Author: Don Southerton
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Connected Vehicles
Korea-US-Global Briefing Saturday August 22, 2026 Cadence: Briefing Mon-Fri, Sunday Week in Review, plus special updates most Saturdays. In this week’s Saturday Update, I’d like to share a partial preview of my work in progress, “Connected.” Chapter 1 focuses on the connected vehicle architecture. Other chapters, so far, include semiconductors, AI, robotics, shipbuilding, steel, and…
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Aimtron Group Engages Don Southerton as Strategic Advisor, Korea Technology Partnerships, for AimSemi Semiconductor Initiative
The engagement supports Korean partnerships in fabless design and IP, and in OSAT/ATMP packaging and testing, under the Aimtron 2.0 global platform strategy. Aimtron Group is pleased to announce that it has engaged Don Southerton, Founder and CEO of Bridging Culture Worldwide LLC, as Strategic Advisor, Korea Technology Partnerships, for the company’s AimSemi semiconductor initiative.…
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Hanwha bids up to $1.2 billion for Austal USA.
Korea-US-Global Trade & Investment Intelligence Briefing Thursday, August 13, 2026 | Bridging Culture Worldwide HEADLINE Hanwha bids up to $1.2 billion for Austal USA. Hanwha Defense USA submitted a preliminary, non-binding offer of $1.05 billion to $1.2 billion for Austal USA’s Mobile, Alabama shipyard and its US support operations. Austal’s board granted a four-week due…
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Hyundai and Kia Motors, 2026 Edition
US-Korea-Global Week in Review–New Book, too. Listen to the audio version The week of July 20 to 24 ended with the tariff question answered, and not the way Seoul and others wanted. Washington set a new floor, Korea, for example, kept its previous ceiling. Forced-labor tariff landed at 12.5 percent. USTR issued its final Section 301…
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Hyundai and Kia Motors: The Early Years and Product Development
Listen to the audio version Cadence: Briefing Mon-Fri, Sunday Week in Review, plus special updates most Saturdays. I am in the process of updating after nearly 15 years. The book examines the origin of not only Hyundai and Kia, but Korean industry. Look for future updates on its release in Kindle and paperback. From 2012,…
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Korea-US-Global Trade & Investment Intelligence Briefing
Monday, July 20, 2026 Briefing Mon-Fri, Sunday Week in Review, plus special updates most Saturdays. Listen to the audio version TOP STORYSamsung Electronics and SK Hynix shares tumbled in pre-market trading Monday (Samsung down over 5%, SK Hynix down 7.6%), even as both companies press ahead with a combined 800 trillion won ($518B) domestic fab…
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AI Governance — Ander IPX is the front-runner
Listen to the audio version Friday, July 17, 2026 — Korea-US Briefing TOP STORY: AI Governance — Ander IPX is the front-runner Ander IPX is AI governance infrastructure for enterprise AI: the software that sits between a company’s knowledge and every AI tool that touches it. Think seatbelts, airbags, and flight recorder for enterprise AI.…
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Korea-US- Global Trade & Investment Briefing
July 16, 2026 Listen to the audio version Top Story Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick renewed pressure on Samsung and SK Hynix to build memory chip plants in the US, speaking at a concrete-pouring ceremony for Micron’s new fab in Clay, New York. He confirmed talks are already underway with both Korean chipmakers, and noted Micron’s…
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Korea-US-Global Briefing
Wednesday, July 15, 2026 Listen to the audio version TOP STORYUSTR’s proposed Section 301 forced-labor tariffs (10-12.5%) on 60 economies, including Korea, are testing the bilateral trade deal. Seoul is pressing Washington to keep any new action inside the existing framework that capped reciprocal tariffs at 15% in exchange for Korea’s $350B US investment pledge.…
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Leadership That Earns Trust Inside Two Systems
Listen to the audio version Korea–US-Global Intelligence BriefingTuesday, July 14, 2026 · Bridging Culture Worldwide FEATURE · PIECES Magazine InterviewDon Southerton — Leadership That Earns Trust Inside Two Systems PIECES Magazine (CoreAxis Lab) just published a Q&A with Don on cross-cultural, cross-border leadership. The through-line: global expansion doesn’t succeed on how rigidly a company holds…