South Korea is looking beyond semiconductors and artificial intelligence for its next generation of strategic industries, naming seven technology fields it plans to cultivate over the next 10 to 20 years.

Global auto sales in the first half of 2026 show Toyota still firmly in first place, while the gap between No. 2 Volkswagen and No. 3 Hyundai Motor Group has narrowed sharply. Volkswagen's heavy dependence on China has dragged sales lower, while Hyundai Motor Group has held up through diversified geopolitical exposure, local production, and a flexible product mix. Market attention is now turning to whether Hyundai Motor Group is on the verge of overtaking Volkswagen for the No. 2 spot.

Mitsubishi Motors will launch its new all-electric SUV, the ASX VR-e, in Australia and New Zealand in the fourth quarter of 2026, with the model supplied through contract manufacturing by Foxconn-backed Foxtron Vehicle Technologies. The move marks the first time a Taiwan-made EV will enter the sales channel of a global legacy automaker under a white-label arrangement.

Nvidia has reached a deal with OpenAI to provide up to US$105 billion in credit guarantees for the AI startup's upcoming 8GW data center campus in Ohio. The support will help OpenAI to secure a lease from SB Energy, while Nvidia will be the facility's exclusive chip supplier.

Nvidia's new Taiwan headquarters will be located in the Beitou-Shilin Technology Park, with construction expected to begin by the end of 2026. As the AI and high-tech ecosystem takes shape around the project, power supply has emerged as a key concern—and one closely watched by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.