00:03Korea's industrial giants are betting big on robots and batteries,
00:07even as the assembly line closer to home hits turbulence.
00:12Samsung just accelerated its own humanoid robot launch.
00:16Samsung SDI locked in a new multi-billion dollar battery deal with GM.
00:21Hyundai Motors Union is raising the pressure with expanded strikes.
00:25And plug-in hybrids are becoming Korea's least popular car type at home.
00:30It's Wednesday, August 12.
00:32Let's take a look at a key development in Korea's industry sector.
00:37Samsung and its battery affiliate are pushing deeper into robotics and next-generation EV batteries
00:43as global manufacturers race to lock in supply and automation partners.
00:49At the same time, Hyundai's domestic labor dispute is entering its most disruptive phase of the year.
00:55And Korean automakers are finding that plug-in hybrids sell well overseas but barely register with buyers at home.
01:03Here's what the numbers show.
01:05Samsung's robot business team is fast-tracking its self-developed humanoid, Samsung RX,
01:11alongside its existing Samsung bot lineup.
01:155 trillion won, about $3.7 billion, is the size of Samsung SDI's new battery agreement with General Motors,
01:24covering next-generation prismatic cells with high-density, fast-charging technology for future GMEVs.
01:31Hyundai's union starts partial strikes every Tuesday and Thursday from the 14th, four hours at a time.
01:39The action escalates a labor dispute that resumed right after the summer break.
01:445,852 units, down 20% year-on-year.
01:49That's how few plug-in hybrids Korean drivers bought in the first half, even as PHEV exports jumped 64.5%.
01:58Plug-in hybrids now make up just 1.2% of new car sales in Korea,
02:04with BYD and Mercedes-Benz among the few brands still moving them domestically.
02:10So what does this mean for global supply chain managers watching Korea?
02:15Earlier, we said Samsung is fast-tracking its own humanoid robot.
02:20Here's what that actually means for you.
02:22Korea's biggest manufacturer is racing to control both the hardware and the software of next-generation automation before global rivals
02:31do.
02:31The GM battery deal shows Korean cell makers are still winning premium EV contracts, even as the broader EV market
02:39cools.
02:40But Hyundai's expanding strikes and the PHEV slump at home are reminders that Korea's industrial strength abroad
02:47doesn't always translate to smooth production or strong demand domestically.
02:52That's today's AI Prism, Industry Daily.
02:56This episode was produced with AI assistance based on Seoul Economic Daily reporting and reviewed by a human editor.
03:04AI Prism is a Juan Ifra award-winning series.
03:08We'll be back tomorrow.
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