Renault Korea Motors, the Korean unit of France's Renault S.A., said Thursday its sales fell 24.7 percent in September from a year earlier amid weak demand at home. The automaker sold 6,556 vehicles last month, down from 8,710 units a year earlier, the company said in a release. Domestic sales dropped 45.2 percent on-year to 2,289 units last month, while exports backtracked 5.8 percent to 4,267 units.

LEGO Group has unveiled its first Dragon Ball set, created with the participation of a Korean designer at the Danish toymaker. The 1,764-piece LEGO Icons Dragon Ball Shenron & Goku set, developed in partnership with Japanese animation studio Toei Animation, will go on sale Nov. 4, the company said. Icons is LEGO's product line aimed at adult builders. Dragon Ball, created by the late Japanese manga artist Akira Toriyama, follows a boy named Goku on adventures to collect seven magical orbs known as Dragon Balls. Gathering all seven summons Shenron, a dragon that grants a wish. First published in 1984, the manga was adapted into an anime series by Toei that drew a worldwide following. The set recreates the scene in which Shenron rises from the seven Dragon Balls, with a young Goku riding his magic cloud, the Flying Nimbus. Seven bricks at the base represent the Dragon Balls, and the Goku minifigure can be detached and repositioned. A display stand and a plaque bearing the Dragon Ball logo are included. Lee Jae-won, a Korean designer who works at LEGO's headquarters in Billund, Denmark, too

Hyundai Motor, Korea's biggest carmaker, said Thursday its sales fell 16 percent in September from a year earlier, as there were fewer working days due to the Chuseok holiday. Hyundai sold 307,998 vehicles last month, down from 366,731 units in 2025, the company said in a press release. Domestic sales plunged 25.7 percent to 49,022 units from 66,001 a year earlier, while overseas sales declined 13.9 percent to 258,976 units from 300,730. "Fewer working days due to Chuseok and delayed demand for new models affected the monthly numbers," the carmaker said. Hyundai plans to launch the all-new Tucson sport utility vehicle (SUV) in the domestic market as it expands its SUV lineup. From January to September, cumulative sales backtracked 7 percent to 2,886,763 vehicles from 3,105,346 a year earlier. Domestic sales dropped 16.3 percent to 448,181 units in the first nine months from 535,458 a year earlier, while overseas sales declined 5.1 percent to 2,438,582 units from 2,569,888.

Three consortia led by Korean tech companies will unveil their artificial intelligence (AI) services developed under a government-led project within this month to provide all citizens with access to AI, government and industry sources said Thursday. The three teams — led by SK Telecom, KT and Kakao, respectively — are set to launch a closed beta version of their AI services sometime in October, the sources added. The government's "AI for All" project unveiled in July came amid efforts to lower Korea's dependence on foreign AI models and boost the domestic AI sector. Developers are required to use domestic AI models for at least 50 percent of the offered AI services, with government funding and graphic processing unit (GPU) support. Developers have set a monthly active user target of 5 million for their envisioned services, with Kakao vowing to expand the figure to 10 million by 2027 and 30 million by 2030. Korea plans to inject an additional 250 billion won ($184.37 million), starting next year, to further advance the services, which include costs to secure some 2,000 GPUs. According

James Kim, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), is welcoming U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement on Korea’s $54 billion (73.3 trillion won) investment in the Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, describing it a sign of progress in bilateral economic ties, but called for the two governments to resolve key commercial and legal details. “I see a shared interest in expanding energy cooperation, even if the two governments are emphasizing different aspects of the project,” Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times on Thursday. “A project of this scale requires careful consideration of investment costs, energy prices, commercial viability and participation terms,” he said, adding that questions surrounding the timing and coordination of the announcement are matters for the two governments to address. The contrasting positions have drawn attention because Washington presented the $54 billion figure as a Korean investment commitment, while Seoul has yet to determine details on the scale, structure or timing of any investment. From a busine

Hayfin Capital Management opened a new office in Seoul, Thursday, expanding its presence in the Asia-Pacific region following Samsung Life's investment in the firm as a strategic minority shareholder. Located at Three IFC in Yeouido, in Seoul's financial district, the office will provide on-the-ground coverage for Hayfin's growing base of Korean institutional investors and partners. "The Seoul office's focus is on understanding the needs of Korean institutional investors, connecting them effectively with the global team and enhancing the overall quality of client service," said Choi Si-jin, head of Korea at Hayfin. Choi, newly appointed to lead the office, has nearly two decades of experience in investment and institutional capital formation. He previously served as head of private equity for Asia-Pacific at UBS Asset Management and held senior roles at Wilshire Associates in Hong Kong, Samsung Life and Samsung Asset Management. The office opening follows Hayfin's management buyout, which closed in February 2025. Samsung Life, Mubadala and AXA IM Prime participated in the transaction as