Latest news with #SEOUL
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Stray Kids x Spurs: K-pop meets Premier League in limited-edition jersey collab
SEOUL, July 16 — Stray Kids fans and football lovers alike are in for a treat — the K-pop sensation has teamed up with Tottenham Hotspur for a one-of-a-kind jersey that blends music and sport in true style. As reported by Korea JoongAng Daily, the special-edition football kit, co-designed by Stray Kids and the Premier League club captained by Son Heung-min, goes on sale exclusively through Tottenham's official online store starting today. JYP Entertainment announced the collaboration celebrates the group's upcoming 'dominATE' world tour concerts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this Friday and Saturday. The shows itself mark a milestone, as Stray Kids will become the first K-pop act to headline a solo concert at the venue. 'Stray Kids will make history as the first K-pop act to hold a solo concert at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and this collaboration celebrates that milestone. The two teams co-designed the jersey to reflect Stray Kids' unique aesthetics and the iconic identity of Spurs,' JYP Entertainment said in a statement. 'More than just a uniform, this collaboration speaks to the shared intersections of sports, music and fashion, underscoring a mutual vision of self-expression, global connectivity and pushing beyond boundaries.'
Malay Mail
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
A royal send-off: Cha Eun-woo gifts fans new solo album before military enlistment
SEOUL, July 16 — Cha Eun-woo of Astro has reportedly completed work on his solo album and even filmed a music video last week. According to The Korea Herald, the upcoming album will be led by two main tracks and is scheduled for release in September, following Cha's enlistment on July 28. The paper reported that he will begin his mandatory military service with basic training before joining the army's marching band. Last week, Cha delighted fans with solo fan meetings in Seoul and Tokyo under the title "The Royal". During the events, he performed an unreleased solo track and even danced to Soda Pop from the Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters. Cha released his first solo EP, Entity, in February 2024, which sold over 210,000 copies in its first week.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
SK keyfoundry, in Collaboration with LB Semicon, Co-Develops Direct RDL to Advance Semiconductor Packaging and Strengthen Competitiveness in Automotive High-Performance Semiconductors
SEOUL, South Korea, July 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SK keyfoundry, an 8-inch pure-play foundry in Korea, announced today that it has successfully co-developed core technology and completed reliability testing of Direct RDL (Redistribution Layer) – a core semiconductor packaging technology based on 8-inch wafers – in collaboration with LB Semicon. This achievement marks a significant step forward in advancing next-generation semiconductor packaging technologies and strengthening the competitiveness of automotive semiconductor products. RDL refers to metal wiring and insulating layers on top of semiconductor chips to enable electrical connections. It is primarily used in WLP (Wafer Level Packaging) and FOWLP (Fan-Out Wafer Level Packaging) processes to enhance connectivity between the chip and the substrate while minimizing signal interference. The newly co-developed Direct RDL by SK keyfoundry and LB Semicon supports power semiconductors with high current capacity, outperforming competitors. The technology achieves a metal wiring thickness of up to 15 μm and wiring density covering up to 70% of the chip area – making it suitable not only for mobile and industrial applications but also for automotive use. In particular, the solution meets the Auto Grade 1 classification under AEC-Q100 international automotive semiconductor quality standard, ensuring reliable operation in harsh environments with an operating temperature range of –40℃ to +125℃. Unlike competitors, this makes the technology fully viable for automotive products. In addition, by providing a Design Guide and Process Development Kit, SK keyfoundry can now offer a process solution tailored to customer needs, enabling smaller chip sizes, lower power consumption, and cost-effective packaging. Semiconductor packaging and testing specialist LB Semicon stated that leveraging SK keyfoundry's deep understanding of semiconductor processes and advanced manufacturing capabilities significantly shortened the development timeline. Through the integration of its own back-end processing technologies with SK keyfoundry's foundry process expertise, the two companies successfully achieved optimized wafer-level Direct RDL formation, which is expected to greatly enhance production efficiency. LB Semicon's CEO Namseog Kim commented, "The joint development of direct RDL has served as an important milestone in strengthening the technological competitiveness of SK keyfoundry and LB Semicon." He also added, "Through close collaboration between the two companies, we plan to establish a strong foothold in the next-generation semiconductor packaging market, built on high reliability." "The joint development with LB Semicon, the semiconductor packaging specialist, holds significant meaning as it demonstrates the successful integration of our company's advanced and comprehensive manufacturing expertise into cutting-edge semiconductor packaging process development," said Derek D. Lee, CEO of SK keyfoundry. "SK keyfoundry will continuously collaborate with LB Semicon, a leading company in semiconductor technology, to further evolve and position ourselves as a premier foundry with proven capabilities in delivering high-performance and high-reliability semiconductor solutions to the global market." About SK keyfoundry Headquartered in Korea, SK keyfoundry provides specialty Analog and Mixed-Signal foundry services for semiconductor companies to serve a wide range of applications in the consumer, communications, computing, automotive and industrial industries. With a broad range of technology portfolios and process nodes, SK keyfoundry has the flexibility and capability to meet the ever-evolving needs of semiconductor companies across the globe. Please visit for more information. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE SK keyfoundry. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Blackpink's ‘Jump' tops Spotify global chart with 13,000,000 streams in two days
SEOUL, July 15 — Blackpink has topped Spotify's Daily Top Songs Global chart with its latest single Jump, marking the girl group's third No. 1 on the platform. YG Entertainment said Monday that the track reached the top spot on Sunday, following 2022 hits Pink Venom and Shut Down, according to a report published by Yonhap News Agency. Jump, which marks a stylistic shift from the group's previous sound, features guitar riffs reminiscent of Western films and showcases the quartet's distinct vocals, the agency said. The song garnered more than 13 million streams within two days of its release Friday, gaining traction in key markets including the United States and Britain. The track also topped the iTunes Top Songs chart in 60 countries and regions. Blackpink began the North American leg of its Deadline world tour with two sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles over the weekend. YG said the performances drew a combined crowd of 100,000. During Sunday's concert, global pop star Bruno Mars made a surprise appearance to perform APT., his collaborative single with Blackpink member Rose. Blackpink debuted in 2016 under YG Entertainment and has since become one of the world's leading K-pop acts. The group's previous singles have consistently charted high globally, contributing to its international success. Its 2022 releases Pink Venom and Shut Down also debuted atop Spotify's global chart. Jump continues Blackpink's streak of chart dominance and expanding musical direction.
Zawya
a day ago
- Automotive
- Zawya
Despite tariffs, it's still America first for Asia's legacy automakers
SEOUL/TOKYO - Toyota and Hyundai Motor may have a beef with U.S. protectionism, but they have one thing in common with President Donald Trump: when it comes to global car markets, it's America first for Asia's legacy automakers. Trump's tariffs on imported automobiles have upended the outlook for the global industry, yet the U.S. remains by far the most important market for Japan's Toyota, South Korea's Hyundai and Asian rivals including Honda and Nissan. North America accounts for at least 40% of the revenue at both Toyota and Hyundai, filings show. The market's importance is unlikely to change any time soon, industry insiders and analysts said, especially with China, now the world's biggest auto market, dominated by homegrown electric vehicle makers such as BYD. Those Asian legacy carmakers with more robust margins and a strong hybrid lineup - such as Toyota, Hyundai, Kia Corp and to a lesser extent Honda - are more likely able to weather the U.S. tariffs storm, and potentially take market share from weaker players like Nissan, analysts said. "The environment that we're in now is becoming increasingly harsh and uncertain, starting with U.S. tariffs," Mazda executive officer Noriyuki Takimura told reporters at an event in Tokyo last week. Mazda aims to strike a balance between "defensive" measures like cost-cuts and "offensive" ones like strengthening its product lineup, he said. Two Hyundai insiders and two Japanese auto executives separately told Reuters they had no intention of downsizing their U.S. businesses in response to tariffs, even as they acknowledged the difficulties ahead. All four spoke on condition of anonymity. The U.S. is Toyota's biggest market in terms of vehicles. It sold 2.3 million vehicles there in 2024, including its Lexus brand, accounting for more than a fifth of its global total. As a source of revenue, North America was second only to Japan in the last financial year. Hyundai's North American revenue was the highest in almost a decade last year. Kim Chang-ho, an analyst at Korea Investment & Securities, estimated it generates around 60% of its profits from the U.S., thanks to higher vehicle prices. Mocked in the U.S. in the 1980s for its perceived shoddy quality, Hyundai doubled down there around a decade ago, especially after tensions between Beijing and Seoul and the rise of domestic EV makers saw it start to lose ground in China. "After years of putting in effort, our brand is finally gaining recognition in the United States," one of the Hyundai insiders said. "So we will not take our hands off the U.S." 'GAME OF CHICKEN' The U.S. has seen a surge in demand for hybrids as consumers have become more concerned about the battery range, price and charging hassles of EVs. Fuel-efficient models such as hybrids will be a key driver to gaining market share, said Morningstar analyst Vincent Sun. Toyota, Hyundai and Kia have particularly strong hybrid offerings. So far, most legacy Asian automakers have avoided raising prices in the U.S. and stronger players are likely to continue to hold off doing so, despite lower profitability, analysts said. Instead, the focus will likely be on taking market share from lower-margin rivals like Nissan and Stellantis, analysts said. 'It will shape up like a game of chicken," said Kim Sung-rae, an analyst at Hanwha Investment & Securities. "Those who will hold up well will emerge as winners.' Over time, tariffs could be a catalyst to help drive consolidation in the industry, or at least deepen existing tie-ups. Investors wonder if tariffs could push Nissan to revive merger talks with Honda that fell apart this year. Mazda, which is 5.1% owned by Toyota, and Subaru, which is 21% owned by Toyota, could become more reliant on the bigger company. MORE INVESTMENT? While Hyundai and Kia have three U.S. factories, they still import about two-thirds of the vehicles sold there. Toyota manufactured 1.3 million vehicles in the U.S. last year, equal to 54% of the vehicles it sold there. Japanese automakers have invested more than $66 billion in U.S. manufacturing since the 1980s, building some two dozen plants, according to the JAMA auto lobby group. At a White House event attended by Trump in March, Hyundai announced a $21 billion investment plan, including a new steel factory, and a plan to boost U.S. production capacity to 1.2 million vehicles a year. The tariffs are likely to encourage Japanese and South Korean automakers to invest more into expanding production capacity and localising supply chains to protect their positions, said Justinas Liuima of research firm Euromonitor International. They will also continue to benefit from one aspect of U.S. protectionism: higher tariffs on Chinese EVs, which means they don't face the same Chinese competition in the U.S. that they do in emerging Asian markets, Liuima said. China ships very few cars to the United States, which imposed a 100% tariff on imported Chinese EVs under the previous administration of President Joe Biden. One of the Japanese executives said it wasn't a matter of simply boosting U.S. production, as high costs, especially of labour, would also weigh on profitability. "It is really a game-changer," Julie Boote, analyst at Pelham Smithers Associates in London, said about the potential longer-term tariff impact. Some automakers have held off giving guidance that takes into account tariffs for the full year, meaning investors may be in store for a rude awakening as companies adjust forecasts as they report quarterly earnings, she said. "There's lots of talk that it's already priced in. I don't really think it is."
