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Art of Craft is a series about craftspeople whose work rises to the level of art. Two years later, a shop selling musical instruments opened in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, her hometown, and An became a fixture there, pelting the owner with questions. As a teenager, she decided she would become a violin maker. Eventually, a journey with twists and turns took her to Cremona in northern Italy — a famed hub for violin makers, including masters like Antonio Stradivari, since the 16th century. There, An, a rising star in the violin-making world with international awards under her belt, runs her own workshop.

Persons: Ayoung, “, Antonio Stradivari Locations: Pyeongtaek, South Korea, Cremona, Italy

☆ North Korea's Kim inspects spy satellite photos of 'target regions', US bases
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nuclear-armed North Korea launched the satellite on Tuesday, but South Korean defence officials and analysts said its capabilities have not been independently verified. Kim examined photos of Seoul and other cities of Mokpo, Kunsan, Pyeongtaek and Osan, where U.S. and South Korean military bases are located. The photos were taken as the satellite passed over the peninsula on Friday morning, state news agency KCNA said. On Saturday, Kim visited the control centre once again to examine more photos taken in the morning of different target regions in South Korea: Jinhae, Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, Daegu and Gangneung. On Thursday, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik said North Korea had "exaggerated" by saying Kim had already viewed images of Guam.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, KCNA, Carl Vinson, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won, sik, Yonhap, Josh Smith, Jihoon Lee, Clarence Fernandez, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Korean, National Aerospace Technology Administration, Naval, Hickam Air Force, U.S . State Department, U.S, South Korean Defence Minister, Thomson Locations: Rights SEOUL, Seoul, North Korea, Mokpo, Pyeongtaek, Osan, Pyongyang, South Korea, Jinhae, Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, Daegu, Gangneung, Korean, Harbor, Hawaii, United States, Japan, Pacific, Guam, U.S

☆ Samsung Q3 profit set to slump 80% as chip losses persist
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A view shows Samsung Electronics' chip production plant at Pyeongtaek, South Korea, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on September 7, 2022. The world's biggest maker of memory chips, smartphones and televisions will announce its third-quarter preliminary earnings results on Wednesday. It compares with an operating profit of 10.85 trillion won in the September quarter last year. Analysts said Samsung's cuts to chip production also hurt economies of scale, lifting the costs of making chips. Rival Micron Technology (MU.O) forecast a quarterly loss last month, triggering concerns of a sluggish recovery in the memory chip maker's end markets such as data centres.

Persons: 1,347.1300, Joyce Lee, Jamie Freed Organizations: Samsung Electronics, Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Analysts, Samsung, Micron Technology, KB Securities, SK Hynix, Nvidia, Thomson Locations: Pyeongtaek, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Korean, American

Seoul, South Korea CNN —South Korean police have arrested two people and questioned more than a dozen American soldiers on suspicion of smuggling and distributing synthetic cannabis after raiding two US army bases. Two people – a South Korean and a Filipino – were arrested for alleged drug distribution. Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty ImagesRecreational use of cannabis is illegal in South Korea, where drugs are a social and cultural taboo and users face harsh penalties. Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial PoliceThe soldier, who is among those questioned, sold the drug to a Filipino distributor, who then sold it to a South Korean distributor and other US soldiers, the release alleged. During the raid, police seized 80 milliliters of synthetic cannabis, 27 electronic cigarette devices and nearly $13,000 in cash allegedly earned from drug sales, the release said.

Persons: Camp Casey, Camp Humphreys, Jung Yeon, Camp Humphries Organizations: South Korea CNN — South, Wednesday . Police, United, US Army Criminal Investigation Division, Police, CNN, United States Forces, Getty, Nambu Provincial Police, US Army Criminal Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Camp Humphreys, United States, Korean, United States Forces Korea, Camp, Pyeongtaek

The police in South Korea on Wednesday accused 17 American soldiers and five other people of distributing or using synthetic marijuana that had been brought into the country through the U.S. military’s postal service. A Philippine national and a South Korean national were under arrest, said the police in the city of Pyeongtaek. Synthetic marijuana is an illegal substance in South Korea. Cha Min-seok, a senior detective, said the drug investigation was one of the largest in recent years involving American soldiers. In South Korea, after the police finish a criminal investigation, prosecutors review it, sometimes conducting their own inquiry, before deciding whether to bring indictments.

Persons: Cha, Detective Cha Organizations: Philippine, South Locations: South Korea, South Korean, Pyeongtaek, U.S

☆ Missiles aren't the only threat from North Korea. Its conventional arms are just as deadly
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A fire assault drill by North Korean rocket artillery units at an undisclosed location in North Korea in March 2023 in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). In late 2022, CFR estimated North Korea had 1.3 million active military personnel, in addition to a 600,000 strong reserve force. Pinkston pointed out that North Korea is not the only one that can launch an attack at short notice. Holistic perspectiveWhy would North Korea need to develop missiles if it holds such a potent threat over South Korea — even if short-lived? However, Cha pointed out that there have also been studies that have shown the damage inflicted by North Korean artillery is "not that effective."

Persons: that's, Naoko Aoki, Victor Cha, Rand, Daniel Pinkston, Pinkston, Cha Organizations: North Korean, North, Korean Central News Agency, Reuters, Korea's, Rand Corporation ., of Foreign Relations, CFR, Korean, Artillery, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Rand Corp, Samsung Electronics, Rand, . Rand Corporation, LG, South Korean, Troy University, CNBC, Korea People's Army, CSIS Locations: North Korea, Korean, Korea, South Korea, Seoul, Pyongyang, U.S, Paju, counterfire, Washington, United States, Victor, Victor Cha Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his delegation, North Korean state media KCNA reported on July 26, 2023. Meanwhile, Moscow over the decades has been a staunch ally for North Korea, especially as the two share a joint animosity toward the West. US officials said last year that North Korea was selling millions of rockets and artillery shells to Russia for use on the battlefield in Ukraine. North Korea typically marks key moments in its history with displays of its newest weaponry. One such weapon that may be on display is the Hwasong-18 ICBM, a solid-fueled, nuclear-capable missile that North Korea claims could hit anywhere in the United States.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Sergei Shoigu –, Kang Sun Nam, Shoigu, Li Hongzhong, Kim Song Nam, North Korea “, ” Ankit Panda, Stanton, ” Panda, Blake Herzinger, “ It’s, ” Herzinger, Sergei Shoigu, Pyongyang’s, Camp Humphreys, Xi Jinping, Panda, Vladimir Putin, Xi, Putin, Wagner Organizations: South Korea CNN —, Russian, North Korean Defense, Korean Central News Agency, Korean People’s Army, North Korean, Nuclear, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, United States Studies Center, Russian Defense, United Nations Command, Beijing, Aid, UN Command, Army, US, Chinese Communist Party, UN Security Council, Foreign Ministry, US Navy Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Russia, China, North, Pyongyang, Ukraine, North Korea, Moscow, Australia, North Korean, United States, Aid Korea, Soviet Union, Pyeongtaek, Beijing, Soviet, Russian, Iran, Korea, Moscow’s, Japan

☆ US soldier got in fights, damaged police car before dash to North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, July 19 (Reuters) - Months before he fled into North Korea, U.S. soldier Travis King faced two assault allegations and was fined by a South Korean court for damaging a police car, according to a court ruling and a lawyer who represented him. The U.S. military was scrambling to establish the fate of King, who made an unauthorised crossing of the inter-Korean border into North Korea on Tuesday, throwing Washington into a new crisis in its dealing with the nuclear-armed state. Two U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the soldier had been due to face disciplinary action by the U.S. military. Forces Korea (USFK) declined to confirm whether King had been in South Korean or U.S. military detention. King's mother, Claudine Gates, told ABC News she was shocked at the news her son had crossed into North Korea.

Persons: Travis King, King, expletives, Reuters King, King's, Claudine Gates, Travis, 1,266.9100, Josh Smith, Lincoln Organizations: U.S, Court, Reuters, U.S ., Police, Korean, U.S . Forces Korea, ABC News, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, U.S, Washington, South Korea, United States, Korean, Seoul, South Korean, Pyeongtaek

☆ How Samsung became the world’s No. 2 advanced chipmaker and set the stage for a U.S. manufacturing boom
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Katie Tarasov | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

In this article NVDAQCOM6758.T-JPAMATAMD2330-TW.FKRX300MUAAPL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTSamsung's $17 billion new chip fab is under construction in Taylor, Texas, on April 19, 2023. CNBC recently went inside Samsung's Austin chip fab, for the first in-depth tour given on camera to a U.S. journalist. Samsung got its start in 1938 as the Samsung Sanghoe Trading Company, founded by Lee Byung-chull in Korea. Just a decade after making its first memory chip, Samsung was coming to market with a version that had 1,000 times the capacity. As consumers rein in their spending in the face of rising inflation, demand for memory chips has weakened sharply.

Persons: Katie Brigham, Jon Taylor, Patel, Jinman Han, Han, Lee Byung, Lee Kun, Geoffrey Cain, weren't, Apple, Cain, Jay Y, Lee, Yoon Suk, Joe Biden, Jonathan Ernst Organizations: AMD, Samsung, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Intel, they'll, CNBC, Austin, Samsung Sanghoe Trading Company, Samsung Samsung, Samsung Electronics, Samsung TV, Hankook Semiconductor, Apple, Republic of Samsung, Samsung Electronics Pyeongtaek, Reuters Locations: Taylor , Texas, TSMC, U.S, Korea, New Jersey, Silicon Valley, South Korea, Republic of, Austin , Texas, Texas, Austin, Pyeongtaek

☆ Analysis: China's Micron ban highlights chipmakers' dilemma as Sino-U.S. tensions grow
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SEOUL, May 22 (Reuters) - China's ban on the use of U.S.-based Micron Technology's (MU.O) chips in certain sectors, announced on Sunday, is a stark reminder of risks facing the global chip industry as it braces for escalating Sino-U.S. trade tensions. China's move against Micron, the biggest U.S. memory chipmaker, was widely seen as retaliation for Washington's efforts to restrict Beijing's access to key technology. Such tit-for-tat policies will make investment decisions difficult for all chipmakers, said Kim Sun-woo, analyst at Meritz Securities in Seoul. Analysts recommended accepting the rounds of Sino-U.S. trade war as status quo, while roundabout ways of importing memory chips may emerge in response to any further geopolitical pressure. "(Korean chipmakers) are stuck in the middle and being bothered by all sides," said Kim at Meritz.

☆ Samsung stock little changed as it reports profits plunged 95% in Q1 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

For the current quarter, Samsung said it expected limited recovery for memory chips as major data center firms invested more conservatively in servers. The South Korean tech giant’s chip division — normally its most reliable cash cow — reported a 4.58 trillion won loss compared to an 8.45 trillion won profit a year earlier. Despite the record loss in chips, Samsung said it spent 10.7 trillion won in capital expenditures during Q1, the highest for the first quarter of any year. Samsung’s mobile business was a brighter spot, reporting 3.94 trillion won profit in Q1, up from 3.82 trillion won a year earlier. Samsung shares have risen about 16% year-to-date as investors anticipate a memory chip recovery in the second half of this year.

Hong Kong/Seoul CNN —South Korea says it will build an enormous facility to make computer chips in the greater Seoul area, with about $230 billion in investment from memory chip giant Samsung Electronics. “We will build the world’s largest new ‘high-tech system semiconductor cluster’ in the Seoul Metropolitan area based on large-scale private investment of almost 300 trillion Korean won,” he said. An aerial view of Samsung Electronics' chip production plant at Pyeongtaek, South Korea on September 7, 2022. The vast majority of the world’s advanced microchips are made in just two places, Taiwan and South Korea. Taiwan’s industry is larger and more dominant, something South Korea is keen to challenge.

☆ Austin in South Korea as Yoon seeks greater U.S. nuclear assurances
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is greeted by military officials upon his arrival at the Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea January 30, 2023. Lee Jin-man/Pool via REUTERSSEOUL, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The defence chiefs of the United States and South Korea will hold talks on Tuesday in Seoul as Washington seeks to reassure a key Asian ally over its nuclear commitment amid growing threats from North Korea. The latest meeting comes as South Korea pushes to bolster confidence in American extended deterrence - its military capability, especially nuclear forces, to deter attacks on its allies. Nuclear-armed North Korea launched an unprecedented number of missiles last year, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. The North's evolving threats had also revived calls from some politicians and experts in South Korea for bringing back U.S. tactical nuclear weapons or even developing its own nuclear programmes, though Seoul officials dismissed such a possibility.

☆ Biden heads to California to survey damage from severe storms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Summer Concepcion | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

US President Joe Biden disembark from Air Force One on his arrival at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek on May 20, 2022. President Joe Biden on Thursday will visit parts of California to view areas affected by severe storms and assess additional federal support needed for recovery efforts. The president will survey areas of Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties along the state's central coast, where recent storms caused floods and landslides. Biden is set to meet with first responders, state and local officials, and communities affected by the devastation. He has remained in contact with Newsom and other local officials.

☆ South Korea must respond to N.Korea despite its nuclear arms - Yoon
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We must not fear or hesitate because North Korea has nuclear weapons," he said. Monday's intrusion triggered criticism in South Korea of its air defences. Yoon chided the military, in particular its failure to bring down the drones while they flew over South Korea for hours. South Korea responded on Monday by sending drones over North Korea for three hours. South Korea will also expand its drone capabilities to three squadrons.

☆ Samsung Elec to expand chip production at largest plant next year - media
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) plans to increase chip production capacity at its largest semiconductor plant next year, despite forecasts of an economic slowdown, a South Korean newspaper reported late on Sunday. Samsung plans to expand its P3 factory in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, by adding 12-inch wafers capacity for DRAM memory chips, the Seoul Economic Daily reported, citing unnamed industry sources. It will also expand the plant with additional 4-nanometre chip capacity, which will be made under foundry contracts - that is, according to clients' designs - the paper said. P3, which started production of cutting-edge NAND flash memory chips this year, is the company's largest chip manufacturing facility. In October it said it was not considering intentionally cutting chip production, defying the broader industry's tendency to scale back output to meet mid- to long-term demand.

☆ U.S. forces launch space unit in South Korea amid North's growing threats
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Forces Korea launched a new space forces unit on Wednesday as the allies ramp up efforts to better counter North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats. The U.S. Space Forces Korea is the second overseas space component of the U.S. Space Force and is tasked with monitoring, detecting and tracking incoming missiles, as well as bolstering the military's overall space capability. South Korea's air force also set up its own space unit this month to bolster its space power and operation capability together with the U.S. Space Force. Beijing has warned Seoul against joining a U.S.-led global missile shield, and criticised the THAAD U.S. missile defence system installed in South Korea. Seoul's defence ministry said the creation of the U.S. space component had nothing to do with South Korea's participation in existing missile defence programmes.

☆ US Space Force establishes first foreign command in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Osan Air Base, South Korea CNN —The US military activated its first Space Force command on foreign soil on Wednesday in South Korea, with the unit’s new commander saying he is ready to face any threat in the region. The new unit “will be tasked with coordinating space operations and services such as missile warning, position navigation and timing and satellite communications within the region,” according to US Forces Korea. Asked what potential adversaries like Beijing or Pyongyang could take from the formation of the unit, Space Forces Korea commander Lt. Col. Joshua McCullion said he hoped it would have a deterrent effect. “Myself and my guardians are ready to go, day or night,” he said, using the official term for US Space Force members. US Army Gen. Paul LaCamera, commander of US Forces Korea, noted that both China and Russia have developed anti-satellite capabilities, while North Korea and Iran were both working against US interests in space.

☆ Samsung Electronics names Jay Y. Lee executive chairman
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Samsung Electronics' de facto leader Lee Jae-yong during U.S. President Joe Biden's visit on May 20, 2022 in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. Samsung Electronics ' de facto leader Jay Y. Lee was named executive chairman on Thursday, a symbolic move confirming that South Korea's most valuable company will be officially run by the third generation of its founding family. The change reflects a role Lee, 54, has held since his father, the late patriarch and Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee, was hospitalized in 2014, analysts said. Lee has been vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, the crown jewel of South Korea's biggest business conglomerate, since 2012. "The Board cited the current uncertain global business environment and the pressing need for stronger accountability and business stability in approving the recommendation," Samsung said in a statement.

☆ U.S. VP Harris to slam North Korea missile test, visit DMZ
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Harris landed in the South Korean capital early on Thursday and will condemn North Korea's latest missile launch during planned talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, a White House official said. But South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol told CNN in an interview aired on Sunday that in a conflict over Taiwan, North Korea would be more likely to stage a provocation and that the alliance should focus on that concern first. The missile test is the second since Sunday and comes two days after South Korea and U.S. forces conducted a military drill in waters off South Korea's east coast involving an aircraft carrier. North Korea's Kim Jong Un has said it is developing nuclear weapons and missiles to defend against U.S. threats. Harris' visit to the DMZ is the first by a senior Biden administration official and is expected to follow a meeting with Yoon.

☆ Home to 28,000 U.S. troops, S.Korea unlikely to avoid a Taiwan conflict
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

China is South Korea's largest economic partner, and Seoul could find itself on the literal front lines of any regional military conflict. But when asked whether South Korea will help the United States if China attacks Taiwan, Yoon did not directly answer. South Korean troops fought alongside Americans in Vietnam and supported the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but questions of future involvement are up to South Korea alone, LaCamera said. In response, South Korean Vice Defence Minister Shin Beom-chul told broadcaster MBC that there had been no such discussions between Washington and Seoul. Cho said North Korea could support China in a Taiwan conflict by launching an attack on South Korea, or simply use the conflict as a chance to push forward with its nuclear or missile development.

☆ Yoon asks Biden to resolve South Korea's concerns over Inflation Reduction Act -Yonhap
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterU.S. President Joe Biden arrives at Osan Air Base for travel to Japan, in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, May 22, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Pool/File PhotoSEOUL, Sept 22 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has asked his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden to resolve Seoul's concerns over the recently passed U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday. The law eliminates federal tax credits for electric vehicles made outside North America, meaning companies including Hyundai (005380.KS) and its affiliate Kia Corp (000270.KS) will no longer be eligible for such subsidies. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The U.S. and its allies are joining forces on chips. That could stop China reaching the next level
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Leading chipmaking nations including the U.S. are forming alliances, in part to secure their semiconductor supply chain and to stop China from reaching the cutting-edge of the industry, analysts told CNBC. But the semiconductor supply chain is complex — it includes areas ranging from design to packaging to manufacturing and the tools that are required to do that. "The other geopolitical significance is just related to Taiwan's central role in the semiconductor supply chain. Alliances being built that exclude ChinaBecause of the complexity of the chip supply chain, no country can go it alone. One is about bringing together countries, each with their "comparative advantages," to "string together alliances that can develop secure chips," Kotasthane said.

☆ S.Korea 20-day exports fall on holiday effects, slow global economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterA truck carrying a shipping container travels past cranes at Pyeongtaek port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, July 9, 2020. The country's imports for the same 20-day period rose 6.1%, producing a trade deficit of $4.1 billion, the Korea Customs Service data showed. Average exports per working day during the Sept. 1-20 period rose 1.8% from a year before, it added. Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho held a meeting of senior government officials to review trade conditions and vowed to focus policy to help exporters. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Choonsik Yoo; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Sam HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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