SK Hynix's US-based artificial intelligence (AI) investment arm, HYAICO Corporation, has acquired a stake in AI infrastructure provider Penguin Solutions from an SK Telecom affiliate for US$377.16 million, according to filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are expanding their high-value NAND flash portfolios to meet growing demand for high-performance, high-capacity enterprise solid-state drives (eSSDs). The proliferation of AI agents and long-context services is increasing the need for key-value (KV) caching, prompting both companies to develop next-generation SSDs and tiered memory technologies to reuse AI computation results more efficiently.

As Taiwan's drone procurement program moves forward, the Navy is preparing to acquire more than 1,300 small suicide unmanned boats, with a budget approaching NT$30 billion (US$913 million). The tender could launch as early as the end of 2026, prompting local and overseas suppliers to form partnerships and showcase their capabilities at this week's Taiwan Ocean Technology and Unmanned Vehicle Show.

China's second-largest contract chipmaker, Hua Hong Grace Semiconductor, is expanding into silicon photonics and power management chips to capitalise on AI infrastructure demand, following record third-quarter 2026 revenue and a 147.1% surge in profit.

Samsung Electronics' TV business faces the prospect of prolonged losses as Chinese panel makers, including BOE Technology Group (BOE) and TCL China Star Optoelectronics Technology (TCL CSOT), raise LCD prices, while Samsung grows increasingly dependent on China and lacks suitable alternative suppliers.

AMD has signed an agreement with South Korean companies FuriosaAI and MangoBoost to build a heterogeneous AI computing cluster in Seoul by spring 2027, while separately discussing potential cooperation with DEEPX on low-power AI chips for robotics and industrial applications.

India is now an important market for Apple in two ways. It is a growth market where the company set an all-time revenue record in the September quarter, even as overall smartphone shipments fell to a decade low. It is also a production base that, according to industry estimates, assembles roughly one in four iPhones.

The Democrats' sweeping victory in the November 2026 US midterm elections, securing control of both chambers of Congress, has prompted South Korean industries to reassess the implications for investment, trade, and technology policy. With South Korea and Taiwan both heavily dependent on semiconductors, AI, and electronics, Washington's policy direction carries significant consequences for their technology sectors.

Beijing has instructed top securities firms and investment banks to pause initial public offerings and restrict large-scale share sales by major shareholders. Reporting by The Wall Street Journal reveals that the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) issued "window guidance" to slow equity supply and stem a prolonged market sell-off.

Qisda posted October consolidated revenue of NT$19.39 billion (US$590.8 million), up 13.47% year-over-year but down 1.85% from September, as its AI infrastructure, AI solutions, and smart manufacturing, and AI healthcare businesses all recorded double-digit growth from a year earlier.

China's National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund Phase III (Big Fund III) is shifting its focus from targeted semiconductor investments to large-scale manufacturing and industry consolidation, with a CNY900 million (approx. US$134 million) capital injection into Silan Microelectronics' 12-inch analog chip project highlighting its latest priorities.

Samsung Display (SDC) is facing a shortage of automotive OLED panels supplied to Chinese EV maker Li Auto, prompting Li Auto to temporarily ship some new Mega vehicles with LCD panels. Strong vehicle sales have driven demand for high-specification displays beyond expectations, potentially giving SDC's automotive OLED business fresh momentum.

Apple has opened testing of its China-specific Apple Intelligence service with the iOS 27.3 developer beta released on November 4, integrating Alibaba's Qwen model into Siri. The full version is expected in December, as Apple works to close the gap in its generative AI offerings in China.

AI data centers are accelerating demand for high-speed optical communications, extending competition in the optical transceiver market beyond chips and module manufacturing to critical upstream materials. Indium phosphide (InP), a key substrate for high-speed optical lasers and optoelectronic devices, is increasingly sought after as 800G and 1.6T transceivers gain traction. With capacity expansion requiring time and product qualification presenting technical hurdles, securing InP wafer supplies has become a strategic priority for optical communications companies.

South Korean AI software developer Moreh says AMD Instinct MI355X GPUs running its inference software delivered more than twice the throughput of Nvidia B200 GPUs in company tests, as South Korea moves ahead with plans to build AI infrastructure combining AMD processors with locally developed chips.