LIG Nex1 Develops AESA Radar, the “Eye of the Sky,” Using Domestic Technology
LIG Nex1 announced on the 5th that it signed an agreement with the Defense Technology Advancement Research Institute to carry out two research projects: ‘Development of X-band common MMIC and front-end module platform for active phased array radar’ and ‘Development of wideband common MMIC and front-end module platform for unmanned aerial vehicle SAR.’
LIG Nex1 explained that this agreement goes beyond simple technological development and is the first step toward realizing the national task of achieving self-sufficiency in the semiconductor supply chain, which is directly linked to military security.
SK Ecoplant Completes Acquisition of Four Semiconductor Materials Subsidiaries
SK Ecoplant announced on the 2nd that it will incorporate four materials subsidiaries of SK Materials: SK Trichem, SK Resonac, SK Materials JNC, and SK Materials Performance. SK Materials will be renamed SK Ecoplant Materials.
With this acquisition, SK Ecoplant now has a comprehensive value chain encompassing everything from semiconductor materials to infrastructure. The four newly acquired companies produce advanced materials required for all semiconductor manufacturing processes, including photolithography, etching gases, deposition, metal wiring, and packaging, as well as key display processes, such as OLED deposition.
Hanul Materials Science subsidiary JKM to begin independent mass production of SOCs and PSPIs next year
JKM (formerly CGPM), a subsidiary of Hanul Materials Science, will begin mass production of SOC, a key material in the semiconductor pre-process, and photosensitive polyimide (PSPI), a post-process material, next year.
Last September, Hanul Materials Science signed a contract with CGPM (now JKM) to invest a total of 42 billion won in a semiconductor materials production facility in Sejong City. The facility is scheduled for completion in January of next year, with mass production expected to begin in May. JKM’s Sejong campus specializes in photoresist manufacturing equipment and aims to accelerate the supply of SOC (Spin-On Carbon) hard masks, a key material for the patterning (lithography) process, which is essential for the semiconductor manufacturing process.
Samsung Semiconductor Establishes Custom SoC Development Team
Samsung Electronics recently reorganized its Device Solutions (DS) division, establishing a new custom SoC development team under the SoC business team. Vice President Park Bong-il, a design expert, was promoted to lead this team.
The System LSI division has historically relied heavily on outsourced models, designing products tailored to customer needs. However, this reorganization will enhance its in-house SoC technology and strengthen its custom chip capabilities.
SoC refers to the integration of core components such as the mobile application processor (AP), which is called the brain of the smartphone, as well as memory and modem, onto a single semiconductor chip.
Marvel Acquires Silicon Photonics Startup for $7 Billion
According to foreign media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 2nd (local time), Marvell announced that it would acquire Celestial AI for $3.25 billion (approximately 4.77 trillion won). Celestial AI is a startup developing optical-based interconnect technology for high-performance computer connections.
Last March, Celestial AI was valued at $2.5 billion in an investment round involving AMD and others. In January of this year, Intel CEO Lip Bu Tan joined Celestial AI’s board of directors.
Marvel explained that photonics technology is essential for the efficient operation of AI servers.
Apple and Intel Partner Again: “Negotiations Underway for M-Series Chip Production in 2027”
Intel appears poised to produce application processors (APs) for Apple’s future PCs and tablets.
On the 28th of last month (local time), Apple expert analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated in X that “Apple and Intel recently signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and are discussing a plan for Intel to mass produce M-series chips.” He predicted that Intel could supply M-series chips to the market as early as the second or third quarter of 2027.
Amazon Launches AI Chip with 40% Less Power
AWS announced the launch of Trainium 3 at the annual cloud computing conference ‘re:Invent 2025’ held in Las Vegas, USA on the 2nd (local time).
The Trainium 3 boasts industry-leading power efficiency. Compared to its predecessor, the Trainium 2, computing performance is up to 4.4 times higher while energy consumption is approximately 40% lower. Unlike general-purpose semiconductors like NVIDIA’s graphics processing units (GPUs), which can be used by any company in diverse fields such as AI, graphics, and gaming, the Trainium 3 has developed an ASIC specifically for AI learning and inference, thereby improving power-to-performance ratio.
On the 25th of last month, POSCO FutureM signed an MOU for the development of solid-state battery technology with Factorial Energy, a U.S.-based solid-state battery company, at the Future Battery Forum held in Berlin, Germany. (From left: Hong Young-jun, head of POSCO FutureM’s Technology Research Center, and Siyu Huang, CEO of Factorial Energy). / Photo = POSCO FutureM
Daewoo AEL invests 6.5 billion won in Carbon Solutions, securing a supply chain for the future material “scandium.”
Daewoo AEL, a specialized aluminum manufacturing company, announced on the 4th that it has made a strategic investment of a total of 6.5 billion won in Carbon Solution to secure scandium, a key element for future industries.
Scandium, even when combined with aluminum in small quantities, exhibits remarkable improvements in properties such as strength, corrosion resistance, weldability, and lightweight. Thanks to these strengths, Al-Sc alloys are gaining recognition as an irreplaceable next-generation material in high-performance industries such as aerospace, electric vehicles, defense, and semiconductors.
POSCO FutureM Partners with US-based Factorial to Develop All-Solid-State Batteries
POSCO Future M announced on the 4th that it signed a strategic cooperation agreement for the development of solid-state battery technology with Factorial Energy (Factory), an American solid-state battery company, at the ‘Future Battery Forum’ held in Berlin, Germany on the 25th of last month (local time).
Factorial, a leader in the solid-state battery industry headquartered in Massachusetts, USA, is actively expanding its business in Korea by operating an all-solid-state battery pilot plant in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province.
Factorial Energy is recognized as a leader in the development of all-solid-state batteries, which provide a safe, high-performance alternative to traditional lithium-ion technology.
K-batteries overtake China in global markets excluding China.
From January to October of this year, the combined market share of the three Korean companies—LG Energy Solution, SK On, and Samsung SDI—in the global electric vehicle battery market excluding China was 37.6%, down 6.3 percentage points from the same period last year. Chinese battery companies like CATL and BYD held 39.5%, a 3.2 percentage point increase.
Last year, Korea had a 43.9% market share, while China had a 36.3% market share, leading Korea. However, within a year, Korea has overtaken China not only in the Chinese market but also in markets outside of China.
Southern Power’s Vinadium Flow Battery ESS to be Expanded Overseas
The overseas expansion of the Vinadium Flow Battery Energy Storage System (VFBESS), which Korea Southern Power participated in developing, is being promoted.
On the 5th, Southern Power announced that it had signed a ‘joint agreement for overseas market entry’ with H2, a company that jointly developed VFB ESS.
Through this agreement, the two companies plan to establish a close cooperative system to strengthen the global competitiveness of domestic VFB ESS technology and expand overseas exports based on its technological strengths of excellent fire stability and long-term large-capacity storage.
Top Materials Completes LFP Cathode Materials Plant in Pyeongtaek
Top Material announced on the 4th that it has completed construction of a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode material plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. The company broke ground on the 8,264-square-meter plant in October of last year and completed construction in just one year and two months. The annual production capacity is 3,000 tons, with trial production planned for the first half of next year, followed by full-scale mass production in the second half.
Top Materials has been engaged in full-scale business operations, including secondary battery system engineering and electrode materials, and plans to expand its scope to include LFP cathode materials. The company also announced that it has secured cathode material orders from some customers.
L&F to Sell 128.1 Billion Won of Treasury Shares to Meet Demand for Cathode Materials
L&F, a secondary battery cathode materials specialist, announced on the 2nd that it had sold 1 million shares of its own stock. The selling entity was a foreign institutional investor. The total sale price was 128.1 billion won.
The main purpose of this treasury stock disposal is to secure operating funds for purchasing raw materials due to the surge in shipments of the company’s flagship product, NCMA95, as well as to meet the increasing demand for LFP in the future and to secure facility funds for facility upgrades.
Aekyung Chemical Completes R&D on Hard Carbon Anode Materials and Pushes for Expansion of Jeonju Plant
Aekyung Chemical announced on the 4th that it has completed research and development (R&D) on hard carbon cathode materials and has decided to invest in expanding the production line at its Jeonju plant. Hard carbon is a material used as a cathode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), and is used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS).
With the rapid expansion of demand for electric vehicles and ESS in the secondary battery market, hard carbon cathode materials are emerging as a next-generation growth engine.
Song Chang-hyun, former head of Hyundai Motor Company’s AVP division (president). / Photo = Hyundai Motor Group
Song Chang-hyun, President of Hyundai Motor Group AVP Headquarters and CEO of Forty Two Dot, resigns
Song Chang-hyun, head of the Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) Division and head of Hyundai Motor Group’s Global Software Center, Forty2Dot, who led the development of software-centric vehicles (SDV) at Hyundai Motor Group, has tendered his resignation.
According to industry sources on the 4th, in a message sent to Forty2Dot executives and employees the previous day, President Song stated, “After meeting with Chairman (Jeong Eui-sun), I have decided to step down from my position as AVP Head of Hyundai Motor Group and CEO of Forty2Dot.”
President Song, who served as Naver’s first Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in 2015, left Naver in January 2019 to establish Forty2Dot. After the company was acquired by Hyundai Motor Company in 2022, he led the SDV division and then the AVP headquarters since early last year.
Hanjin and Kakao Partner to Shake Up the Delivery Industry with AI and Autonomous Driving
Hanjin announced on the 4th that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kakao Mobility on the 3rd to ‘jointly build an AI-based logistics network.’
The key stage where innovative technologies will be applied is the “middle mile.” The middle mile refers to the intermediate transportation process where corporate cargo moves between logistics centers and hubs, just before the final stage (last mile) of delivery to individual customers.
Hanjin is applying Kakao Mobility’s AI logistics system to this middle-mile segment. The idea is for AI to calculate optimal routes, shortening travel times between logistics hubs and maximizing transport efficiency by reducing the “empty truck rate,” the percentage of empty trucks operating.
Masauto Achieves 10 Million km of Autonomous Driving Data
Masuoto announced on the 1st that the cumulative real-world driving data obtained through its vision-based E2E (End-to-End) AI autonomous truck and data collection device has exceeded 10 million km.
This real-world data set consists of 2 million kilometers accumulated through autonomous cargo transport and 8 million kilometers collected using “MarsBox,” a camera-based data collection device attached to large trucks. MarsAuto has been installing MarsBox on trucks from major domestic logistics partners to collect data in real-world driving environments, including highways, provincial roads, and urban areas nationwide.
iTop’s Wafer Transfer System Integrates 3D LiDAR
iTops Automotive is commercializing a 3D flash lidar, seven years after beginning development in 2018. iTops announced on the 3rd that it will begin mass-producing the 3D flash lidar “F07” to a domestic semiconductor production equipment specialist in the first quarter of next year.
The company has been conducting a proof of concept (PoC) since last year to partially replace the 2D lidar previously used by the customer with 3D lidar, and has finalized the supply.
Obigo Completes Ministry of Science and ICT’s National Project “5G-NR-V2X Performance Verification”
Obigo, a company specializing in software-centric vehicle (SDV) service platforms, announced on the 1st that it successfully completed the ‘5G-NR-V2X Performance Verification for Connected Autonomous Driving’ project hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Based on its expertise in connectivity software, Obigo participated in a joint research institute and led the development and verification of application software utilizing the following characteristics: ▲Ultra-high speed (over 150 Mbps), ▲Ultra-low latency (under 3 ms), and ▲High reliability (over 99.99%).
The deposition system’s core. It consists of a central logistics chamber surrounded by process chambers. /Source: Seonik Systems
Sunik Systems wins $100 Million Export Tower Award for OLED equipment exports.
Sunik Systems announced on the 4th that it had won the “$100 Million Export Tower” award at the 62nd Trade Day ceremony. Sunik Systems was included on the list of award-winning companies after achieving exports exceeding $100 million over the past year, from July of last year to June of this year.
This award was largely driven by the rapid expansion of demand for 8.6th-generation OLED and OLEDoS (micro OLED) equipment in the global display market. This performance was driven by increased investment in large-scale OLED lines by major overseas panel manufacturers and increased supply of OLEDoS equipment driven by the proliferation of extended reality (XR) devices.
78% of gaming monitors adopt OLED displays.
According to market research firm IDC on the 30th, OLED penetration in the premium gaming monitor market priced at $700 (approximately 1 million won) or more reached approximately 78% in the first three quarters of this year. Of the approximately 1.27 million monitors sold in this price range, approximately 990,000 were equipped with OLED panels.
The premium gaming monitor market is growing rapidly year after year, driven by OLED technology. In 2023, sales of gaming monitors priced at $700 or more reached approximately 1.09 million units, but this increased 42% to 1.55 million units the following year. This year (Q1-Q3) also saw 22% year-on-year growth. OLED technology penetration increased from 35% in 2023 to 68% in 2024, and to 78% this year (Q1-Q3).
LGD to sell part of its Gumi plant to Mico Power
LG Display plans to sell its P2 and P3 lines and 200,000 square meters (approximately 60,000 pyeong) of land within the Gumi National Industrial Complex to Mico Ceramics, a subsidiary of Mico Group. While the sale price was not disclosed, it is expected to be a boon for LG Display as it strives to improve its financial structure.
The MiCo Group plans to build a hydrogen fuel cell line through its affiliate MiCo Power, which is expected to revitalize the stagnant Gumi region’s economy.
Source: Kipost.net
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