* The “Korea–Texas Economic Forum” officially began its activities following its inaugural general meeting held on the 19th. * At the meeting, former Consul General of Houston, Young-ho Jung, was appointed as Chairman of the Board, with no opposition raised during the selection process. * The forum is a private-sector

* As Microsoft, Meta, and Google (backing Anthropic) successively announce large-scale AI data center investments in Texas—or significantly expand existing plans—the state is emerging as a key hub for AI infrastructure in the United States. * Microsoft has taken over the expansion of the Abilene, Texas data center project

* A Texas A&M University food scientist, Dr. Seockmo Ku is investigating whether kimchi produced using locally grown ingredients in Texas could be competitive both within the U.S. and in international markets. (Texas Standard, Agrilife Today) * Texas offers a natural advantage for cabbage farming, allowing for two separate

* For the first time in roughly half a century, a new oil refinery is set to be built in the United States, at the Port of Brownsville, Texas. President Trump announced the project on Truth Social, describing it as a $300 billion deal and the largest in U.S. history.

* As the Taylor Independent School District (ISD) in north Austin, Texas considers adopting Korean as a regular foreign language course, ten students from Daeyoung High School in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province visited schools in the district on January 28–29, completing a successful educational and cultural exchange between Korean and

Ready or Not: Texas — Netflix Reality Series * “Ready or Not: Texas,” a new Netflix series, **premieres on March 24. Two close friends, Actor Seo-jin Lee and Producer Yung-suk Nah embark on a completely unplanned trip across Texas with their crew. The trip has no script or itinerary — just

* Samsung Electronics America reached a settlement with the Texas Attorney General over its smart TV data practices (Daily Hankook; KVUE). * Going forward, Samsung is prohibited from gathering or handling viewer recognition data from Texas residents unless they have first given affirmative, informed approval (Daily Hankook). * As part of the resolution,

* SXSW (South by Southwest), the world’s largest music and technology festival and a signature event of Austin, will take place from March 12 to March 18, 2026 (SXSW event description). * This year’s program includes sessions addressing the rise of K-Pop and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence—

* A new analysis from Jones Lang LaSalle projects that Texas could overtake Northern Virginia by 2030 as the largest data center market worldwide, signaling a major geographic shift in US digital infrastructure (Business Insider). * The report notes that a majority of new construction is now occurring beyond long-established tech

* Korean Air and Delta Air Lines are reportedly exploring the launch of a nonstop route between Austin and Incheon (헤럴드경제). * Representatives from both airlines met on the 11th (CST) to discuss the potential service (헤럴드경제). * A direct flight would significantly cut down travel time and reduce the fatigue that comes

* The State of Texas has moved to block access to several online platforms with ties to China—including SHEIN, Temu, and Alibaba—on state-operated networks and devices, citing cyber security concerns. * This restriction also applies to Wi-Fi networks at public universities such as the University of Texas at

* Arden Cho, a Korean American actor, voices the character Rumi in KPop Demon Hunters. * Just before joining the project, she was on the verge of stepping away from acting due to a lack of work. Instead, her role in KPop Demon Hunters marked a turning point, opening what many are