Moon Hong-kyu
The author is a principal researcher at the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.
Only a few days have passed since I opened a new calendar. The days yet to come are still wound tight, like a spring. Numbers burst open each date as if a cuckoo were leaping from a clock to announce the day. Everyone knows that a day is the time it takes the Earth to rotate once with respect to the sun, and a year is the time it takes to complete one orbit. The problem begins after that.

Multiply 365 days by 24 hours and it should come out neatly to 8,760 hours. Yet, like coffee grounds stuck to the bottom of a cup, there remains an extra 5 hours, 48 minutes and 45.2 seconds in a year around the sun. That is why Feb. 29 is added and removed every four years.
Perhaps my eyesight has worsened again. I squint, glasses perched on the tip of my nose, trying to make out the tiny lunar calendar numbers. A lunar month, from full moon to full moon or from new moon to new moon, averages 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.9 seconds. Once again, there is leftover change in a year, about 13 hours.
The moon travels along an elliptical orbit, sometimes pulling away to a distance that is three or four times Earth's diameter farther than at its closest approach. As a result, each lunar month can vary by about seven hours from year to year. A supermoon is simply a full moon seen when the moon is closer to Earth.
What if a day, a month and a year fit together as precisely as interlocking gears, fixed at 24 hours, 30 days and 360 days, with the moon gliding elegantly along a perfect circle? Because of those remainders and that elliptical path, someone had to scrutinize the motions of the sun, moon and stars, grappling with calculations. Astronomy began that way.
Late last year, an overseas researcher visited the institute to present studies of exoplanets observed with the James Webb Space Telescope. The research captured signals of dimming light when so-called super-Earths and mini-Neptunes, with masses ranging from 1.2 to 9.6 times that of Earth, passed in front of their host stars.
Those worlds are heated to extremes, from temperatures comparable to grilling fish to conditions near molten lava. The likelihood of life there appears slim. Their years last anywhere from a day and a half to just 17 days as they skim close to their stars. Many are likely tidally locked, with their rotation period matching their orbital period so that a day and a year are the same.
In places where clocks and calendars coincide, life, too, might be correspondingly simple.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

The author is an editorial writer at the JoongAng Ilbo.
There is a growing fear that Korea is once again heading down a losing path. After Poland, now Canada looms as the next test. Late last year, a Korean "one team" consortium led by Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries failed to win Poland's Orka submarine program, losing out to Sweden's Saab. Poland was expected to serve as a bridgehead for Korea's defense exports into Europe. Seoul even offered to transfer a retiring Jangbogo-class submarine free of charge. It was not enough.

There were multiple reasons behind Poland's choice, but the Polish defense minister repeatedly emphasized operational requirements in the Baltic Sea. The waters off Poland average just 50 (164 feet) to 100 meters deep. Facing Russia as its principal adversary, Poland wanted submarines capable of operating freely in such shallow seas. Korea, however, proposed a 3,600-ton diesel-electric submarine, the largest in its class. It was akin to recommending a fully loaded Genesis sedan to a customer looking for a compact Avante. Saab proposed a 2,000-ton platform.
Despite this background, President Lee Jae Myung told Poland's president during a meeting in New York last September that Korean weapons offered strong quality, value for money and reliable delivery schedules. With Lee having pledged to elevate Korea into the world's top four arms exporters, critics say he missed the strategic point.
A similar misstep now appears possible ahead of Canada's Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, or CPSP, with proposals due in early March. Canada plans to acquire up to 12 submarines. Including maintenance and life cycle costs over 30 years, the project could be worth as much as 60 trillion won (about $41 billion), making it the largest single defense export opportunity in Korea's history. Korea's rival is Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, from a country that is the birthplace of the U-boat. German submarines also served as the technological foundation for Korea's own fleet.
In October last year, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney personally toured Hanwha Ocean's shipyard in Geoje. Kim Min-seok, who accompanied him at the time, later recalled that Carney said he was not dealing with Hanwha as a company but with the Republic of Korea as a whole. The remark captured the essence of the competition.
As Carney suggested, large defense contracts are not corporate deals but government-to-government projects. Canada has sounded out Korea on an 18-item economic cooperation package tied to the submarine bid. At its core is support for Canada's domestic auto industry. Canada's industry minister has even floated the idea that Germany's Volkswagen proposed building an electric vehicle battery plant in the country, while asking whether Korean automakers would consider establishing local production facilities. Germany has gone further, offering offset arrangements involving critical minerals, liquefied natural gas and hydrogen cooperation.
Governments cannot dictate where private companies invest. For automakers already expanding U.S. production in response to Trump-era tariffs, building plants in Canada could add to management burdens. Still, governments can seek creative solutions by offering incentives, coordinating joint investments and encouraging cooperation among firms. As Germany has demonstrated, major countries are already aligning their domestic stakeholders behind government-to-government projects with urgency.
Yet with less than two months remaining before proposal submissions, there is little visible sign of such coordination between the Korean government and relevant companies. Some observers even speak of discord between the National Security Office and the National Policy Office.

Mega nuclear and defense export bids are, by nature, presidential projects. Both credit and blame ultimately rest with the president. That was the case with the Lee Myung-bak administration's nuclear power deal in the United...

Lee Hyun-sang
The author is a columnist at the JoongAng Ilbo.
Public reaction to former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, former first lady Kim Keon Hee, has been marked not only by anger but by bewilderment. In a country that calls itself a democracy, the sight of a presidential couple crossing lines that power should never cross, without caution or restraint, has been jarring. Yoon's declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, was shocking in constitutional terms. More troubling, at least to this writer, were the allegations surrounding Kim, including illicit financial dealings and the privatization of public authority. Korea often speaks of "imperial power," but there was little imperial dignity in how power was exercised.

A similar pattern has surfaced in the local political arena of Dongjak District in Seoul. The allegations surrounding Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker Kim Byung-kee and his spouse remain under investigation and await judicial judgment. Still, based on what has emerged so far, the logic by which power operates and justifies itself bears a striking resemblance to the Yoon-Kim former presidential couple saga. Claims of cash transfers involving a spouse, abuse of authority for private gain, mistreatment of aides and attempts to conceal evidence amount to what critics call a local version of the Yoon-Kim former presidential couple affair.
Kim Byung-kee, a former National Intelligence Service official, has styled himself as a "black agent" for President Lee Jae Myung. True to his background, his actions revealed through media reports appear meticulous and calculating. He allegedly approached a then-ruling People Power Party lawmaker he had once criticized as a key pro-Yoon figure to seek help in blunting an investigation into his wife. He reportedly recorded a colleague's plea for mercy as a precaution. His efforts to block the release of restaurant CCTV footage have fueled suspicions of evidence tampering. When faced with threats to survival and interest, he seemed to observe few boundaries.
It is telling that the scandal was triggered by allegations of abuse toward aides. Reports that staff were ordered to investigate a son's university transfer or were pressed into handling private moves despite being paid with public funds were startling. Parliamentary aides appeared to have been treated as personal servants. The episode exposed how a constituency, meant to be a space of public responsibility, had become a privately controlled domain.
More serious still is the alleged manipulation of candidate nominations. Petitions submitted by former district council members claim that cash was handed to Kim's spouse around the 2020 general election and later returned. The documents even suggest the spouse remarked that the amount was too large for a holiday gift but too small for a nomination contribution. There are also claims that a district council corporate card was handed over and used for private purposes. The facts must be established. Even so, it is difficult to avoid suspicion that public authority was turned into a tool for private transactions.
It would be naive to think such practices are confined to Dongjak. Allegations have already surfaced involving lawmaker Kang Sun-woo and a Seoul city council member over a 100 million won ($69,000) payment tied to nominations. When central politics effectively controls local nominations, it is reasonable to suspect that such shadowy dealings are structural rather than exceptional. Claims that tens of millions of won changed hands in snack shopping bags no longer sound implausible.
These cases show how easily local politics can be distorted when captured by the center. They also help explain why local councils repeatedly become entangled in licensing and permitting scandals. A system that funnels power and resources upward ultimately reduces local politics to a private instrument of national politicians. The observation by Gregory Henderson that Korean politics re...

China has moved to retaliate against Japan by banning rare earth exports, escalating economic pressure through the full prohibition of so-called dual-use materials that can be diverted for military purposes. The measure underscores Beijing's red line over the Taiwan Strait. It also includes the threat of a secondary boycott, warning that third countries reexporting Chinese rare earths to Japan would face punishment.
China has repeatedly wielded rare earths as a blunt instrument during diplomatic disputes. Last year, when Beijing tightened controls on rare earth magnet exports, Ford Motor temporarily halted production and the U.S. President Donald Trump administration eased some semiconductor export restrictions to China. In 2010, during the Senkaku Islands dispute, China suspended rare earth shipments to Japan, prompting Tokyo to release a detained Chinese captain within a day. The episode remains a touchstone for how quickly economic coercion can yield political results.
Although the current action targets Japan, the message to Korea is unmistakable. The timing is difficult to dismiss as coincidence: The announcement came during President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to China. Beijing appears to be signaling that if Korea takes steps deemed contrary to Chinese interests, including on Taiwan-related issues, it could face similar retaliation. At the same time, China has rolled out warm protocol and language of goodwill toward Seoul, while subtly attempting to drive a wedge between Korea and Japan. The calculus may also reflect Seoul's plans for President Lee to visit Japan later this month to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Korea cannot afford to choose sides in an intensifying China–Japan standoff. President Lee acknowledged as much at a recent press conference, saying Korea's role is limited for now. That candor reflects an increasingly constrained diplomatic space. Still, restraint is not the same as inaction. There is no alternative to managing relations with China while deepening cooperation with Japan. Avoiding entanglement must not become an excuse for being unprepared.
Beyond diplomacy, Korea needs urgent economic security measures to shore up its rare earth exposure. The numbers are stark. According to the Korea Customs Service, Korea depends on China for nearly 90 percent of its rare earth raw materials, far higher than Japan's reliance in the 70 percent range. More than 90 percent of permanent magnets essential for electric vehicles are sourced from China. Gallium, a key material for next-generation power semiconductors, is dominated by China with a 98 percent share of global output. Graphite, critical for battery anodes, also carries a China dependence of about 97 percent.
This structure leaves Korea acutely vulnerable. A squeeze on even a single item could reverberate across core industries. Diversifying supply chains, expanding stockpiles, strengthening mineral partnerships with countries such as Australia and Canada and investing in recycling technologies are no longer optional. They are preventive steps that must be taken before economic coercion becomes a reality.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

LAS VEGAS — From robots dealing blackjack to boxing opponents and running marathons, CES 2026 was a robotics spectacular, with nearly all of the standout innovations coming from Chinese companies.
Contrary to some assumptions, U.S. tensions with China did not keep Chinese firms away from the show. The Las Vegas Convention Center's North Hall ended up becoming effectively a showcase for Chinese robotics, with few competitors from other countries making a noticeable mark.
Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics stole attention with its G1 humanoid, decked out in a hat and suit while performing Michael Jackson's signature moonwalk.
Nearby, a robot dressed in boxing gear demonstrated its fighting prowess, fresh from winning the world's first martial arts robot championship.

Unitree, known for being the fastest mover in the robotics race in China, recently unveiled its R1 humanoid robot, priced at a $4,900 — a quarter of the estimated $20,000 cost for Tesla's upcoming humanoid Optimus. Unitree has partnered with e-commerce giant JD.com to open its first robotics store in Beijing, bringing humanoids directly to consumers.
That's shockingly cheap even compared to Boston Dynamics' robot dog Spot, with prices starting from $74,500. Its Atlas humanoid, still under development, is expected to exceed $100,000.
Meanwhile, visitors to the Nvidia booth at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas were greeted by AgiBot Innovation's guiding humanoid, which led attendees to the booth's starting point with a friendly, "Come follow me."
AgiBot recently became the world's first company to ship 5,000 humanoid robots worldwide.
Shenzhen-based UBTech Robotics' Walker S2 was also on display at the trade show, running tirelessly at speeds of up to 7.2 kilometers per hour (4.47 miles per hour) and capable of swapping its own battery autonomously.

Amid the overwhelming presence of Chinese firms, Korea made a modest showing at the booth of M.AX Alliance, an associations of 1,300 Korean firms and organizations, including Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor, and backed by Korea's Industry Ministry.
But most of the Korean demonstrations were limited to upper-body or hand movements, falling short compared to Chinese humanoids.
China filed 5,688 humanoid robot patents between 2020 and 2024, vastly outpacing the United States' 1,483 and Japan's 1,195, according to Morgan Stanley's "Humanoid 100" report.
"China is both the world's largest producer and consumer of robots, strategically deploying them to automate key manufacturing sectors, including electronics, automobiles and industrial machinery," said the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade in a recent report.

Last year alone, China installed 295,000 new industrial robots, a 7 percent increase from 2024, accounting for 54 percent of global installations.
"It's shocking how inexpensive China can make the robots," Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter told the Korea JoongAng Daily on the sidelines of the CES 2026. "I don't really think they're paying for themselves yet. The Chinese government is subsidizing," he added.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicted that humanoids could reach human-level capabilities within the year.
While Nvidia provides AI computing platforms to most of China's big robotics companies, such as AgiBot and Unitree, Korean companies have yet to gain access to these resources.

This article is by Kim Kyung-mi and read by an artificial voice.

A growing number of Korean small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are tapping into Southeast Asian markets by teaming up with K-pop idols and influencers, supported by a government-backed program that connects them with the overseas networks of major companies.
At a pop-up store in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Lee Jang-jun of the now-defunct K-pop boy band Golden Child holds up a pair of women's sandals with a smile, drawing curious glances and laughter from nearby shoppers.
The scene is part of "Idol Store K," a YouTube show produced by SBS Medianet that features K-pop idols and actors promoting products from SMEs in Korea and Vietnam. The program also airs on Korea's SBS FiL channel and Vietnam's state-run broadcaster Ho Chi Minh City Radio and Television.
Mac Moc, a Korean footwear brand, appeared on the show in 2024 and has leveraged the opportunity to grow its customer base in Southeast Asian markets. The brand joined the show through the co-prosperity program that fosters exchange between large and small businesses, organized by the Korea Foundation for Cooperation of Large & Small Business, Rural Affairs (Kofca).

Mac Moc marketed its products through celebrity-driven YouTube content and live commerce sessions hosted by Vietnamese influencers. In its first year on the show, the company doubled its share of foreign customers and posted 50 million won ($34,500) in overseas sales.
"We joined the co-prosperity program when the Korean market became saturated and we needed to grow abroad," a company representative said. "We've seen steady results, including 46.2 million won in sales from live commerce in Singapore, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian markets."
The number of success stories among small businesses has increased under the co-prosperity program. It helps SMEs enter foreign markets by leveraging the overseas infrastructure and networks of large companies and public institutions. Participating businesses also receive practical support, including marketing assistance, translation and local market consulting.
Between 2022 and 2025, a total of 3,376 SMEs took part in the co-prosperity program. They entered 37 countries — including the United States, France, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia — and secured a total of 878.3 billion won in exports, including on-site sales and follow-up contracts.

This year, the co-prosperity program focused on two key areas: consumer goods that can be promoted through Korean pop culture content and industrial goods that can leverage the overseas networks of large corporations.
Kofca helped recruit and select lead companies for the co-prosperity program, while those lead companies — typically large firms or public institutions — oversaw project operations and selected the participating SMEs. This approach gave companies more autonomy and allowed them to access tax benefits through the co-prosperity fund. In 2025, 39 large companies and public institutions ran 47 projects, with 1,467 SMEs currently participating.
SBS Medianet, one of the lead companies for the co-prosperity program, has supported small brands through shows such as "Idol Store K" and "Idol ABC Tour," which feature Korean celebrities and foreign influencers introducing products from SMEs to global audiences. The network focused on helping companies with limited marketing budgets and limited promotional channels.
Participating brands, including Mac Moc, also used the intellectual property of the shows to launch on overseas e-commerce platforms and showcase their goods at B2B export fairs. Over the past four years, about 160 SMEs have expanded into Southeast Asia with the help of SBS Medianet.
"It's a win for the broadcaster as well, since we get to introduce quality Korean products to young people in Southeast Asia who are interested in Korean culture while offering them a new style of entertainment content," an SBS Medianet representative said. "We're also expand...

This article is by Cho Yong-jun, Park Eun-jee and read by an artificial voice.

[KEY PLAYER]
Bom Kim, the billionaire founder of Coupang, became the paragon of startup success as he scaled up the e-commerce platform in Korea to emulate the rise of Jeff Bezos' Amazon, marking one of the country's first cases of a small firm leveraging global venture capital to expand out of the country.
But Coupang's perceived negligence over data protection and lack of accountability are now threatening to undo much of what he built, recasting a once-touted startup legend as a target of public anger from both the Korean public and lawmakers.
What began as a privacy failure with the recent data breach of 33.7 million users is now quickly morphing into a full-blown ethical and reputational crisis after the Coupang chief refused to directly address the failure at the National Assembly.
Even before the data breach, public sentiment toward the company began to sour over lapses in risk management despite solid growth in its finances.

Flashpoint rooted in U.S. citizenship
Born in Seoul in 1978, Kim moved to the United States at a young age, following his father, who was sent there for work. Kim, currently residing in the United States, received his U.S. citizenship and naturally had his Korean passport revoked, but has been visiting Korea here and there.
Kim graduated from Harvard University before dropping out of Harvard Business School, but his entrepreneurship was already established during his undergraduate days. He founded Current Magazine, targeting elite graduates, which was sold to Newsweek, and 02138 — referring to Harvard's postcode — an alumni magazine.
That entrepreneurial spirit that has sent Kim's net worth soaring to around $3.9 billion, according to Forbes, has now set him on a collision course with Korea's parliament. His ties to Korea — and lack of citizenship — have drawn criticism that commonly emerges when a foreign nationality or residential status is perceived to be used to evade responsibility in Korea, where leaders often take responsibility publicly in times of crisis, such as Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, who stepped down from the conglomerate's board in relation to a scandal surrounding former President Park Geun-hye.
Kim, so far, is not adhering to that custom.
"As I currently reside and work abroad and have official business appointments as the CEO of a global company operating in over 170 countries, I regret to inform you that I am unable to attend the hearing in person," read a statement submitted to the National Assembly by Kim on Dec. 14 of last year in response to a request that he appear for questioning over the recent data leak.
Some critics have even gone as far as referring to the CEO with a derogatory term that literally translates to a "black-haired foreigner," typically used against ethnic Koreans holding foreign citizenship for evading social or legal responsibilities in Korea while profiting from business ties.

Long-simmering concerns emerge into public view
Kim's latest approach to the recent data leak scandal is reminiscent of an incident in 2015 when he denied the National Assembly appearance in connection with unfair business practices.
The e-commerce platform's founder cited "back injuries caused after playing basketball" as the reason and went on to step down as the CEO of Coupang in Korea in December 2020, following the suspected death of a worker surnamed Jang by overwork at a logistics facility.
The sudden resignation triggered the suspicion that the move was an attempt to avoid being held accountable under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act in the wake of the death.
Coupang and its logistics subsidiary, Coupang Fulfillment Services, have experienced the deaths of several logistics workers, which many attribute to the company's "Rocket Delivery" service that focuses on delivery speed, resulting in increased night deliveries and performance requirements — and the compan...

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

LAS VEGAS — Imagine robots everywhere, from humanoids moving bizarrely like humans to four-legged dogs storming stairs and doors. This was the reality at Hyundai's CES 2026 booth, which made you forget that it was an automaker first and foremost.
Hyundai's booth spanned 1,836 square meters (19,762.5 square feet) in the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall. People waited in queues for over an hour, so getting a clear view of the company's robots was basically impossible due to the throng of visitors. All were there to witness Hyundai's future vision, unveiled the day before when it announced its expansion into robotics and outlined its robot strategy.

The highlight, naturally, was Atlas, a humanoid robot developed by Boston Dynamics, a Massachusetts-based robotics startup 90 percent owned by Hyundai Motor Group.
Featuring a 360-degree vision system and human-sized hands embedded with tactile sensors, Atlas can lift payloads up to 50 kilograms (110 pounds); reach heights of 2.3 meters (7.5 feet); operate in temperatures of minus 20 to 40 degrees Celsius (minus 4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit); and is both water-resistant and washable. When its battery runs low, it autonomously navigates to a charging station, swaps its battery and resumes work immediately.

Hyundai's platform robot, Mobile Eccentric Droid, or MobED, was also busy navigating the booth, continuously adjusting its shape to the weight of whatever it was carrying in the moment.
Measuring 74 centimeters (29 inches) wide and 115 centimeters long, MobED rides on a rectangular chassis supported by four independently controlled wheels that allow it to navigate rough or obstructed terrain reliably at practical speeds.
Each wheel is powered by three motors. As a result, users can precisely steer the robot and tilt its chassis as needed to make arbitrary adjustments. The latter mechanism ensures that MobED remains stable on slopes and uneven surfaces, and even allows it to surmount curbs up to 20 centimeters high.
The robot can even reach a top speed of 10 kilometers per hour (6.2 miles per hour), run for more than four hours on a single charge and carry up to 57 kilograms, depending on the configuration.

Near MobED, multiple Spot AI Keepers, based on the four-legged robot dog Spot, collaborated to precisely assemble and inspect vehicle components and were able to detect assembly defects directly on the production line, even for hard-to-reach car parts.
Hyundai's robots, however, aren't limited to fully autonomous humanoids but also include lighter robots that can be deployed immediately.
Visitors wore white safety helmets and the X-ble Shoulder — a wearable exoskeleton resembling a work vest — and stood beneath a massive car chassis suspended overhead. When they moved their arms, the X-ble Shoulder's mechanical joints followed their actions smoothly.
There was no sense of heaviness or hesitation in the visitors' arm movements as they lifted parts and fitted them onto the vehicle body.

The exoskeleton is distinguished by its passive torque-generating mechanism, which makes it both lightweight and maintenance-free anrequiresre no charging. Its muscle-assist module alleviates shoulder joint load by up to 60 percent and reduces anterior-lateral deltoid activation by 30 percent, easing fatigue while enhancing performance in physically demanding tasks.
In a separate section, Hyundai unveiled a robotaxi developed in collaboration with Motional, built on its Ioniq 5 EV SUV. Classified as Level 4 autonomous under the Society of Automotive Engineers' standards, the vehicle is capable of perceiving its surroundings, making decisions and navigating independently, even in emergency situations, without human intervention.
Hyundai and Motional plan to launch the robotaxi commercially in Las Vegas this year, providing fully autonomous ride-hailing services.

This article is by Sarah Chea, Lee Jae-lim and read by an artificial voice.

LAS VEGAS — Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang held private meetings with Mercedes-Benz Chairman Ola Kallenius and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung at CES 2026 on Tuesday as the tech giant launched Alpamayo, its very first AI for self-driving cars.
Chung's meeting with Huang came just a day after the surprise announcement, fueling speculation over whether Hyundai may adopt Alpamayo for its own autonomous driving cars.
Despite years of massive investments, Hyundai has yet to produce clear breakthroughs in autonomous driving and is often viewed as lagging behind competitors such as Tesla. The Korean automaker has yet to fully develop Level 2+ autonomous driving technology, a level Tesla has already reached. It has set a goal of deploying Level 2+ capabilities in mass-produced vehicles by the end of 2027.
Hyundai has already signaled closer cooperation with Nvidia, previously announcing plans to source 50,000 of Nvidia's Blackwell graphics processing units (GPUs) as part of its self-driving and robotics development.
Mercedes-Benz, by contrast, has taken a more aggressive approach in the field and has become the first automaker to adopt Nvidia's Alpamayo AI. The first Nvidia AI-powered self-driving vehicle will be Mercedes-Benz's upcoming CLA, which is scheduled to hit U.S. roads in the first quarter, followed by Europe in the second quarter and Asia in the third quarter.

Alpamayo, a family of open-source AI models that serves as the world's first "thinking and reasoning" autonomous vehicle AI, will introduce vision-language-action, or VLA, models, enabling self-driving systems to interpret visual inputs, reason through complex driving situations and perform precise driving maneuvers. The platform will additionally include large reasoning models, simulation tools for testing rare or dangerous scenarios and open datasets to train AI programs and validate information.
"We open source to everyone, so if a customer would like to use our model that we train, they're welcome to do that," Huang said during a question-and-answer session with the press and analysts Tuesday morning in Las Vegas.
"We just want to enable the world's autonomous industry. Everything that moves should be autonomous," he said.
When asked about potential memory shortages, Huang said he is not concerned, as Nvidia is the "first and only consumer of HBM4," referring to the high bandwidth memory technology.
"We're not expecting anybody else to be using HBM4 for some time. So we have the benefit of being the primary and the only consumer of HBM4," Huang said.
"Our demand is so high, every factory, every HBM supplier is gearing up and we're all doing great."
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are the two dominant HBM suppliers to Nvidia.
Major Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai was highlighted as a key case study during an onstage conversation between Siemens CEO Roland Busch and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. The digitalization of HD Hyundai's shipyards was achieved through the integration of Siemens' digital twin technology with Nvidia's Omniverse platform.
"This is quite a perfect example of the type of the work we do together," Huang said on the stage, referring to digital twin replicas of HD Hyundai ships. "This realization of the digital twin idea, that you would design every aspect of engineering, it's not just the CAD, but the computing, the electronics, all of it would be integrated and built into a digital twin. It would of course run all of the software in the digital twin, and in the future, I hope the digital twin of the ship, we'll actually put it in the ocean, a virtual simulation of the ocean, and see it completely operate."

This article is by Han Eun-hwa and read by an artificial voice.

Hyundai Motor Group is reviving its long-stalled Global Business Center (GBC) project at the site of the former Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, with a scaled-down design and a new completion target of 2031.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that it had finalized additional negotiations with the automaker on Dec. 30 of last year, clearing the way for construction to resume. The group plans to invest 5.24 trillion won ($3.63 billion) into the development.
Hyundai originally acquired the former Kepco site for 10.55 trillion won in 2014. An initial agreement with the Seoul city government in 2016 allowed for a 105-story, 561-meter (1,840 feet) megatower housing offices, a hotel and cultural facilities. The construction technically began in 2020, but the project came to a halt after completing only the foundation, as Hyundai wished to scale down the design.
Discussions to reduce the building's height began in 2021, and in February of last year, Hyundai formally submitted a revised plan for three 54-story towers, each 42 meters tall. Rising construction costs and restrictions related to military operations were major factors behind the scale-down. The project's symbolic value also waned after the 123-story Lotte World Tower was completed in 2017.

The Ministry of National Defense had warned that any structure over 260 meters would interfere with military radar visibility. Hyundai agreed to cover the cost of relocating radar equipment, a bill estimated at around 400 billion won.
The most contentious issues in the latest talks involved public contribution payments and pedestrian access. The city had rezoned the land from a Category 3 residential area to a commercial area, increasing the allowable floor area ratio from 250 percent to 800 percent.
In return for the added development rights, Hyundai Motor Group agreed to pay 1.75 trillion won in public contributions, in addition to building an observatory and facilities for exhibitions and conventions.
Some argued that the public contribution should be recalculated to reflect current land values, as the original 105-story plan had been scrapped. A new estimate could have significantly increased Hyundai's financial obligations.

Due to a lack of legal grounds for a reassessment, however, the city and Hyundai settled on an additional 236.6 billion won — the amount previously waived in 2016 in exchange for installing a now-abandoned observation deck and cultural facilities. Hyundai's total public contribution now stands at approximately 1.98 trillion won.
The revised GBC plan includes three 49-story towers, each 242 meters tall, along with performance venues and exhibition spaces.
There were concerns that three separate towers could block pedestrian flow between Seolleung, the GBC site and Jamsil Sports Complex. The city said the issue was resolved by requiring the central tower to be elevated, creating three pedestrian passages between 6 and 12 meters wide.

A 14,000-square-meter (150,694-square-foot) ginkgo forest will be planted in the central plaza, connecting the complex with Yeongdong-daero. The street-facing side will feature a science-themed interactive exhibition hall and a 1,800-seat performance venue.
One of the towers will include an observation deck, while the rooftops of the exhibition and performance halls will be transformed into a 15,000-square-meter public garden.
The urban planning revisions and related impact assessments are expected to be completed in the first half of this year, with construction scheduled for completion by the end of 2031.

The restart of the GBC project is also expected to boost surrounding development efforts and inject vitality into Korea's sluggish construction sector.
Hyundai's public contributions — totaling nearly 2 trillion won — will be used to fund underground development along Yeongdong-daero, the remodeling of Ja...

This article is by Kim Kyung-hee and read by an artificial voice.

Strawberry and tangerine prices are starting out the year on an upward climb as falling production and weather-related disruptions tighten supplies and add pressure to household grocery bills.
Data from Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation on Monday show strawberries cost 2,820 won per 100 grams ($9 per pound) as of last Friday, up 16 percent from a year earlier and 24 percent above the five-year average.
Strawberry prices have risen steadily over the past decade. The average price in January 2016 stood at 1,304 won, meaning prices have more than doubled in 10 years.
Wholesale prices have also jumped. Strawberry wholesale prices for a 2-kilogram (4.4-pound) box reached 45,980 won as of Friday, up 36 percent from a year earlier and 41.2 percent above the five-year average.
Analysts pointed to declining output as the main driver, as farmers age and production falls. Domestic strawberry production peaked at 234,000 tons in 2019 and has declined since, reaching 155,000 tons in 2024. Strawberry growing acreage has also shrunk, falling from 17,418 acres in 2010 to an average of about 13,961 acres over the past three years.

Weather shocks can worsen supply conditions. Heavy rain from July through September last year damaged about 440 acres of strawberry greenhouse cultivation, including 264 acres in South Gyeongsang, a major strawberry-producing region, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said.
Tangerine prices have also stayed high. The retail price for 10 tangerines stood at 4,394 won as of Friday, up 1.5 percent from December 2025, according to Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. Prices fell from a year earlier but still run 24.8 percent above the five-year average.

Consumer price data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics show tangerine prices rose around 20 percent from August through November last year. Cold weather delayed shipments by slowing the fruit's color shift from green to orange, and higher prices for other fruits later pushed shoppers toward the later-harvest tangerines, which arrived in better condition and drew stronger demand.
Higher seasonal fruit prices can add to grocery bills and weigh on consumer spending.
"My kids love strawberries, so they finish a kilogram of strawberries that costs 36,000 won in a day," said Choi, a mother of two in Gyeonggi. "As the price burden grows, strawberries feel like a luxury."
The government expects prices to ease as shipments increase.
"Strawberry shipments in January will likely rise 2.5 percent from a year earlier and crop conditions have recently been favorable, so prices should stabilize after mid-January," said Choi Sun-woo, the head of the fruit and vegetable outlook team at the Korea Rural Economic Institute.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

This article is by Cho Jung-woo and read by an artificial voice.

"I would be shocked if a social media ban were introduced in Korea," says 14-year-old student Minn Su-hong.
Minn, who spends about two to four hours a day on social media, says the time he spends online affects his daily life, particularly his study schedule. Rather than a blanket ban, he says, limits on usage hours might help students like him better manage their time.
His view reflects the debate currently unfolding in Korea, after Australia's recent decision to impose the world's first nationwide ban on social media use for children under 16 raised broader questions globally about how far governments should go to protect the well-being of their young people.
Beginning Dec. 10, 2025, Australia enacted a ban preventing users under 16 from creating or maintaining personal accounts on major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X and YouTube. Accounts held by underage users are expected to be removed, though children will still be able to view publicly accessible content without logging in.
The Australian government said the measure was necessary to "protect young Australians at a critical stage of their development" and to prevent exposure to content that could damage their health and well-being. Following Australia's lead, France is also reported to be considering a similar measure, with a draft bill aimed at restricting social media use for children under 15.
Renewed debate
In Korea, the issue has gained increased attention following remarks by Kim Jong-cheol, the newly-appointed chairman of the Korea Media Communications Commission, during his parliamentary confirmation hearing last month.
Asked whether he would consider regulating young people's social media use, Kim said that protecting minors was among the commission's top priorities and that regulation should be considered. His comments fueled speculation that the government could look at the adoption of an Australia-style social media ban, which would go well beyond Korea's existing law barring smartphones in the classroom, set to go into effect this March.

The commission later clarified that Kim's remarks did not signal an immediate push for a ban on social media, however, saying instead that it would explore a range of measures, including strengthening requirements for parental consent. Under Korea's current Network Act, social media services are required to obtain consent from a legal representative before collecting personal information from children under the age of 14.
Regardless of intent, the remarks drew strong reactions. Some parents welcomed the idea of tighter controls, arguing that existing safeguards were insufficient.
"I really think we need this," one parent wrote on an online parenting forum on Dec. 22, 2025, responding to a post about a possible social media ban. The commenter said children were easily exposed to provocative and inappropriate content.
Another parent, commenting on a separate post about Australia's decision, described concerns about a child who remained glued to a phone while commuting to school and private academies, during meals, while brushing teeth and even in the bathroom.
Statistics reflect those anxieties. The share of Korean adolescents classified as having a high reliance on smartphones rose to 42.6 percent in 2024, up from 40.1 percent the year before, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.
A 2024 internet usage survey by the ministry found that 97.3 percent of adolescents used smartphones, and that 67.6 percent of them were active on social media.

Adolescents in Korea spent the most time on YouTube last year, averaging 98 minutes a day, followed by Instagram at 49 minutes and X at 36 minutes, according to data from the technology research firm IGAWorks.
Limits of a blanket ban
Experts acknowledge the growing reliance on social media among Korean adolescents but caution against adopting a sweeping...

The author is a garden designer and the CEO of OhGardens.
London was colder than expected, with patches of thin ice lingering along the streets. From my lodgings, I took the underground toward the Natural History Museum. In recent years, London has filled leftover urban spaces with public gardens under the banner of regeneration. The most recent of these opened in July 2024 as a new forecourt garden in front of the museum.

The entrance, connected directly to the underground, makes a strong first impression. Visitors pass between towering stone walls, as if moving through a cave toward daylight. At the top, a garden of ferns unfolds, evoking the age when dinosaurs once roamed. This approach belongs to what landscape designers call an "Evolution Garden," a method that traces plant evolution through spatial arrangement. Plants first appeared around 480 million years ago, when sea levels were at their highest and vegetation began its transition from water to land.
The garden is composed mainly of ferns, mosses and stone, alongside displays of massive dinosaur bones. Ferns emerged roughly 300 million years ago, while dinosaurs appeared around 200 million years ago. The scene therefore suggests a moment between 200 million and 66 million years ago, when these forms of life coexisted. The garden does not depict what followed, but 66 million years ago, Earth experienced a mass extinction that wiped out dinosaurs and nearly 80 percent of living species. Spore-bearing plants such as ferns and mosses survived and continue to exist alongside us today.
From there, the garden quietly illustrates how plant evolution moved from ferns to flowering plants, eventually shaping environments such as grasslands and forests. An immense sweep of geological time is compressed into a relatively small outdoor space. Evolution gardens are not new, and the Natural History Museum did not invent the concept. Similar displays are often found in the controlled climates of botanical greenhouses.
What makes this project notable is that the idea has been brought outdoors into a temperate climate with real winters, where maintenance is more demanding. It also stands as a free public garden in the center of a global city, rather than a ticketed indoor exhibit.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

The author is a professor of economics at Seoul National University and a former commissioner of Statistics Korea.
Korea has twice introduced what it calls the "Miracle on the Han River" to the international community. The first referred to the country's rapid economic growth, which astonished the world. The name came from the Han River, which runs through the heart of Seoul. Korea emerged from the ruins of war and scarcity, escaped hunger and lived through a breathless era of building bridges and factories, pulling tomorrow into today. Growth and development took shape under the river's name and the world called it a miracle.

That first miracle expanded national wealth and sustained the population. It rebuilt the foundations of the state on top of shattered daily life. Yet it also left scars in proportion to its speed. There were people overlooked and wounds left unattended. Regret and reflection over what was left behind became part of that miracle's legacy.
Years later, the Han River was invoked again, this time not as a place but as a person. The writer Han Kang refused to turn away from human violence, trauma, silence and dignity. When she stood at the center of global attention, another "Miracle on the Han River" — playing off the author's name, which is pronounced the same way as the river's name in Korean — entered public discourse. Symbolized by Han's Nobel Prize in Literature, the second miracle showed the world that Korea was not only a country that grew richer but one that had attained moral and cultural depth. This miracle, too, cannot stand alone. Profound reflection can ring hollow if it lacks a foundation that sustains real lives.
The problem today is that Korea has long misunderstood these two miracles as opposing choices rather than complementary forces. One side speaks of expansion, the other of depth. One emphasizes results, the other values. As a result, advocating growth invites suspicion of disregarding democracy, while speaking of democracy is branded as denying growth. The extreme confrontation between so-called industrialization forces and democratization forces feels unnatural for a society that achieved both miracles.
A clear answer emerges when Korea's modern history is viewed through common sense. The first miracle needed the second. Speed required direction and achievement required meaning. The second miracle also needed the first. Care can endure only on a material foundation, and dignity cannot stand alone without the resources that sustain life. Neither miracle is complete on its own.
The South Han River and the North Han River emerge from different mountains. Their colors and currents differ. They flow separately but meet at Dumulmeori in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi. The two rivers do not compete. They do not argue over which is right or which carries more water. They shed the lightness and unease of flowing alone, accept each other's waters and become one river, the Han. Joined together, the river grows wider and deeper as it moves toward the Yellow Sea and eventually reaches the Pacific.
What Korea needs now is not ideological debate. More important than abstract arguments over right and wrong is how life actually works. Pragmatism grounded in evidence is not a cowardly abandonment of belief. It is a courageous stance that acknowledges mutual shortcomings and shares responsibility for the future. It is a humble posture that recognizes past achievements, embraces regret and asks what serves the next generation.

The language of industrialization must now respect the achievements of democratization, and the language of democratization must acknowledge the contributions of economic growth. The two are not rivals but partners. When the first two Miracles on the Han River merge into a single current, a third miracle can begin. It would be a miracle in which progress and human dignity flow in the same direction.
Korea has earned the right to dream of another miracle on the Han River. It has already...

The author, a former president of Seoul National University, is the chairman of the Korea Institute for Shared Growth.
The international order is in flux. Pax Americana, which underpinned global peace after World War II, is fading into history. The global division of labor built on free trade is gradually eroding as national interests take precedence. America First policies, marked by tariff barriers and supply chain realignment, have amplified uncertainty in the global economy, while a new Cold War dynamic is pushing countries into intense arms competition. These ripple effects followed U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to revive his ambition to "Make America Great Again."

The world is now locked in a battle for technological supremacy. Cutting-edge technology is no longer merely a tool of industrial production. As bloc-based economies and collective security systems weaken, a new paradigm has emerged in which high technology itself constitutes defense, economic power and even territory. This is the age of technology security and technology sovereignty. At its core lies AI. Global tech firms are racing toward "physical AI" that integrates autonomous driving, robotics and smart factories into the real world. Experts also predict that the era of artificial general intelligence and even artificial superintelligence may not be far off.
At the same time, advances in quantum computing capable of undermining existing security systems and a "new space" race to secure resources on the Moon and Mars are converging. Humanity is passing through a historic inflection point. Nations now face a stark choice: lead the digital civilization or fall into dependence on foreign technologies as so-called data colonies. While concerns over side effects persist, humanity is already undertaking a mass migration toward digital civilization at extraordinary speed.
Competition between the United States and China has hardened into an irreversible confrontation. The United States holds advantages in abundant human and material resources. China counters with its capacity to mobilize resources behind national strategic goals and to collect and manage vast stores of core national data. Beijing's ability to rapidly integrate military, administrative, financial, medical and even personal biometric data has generated a sense of crisis even among America's power elite.
In this unforgiving environment, the once-popular notion of "security with the United States and economy with China" has become as unrealistic as outdated theories of Northeast Asian balance. As a technological latecomer, Korea must respond with the resolve to enter the battlefield. The government speaks of becoming an AI powerhouse, but bold decisions to open new paths or a fundamental shift in how digital civilization is understood remain insufficient.
The most urgent task is a fundamental overhaul of the education system. If AI were to solve today's college entrance exam questions, how many minutes would it take? An education focused on quickly producing correct answers cannot nurture creative and daring talent. In a reality where autonomy is severely constrained, policies that simply promise to build more versions of Seoul National University warrant serious reconsideration. Korea must soberly examine how the United States treats talent development as a matter of national survival.
Energy and infrastructure expansion are equally pressing. Operating gigawatt-scale data centers requires electricity, water and speed. Despite the urgency of building small modular reactors, Korea remains mired in sterile debates over renewables versus nuclear power. If politics and government fail to keep pace with technological change, the consequences could be disastrous.

Equally essential are bold institutional reforms that tolerate failure and allow second chances. National development accelerates when creative destruction and technological innovation are encouraged on the foundations of protected pr...

The Kospi has climbed above the 4,500 mark. On Tuesday, the benchmark index closed at 4,525.48, up 67.96 points, or 1.52 percent, from the previous session. A rally that has continued into the opening days of the year has drawn liquidity back into equities, bringing the Lee Jae Myung administration's pledge of a "Kospi 5,000 era" into clearer view. A buoyant market can bolster confidence among households and firms and add momentum to the economy. It can also ease exchange rate pressures by pulling investment funds back home. Even so, it is difficult to read the surge as evidence of a broad economic recovery. The advance is being powered largely by semiconductors, raising concerns about a so-called semiconductor mirage.
Concentration in chipmakers is intensifying. In just three trading sessions this year, Samsung Electronics has surged 15.8 percent and SK hynix 11.5 percent, together far outpacing the index's 7.3 percent gain. The two stocks now account for more than 35 percent of the Kospi's total market capitalization, an all-time high. This means the index can rise even when more stocks fall than rise. On Monday, when the Kospi jumped 147 points, more than half of listed shares actually declined.
This lopsided rally reflects underlying economic realities. Korea's exports surpassed $700 billion last year, setting a new record. The feat was driven by a boom in memory demand linked to AI, which lifted semiconductor exports by 22.2 percent year on year. Beyond chips, however, the picture was far less encouraging. Petrochemicals, secondary batteries and steel saw exports fall by 11.4 percent, 11.9 percent and 9.0 percent, respectively. Nine of the country's 15 major export categories posted negative growth.
Strong semiconductor performance is welcome. The risk is overreliance. Excessive concentration can leave both the economy and financial markets structurally vulnerable, while widening gaps between export industries and between exports and domestic demand. Bank of Korea Gov. Rhee Chang-yong recently said that excluding the information technology sector, growth would be limited to about 1.4 percent, well below the central bank's overall forecast of 1.8 percent. Recovery gaps across sectors, he warned, could widen the disconnect between headline indicators and lived economic conditions, making a K-shaped recovery neither sustainable nor complete.
A stock market rally detached from the real economy also risks deepening inequality by widening the divide between asset holders and wage earners. Rather than simply cheering the index's rise, policymakers should focus on easing excessive concentration and ensuring growth gains spread more evenly across sectors. That will require loosening regulations to foster new industries and pushing ahead with structural reforms so the benefits of growth extend beyond a narrow group of winners.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

LAS VEGAS — Boston Dynamics has established a pilot line capable of producing up to 1,000 Atlas humanoid robots in Massachusetts, CEO Robert Playter told the Korea JoongAng Daily. The company also plans to integrate Google's Gemini AI into its robots.
The Hyundai Motor-backed Massachusetts-based robotics startup aims to scale production to 30,000 units by 2028, potentially at a full-scale plant adjacent to Hyundai's massive EV facility in Georgia.
"Up to 1,000 Atlas robots can be produced at our pilot line at our headquarters, and we already have numerous manufacturing clients — ranging from logistics to food industries — interested in purchasing," Playter said on the sidelines of Hyundai Motor Group's presentation at CES 2026 in Las Vegas on Jan. 5, during which the Korean automaker unveiled the Atlas robot and outlined its robotics strategy.
"By around 2028, we expect to be able to sell to external clients as well," he added.

Playter's remarks follow Hyundai's earlier announcement that tens of thousands of Atlas robots will be deployed across the manufacturing plants of Hyundai affiliates, including Kia, Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Wia, by 2028. The robots' first assignment will be parts sequencing, with plans to expand into final assembly tasks by around 2030.
Designed for real-world industrial deployment, Atlas features 56 degrees of freedom, human-sized hands embedded with tactile sensors and joints capable of 360-degree rotation, maximizing flexibility and efficiency in manufacturing settings. The robot can lift payloads of up to 50 kilograms (110 pounds), reach heights of 2.3 meters (7 feet, 6 inches), operate in temperatures ranging from minus 20 to 40 degrees Celsius (minus 4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit) and is water-resistant and washable.
When asked how Atlas compares with competitors such as Tesla's Optimus or Figure AI's Figure 02, CEO Robert Playter said Atlas is "stronger than a human and has a larger range of motion."
"Ultimately, robots are going to be operating among us in all aspects. They're going to be in our homes, you're going to see them in our communities and we'll be interacting with them. It's going to be fascinating and really entertaining," he said. "But we don't think that's the right place to start because robots are expensive to build, and we have to work down the cost curve.
"As we make robots that are more and more capable, we have to make them safe to interact with. So we believe that the safe, cost-effective place to start this journey is in factories, but the next step will be services that interact with the community, and then ultimately they'll be caring for [older adults] in our homes or maybe even our children."
On Monday, Boston Dynamics also announced a strategic collaboration with Google DeepMind, aiming to integrate the U.S. tech giant's robotics AI foundation models into its humanoid robots.
Under the partnership, the companies will conduct joint research on AI models for complex robotic control to accelerate the safe and efficient deployment of humanoid robots with tangible real-world applications.
Hyundai Motor shares closed at 308,000 won ($213) on Tuesday, up 1.2 percent from the previous trading session, after reaching a record-breaking intraday high of 330,000 won — the highest figure in history for the company. The jump occurred after news of its partnership with Google broke.

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

LAS VEGAS — Five four-legged robot dogs danced to K-pop, performing dazzling backflips. A humanoid robot, walking almost indistinguishably from a human, appeared next, twisting its body in a bow of greeting.
Against the majestic backdrop of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, amid the spectacle and swagger of CES, Hyundai Motor Group offered a quiet yet profoundly consequential vision of the future — one in which robots do not replace humans, but stand beside them.
Korea's largest automaker on Monday lifted the cover of the much-anticipated Atlas humanoid robot, developed by Boston Dynamics, marking a decisive shift in strategy as it positions itself as a robotics firm, following a path reminiscent of Tesla's all-in bet on Optimus humanoid robot.
"Our focus is on assigning robots to repetitive and dangerous work to enhance productivity, while exploring how to build and sustain a competitive robotics ecosystem," Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Chang Jae-hoon said during an interview at the CES 2026 in Las Vegas.

Robots take tough jobs
The ultimate aim of the Atlas humanoid is not to replace human workers, but to take on tasks that are difficult, repetitive, heavy or hazardous — helping to create safer and more sustainable working conditions on factory floors.
Hyundai unveiled two versions of the robot: the Atlas Prototype and the Atlas Product Model, where the prototype is a research-and-development platform, built to test core technologies essential for future products. Equipped with fully rotating 360-degree joints and capable of natural, human-like walking, it serves as a critical stepping stone toward the next generation of humanoid robots.

The Atlas product is designed for real-world industrial deployment. With 56 degrees of freedom, and featuring human-sized hands embedded with tactile sensors, most of its joints can rotate fully, maximizing flexibility and efficiency in manufacturing environments.
Atlas has joints that can move 360 degrees, and can lift payloads of up to 50 kilograms (110 pounds) and reach heights of 2.3 meters (7 feet, 6 inches). It can operate reliably in temperatures ranging from minus 20 to 40 degrees Celsius (minus 4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit), and is water-resistant and washable.
Designed as an industrial robot capable of performing a wide range of tasks — from material handling to precision assembly — it can learn most functions within a single day. When its battery runs low, it can autonomously navigate to a charging station, swap its battery and resume work immediately.
"The greatest strength of Atlas lies in its exceptional adaptability across applications," Chung said. "The second is durability. Leveraging Hyundai Motor Group's technological assets and purchasing power, we plan to further strengthen its competitiveness."
The Atlas will be officially deployed starting in 2028 at Hyundai Motor's EV megaplant in Georgia for tasks such as parts sequencing, and will expand the tasks to parts assembly starting in 2030.

Boosting research, investment
Hyundai will open its first-ever Robot Metaplant Application Center (RMAC) in the United States later this year, a facility designed to enable the efficient deployment of humanoid robots in real-world manufacturing environments.
RMAC will serve as a hub for robot data collection, discovery and performance validation, where robots are trained to work alongside humans, where they will be evolved to become faster, more intelligent, and safer before being deployed at scale.
"First, we establish fundamental robotic behaviors through teleoperation and similar methods, then aggregate those behaviors and refine them through simulation, where the data is carefully quantified," said Jung Jun-cheul, head of manufacturing at Hyundai Motor Group.
"We then feed that data back into the robots, recreating real-world working environments and training them through repeated iterations. Thro...

This article is by Seo Jeong-min and read by an artificial voice.

As annual trend forecasts make their rounds, many of them begin to sound familiar. The JoongAng Ilbo reviewed four books that track consumer behavior year after year to identify ideas that, despite different labels, point to the same underlying shift heading into 2026.
Here are the keywords that outline how young consumers in Korea are likely to live, spend and define value this year.
From '2026 K-Consumer Trend Insights'
The book, published by the Consumer Trend Center led by Seoul National University emeritus professor Kim Nan-do, marks the latest installment in a series that has tracked shifts in Korean consumer behavior since 2008. This year's edition focuses on how emotional awareness, technological change and economic pressure are reshaping everyday choices.
The Feelconomy
Consumption, the book argues, has become a tool for emotional self-management. Consumers increasingly purchase goods and services not for their practical value, but to regulate mood and psychological state. Even products with little functional utility can feel justified if they help improve how someone feels in the moment.

Pixelated life
Daily life is increasingly divided into smaller, shorter units of experience. Rather than committing to long-term plans, consumers gravitate toward moments that feel urgent and time-bound, such as pop-up stores, festivals, fairs, exhibitions and seasonal foods. What matters most is the sense that the experience exists only for a limited time.
Price decoding
Consumers no longer accept prices as fixed or self-explanatory. Instead, they analyze how a price is structured and decide whether its components feel reasonable. Purchasing decisions come after scrutiny, not just trust in branding.

The 1.5 household
Living alone no longer means embracing isolation. The book describes a growing group of people who value independence but still seek emotional connection.
Returning to the fundamentals
As AI accelerates production and replication, consumers show renewed interest in tradition, originality and analog experiences. Classics, originals and longstanding practices gain appeal as a counterbalance to speed and efficiency.
From 'Generation Z Trends 2026'

Published by University Tomorrow 20 Research Institute, Korea's only research institute dedicated to people in their 20s, the book examines the generation that has moved from cultural observer to trend leader. The book focuses on how Gen Z responds to uncertainty, economic pressure and digital saturation.
Meta-sensing
At a time when qualities such as warmth, consideration and emotional ease are becoming scarcer in an AI-driven society, Gen Z is paying closer attention to sensing and restoring those values. Meta-sensing describes a heightened awareness of subtle emotional shifts and a growing focus on personal emotional care as a way to recognize what feels lacking and consciously fill that gap.
Timely consumption
Scarcity has long shaped consumer desire, but amid an uncertain future, timing itself has emerged as a new measure of value. For Gen Z, the appeal lies in recognizing moments that cannot be delayed. Enjoying an experience the moment it matters — because there may not be another chance — is becoming central to how they define experience-driven consumption.
Micro consumption
Economic slowdown has thinned wallets, but it hasn't erased the desire to spend. Instead, Gen Z approaches consumption more deliberately, investing time and attention in understanding what a purchase is meant to deliver. Frequent visits to convenience stores or retailers like the dollar store chain Daiso reflect a preference for items that cost less, come in smaller sizes and feel lighter on the budget, yet still offer novelty and satisfaction.

Personal rest zones
More young people now look to figures who live alone with style and intention as role models. As self-focused living gains importance, Gen Z increasingly treats private...

This article is by Cho Jung-woo and read by an artificial voice.

[KOREAN CRIME FILES #12]
Behind the glitz and glamour seen in pop culture, Korea's grimmest and most harrowing crime stories, some more well-known than others, continue to haunt society today. The Korea JoongAng Daily takes a deep dive into some of these stories, sharing a glimpse into the darker side of society as well as the most up-to-date known facts. — Ed.
On the evening of Aug. 30, 1997, a telephone rang inside an apartment in Seocho District, an affluent neighborhood in southern Seoul.
The voice on the line was calm.
"Is this Na-ri's house?" the woman asked. "Na-ri is doing fine."
On the other end was a mother whose 8-year-old daughter had not come home after an English class earlier that day. The call came three hours after the mother reported her daughter missing.
The next day, the phone rang again.
"Bring a bank card with 20 million won [$14,000] in it," the woman said.
"I only have cash," the mother replied, her voice shaking.
"Then you will not be able to see your child," the caller said and hung up.
Only later would the family learn that this was not a negotiation. Another call that night was traced to a cafe in Myeong-dong, central Seoul.
With no leads, police made the investigation public on Sept. 3. The missing child was Park Na-ri, a second-grade student at a nearby elementary school. Her full name was Park Chorong Chorong Bitnari.
A birthday without a child
Sept. 9 was Na-ri's birthday. She was still missing. That day, Na-ri's mother wrote her daughter a letter.
"Because I believe that if Na-ri were to call out for me even now, she would walk through our front door, I am holding on," she wrote. "Wherever you are, please listen to the person you are with and pray that you can come home safely. Your mother, who loves you."
On Sept. 11, a 60-year-old man called the police who were tracking down the kidnapper.
"Why are you investigating around my house?" the man asked over the phone.
That day, the police were investigating near the home of the parents of Jeon Hyeon-ju, a 28-year-old pregnant woman. Officers told the caller, Jeon's father, that his daughter was on their list of suspects.
Jeon was included on that list after police questioned 13 customers at a Myeong-dong coffee shop, where one of the ransom calls had been placed. At the time, Jeon was released after providing fingerprints and basic information. Officers believed a pregnant woman was unlikely to commit such a crime.
The father soon told police that his daughter had packed three travel bags and had been missing since Sept. 1. After officers shared a recording of the ransom call with him, he confirmed that the blackmailer's voice was his daughter's.

The day after her father came forward, police arrested Jeon at an inn in Sillim-dong, in Gwanak District, southern Seoul. Pesticides were found at the scene. Jeon later told police she had intended to kill herself. Her parents, according to reports, had urged her to do so before her arrest.
She was about a month from giving birth.
Based on Jeon's testimony, police were dispatched to the basement office of her husband in Sadang-dong, Dongjak District. Her husband worked as a director of children's theatrical productions.
An officer at the scene later said he nearly slipped on the floor because it was covered in blood.
Na-ri's body was found inside a hiking backpack.
Why Na-ri
Jeon had grown up in relative privilege. Her father was a high-ranking government official, and she had studied in the United States. But while attending university in Korea, she fell in love with a man in her class, who also studied creative writing. Her parents strongly opposed the relationship.
The couple married without their families' consent. Her husband did not have steady work, and she spent heavily. Jeon soon fell into severe financial hardship.
Jeon initially claimed there were other accomplices. She said two men had visited her husband's office, sexually ...