AJP Asia Intelligence Agency
Chipflation fears cool Koreas chip output Chipflation fears cool Korea's chip output

South Korea's sharp pullback in chip output in May is adding to signs that the global memory crunch is no longer confined to data centers, with chipflation from soaring memory prices beginning to strain consumer spending and factory floors. Factory output fell 3.0 percent from the previous month in May, matching its steepest monthly drop in a year, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics on Tuesday. The index of all-industry production, exclu

Samsung Electronics to relocate US headquarters from New Jersey to Texas Samsung Electronics to relocate US headquarters from New Jersey to Texas

Samsung Electronics will relocate the headquarters of its U.S. unit from New Jersey to Texas, according to industry officials. The electronics giant has reportedly informed employees that it plans to relocate its U.S. headquarters from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, to Plano, Texas, by the end of this year. The move, which industry observers say is intended to strengthen coordination across Samsung's semiconductor, mobile, and network businesses, would co

FuriosaAI taps Broadcom to build third-generation AI inference chip FuriosaAI taps Broadcom to build third-generation AI inference chip

South Korean artificial intelligence chip designer FuriosaAI said it had forged a strategic partnership with U.S. semiconductor giant Broadcom to co-develop a next-generation AI inference platform, deepening a homegrown bid to challenge the dominance of established players in the booming market for AI silicon. According to the neural processing unit maker on Thursday, the two companies will evolve FuriosaAI's proprietary tensor contraction processor archite

AJP Focus: The perils of chip boom AJP Focus: The perils of chip boom

The world is at the threshold of the artificial-intelligence revolution, and at the heart of that revolution sits the semiconductor — with Korea at the heart of the semiconductor. Only a few years ago memory prices had collapsed, inventories had swollen, and Samsung Electronics and SK hynix were enduring a brutal downturn alongside the rest of the slowing global economy. Then the AI era rewrote the board almost overnight. The generative-AI surge that fo

Samsung faces pressure from shareholders amid union vote on tentative deal Samsung faces pressure from shareholders amid union vote on tentative deal

Samsung Electronics has allowed access to its register of shareholders. It comes amid growing opposition from some retail investors over a last-minute, tentative deal between management and its labor union last week that averted an 18-day strike but sparked fresh controversy over how the electronics giant distributes its unprecedented profits, fueled by an artificial intelligence-driven chip supercycle. ACT, a platform for retail shareholders, said Samsung a

Samsung labor vote on wage deal tops 80% on second day amid bonus split Samsung labor vote on wage deal tops 80% on second day amid bonus split

Samsung Electronics union members voted for a second day on a tentative 2026 wage deal, with turnout exceeding 80 percent. According to industry sources, as of 6:40 p.m. Saturday, 46,185 of 57,290 eligible voters at the SGUU, Samsung Electronics’ largest union, had cast ballots, bringing turnout to 80.62 percent. At the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), the second-largest union, 6,502 of 8,187 eligible voters had participated as of the same ti

How Koreas jogging craze became Samsungs Asian health gambit How Korea's jogging craze became Samsung's Asian health gambit

South Koreans are lacing up in record numbers — and they're taking their smartwatches with them. Walk through Seoul on any weekend morning and the evidence is everywhere: colour-coordinated running crews streaming through Han River parks, Strava segments being contested with the intensity of corporate quarterly targets, and, at every major sports retailer, empty shelves. "During marathon season, running attire and gear are completely s

ARC Raiders, MapleStory drive Nexon to record quarter 'ARC Raiders,' 'MapleStory' drive Nexon to record quarter

Nexon reported record quarterly earnings, with revenue, operating profit and net income all reaching all-time highs as the Tokyo-listed Korean-Japanese game publisher rode breakout demand for its 'ARC Raiders' extraction shooter and the enduring 'MapleStory' franchise. According to the firm on Thursday, first-quarter revenue rose 34 percent year-on-year to 152.2 billion yen ($963 million), while operating profit climbed 40 percent to 58.2 billio

AJP Eye: Samsungs AI ambitions face Opex trap as labor dispute threatens crucial Capex AJP Eye: Samsung's AI ambitions face 'Opex trap' as labor dispute threatens crucial Capex

Samsung Electronics, riding on the AI boom to join the exclusive $1 trillion valuation club, is caught in a squeeze that no chip roadmap can solve: a labor dispute forcing it to choose between rewarding its workers today and funding the factories that will determine its place in the AI memory hierarchy tomorrow. The Opex (operational expenditure)-versus-Capex (capital expenditure) tension is now acute. Following a 17-hour marathon mediation session that co

Samsung Elec adjusting output ahead of threatened strike Samsung Elec adjusting output ahead of threatened strike

Samsung Electronics has started scaling back wafer output at its chip facilities in a preemptive move to protect quality integrity, as the company braces for a union walkout that could begin as early as Thursday, a source close to the matter told AJP. The production cutback marks the first tangible operational impact of the labor dispute on Samsung's critical chip manufacturing operations. Talks have reached an impasse. The representative union has rej