Korea JoongAng Daily - Daily News from Korea

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

[NEWS ANALYSIS]

As global carmakers like Tesla and General Motors successively declare a shift away from Chinese-made components, a long-muted sense of optimism is emerging for Korea's battery and parts manufacturers like LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and LG Innotek.

Triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump's restrictions on prohibited foreign entities (PFE), goods from Korea have been cited as the most viable and pragmatic alternatives to those from China.

GM is reportedly making the most aggressive moves, having internally set a goal to eliminate Chinese components by 2027 and communicated this target to its suppliers. GM CEO Mary Barra said they've "been working now for a few years to have supply chain resiliency… sourcing parts in the same country where we build the cars, whenever possible," during a quarterly conference call in October.

EV giant Tesla has not specified a concrete timeline, but some core components have already been replaced with non-Chinese alternatives, while remaining items are being phased out in an orderly manner.

Korea closes gap in battery game

Among EV parts, batteries rely most heavily on China - due to its unique ability to produce low-cost, safe lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries - and Korea has emerged as the most likely candidate to realize this technological capacity.

Tesla uses LFP batteries from CATL and BYD in the Model 3 and Model Y, while GM uses LFP batteries for its more affordable EV options, including the Chevy Bolt.

Korea's three major battery firms - LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, and SK On - have already mass-produced LFP batteries for energy storage systems (ESS), while those for EVs are in the final phase of development, with a goal of commercialization no later than 2027.

With manufacturing sites in North America, they will also be able to meet U.S. automakers' growing demand for supplier diversification.

Last year, LG Energy Solution became the first Korean battery maker to secure a supply contract for EV LFP batteries. Under the deal with France's Renault, it will supply 39 gigawatt-hours of batteries over five years through 2030. The production takes place in the Poland plant.

The battery company has already converted part of its battery line at its Michigan plant to ESS-focused LFP production as of June, and plans to begin producing LFP batteries at its Arizona facility starting in 2026.

Ultium Cells, a battery joint venture with GM, announced plans to retool production lines at its second plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, to establish mass production of LFP batteries, with full-scale output expected to begin in 2027.

"As U.S.-China tensions intensify, the United States is likely to phase out Chinese supply chains through PFE regulations," said Lee Jin-myung, an analyst at Shinhan Securities, adding that "the accelerating shift away from China will present a structural opportunity for Korean battery makers."

Samsung SDI also plans to secure 30 gigawatt hours of LFP battery capacity by the fourth quarter of next year at its joint battery plant with Stellantis in Indiana. The company is currently in talks with multiple global automakers for orders, with some agreements said to be close to finalization as early as end of the year.

SK On, meanwhile, aims to produce LFP batteries at its Georgia plant no later than the second half of next year. It also intends to establish a dedicated ESS battery production line with an annual capacity of 3 gigawatt hours at its Seosan plant in South Chungcheong.

"It is simply impossible to compete with China on price. Their products are two to three times cheaper," said a source from Korea's major auto parts maker. "If U.S. companies were to exclude Chinese suppliers, there would be few outcomes more favorable for us."

Korea as hub for auto parts

Beyond batteries, Korean firms are asserting a strategic advantage in critical EV components, notably AI-enabled high-perform...

This article is by Yi Woo-lim and read by an artificial voice.

Can Samsung Electronics regain its lost prestige in the high bandwidth memory (HBM) market?

After suffering the humiliation of having to "redesign" its HBM products, the company is now seeing a potential turnaround with encouraging test results for its sixth-generation HBM4 chips. A recent visit by Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong to the company's Giheung and Hwaseong semiconductor campuses is also being interpreted as a signal of the firm's renewed push for HBM leadership.

According to industry sources on Monday, Samsung received positive marks in a critical stage of Nvidia's HBM4 quality evaluation - the system-in-package (SiP) test - particularly in power efficiency and processing speed. SiP refers to advanced packaging technology that integrates different semiconductor chips into a single package.

HBM is not used alone; it must work in tandem with graphics processing units (GPUs) and other computing chips to deliver performance. As a result, the SiP test goes beyond checking for defects in individual memory chips. It is considered the most critical phase, as it evaluates interoperability - whether GPU and HBM chips, produced using different manufacturing processes, can exchange data without issues within a single system.

Samsung narrows gap with SK hynix on HBM4

Market watchers initially expected SK hynix to leave Samsung in the dust in the race for HBM dominance, especially after SK hynix became the first in the industry to complete preparations for mass-producing HBM4 in September. However, Samsung's HBM4 prototypes have performed more stably than expected in recent quality tests, raising the possibility that the early lead could be narrowed or even overturned.

But things began to change in the second half. Under the leadership of Jun Young-hyun, who became head of the Device Solutions division in May last year, Samsung initiated a redesign of its HBM chips. In September, it finally succeeded in having its HBM3E products included in Nvidia's supply chain - after multiple failed attempts.

According to market research firm TrendForce, Samsung reclaimed the No. 2 spot in the global HBM market in the third quarter with a 22 percent share, narrowly edging out Micron at 21 percent. SK hynix remained the leader with 57 percent, but its dominance - which reached 69 percent at the beginning of the year - is now showing signs of cracking.

Samsung's growing confidence was also evident in its organizational restructuring last month. The company disbanded the HBM development team - a special unit established in July last year, shortly after Jun took office - and folded it into the DRAM development division. The decision suggests that Samsung now believes it can maintain competitiveness without a dedicated task force, signaling that its HBM4 technology is on track.

Still, Nvidia's AI accelerator "Vera Rubin," which will feature HBM4 chips, is not expected to launch until the second half of next year. This means both SK hynix and Samsung are likely to continue with additional quality testing and yield verification into early 2026.

"Let's restore our core technological competitiveness through bold innovation and investment," said Samsung Electronics chairman Lee during his visit to the Giheung and Hwaseong campuses on Monday.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

This article is by Hyeon Ye-seul and read by an artificial voice.

Wondering what to get a family member or a friend for their birthday? Consumers may soon be able to gift stock shares in the form of mobile vouchers, or gifticons, according to the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) on Tuesday.

The "stock gifticons" will allow consumers to purchase stock in companies like Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in the form of mobile coupons, similar to existing digital gift cards. The FKI has submitted the proposal to the Office for Government Policy Coordination.

The FKI said the service could help boost activity in the Korean stock market by offering a more accessible and convenient entry point for individual investors.

Domestic stock trading by individual investors dropped from 1.23 quadrillion won ($830 billion) in the first quarter of 2020 to 122 billion won in the third quarter of 2025. In contrast, overseas stock trading surged nearly sixfold during the same period, from $27.4 billion to $157.5 billion.

The idea of gifting stock in this format has drawn interest from the public.

In a survey of 500 Korean adults under the age of 41 conducted by Mono Research from Dec. 10 to 15, 44.8 percent of respondents said they would consider using the stock gifticon service if it became available. Among respondents with experience in stock investment, that figure rose to 54.7 percent.

When asked for what occasions they would send stock gifticons, 29.6 percent of respondents cited birthdays, followed by holidays like the Lunar New Year holiday, the Chuseok harvest holiday, Christmas and New Year's at 19.1 percent, educational gifts for children or acquaintances at 18 percent and graduation or academic milestones at 17.4 percent.

Nearly half of respondents, or 47.8 percent, said the stock gifticon service could help revitalize Korea's stock market by attracting more young investors.

To facilitate the rollout of the service, the FKI proposed four policy changes.

First, the FKI proposed designating the service as an innovative financial product through the Financial Services Commission, which would allow stock gifticons to be distributed and sold on online shopping platforms. It also suggested setting the annual gift tax exemption threshold at 2.5 million won, the same as the basic capital gains deduction limit for stock transfers.

Third, the FKI also recommended the creation of a public distribution platform to reduce transaction fees and encourage participation by securities firms.

Finally, to promote the use of stock gifticons, the FKI proposed allowing a wider range of payment methods, including credit cards and mobile payment apps. At the same time, it recommended introducing safeguards to prevent misuse - such as leveraged investing or turning credit card purchases into cash - by capping monthly spending at 1 million won.

"If stock gifticons become available for gifting on special occasions, they won't just broaden the base of individual investors in the Korean stock market," said Lee Sang-ho, head of the FKI's economic and research department. "They could also serve as a leading financial service that helps advance K-finance. We need a positive review of this service to support stable asset accumulation for the public and foster a culture of corporate engagement."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

Samsung SDI has partnered with KG Mobility to co-develop battery pack technologies suitable for its 46-series cylindrical battery cells.

The two Korean companies signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday to develop technologies that will be applied to KG Mobility's EVs in the future.

First used by Tesla, the 46-series cylindrical battery is a type that enables high-energy density, extended driving range and fast charging by simplifying cell structure.

Samsung SDI's product, featuring high-nickel nickel-cobalt-aluminum cathodes, also effectively enhances safety and durability while extending battery life, it said.

In the long term, Samsung and KG will also share insights for global strategies and research and development efforts.

"This partnership once again proved the differentiated technological competitiveness of our 46-series cylindrical batteries in both the Korean and global EV markets," Samsung SDI said in a statement. "We will continue to strengthen our technology leadership for the next-generation global battery industry."

This article is by Kim Ji-ye and read by an artificial voice.

Actor Koo Kyo-hwan steps away from the intense personas that have become his signature to play a refreshingly ordinary young man in the upcoming romance film "Once We Were Us." Portraying an aspiring game designer, he hopes audiences will see his character not just as fiction, but as someone they might pass on the street or even recognize from their own lives.

"I wanted Eun-ho to come across as someone you might meet in everyday life [...] like someone they might know, a friend or simply themselves," he said during an interview at a cafe in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Friday.

Directed by Kim Do-young, who helmed the film "Kim Ji-Young, Born 1982" (2019), the romance film follows two former lovers, Eun-ho and Jeong-won, who unexpectedly reunite on a plane overseas, 10 years after their breakup. As they reconnect, the story unfolds through their shared memories. Koo stars as Eun-ho alongside actor Mun Ka-young, who plays Jeong-won.

Koo described himself as a former "melodrama master" during a news conference on Thursday, noting that he had played romantic roles before achieving widespread recognition through the film "Peninsula" (2020).

Reflecting on the news conference, he laughed and said, "I may have taken the joke a bit too far," adding, "Let's wait and see whether I [return as a] 'melodrama master.'"

He also expressed confidence in the film, highlighting its central theme, love, which he referred to as "the simplest, yet the greatest emotion."

"I felt it was a story that people would understand well, thinking themselves having been in love before or still being in love now," he said. "I thought that if it were done right, it could deliver a far more powerful experience than any 4DX film. That's why I thought to myself to act with complete honesty."

The film explores the rare chance to reconnect and share memories with one's past lover, demonstrating how a couple can respectfully say goodbye - something Koo notes is uncommon in real life.

"I think there's a real sense of thrill to this film," he said. "Usually, our experiences stop at the relationship itself, but here, through an incredible coincidence, the two characters meet again on a plane and actually get to talk."

"I believe it's a cinematic fantasy. It's something you don't really get to experience in real life. And that's when I thought, this is what cinema is for. This is why we watch films to experience stories like this."

The actor also picked Jeong-won's bus scene, where she cries after completely ending her relationship with Eun-ho, as one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the film. He called it one of "Korea's top three bus scenes" alongside the films "The Roundup" (2022) and "Silmido" (2003).

"It broke my heart when I watched it," he said. "Even the staff members on set ended up crying together during the shoot."

While portraying Eun-ho, Koo, as in his other projects, was determined to present the character to the audience in the best way possible. Yet, when asked about the reasons behind Eun-ho's behavior toward Jeong-won, he drew a line.

"I don't want to make excuses for him," he said, adding that there were moments when he wanted to give him a light punch. "Actually, I think I was even more immersed in the scene from Jeong-won's perspective while acting."

Koo is not only an actor but also works as a creator, making his own video projects. He even participated in making girl group aespa's trailer video for its song "Rich Man," incorporating some scenes from a scenario he wrote a decade ago.

As a creator, he relates to Eun-ho's determination to achieve his dream of earning 10 billion won ($6.8 million) through his game, despite numerous obstacles and failures, noting that the film is also about dreams. He shared that he has experienced many failures as a creator, but he chooses to view them positively and learn from them.

"I often say to myself that failure doesn't really exist, only...

This article is by Kim Ji-ye and read by an artificial voice.

Known for her established presence in romance productions, actor Mun Ka-young returns to the big screen after a decade by leaning into what she knows best with the upcoming melodrama film "Once We Were Us." With this role, she bids to further cement her place in the genre.

"I always loved melodrama, and I wanted to really make my mark in the genre," said Mun during an interview at a cafe in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Friday. "I've always had a strong desire to do well in it."

She also explained why she selected romance for her first lead role in a commercial film. "I wanted to show myself in a genre I'm familiar with and one I feel I've done well in through a film. I would say I also had some confidence going into it."

Directed by Kim Do-young, who helmed the film "Kim Ji-Young, Born 1982" (2019), the romance film follows two former lovers - Jeong-won, portrayed by Mun, and Eun-ho, played by Koo Kyo-hwan - who happen to cross paths and reunite 10 years after their breakup. As they reconnect, the story unfolds through their shared memories.

The film captures the shifting dynamics of a romantic relationship as circumstances change over time. To convey such realism convincingly, especially in a romance-driven narrative, chemistry between the lead actors is essential. For Mun, that chemistry developed naturally, aided by the film being shot largely in chronological order - a process that she said was particularly effective during the reunion scenes.

"Both Koo and I had this strange mix of emotions when we moved into filming the final part of the story after building memories together," she said. "The scenes take place in the characters' present, with them now grown up and talking about their shared past. And while shooting them, even without any planning, there were moments when unusually long silences existed between lines."

Throughout the film, the characters display raw emotions when in love, ranging from joy and happiness to awkwardness, anxiousness and heartbreak. Mun credited director Kim for allowing her to follow her instincts and respond naturally to each scene. One of them was the bus scene, in which Jeong-won breaks down after parting with Eun-ho.

"Both the director and I felt that scene marked the emotional climax for Jeong-won, so we gave it a lot of thought," Mun said. "The day before the shoot, the director sent me a message saying she wanted me to do whatever felt right for me, like using any facial expressions I wanted. That really gave me courage."

Mun chose to restrain her emotions in the scene, believing that holding back could convey even deeper sadness, particularly given the public setting.

"The bus setting had its own power because it was a public space with other people around," she said. "You want to cry because you're overwhelmed with sadness, but at the same time you feel self-conscious because people are watching, and I think that tension came through strongly on screen."

She continued, "There are times, especially in dramas, when you're expected to cry in a 'beautiful' way. However, for this film, I approached it with a blank slate, focusing purely on the emotion, like covering my mouth or eyes when I felt like it and simply reacting honestly in the moment."

As she portrayed the scene realistically, which resonated with many viewers during its pre-screening the day before, some reporters asked whether it was drawn from personal experience. The actor said she never cried on a bus in real life, but noted that there were many emotional elements in the film she deeply related to.

While being true to her emotions, she also emphasized that many details were meticulously calculated, as even the smallest choices could alter how the characters or emotions are perceived.

"I spent a long time discussing with the director where Jeong-won should wear her ring [when she reunites with Eun-ho]," she said. "Whether it should be worn purely as ...

This article is by Michael Lee and read by an artificial voice.

[KOREAN CRIME FILES #11]

Behind the glitz and glamour seen in pop culture, Korea's grimmest and most harrowing crime stories, some more well-known than others, continue to haunt society today. The Korea JoongAng Daily takes a deep dive into some of these stories, sharing a glimpse into the darker side of society as well as the most up-to-date known facts. - Ed.

On a warm spring night in May 2016, 33-year-old stage actress Choi Sung-hee and her husband of seven months, 34-year-old restaurateur Jeon Min-geun, returned hours apart to their high-rise apartment in Busan.

Footage of their return, captured by surveillance cameras in the building, was the last confirmed trace of either of them before they vanished into thin air.

With only a pet dog remaining in the apartment and an untouched car in the garage, Choi and Jeon's disappearance baffled their families, friends and colleagues.

But as investigators delved into the couple's past, they found themselves mired in a web of suspicions surrounding Jeon's former girlfriend - a woman who had haunted Jeon and Choi long before they married.

A couple vanishes

It was just after 3 a.m. on May 28 when Jeon returned from work to the couple's apartment near Gwangalli Beach in Busan's Suyeong District. Five hours earlier, Choi had come home from a late-night supermarket run. CCTV cameras outside the building captured both of them entering separately.

When Jeon's father was unable to reach him the following morning to deliver health supplements, concern mounted. Jeon's business partner, who co-ran a restaurant with him, also reported that he had failed to show up for work. As his worries grew, Jeon's father filed a missing person report on May 31.

After reviewing footage from 22 surveillance cameras in and around the apartment complex, police reached a chilling conclusion.

The couple appeared to have disappeared from inside their own building.

Inside the apartment, investigators found no signs of foul play - only clues that the couple's departure had been sudden and possibly unplanned.

Groceries from Choi's supermarket trip lay unpacked on the kitchen table. Laundry sat unwashed. The couple's beloved dog, recovering from recent surgery, had been left unattended, which Choi's friends insisted she would never have done. Even their car remained parked in the underground garage.

A forensic examination of the apartment revealed nothing out of the ordinary.

Police expanded their search to bus terminals, train stations and nearby streets, but found no trace of the couple anywhere in Busan.

To this day, the last verifiable sighting of Jeon and Choi remains the moment they walked into their apartment building.

Last words

Although Jeon and Choi were last seen on surveillance cameras entering their building, that was not the final trace they left behind.

When a colleague called Choi's phone on May 29, Jeon answered instead, saying only that she could not come to work "for the time being." The following day, Choi's theater company received a text message from her phone, stating that she was in "no condition to perform" and had been hospitalized again after "causing another incident like last time." The company's director, who regarded Choi as a diligent worker, later recalled that the message's tone was stiff and formal, unlike her usual warm, casual style.

A day later, Jeon told an employee at the theater company that Choi could not answer calls herself because she had been medicated and hospitalized. Cell tower records later showed that Jeon placed the call from near the couple's home, yet no hospital in the area had any record of her admission.

Jeon also sent several messages to acquaintances and family members. On May 29, he told his business partner, "I have something I must deal with. I won't be able to come in for one to two months." On June 2, he sent his father a brief reassurance - "I'm fine" - before cutting off all contact.

...

Roh Jeong-tae

The author is a writer and senior fellow at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.

On Dec. 23, 1950, Christmas was approaching even at the front. A father was on his way to see his son. Walton Harris Walker, the then-commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, was traveling by vehicle to congratulate his son, Capt. Sam S. Walker, who was serving as a rifle company commander on the Korean Peninsula and had been awarded a Silver Star. Near what was then Yangju County, south of Uijeongbu and close to today's Dobong District in Seoul, a traffic accident involving a South Korean Army vehicle mechanic occurred. Walker was killed instantly at 61 years old. It was an abrupt and hollow end to the general who had held the Nakdong River line against waves of North Korean forces.

Walker came from a military family. A veteran of both World War I and World War II, he was serving as commander of the U.S. Eighth Army in Japan when the unit was deployed to the Korean Peninsula following the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War. After a surprise invasion from the North, South Korean and U.S. forces were pushed back relentlessly. At one point, the situation was so dire that a "New Korea Plan," which envisioned abandoning the peninsula and establishing a provisional government on the island of Samoa, was openly discussed.

"If we are pushed back to Busan, there will be a massacre. There is no choice but to stand or die." Walker was unequivocal. He pressed his troops to hold the Nakdong River defensive line at all costs and repeatedly traveling to Washington to convince political leaders of the dire stakes involved. Because the line held, the main U.S. force under Douglas MacArthur succeeded in the Inchon landing - the decisive turning point of the war.

Where do we stand today? According to a media report, the Joint Chiefs of Staff issued guidance in September, instructing commanders to interpret ambiguous North Korean incursions across the military demarcation line in a way more favorable to Pyongyang. One is left to ask whether the military's sense of honor remains intact. "Stand or die" was the order under which soldiers bled and fought on an unfamiliar and distant land. The country they defended is South Korea.

South Korea's peace, prosperity and very existence rest on the sacrifices of countless individuals, many of them foreign soldiers who had no prior ties to this land.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

The author is the head of the diplomatic and security news department at the JoongAng Ilbo.

In August 2017, President Moon Jae-in received his first policy briefing from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Unification at the Foreign Ministry complex in Doryeom-dong, central Seoul. Yet the scene unfolded in an unexpected way. The session was not moderated by the ministry's chief policy planning officer, as protocol would normally dictate.

That absence was no coincidence. The official in question traced his notoriety back to the Roh Moo-hyun administration, when he stood at the center of what later came to be framed as the clash between the so-called "alliance camp" and the "autonomy camp." During negotiations over the relocation of the U.S. military base in Yongsan, a U.S. bureau director at the then Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was reported to have referred to aides at the presidential National Security Council as "Taliban," venting frustration with the government's approach to the United States. A Foreign Ministry official passed the remark to the presidential office. The same official later resurfaced, a decade on, as the Foreign Ministry's policy planning chief in August 2017.

"Why is that man sitting there?"

That, according to accounts from the time, was the reaction of several figures from the Blue House's so-called "586 generation" when they spotted him seated in the back row during the confirmation hearing for Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha. In the end, another senior official stepped in to moderate the briefing. Before long, the sidelined policy chief left public service altogether.

In hindsight, the episode was a prelude to a series of ordeals faced by the diplomatic line throughout the Moon administration.

In April 2019, a political counselor at the South Korean Embassy in Washington was accused of leaking details of conversations between the Korean and U.S. presidents to an opposition lawmaker. A chain of disciplinary actions followed, effectively paralyzing the embassy's political functions for a time. Within government circles, many believed the Blue House had long viewed the Foreign Ministry as the source of rumors about strains in the alliance following the February 2019 Hanoi summit between the United States and North Korea, which ended without an agreement. The counselor was dismissed, the harshest possible penalty. Three years later, a court ruled the punishment excessive and ordered the dismissal overturned.

The Foreign Ministry was also repeatedly bypassed. In September 2020, after a South Korean fisheries official was killed by North Korean forces in the West Sea, National Security Office chief Suh Hoon convened a ministerial meeting - without inviting Foreign Minister Kang. In August 2019, in response to Japan's economic retaliation against Korea, the government announced its decision to terminate the General Security of Military Information Agreement, a bilateral military intelligence-sharing agreement between Korea and Japan. The move was decided at a standing meeting of the presidential National Security Council that Kang did not attend. Instead, then-First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young filled in.

Officials known for their deep experience with Washington were effectively frozen out during successive personnel reshuffles. The stated rationale - to curb excessive concentration of power within the North America bureau and dismantle elite insularity - sounded reasonable. In practice, critics argue, it dealt a serious blow to Korea's capacity for U.S.-focused diplomacy.

Recently, the old "autonomy camp versus alliance camp" framing has resurfaced after the Ministry of Unification was excluded from consultations between Seoul and Washington on North Korea policy, even as the ministry declared it would pursue direct engagement with Pyongyang. Given today's unforgiving security environment, the very debate feels strikingly out of touch. Can U.S. assessments that place a pot...

Lee Kwang-hyung

The author is the president of KAIST.

"Knowledge is power."

The phrase, attributed to English empiricist Francis Bacon (1561-1626), has long guided and shaped modern civilization. Yet in the age of artificial intelligence, that maxim is steadily losing its force. AI is diminishing the value of knowledge and memorization skills that humans have traditionally prized. Within the next decade, we are likely to enter an era of technological singularity, in which AI broadly surpasses human intelligence. For now, knowledge and memory still matter, but their importance will decline sharply over time.

Professions that heavily rely on specialized expertise have been the first to feel the pressure. Patent attorneys, lawyers, doctors, tax accountants and translators are often cited as examples. The decrease in entry-level positions across these fields clearly signals that a shift is already underway.

AI is now moving beyond the realm of knowledge into areas once considered uniquely human. It writes literary works, composes music and creates visual art, mimicking human creativity through increasingly novel attempts.

Scientific research is no exception. Last year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to researchers who developed AI capable of predicting protein structures. Tasks that once took humans months or years can now be completed in minutes. In August, the Chinese Academy of Sciences unveiled an AI research platform - known in Chinese as "Panshi," meaning "bedrock," and in English as "ScienceOne" - designed to support research across mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geoscience and astronomy. Once humans define a research question, the model can review literature and even advise on research design and hypothesis testing.

AI-driven robots that conduct biological and chemical experiments and process data are also being developed, greatly reducing the time needed for manual laboratory work. Labs that still rely entirely on human hands may eventually be seen as outdated and avoided.

Even U.S. President Donald Trump has made significant decisions regarding AI. Late last month, he launched a major initiative dubbed the "Genesis Mission," likening it to a second Manhattan Project. The executive order directed the government to build the infrastructure necessary to integrate AI into scientific research.

In computer programming, AI's progress has been equally striking. Although AI itself is a program, it now writes programs on its own. As a result, global tech companies such as Google have significantly reduced the number of coding positions. In September, Google's AI model Gemini achieved gold medal-level results at an international coding competition. It solved 10 of 12 problems at the International Collegiate Programming Contest, ranking second overall among all human teams.

As AI's role expands, the role of humans must inevitably change. For the children being educated today, who will live through the 2040s and 2050s, human work will look very different. Broadly speaking, three core roles are likely to define humanity's future.

The first is defining problems. AI will increasingly excel at solving problems. Humans, by contrast, will identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement in everyday life, define them as problems and then have AI address them.

Some may argue that AI will eventually outperform humans even at identifying and defining problems. But humans ultimately use technology, and judgment remains a human prerogative. Humans best understand the shortcomings and inconveniences of current technologies. Dissatisfied with the status quo, people constantly seek something better. Identifying what needs improvement and defining the problem will become humanity's most important task that shapes the trajectory of civilization itself.

The second role is building and using AI effectively. AI is ultimately a human creation. Decisions about how it is designed and deployed remain human choices, making this role ...