kim Jung-wook now leads strategy and marketing consulting as vice president, and Lee Tae-hee heads the AI research team in the same rank. The new executive directors will oversee manufacturing consulting, software competitiveness, generative AI, cloud services, ERP systems, logistics digitalization, and talent management. Samsung SDS aims to accelerate its enterprise AI transformation business by integrating generative AI and agent technologies into corporate workflows and unifying cloud migration with logistics digitalization.

**Samsung Display promoted 23 executives—eight to vice president, 13 to director, and two to Master—under a “selection and concentration” strategy to bolster technological competitiveness and secure future revenue streams.**
Most appointees came from the Small- and Medium-sized Display Business division, focusing on OLED materials, foldable panel mass production, IT panels, and optical analysis tools for XR devices. New vice presidents in Process Development, Global Operations, and Module Development improved OLED performance, production efficiency, and foldable display manufacturing. Continuing its diversity efforts, Samsung Display elevated Ahn Na-ri to vice president of analytical technology and Jang Ha-yeon to director of legal affairs and intellectual property.

**In contrast, Samsung SDI and Samsung Electro-Mechanics reduced their promotion counts amid performance challenges and market uncertainties.**
Samsung SDI, after four consecutive quarters of losses, promoted eight executives—the fewest since 2017—focusing on technical expertise and leadership to navigate volatile conditions. Samsung Electro-Mechanics also selected eight executives, prioritizing technical talent capable of responding to global uncertainties and positioning the company to capitalize on anticipated AI-driven demand improvements.

**The affiliates’ leaders retained their presidential roles, signaling a preference for stable top-level leadership as they pursue performance recovery and strategic transformation.**
Meanwhile, LG Group plans its executive changes for November 27, and Hyundai Motor Group expects to maintain continuity over major management overhauls in light of external uncertainties.

Monitored Intelligence for South Korea - Nov. 26, 2025

News
Media
282

Government
Releases
15

City/State
Releases
34

Embassy
Releases
0

Foreign
Service
Advisories
0

Academic/
Think
Tank
4

Podcasts
0

Videos
0

Social
Media
0

Business
Releases
1

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PM vows measures to improve air quality

Yonhap | English | News | Nov. 26, 2025 | Pollution

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok announced that the government will rigorously enforce measures to improve air quality ahead of the seasonal fine dust management system, which runs from December to March annually. Emphasizing the importance of clean air for public health and national competitiveness in industry and tourism, he set a target to reduce ultrafine dust concentration levels to 19 micrograms per cubic meter.

The government plans to utilize advanced technology, including artificial intelligence, to monitor emissions and implement reduction strategies across major sectors such as power generation, industry, and transportation. Additionally, indoor air quality standards at multipurpose facilities like supermarkets, libraries, and museums will be increased by 20 percent.

Under the seasonal management system, operations at coal plants, construction sites, and other significant dust emitters will face restrictions. To support compliance, especially among small businesses, the government will offer tailored technical and equipment assistance.

Manufacturing alliance joins hands with SNU to develop AI models for humanoid robots, self-driving cars

Joongang Ilbo | English | News | Nov. 26, 2025 | UndeterminedTech Development/Adoption

The government-led Manufacturing AX (M.AX) Alliance has partnered with Seoul National University (SNU) to develop specialized AI models for humanoid robots, autonomous vehicles, and smart factories. This collaboration was formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at fostering innovation and securing new economic growth drivers in South Korea’s manufacturing sector.

The M.AX Alliance, established in September 2025, includes around 1,000 major companies and research institutes such as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group, LG Electronics, and Rainbow Robotics. The alliance targets generating over 100 trillion won ($67.9 billion) in added value by 2030 through AI transformation (AX) in key manufacturing industries, with milestones set to begin mass production of humanoid robots by 2029 and self-driving cars by 2030.

Under the MOU, the alliance and SNU will collaborate to create foundational AI models for humanoid robots and autonomous vehicles by 2028 and for smart factories by 2029. They will also utilize manufacturing data from joint projects to develop further AI models and work together to cultivate a skilled workforce in manufacturing and AI fields.

Korea faces early flu wave as new variant spreads among children

Joongang Ilbo | English | News | Nov. 26, 2025 | Epidemics and Pandemics

Korea is experiencing an unusually early and intense flu season in 2025, driven by a new sub-variant of the H3N2 influenza virus called subclade K. This variant has rapidly spread among school-age children and teenagers, causing flu cases to increase 14 times compared to the same period last year. It accounted for 97.2 percent of all flu samples tested nationwide from November 1 to 8. This sub-variant is part of a global surge, also seen in countries such as the United States, Japan, Britain, and Canada.

The emergence of subclade K has created a mismatch with the current flu vaccine, which targets different virus strains selected in February 2025. The vaccine covers H1N1, H3N2 J, and B-Victoria strains but not subclade K, which appeared after vaccine composition decisions were made. Despite this, health experts emphasize the importance of vaccination because it still significantly reduces the risk of severe illness and complications like pneumonia. Recent data from Britain suggest vaccination lowers hospitalization risk by 75 percent in children and 40 percent in adults.

Health authorities urge the public to get vaccinated swiftly, especially as flu activity may soon increase among older adults. Individuals with symptoms such as high fever or muscle pain are advised to seek immediate medical care and use antiviral treatments if necessary. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) continues to monitor the situation closely amid concerns about outbreaks in vulnerable settings such as long-term care facilities.

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