Samsung chief holds meetings with global tech CEOs in US

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong held consecutive meetings with the chiefs of global tech giants including Meta, Amazon and Qualcomm, in an effort to strengthen ties and boost collaboration during his two-week trip to the US, the company said on Thursday. Lee shared insights and prospects over advanced technology markets with the tech leaders and also checked on the company's business operations, the company said. In his meeting with Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon on Monday, Lee discu

IndustryJune 13, 2024

BOK's rate-cutting cycle coming, but timing depends on inflation

The Bank of Korea looks increasingly likely to push back the start of its interest rate-cutting cycle as late as October as the country enters the last mile in its inflation fight while the US dials back its rate cut forecasts, experts said Thursday. The country’s recent data showing signs of weakening inflation, coupled with a rebound in exports, has increased anticipation for rate cuts by the Bank of Korea. The borrowing rates were kept at 3.5 percent for the 11th consecutive session i

EconomyJune 13, 2024

Seoul shares gain nearly 1% on tech gains

South Korean stocks finished nearly 1 percent higher Thursday, extending their winning streak to a third session on tech gains. The local currency slightly rose against the US greenback. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index surged 26.72 points, or 0.98 percent, to 2,754.89. Trade volume was heavy at 690 million shares worth 18.9 trillion won ($13.72 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 461 to 398. The index had opened sharply higher, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street led b

MarketJune 13, 2024

BlockSquare Seoul to enhance market intelligence service for crypto investors

Korea's crypto data aggregator BlockSquare Seoul said Thursday that it plans to update its market analysis features in July to offer more detailed investment information for its users. Currently, the company provides market intelligence service under the name Retri, suggesting the best time to buy and sell cryptocurrencies by reading their price movements and transaction flows. Following the July update, the Retri service will offer more sophisticated real-time data updates on price project

IndustryJune 13, 2024

Doosan chief, Kazakh president discuss key energy collaborations

Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won met with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana to discuss energy sector collaboration, as part of his role in the economic delegation accompanying South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on a state visit to Central Asia. Chairman Park and President Tokayev met Wednesday at the Hilton Astana Hotel, accompanied by high-ranking officials and executives including Kazakhstan's Minister of Energy Almassadam Satkaliyev, Samruk-Kazyna CEO Nurlan Zhakupov

MobilityJune 13, 2024

Celltrion's Stelara biosimilar receives approval in Korea

South Korean biosimilar giant Celltrion announced Thursday that Steqeyma, the company’s biosimilar referencing Stelara, has been approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Stelara (ustekinumab) is Johnson & Johnson's blockbuster drug used to treat patients with plaque psoriasis. According to market research company IQVIA’s report, the global ustekinumab market was estimated to reach $20.3 billion as of last year. Celltrion said Steqeyma has been approved for its uses

IndustryJune 13, 2024

GS Caltex partners with Sumitomo to supply natural cosmetics ingredient

South Korean energy company GS Caltex announced Thursday that it has partnered with cosmetics company Summit Cosmetics, a subsidiary under Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo, to supply its cosmetics ingredients. According to GS Caltex, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with Summit Cosmetics for the company’s future supply of GreenDiol, the brand name of GS Caltex’ multifunctional 2,3-Butanediol derived from sugarcane and cassava. The 2,3-Butanediol GreenDiol is produced fr

IndustryJune 13, 2024

[KH Explains] Will Naver Webtoon, Yanolja be next Coupang?

Two Korean companies -- Naver Webtoon and Yanolja -- are preparing for a US stock debut this year, seeking higher valuation and aggressive overseas expansion. Their US push comes after Coupang’s successful Nasdaq listing in 2021 when the company was valued at $63 billion, the biggest IPO in the US by a foreign company since Alibaba Group in 2014. Industry watchers agree that the market sentiment has changed over the past three years following the bursting of pandemic-bubble stocks. But the

IndustryJune 13, 2024

[Photo News] Shinhan Bank bolsters presence in Kazakhstan

Shinhan Bank announced Thursday that it participated in the "Korea-Kazakhstan Business Forum" in Astana, hosted jointly by the governments of both countries the previous day. As the sole commercial bank in the Korean delegation, Shinhan Bank signed two significant agreements during the forum. One was signed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to enhance partnerships and financial support in Kazakhstan, while the other agreement involved cooperation with CU Centr

EconomyJune 13, 2024

Korea's short selling ban extended to March 2025

South Korea's ban on the short selling of stocks is set to be extended until March next year. The projected deadline was discussed during a government-parliament meeting between the country's top financial regulators and the ruling People Power Party on Thursday to discuss the enhancement of short selling regulations. "We have proposed extending the short selling ban until March 2025, after the development of the computerized monitoring system," said lawmaker Jeong Jeom-sig,

EconomyJune 13, 2024

Daewoo E&C chief visits Turkmenistan to discuss infrastructure projects

Daewoo Engineering & Construction Chairman Jung Won-ju visited Turkmenistan this week to meet with government officials and business partners to explore new opportunities in the country’s burgeoning infrastructure development market. Jung was visiting the country as part of a business delegation accompanying President Yoon Suk Yeol on his state visit for a summit with Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov in Ashgabat, the Turkmenistan capital. During the visit, the Daewoo chief insp

IndustryJune 13, 2024

Tmax’s Gaia allows to build apps without coding

Korean software developer Tmax Group on Thursday unveiled a groundbreaking super-app platform, Gaia, which allows users to create apps without coding skills, declaring a new era of digital transformation. “There have been numerous attempts to achieve great IT integration, but no one has been able to achieve effective integration in the right way,” Chairman and CTO Park Dae-yeon said during a press conference held in Seoul. “The IT grand integration presented by Tmax refers to i

TechnologyJune 13, 2024

Same price, less content: 33 products accused of 'shrinkflation'

A state-run agency said Thursday it has found 33 products that have downsized but maintained the same price in an inspection of so-called "shrinkflation" in the country. The Korea Consumer Agency, under the Korea Fair Trade Commission, inspected the products currently being circulated in the market to check the state of shrinkflation, which refers to a manufacturer downsizing a product while retaining the price as an alternative to raising the price. The agency used its price informa

ConsumerJune 13, 2024

Finance minister calls for 'external safety net' against global interest rates uncertainty

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on Thursday called for beefing up an "external safety net" to better respond to uncertainties regarding interest rates in the United States and other nations. Choi made the remarks during an emergency macroeconomic meeting meant to assess the Federal Reserve's rate-setting meeting Wednesday, where it kept the benchmark interest rate at between 5.25-5.5 percent for a seventh straight time. The Fed also signaled fewer rate cuts than previously estimate

EconomyJune 13, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on Wall Street gains

South Korean shares opened over 1 percent higher Thursday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index surged 37.26 points, or 1.37 percent, to 2,765.43 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The bullish start follows overnight gains on Wall Street where the advances of tech shares, led by Apple, pushed the Nasdaq to a new high for the third consecutive session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.09 percent to 37,712.21, but the Nasdaq jumped 1.5

MarketJune 13, 2024

Denmark recalls 3 types of Buldak ramyeon for extreme spiciness

The Danish government has recalled three types of spicy ramyeon Buldak products made by the Korean manufacturer Samyang Roundsquare simply because they are too spicy. On Tuesday, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, ordered a recall of three types of Buldak Spicy Noodles, citing a risk of acute poisoning due to high levels of capsaicin in the products. The food safety agency stated, “The total levels of capsaicin in a single

CompaniesJune 12, 2024

SK’s Sapeon, Rebellions to merge for AI chip push

SK Telecom said Wednesday that it is seeking to merge its fabless unit Sapeon with Korea-based chip designer Rebellions, as part of its renewed push for artificial intelligence chips. The merger push is the result of an agreement between the two sides to create a “homegrown company” to lead the global AI race, the telecom giant said. The market for neural processing units powering AI services is growing rapidly, driven by the widespread adoption of AI across industries. Competition i

IndustryJune 12, 2024

Evolus CEO vows to boost US sales of Daewoong's botulinum toxin

David Moatazedi, CEO of Evolus, the US company that sells Daewoong Pharmaceutical's botulinum toxin product Nabota, marketed as Jeuveau in the US, has pledged to boost its sales of the botulinum toxin product to $700 million by 2028, the Korean pharmaceuticals company said Wednesday. “Jeuveau is the fastest growing neurotoxin in the US for the past three years, and Evolus is on track to achieve at least $700 million in total revenue by 2028,” Moatazedi said during his visit to D

IndustryJune 12, 2024

Posco International breaks ground for its Polish motor core plant

Posco International began construction of its new traction motor core plant in Brzeg, Opole Voivodeship, Poland on Tuesday, the company announced Wednesday. A traction motor core is a crucial component in the powertrain systems in most eco-friendly vehicles, except the ones powered by traditional combustion engines. Construction of the new factory in Poland, which will be built on a 100,000-square-meter land plot, will be completed in mid-2025. The goal is to begin commercial production of tract

IndustryJune 12, 2024

Seoul shares up for 2nd day ahead of Fed's rate decision

South Korean shares closed higher Wednesday led by gains in tech shares tracking advances on Wall Street, ahead of the Federal Reserve's rate decision. The local currency gained ground against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 22.85 points, or 0.84 percent, to close at 2,728.17. Trade volume was moderate at 499.4 million shares worth 11.5 trillion won ($8.35 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 502 to 372. Foreign investors net purchased 234.4 billio

MarketJune 12, 2024