Kakao posts record first-quarter earnings as AI fuels Korea's platform giants
South Korea's platform giants are converting an artificial intelligence investment cycle into top-line momentum, with Kakao joining rival Naver in delivering AI-revved first-quarter earnings. According to regulatory filings on Thursday, Kakao's consolidated operating profit jumped around 65.9 percent from a year earlier to 211.4 billion won ($145.7 million) on an adjusted basis, while revenue climbed 11.1 percent to 1.94 trillion won — both first
Apple weighs Samsung for chip supply as Samsung joins $1 trillion club
Apple Inc. is reportedly exploring partnerships with Samsung Electronics and Intel to reduce its heavy reliance on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) for processor production, a shift that coincides with Samsung securing a new 4-nanometer artificial intelligence (AI) chip order from a U.S. firm. According to a recent report by Bloomberg, Apple is in early-stage discussions with Samsung and Intel to manufacture its core processors. The move is widel
Samsung Elec changes TV chief as Chinese rivals ascend
Samsung Electronics has replaced the head of its television business as South Korean TV brands' long-held dominance over global premium market is being threatened by Chinese rivals whose price appeal has been reinforced with open-source artificial intelligence features. Once-household TV names Samsung and LG Electronics are increasingly being squeezed on global shelves by Chinese competitors repowered with AI specs. According to 2025 data from Counterp
Samsung's AI chip bonanza fuels bitter divide inside Korea's biggest company
Inside Samsung Electronics, the celebration over record-breaking first-quarter earnings is rapidly turning into a battle over who deserves the spoils of the AI boom. The South Korean tech giant, now ranked among the world’s largest technology companies alongside Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia by market value and profit scale, posted an all-time quarterly operating profit of 57.2 trillion won ($41 billion) for the January-March period. But the numbers expose
Apple's incoming CEO signals new products as quarterly revenue hits record
Apple's incoming chief executive John Ternus voiced strong confidence in the company's product pipeline, hinting at new categories on the horizon as the iPhone maker posted record fiscal second-quarter revenue. Speaking on a conference call on Thursday (local time) after Apple reported results for the January-March quarter, Ternus, who takes the helm in September from Tim Cook, said the company had "an incredible roadmap" ahead and was prepari
UPDATE: Samsung Biologics union demands immediate talks as first-ever strike begins
Samsung Biologics, the world's largest contract drug manufacturer by volume, was rocked on Friday by the first full-scale walkout in its 15-year history, with the union demanding management return to the bargaining table at once and the company warning of losses of up to 640 billion won ($434 million). The Samsung Biologics chapter of the Samsung Group labor union launched the strike on Friday, Labor Day, after 13 rounds of wage talks since December collap
Samsung Elec flags prolonged AI-driven memory crunch as orders stretch to 2027
Samsung Electronics said surging artificial intelligence demand is likely to keep memory markets exceptionally tight well into next year, with orders now extending as far as 2027, underscoring the depth of the current supply squeeze. The company, already swamped with orders stretching into next year, said the extraordinary tightness will persist and that production will remain unaffected even if labor action proceeds. “Our capacity far lags behind
Krafton posts record Q1 on surging PUBG franchise revenue
Krafton, the South Korean gaming giant behind the PUBG franchise, posted record first-quarter results as its flagship battle royale series and a newly consolidated advertising subsidiary propelled revenue to all-time highs. The company reported through regulatory filings Thursday consolidated revenue of 1.37 trillion won ($924 million) and operating profit of 561.6 billion won for the three months ended March, up 56.9 percent and 22.8 percent from a year earl
LG CNS Q1 operating profit surges 19 pct on AI, cloud growth
South Korean IT services firm LG CNS posted first-quarter operating profit of 94.2 billion won ($63.4 million), up 19.4 percent from a year earlier, as surging demand for artificial intelligence and cloud services fueled growth across its business lines. According to regulatory filing released Thursday, revenue for the January to March period climbed 8.6 percent on-year to 1.315 trillion won, with the company's AI and cloud division accounting for about 5
UPDATE: Samsung Electronics retains memory leadership amid AI boom in bumper Q1
Samsung Electronics retained its memory leadership in a bumper first quarter, generating its strongest three-month performance to beat expectations and local rival SK hynix, as the AI-driven gold rush fueled demand for both premium DRAM and flash memory, its final earnings report showed Thursday. The Device Solutions (DS) division set quarterly records for both top and bottom lines, earning 53.7 trillion won ($39.2 b