Korea JoongAng Daily - Daily News from Korea

The author is a professor of political science and international relations at Seoul National University. With local elections just a month away, political parties and candidates are moving quickly. Elections held during a president's term often serve as midterm evaluations of the administration and the ruling party, typically placing them at a disadvantage. This election can also be seen as a retrospective judgment on the first year of President Lee Jae Myung's government. Yet that dynamic appears muted, as the opposition has not fully regained public trust nor organizational coherence. Even so, a defeat in the midterm elections would still be politically burdensome for the president and the ruling party. This likely explains efforts to leverage policy measures such as a supplementary budget framed as a "wartime" response and fuel subsidies, alongside an active schedule of regional events intended to appeal directly to voters. Against this backdrop, the Democratic Party (DP) has introduced a bill to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate what it calls "fabricated indictments." The bill targets all cases in which President Lee has been indicted and would grant the special prosecutor the authority to cancel indictments. Although the party has offered several justifications, the move has drawn criticism for attempting to use legislative power to block judicial proceedings that are already underway. The DP has argued that weakening the prosecution is necessary to prevent abuses of power and politically motivated investigations. However, critics point out the contradiction in empowering a "special" prosecutor — recommended by the party and appointed by the president — to cancel indictments related to the sitting president, raising questions about neutrality. Many individuals may feel wronged in their own legal cases, but the accepted course is to seek redress through the courts and prove innocence through due process. This principle has underpinned the rule of law. The DP, however, appears to be seeking to influence judicial procedures in the president's cases by using its parliamentary majority to cancel indictments altogether. Such a move raises concerns about violating the principle of separation of powers and the constitutional guarantee that all citizens, including the president, are equal before the law. Why has the party chosen this course, particularly with elections approaching? One possibility is that it believes the electoral outcome is already decided. Opinion polls offer some basis for such confidence. Support for the DP has consistently been more than double that of the People Power Party (PPP), reflecting a persistent imbalance in party competition. President Lee's approval ratings have remained stably in the mid-60 percent range. According to a recent survey by Gallup Korea, positive evaluations of President Lee exceed negative ones by at least 20 percentage points across all regions, including both traditional strongholds and opposition areas. The DP also leads the PPP in every region. Even in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, typically conservative areas, the DP recorded 34 percent support compared to 33 percent for the opposition. This sense of confidence may explain what critics describe as the party's complacency. Previous controversial legislative measures affecting the judiciary passed without significant public backlash, reinforcing the belief that a special prosecutor bill aimed at canceling indictments would not provoke serious resistance. There may also be a calculation that voters are preoccupied with issues such as the war involving Iran and stock market volatility, leaving limited room for complex legal debates to influence electoral outcomes. A more fundamental reason may lie in the perceived weakness of the opposition. Despite more than a year since a major political setback, the PPP has struggled to recover. A credible opposition might use the election as an opportunity to reflect on past mistak...

This article is by Woo Ji-won and read by an artificial voice. But it wasn't just the staging that carried the night. At his final solo concert "Unpiltered" on Sunday at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, he made the stage entirely his own, moving seamlessly between steady vocals, strong stage presence and moments of choreography. Although usually positioned behind the piano as part of rock band DAY6 and more accustomed to sharing the spotlight with his bandmates, he proved himself a compelling solo artist on Sunday night. Marking his first solo concert in four years and two months since "Pilmography" in March 2022, his concert had been highly anticipated by fans, with all three shows, starting Friday, selling out during pre-reservation. He followed with six more songs from the album — just him and a mic. No elaborate staging, no dancers, no distractions. And he didn't need anything else. With his steady, charming vocals and expressive delivery, he moved seamlessly across a wide range of emotions, from melancholic and reflective to romantic and hopeful. Wonpil made it clear from the very start that this concert would strip away expectations and show new sides of himself, a promise he kept until the very end. "This concert is about showing myself just as I am," he told the crowd after performing "Already Grown Up," the second song of the setlist. "You'll probably see many new sides of me. Of course, there are parts of me 'My Day' already knows, but that's not all of who I am. I'm not always just smiling or cute. Tonight, I want to show you different sides of myself." My Day is the official name of the DAY6 fandom. Still, Wonpil didn't leave behind the charm fans know him for. Midway through the show, the artist leaned more into his idol roots, having once trained for a boy band. Joined by dancers, the stage came alive with choreography. Tracks like "So This is Love" (2021) featured cute, playful choreography that boosted the bright energy of songs. Just before stepping off for a costume change after "Hold My Love," he left with a rose between his lips, effectively "killing" the crowd with his charm. While fans were still recovering, the next segment moved into one of the night's highlights, returning Wonpil to his signature piano where he brought the crowd back to life. Taking the stage alone felt natural for Wonpil, who has been deeply involved in songwriting for every DAY6 album since the band's debut in 2015, steadily establishing himself as a singer-songwriter. He officially launched his solo career in 2022 with his first full-length solo album, "Pilmography." The mood then shifted with brighter tracks such as "A Writer in a Love Story" (2022), "Goodbye" (2022) and "Wish." During the finale stage of "Highs and Lows," fireworks cascaded toward the stage as Wonpil showcased a powerful side of himself. Singing the lyric "Please save me," he revealed a more intense presence — though it was perhaps the audience who needed saving from his overwhelming charm. The energy carried into the encores, where he returned for "Up All Night" (2022), telling fans, "I'll make sure you have no regrets tonight." Dressed in a sky-blue shirt and black pants, he danced, waved and engaged with the crowd to the fullest until the very end. DAY6 is set to bring "The Decade," its 10th Anniversary Tour, to Macau on Saturday.

This article is by Lee Jae-lim and read by an artificial voice. [INTERVIEW] Despite semiconductor heavyweights accounting for more than 40 percent of Kospi market value, it is Korean automakers and battery makers that have led the charge in outbound investment, rapidly establishing supply chain footholds across the United States, according to a senior executive at the Korean branch of a major commercial real estate services firm. "Hyundai Motor Group's U.S. and European expansion is the most viable example, but the battery ecosystem around it — SK On, Samsung SDI and LG Energy Solution — has moved with extraordinary speed," said Sydney Chun, head of the Global Korea Desk at Cushman & Wakefield Korea, in a recent interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily at the Korean branch's office in central Seoul. "Semiconductors, on the other hand, are investing heavily but are only at the starting stage. The capital expenditure and planning horizons are longer, and the technology requirements are more complex. Samsung's Taylor investment in Texas is a landmark, but a broader semiconductor supply chain — materials, equipment and packaging — is only beginning to follow." Chun's team supports Korean conglomerates through the entire arc of global expansion from site selection, incentive negotiations and marketing representation to transaction brokerages for overseas offices. Most recently, the team secured a three-year master services agreement with Hyundai Motor in October 2025 under which C & W Korea is managing the restructuring of the automaker's entire global commercial real estate portfolio. The team is also close to finalizing the Washington office setup for a Korean shipbuilder — a move that follows Korea's $150 billion shipbuilding investment pledge to the United States. The Washington trend is broader than a single deal. "There's been a sharp increase in Korean companies wanting to set up offices there," Chun said. "Doing business in the U.S. now requires maintaining good relationships with the administration and making sure the standing of Korean businesses is visible — what our brands are, what kind of businesses we're running. That visibility is directly tied to securing tax incentives." On the question of what is actually driving outbound investment, Chun was direct. The critical trigger is tariffs, not incentive programs. A double-digit tariff on exports makes staying put economically unsustainable, turning localization from a strategic preference into a necessity. Nor is this a uniquely Korean story — European automakers, Japanese chipmakers and Taiwanese foundries are all navigating the same pressure to diversify their supply chains. "Supply chains globally have become more fragile — whether from pandemics, geopolitical friction, logistics disruptions or trade policy whiplash. Every multinational, not just Korean ones, is wrestling with the same localization questions." What distinguishes the current investment cycle from previous ones is the cluster dynamic. "When Hyundai builds in Georgia, it's not an isolated assembly plant — it's an anchor that pulls dozens of Korean tier-one and tier-two suppliers with it," Chun said. "Battery makers, steel processors, logistics operators — they all follow because the finished product must be locally produced to be cost-competitive under the current trade regime. That's a fundamentally different investment model from anything we saw in previous cycles." Cushman & Wakefield Korea also serves as the Korean-side marketing agent for iMarket Korea's Gradiant Technology Park, a 212-acre industrial complex in Taylor, Texas, built specifically to house semiconductor-related companies within Samsung Electronics' broader supply chain ecosystem. The team handles outreach to midsize Korean suppliers as prospective tenants, and Chun points to the Taylor cluster as a textbook example of how a single anchor investment organically generates a manufacturing hub around it. When evaluating potential sit...

The author is the chair of the Korea Pediatric Cancer Foundation. Korea was officially recognized as an advanced economy in July 2021 when the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development unanimously reclassified it into the "developed country group." Yet even in such a country, around 1,600 children under the age of 18 are newly diagnosed with pediatric cancer each year. Despite the nation's fertility rate falling below 1.0 in 2018 and reaching 0.8 last year, the number of young patients has not declined. The government has recently lowered the threshold for financial assistance for pediatric cancer treatment as a special measure. Eligibility has been expanded to households earning up to 120 percent of median income, and the maximum support has been raised to 30 million won ($20,370). While this is a timely step, significant blind spots remain. As the country marks the 104th Children's Day this year, it is worth revisiting the familiar phrase that children are the future of the nation. Ensuring that children grow up healthy is a fundamental responsibility of society. For those suffering from serious illness, the need for compassion and support is even greater. Established in 2001, the Korea Pediatric Cancer Foundation exists to support children who confront pediatric cancer and rare diseases before they have even had the chance to fully step into society. The foundation has focused most of its donations on covering medical expenses and providing educational and emotional support, helping young patients build a path toward reintegration into society. Although conditions have improved over time, Korea's culture of giving remains underdeveloped. In the United States, charitable giving is often regarded as a virtue rooted in Puritan traditions. In Korea, however, Confucian values have long emphasized family ties and inheritance. As a result, many people still prioritize wealth within their own families and lineage. Government tax policy has also faced criticism for failing to encourage donations. In 2014, the system shifted from income deductions to tax credits, reducing incentives for high-value donors. This change led to a noticeable decline in large-scale donations. The contrast with countries such as the United States and Britain, where legal frameworks and generous incentives actively promote giving, is striking. In that sense, Korea's current system represents a step backward. There are, however, signs of hope. Small donations among younger generations have been increasing rapidly. New practices have emerged, such as marking birthdays or wedding anniversaries with charitable contributions. Many regular donors faithfully transfer a portion of their monthly income, reflecting a deep sense of commitment. One couple, for example, has spent the past five years celebrating the end of the year by donating a share of their earnings and reaffirming their goals for the coming year. They say they hope for a world where people grow up accustomed to receiving love and, as adults, to sharing it. More former patients are also taking part in supporting others. A young woman who once battled pediatric cancer now helps organize emotional support events hosted by the foundation, guiding fellow survivors who have successfully reintegrated into society. Another case involves a student who was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in middle school and, after enduring difficult treatment, is now enrolled at KAIST. His mother, who cared for him throughout his illness, now donates regularly to support other families. A former osteosarcoma patient who graduated from Seoul Institute of the Arts now works as a vocal trainer running a music studio. Inspired by singers who visited him during his treatment, he now holds annual charity performances at the end of each year. These efforts offer reassurance to other families and help create a virtuous cycle of giving. They also reflect a broader shift driven by young people in Korea. ...

More than two months into the Iran war, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed oil prices sharply higher and plunged the global economy into turmoil. Korea, heavily dependent on Middle Eastern crude, has been hit particularly hard. The OECD quickly cut Korea's growth forecast from 2.1 percent to 1.7 percent, marking one of the steepest downgrades among major economies. JPMorgan also identified Korea as one of the countries most vulnerable to oil price volatility. The disruption extends beyond crude oil. Imports of naphtha, often described as the "rice of industry," have been blocked, forcing petrochemical plants to halt or scale back production. Shortages have even spread to everyday items such as garbage bags and medical syringes. The International Energy Agency has warned that energy supply conditions are unlikely to return to prewar levels even after the conflict ends. Korea's energy security now faces a new level of uncertainty. If a return to the previous system is no longer possible, a fundamental redesign of energy strategy is required. The core principle of energy security is diversification. The more concentrated supply becomes in specific regions or routes, the greater the risk. Korea has made some progress. The share of Middle Eastern crude, which exceeded 90 percent in the mid-2000s, has declined to about 69 percent and more recently to around 56 percent as imports from the Americas and Africa increased. Yet this remains insufficient. A "post-Hormuz" strategy is essential. Overland pipelines are emerging as alternatives. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has proposed a pipeline linking Turkey and Iraq, while a long-distance route connecting Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman has also been discussed. Korea should consider participating in such projects from the early stages to secure stable supply. Expanding joint stockpiling programs, in which oil from producing countries is stored in domestic facilities, could also provide priority purchase rights in times of crisis. Overseas resource development is another area requiring national focus. Securing resources abroad can effectively substitute for domestic reserves. Yet Korea's self-sufficiency rate in oil and gas stood at only 10.8 percent in 2024, down from 15.5 percent in 2015. Japan's rate, by contrast, reached 42.1 percent and aims to exceed 60 percent by 2040. The gap reflects differences in policy consistency and expertise. Japan has steadily supported its resource development institutions regardless of political changes. The Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security employs a large number of specialists, including geologists, engineers and investment professionals, many of whom build decades of experience in their fields. In Korea, resource development policies have fluctuated with political cycles, at times being promoted and at other times abandoned. This inconsistency has weakened institutional capacity. The next test for energy security reform lies in the 12th Master Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, now under discussion. According to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, electricity consumption in 2040 could increase by up to 70 terawatt-hours compared with the previous plan, equivalent to 1.4 times Seoul's annual consumption or the output of three to seven new nuclear reactors. The surge is driven by expanding artificial intelligence data centers and semiconductor clusters. The key question is how to meet this demand. The government's current approach remains heavily focused on renewable energy. Its recent energy transition plan aims to raise the share of renewables to over 20 percent by 2030. However, it does not address the need for additional nuclear power. Expanding renewable energy is necessary, but practical limitations remain. Korea's solar power deployment is already among the highest in the world, leaving limited room for further expansion. The intermittency of renewables also poses challenges for stabl...

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice. HD Hyundai Electric said Sunday it has successfully completed final qualification testing of an environmentally friendly high-voltage circuit breaker slated for export to Sweden. The sulfur hexafluoride-free breaker, the first of its kind developed domestically, eliminates the use of sulfur hexafluoride, or SF₆, a fluorinated greenhouse gas long favored in high-voltage equipment for its superior insulation and interruption performance. Despite these advantages, sulfur hexafluoride has come under intensifying regulatory scrutiny due to its global warming potential, measured by how much heat a gas traps in the atmosphere. For SF₆, that figure is roughly 23,500 times that of carbon dioxide. The European Union, which revised its regulations in 2024, is tightening restrictions on fluorinated gases in stages. Beginning in 2032, the use of sulfur hexafluoride in high-voltage circuit breakers above 145 kilovolt (kV) will be fully banned, a shift expected to accelerate demand for SF₆-free alternatives in power equipment markets. HD Hyundai Electric has already completed development of sulfur hexafluoride-free models at 72.5 kV, 145 kV and 170 kV, and aims to finalize its full product lineup by 2028. The company is also targeting completion of a 420 kV model, a lineup with the strongest demand potential in Europe, within the first half of this year.

This article is by Yoo Ji-yoen and read by an artificial voice. Buldak Ramen instant noodles, or ramyeon, were once dismissed as too spicy to eat. Now, Samyang Foods has turned it into one of Korea's most successful global food brands. The brand's rise has been extraordinary in both scale and structure. Cumulative sales reached 8 billion units as of the first half last year, with about 80 percent sold overseas, and the producer of the ramyeon, Samyang Foods, has built a business around a single spicy noodle brand that now resembles the global model of food giants with export-heavy revenue. The company posted record sales last year and is expected to top 3 trillion won ($2.03 billion) this year, raising a broader question: How did one Korean noodle become a global category leader? "We must become the bible for spiciness," Kim Jung-soo, vice chair of Samyang Roundsquare, said at the opening ceremony for the company's second plant in Miryang, South Gyeongsang, in June last year. Samyang Roundsquare is the parent company of Samyang Foods. "As Buldak Carbonara currently enjoys the most love for its gentler heat, we will keep exploring and segmenting spicy flavors and broadening the range to show what a true bible of spice can be." The origin story behind Buldak instant noodles is now well known. Kim was inspired after seeing a long queue outside a spicy chicken restaurant in Myeongdong, central Seoul, during a visit with her daughter in 2010. After repeated trial and error involving 1,200 chickens and 2 tons of sauce, Samyang launched Buldak Ramen in 2012 to early reviews calling it too spicy for people to eat. Buldak measures about 4,404 Scoville heat units (SHU), placing it in a similar range to a hot jalapeño (2,500 to 8,000 SHU), typical Tabasco sauce, or Korea's popular Cheongyang chili peppers, which usually fall between 4,000 and 10,000 SHU. At first, the tongue-numbing heat led some people to dismiss it as a novelty. But the tide soon turned. Buldak became a regular feature in YouTube eating challenges starting in 2014. Its extreme heat triggered people's competitive instincts, and the dramatic reactions after eating it became entertaining content. Later, the rise of short-form video on YouTube and TikTok gave another lift to Buldak when the instant noodle began selling overseas. Because those platforms are global by nature, the brand benefited from natural viral exposure even without heavy advertising spending. With the rise in popularity of K-pop, Buldak naturally became one of the most well-known spicy Korean foods around the world. With more and more people being exposed to K-pop artists, celebrities and YouTubers consuming Buldak, its spiciness came to be seen not just as a flavor but as a challenge, an experience and a source of fun. Samyang reinforced that idea through what it calls a culture-based marketing. With Samyang Roundsquare's vice chairman calling to "make the Buldak brand a culture icon," the company has been pushing the #buldakchallenge — a viral social media trend where people film themselves attempting to the instant noodles without drinking water or other liquids — and opened Buldak timed eating contests and dance challenges. The ramyeon company also set up an experiential booth at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival last year, trying to position Buldak sauce as an experience as intense and enjoyable as the music itself for younger consumers. More recently, Samyang has tied Buldak to content aimed at global millennials and Generation Z. The company collaborated with an American media platform to release a dating show called "Heat Match," where contestants bond while trying the instant noodle's spicy flavor. Music video for "Hotter Than My EX," a song released by K-pop boy band BoyNextDoor in collaboration with Samyang Foods, has already surpassed 100 million views in just two months on Tuesday. "Buldak is a brand that earned global recognition with different challenges, so we value the e...

This article is by Lee Jae-lim and read by an artificial voice. [NEWS ANALYSIS] Samsung Electronics reported an operating profit of 57.23 trillion won ($38.6 billion) for the first quarter of this year, the highest in the company's history, as a global shortage in memory chips has sent customers racing to secure supplies for their AI data center build-outs. Samsung Electronics' first-quarter operating profit represents a 755.46 percent increase from the same period last year and beat the market consensus of 40.2 trillion won, compiled by FnGuide. Notably, the figure already surpasses the company's entire annual operating profit of 43.6 trillion won in 2025. Its revenue rose 69.26 percent on year to 133.87 trillion won, surpassing analysts' estimates of 119 trillion won, and its net profit climbed 474.31 percent to 47.23 trillion won, above the 35.83 trillion won forecast. Semiconductors were overwhelmingly responsible for the strong performance, contributing nearly 94 percent to the total operating profit — a roughly 48-fold increase from the first quarter of 2025 — driven by surging demand for high bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AI infrastructure. The report highlights a broader change in the semiconductor industry. Major technology companies have been signing multiyear supply agreements with Samsung and SK hynix — a marked departure from the short-term, trust-based arrangements that historically characterized the sector. "Unlike prior supply arrangements based on mutual trust, these long-term supply contracts carry a [...] higher degree of binding commitment," said Kim Jae-june, the executive vice president of memory business at Samsung. "In an environment where investment and capacity management risks have risen sharply across every dimension — including capital outlay, contract duration and technological complexity — these agreements are expected to enhance business stability and visibility for both customers and companies." The company confirmed that contracts with select customers have already been finalized, with additional discussions ongoing. Regarding capital expenditure for the quarter, Samsung allocated 91 percent of its 11.2 trillion won to semiconductors, focusing on expanding wafer production capacity. Construction of additional manufacturing space at the P4 and P5 facilities within its Pyeongtaek campus in Gyeonggi is being accelerated to secure incremental memory output. HBM outlook and foundry progress Samsung projects its HBM revenue to more than triple this year compared to last year. Its latest-generation HBM4 is entirely sold out and is expected to account for over half of its total HBM revenue beginning in the third quarter. First samples of the next-generation HBM4E are also scheduled for shipment in the second quarter. On the foundry side, Samsung's second-generation 2-nanometer process is on track for mass production in the second half of the year, with the company targeting double-digit improvements in both revenue and earnings from the node. "The company is actively engaged in advanced collaboration discussions with multiple major AI and high-performance computing customers and expects to announce tangible outcomes with select customers in the near term," said Kang Suk-chae, the executive vice president of Samsung Foundry. Samsung's first factory at its Texas campus remains on schedule to begin operations this year and enter mass production in 2027. A second factory at the same site is in the preliminary planning stage. Samsung reported no supply chain disruptions linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict, despite Korea's dependence on the region for key chip processing materials, including helium and bromine. According to the company, it has secured alternative logistics routes and diversified its supplier base, though it warned that rising oil prices could add to production costs through higher shipping rates. Meanwhile, Samsung's union has announced that it will go on a general strike from...

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice. Hyundai Motor has finally unveiled its new Pleos operating system — and in a move many drivers will welcome, physical buttons aren't going anywhere. The new infotainment platform will debut on the Europe-bound Ioniq 3, which is slated to launch in the second half of the year. U.S. customers will likely see the system in the upcoming launch of other Hyundai models, including the Avante, the Tucson and the Genesis GV90. Built on Android Automotive OS, Pleos centers on a large display featuring a fixed car information panel on the left and a toolbar on the bottom, reminiscent of the displays in Teslas and Rivians. But unlike its screen-only rivals, Hyundai has kept a row of physical buttons beneath the display that allow drivers to adjust climate settings and seat heating or ventilation quickly while driving — and most importantly, safely. While the design leans futuristic, many consumers find the all-touchscreen approach cumbersome, fueling a growing backlash against abandoning physical controls altogether. The system also introduces three-finger gestures, letting drivers rearrange apps or close them instantly, even while on the move. "Your first impression will likely be that it looks like Tesla," said Kim Chang-seob of Hyundai's User Experience team at a media event on Wednesday. "We saw that as the industry benchmark and built on it to maximize safety and flexibility." The central display is split into two main zones: the information panel on the left that functions like a traditional instrument cluster, showing speed, warnings and efficiency data at all times. It also renders nearby vehicles, objects, and pedestrians in 3-D to enhance situational awareness while driving or parking. On the right, the remaining two-thirds of the panel handles navigation, media and other vehicle settings. Drivers can run two apps side by side or expand one to fill the screen. Hyundai has also added a slim display directly in front of the driver, which can be customized with widget-style features. "A driver's natural field of view without turning the head is about 15 to 30 degrees," Kim said. "We designed the slim display and head-up display around that." Navigation now features a modular interface, enabling it to run alongside other apps without sacrificing usability. Gleo AI, a voice assistant co-developed with Hyundai's mobility software arm, 42dot, can interpret context from prior conversations, understanding vague phrases like "there" or "near here" and even respond to incomplete sentences or regional dialects. "If the driver makes multiple orders at a time, such as 'Turn off the air conditioner, set ambient lighting to forest mode and play the radio,' the AI understands it perfectly and handles multiple commands in sequence," said Lee Jong-ho, an engineer who developed the Gleo AI. It can also identify where a command is coming from; If a rear passenger says, "Turn on the heated seat," the system detects the speaker's position and activates the correct seat automatically. Hyundai is also launching its own in-car app marketplace, allowing direct access to services such as YouTube, Spotify, and local streaming apps. Korean customers will be able to see it with the upcoming facelift of the Grandeur, its first new look in over three years.

This article is by Lee Jae-lim and read by an artificial voice. [NEWS ANALYSIS] Samsung Electronics is set to release a wide foldable phone this July, positioning it between Huawei's recent launch and Apple's anticipated September debut of a similar form factor. The question is whether Samsung can maintain its grip on the market for a version of smartphones it first pioneered. The upcoming launch comes as Samsung is projected to lose a sizable share of the foldable market to Apple, despite overall growth in shipments. "Apple's entry will be a key inflection point, with the company projected to capture a 28 percent share in 2026, approaching Samsung's leading position," stated Counterpoint Research. The market tracker's forecast for this year still positions Samsung at the top of the global foldable smartphone market with a 31 percent share, though that represents a 9 percentage point decline from 2025. Apple is expected to emerge as the second-largest player with 28 percent, driven by its anticipated foldable debut this September. What has now been confirmed is that Galaxy Unpacked in July will feature three devices: the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Flip 8, and one additional model widely expected to be the new wide foldable. Leaks emerged around the same time Huawei released the Pura X Max in April, its own take on the wider foldable format. If the specs shared by tipster Ice Universe are accurate, the new device would be Samsung's thinnest foldable to date, and more lightweight than the experimental Galaxy Z TriFold, which folds twice. The two Samsung devices serve fundamentally different purposes. The TriFold is a pocketable tablet pushing the boundaries of hardware design, while the Fold 8 Wide, seemingly closer in size to a passport when closed, is shaping up to be a more practical everyday smartphone — one that just happens to open into something much more spacious. Display difference A display comparison between Samsung and Huawei's foldable lineups has been drawing significant attention online. The specs are particularly consequential for foldables, where the screen itself defines the user experience — the central question being whether the device feels natural both when folded and unfolded, a judgment that comes down largely to display proportions. The Fold 8 Wide is rumored to feature an inner screen between 7.6 and 8 inches — smaller than the TriFold's 10-inch display, but still firmly in tablet territory. Against Huawei's Pura X Max, Samsung holds a clear edge in thinness: 4.3 millimeters (0.17 inches) unfolded and 9.8 millimeters folded, compared to Huawei's 5.2 millimeters and 11.2 millimeters, respectively. The Samsung device is also slightly narrower when closed at 82.2 millimeters, which should make one-handed use slightly more comfortable compared to Huawei's 85 millimeters. Huawei wins on raw canvas size when opened, at 166.5 millimeters wide versus Samsung's 161.4 millimeters. The two also differ in display ratio: Huawei leans wider with a 4.24:3 inner and 4.4:3 outer ratio, while Samsung goes with a 4.3:3 inner and 4.7:3 outer — a configuration that may feel more balanced across apps and productivity tasks. The wider outer ratio in particular means typing feels less cramped and apps appear closer to their standard proportions, preserving a normal phone feel when folded. Huawei's inner display skews slightly more rectangular, while Samsung's is squarer and more tablet-like when open. The pitch, in short, is a phone that behaves like a phone when closed and a real tablet when opened, a more accessible proposition than the TriFold's dual-fold ambitions, and one aimed squarely at a broader audience. If the leaks hold true, it would also mark the first commercial implementation of Samsung's creaseless display technology, first unveiled at CES 2026. What consumers want Pricing could prove to be either a key selling point or a significant barrier. An expensive price tag appears unavoidable, however, given its ...