Asian Stocks Slip as U.S.-Iran Tensions Weigh on Markets; South Korea’s KOSPI Hits Record High 
SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO 
Xiaomi Shares Drop After Weak Q1 Earnings Amid Rising Smartphone Costs 
NHS shakeup: if it sounds like we’ve been here before, it’s because we have 
SoftBank Shares Surge as OpenAI IPO Buzz and SB Energy Filing Boost AI Optimism 
SK Hynix Joins $1 Trillion Club as AI Chip Demand Fuels Stock Surge 
European Stocks Rise as AI Optimism Offsets U.S.-Iran Tensions 
Macquarie Names Five Taiwan AI Stocks Set to Benefit From Data Center Growth in 2026 
U.S.-Iran Talks May Take Days as Oil Prices React to Strait of Hormuz Tensions 
US Stock Futures Rise as Iran Talks Ease Oil Fears Ahead of Key Inflation Data 
SpaceX Starship V3 Test Flight Boosts IPO Momentum Ahead of Historic Market Debut 
European EV Sales Surge in April 2026 as Tesla and Chinese Automakers Gain Ground 
Walmart Stock Falls Despite Strong Q1 Revenue Beat and E-Commerce Growth 
Australia Urged to Simplify Regulations to Revive IPO Market and Boost Innovation 
PDG Explores $1 Billion Sale of China Data Center Assets 
Japan Falls to Third-Largest Global Creditor as China Overtakes in 2025 
Huawei Chip Breakthrough Sparks Rally in Hong Kong AI and Semiconductor Stocks 
SK is said to be considering a partnership with Lotte and compete with the leaders in the e-commerce market. It was also said that the company is mulling on approaching the shopping company as it is one of the options to survive in the competitive e-commerce market in South Korea.
SK looking to catch up with the big players
As per The Korea Times, if Shinsegae completes its acquisition of stakes in eBay Korea, the e-commerce business in the country is bound to change. Three major players will dominate the market, and these are Naver, Shinsegae, and Coupang.
The no. 1 today is Naver which enjoys 17% of the market share, while Shinsegae is in second with 15%. In third place is Coupang with 13% and SK is in fourth with just six percent market share and followed by Lotte in fifth place with five percent.
With this ranking, SK thought of joining forces with Lotte so they can merge their power and work together to rise in the rankings after competing against the top three. Moreover, through the collaboration, SK is aiming for further growth potential and challenge the leading players.
"We will open a store within 11st in collaboration with Amazon in July and we will discuss with Lotte and Homeplus various ways of possible cooperation in the second half of this year," Yoon Poong Young, SK Telecom chief finance officer, said last week. "Lotte Group and Homeplus are expected to explore the best possible ways to level up their mutual partnership."
SK Telecom signs deal with Genesys
Meanwhile, SK is not just aiming to expand its business in the e-commerce trade but is also working on other ventures, including artificial intelligence (AI) technology. In fact, it was reported to have signed a partnership with Genesys to launch AI call centers.
SK Telecom revealed earlier today that it teamed up with the American call center technology firm to develop and introduce a call center service powered by AI, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Finally, SK Telecom shared that the deal with Genesys will allow the company to integrate its technologies for cloud-based AI call center service. It is possible that the completed software will be distributed to 10,000 companies in 100 countries that Genesys is servicing.
