South Korean minister warns about CXMT capex as semiconductor profits debate heats up

South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources Jung-kwan Kim has warned that the country should not rush to redistribute semiconductor profits throughout society just as AI-driven memory demand is lifting earnings at Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to record highs. Instead, he said South Korea must help companies reinvest in facilities and R&D to protect its edge as China speeds up semiconductor investment.

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SuperAlloy boosts profit and expands into semiconductor green supply chains

SuperAlloy Industrial said after its August 7 board meeting that second-quarter 2026 results showed steady improvement in core profitability, even though foreign exchange losses tied to a weaker yen weighed on net income. The Taiwan-based manufacturer is also moving into the semiconductor front-end equipment supply chain in a bid to build a second growth engine alongside high-end automotive and green materials.

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Unitree CEO eyes embodied AI and robot expansion

Chinese humanoid robotics company Unitree said on August 7, 2026, it will continue boosting R&D in core embodied AI technologies, focusing on large embodied AI models, reinforcement learning, self-developed core components, and high-performance actuators. The company also plans to expand its humanoid robot, quadruped robot, and mecha product lines to deploy robots into high-intensity and high-risk tasks.

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Sony, TSMC to spend US$6.3 billion on Japan image sensor venture, Nikkei says

Sony Group and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) plan to invest around JPY1 trillion (approx. US$6.3 billion) in a joint venture to mass-produce next-generation image sensors in Kumamoto, Japan, with commercial production starting as early as 2029, Nikkei reported on August 10. Sony would own about 60% of the venture and TSMC about 40%.

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