Samsung to spend W60tr for balanced growth in rural areas

Key tech companies of Samsung Group, South Korea's largest conglomerate, will invest a combined 60.1 trillion won ($46.1 billion) over the next decade for the country’s manufacturing business in rural areas to pursue balanced regional development. This equates to about 10 percent of the South Korean government’s budget of 638 trillion won for this year. The spending plan by Samsung’s affiliates, including Samsung Electronics, Samsung Display, Samsung SDI and Samsung Electr

IndustryMarch 15, 2023

[KH Explains] SVB collapse eases pressure on BOK

  The abrupt fallout from the Silicon Valley Bank collapse has led to raised bets that the US Federal Reserve will be less aggressive in raising interest rates, lifting the burden on the Bank of Korea, which was under pressure from the widening key rate gap. Prior to the banking crisis that hit the financial market on Friday, the market had been expecting the Fed to raise the base rate by 50 basis points this month. Fed chair Jerome Powell had been giving hawkish guidance in past weeks, war

EconomyMarch 15, 2023

[Exclusive] CJ crafting fish-shaped Korean-style dumplings

CJ CheilJedang is developing a new Korean-style dumpling, or "mandu," in the shape of "bungeoppang" -- a popular fish-shaped waffle generally filled with red bean paste or cream -- as the food giant looks to expand its future portfolio, according to a source familiar with the matter, Wednesday. The source told The Korea Herald that the food giant has recently completed an internal review of the bungeoppang mandu product in a pop-up store format at the company’s headquar

ConsumerMarch 15, 2023

[Photo News] Kia EV9 unveiled

South Korean automaker Kia on Wednesday unveiled the official design of the Kia EV9, a large all-electric sport utility vehicle. Kia said it will release detailed information about the Kia EV9 later this month and debut the car at the upcoming Seoul Mobility Show on March 31-April l9 at Kintex in Gyeonggi Province.

MobilityMarch 15, 2023

Hyundai becomes world’s third-largest carmaker

Hyundai Motor Group has become the world’s third-largest carmaker in terms of sales, an impressive feat after more than two decades when, in 2000, the South Korean auto giant made it to the global top 10 list. According to its regulatory filing Wednesday, the carmaker sold a total of 6.8 million vehicles last year, the third highest after Toyota’s 14.8 million units and Volkswagen’s 8.5 million units. The sales figure outpaced Renault-Nissan Alliance's 6.2 million unit

MobilityMarch 15, 2023

Seoul stocks open higher on eased US banking, inflation jitters

South Korean stocks opened higher Wednesday as concerns eased over the collapse of US banks, which jolted the global financial market this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 29.14 points, or 1.24 percent, to 2,378.11 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Tuesday, the key stock index closed down nearly 3 percent, the biggest daily loss this year, amid lingering uncertainties about the fallout from the collapse of two US banks. US stocks also rebounded from their tr

MarketMarch 15, 2023

Posco Chemical to present full battery components lineup at Seoul battery fair

Posco Chemical Co., a leading South Korean manufacturer of secondary battery materials, said Wednesday it is showcasing a full lineup of its cathode and anode products and related technologies at an international battery show this week. Posco Chemical will present high-nickel cathodes, a key component that determines the power of lithium-ion cells for electric vehicles, as well as cathodes for lithium iron phosphate batteries and cobalt-free cells at InterBattery 2023, set to kick off in souther

IndustryMarch 15, 2023

Job additions smallest in 2 years in Febuary amid economic slowdown

South Korea's monthly job additions slowed for the ninth consecutive month in February, data showed Wednesday, amid forecasts the job recovery will lose steam this year amid the economic slowdown. The number of employed people came to 27.71 million in February, up around 312,000 from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. Excluding those aged 60 and above, however, the figure moved down 101,000 over the period. The February figure marked a decrease from 411,000

EconomyMarch 15, 2023

S. Korea, Dutch trade ministers pledge to bolster ties on chips

Trade ministers of South Korea and the Netherlands on Tuesday agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation on various industries, especially in the semiconductors amid growing pressures from the US to curb investment in China. South Korean Minister for Trade Ahn Duk-geun met with Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher to exchange views on the two countries' partnership on economic security. They agreed to further strengthen complementary c

IndustryMarch 14, 2023

LG Chem signs $200m pediatric vaccine deal with UNICEF

LG Chem said Tuesday that the company signed a deal with the United Nations Children's Fund to supply two pediatric vaccines. Under the deal, LG Chem will supply $100 million worth of its polio vaccine Eupolio and $100 million worth of pentavalent vaccine Eupenta, which works for five different indications including tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae. LG Chem will supply Eupolio for two years from 2024, while the supply of Eupenta will begin this year and

TechnologyMarch 14, 2023

Hyundai Motor Group donates W5.2b sleeper buses for firefighters

Hyundai Motor Group has decided to donate eight customized sleeper buses worth 5.2 billion won ($4 million) to the National Fire Agency for the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s first social responsibility project, the South Korean auto giant said Tuesday. As part of the project, Hyundai Motor Group, along with the KCCI and Hyosung Group, held a social event at a fire station in the southeastern port city of Ulsan. The KCCI’s Entrepreneurship Roundtable, a corporate gathering

CompaniesMarch 14, 2023

Hyundai to acquire GM's auto plant in India

Hyundai Motor Group said Tuesday it is in the early stage of signing a deal to acquire General Motors’ car manufacturing plant in India, the world’s third-largest car market. The Indian unit of Hyundai Motor has signed a term sheet with GM to acquire its automobile plant in Talegaon, the western state of Maharashtra, India. It is the first time that the local unit is seeking an acquisition of its industry rival’s manufacturing facilities since it made foray into India in 1996.

MobilityMarch 14, 2023

LG CNS, SAP join hands for enterprise software innovation

South Korea’s IT solutions provider LG CNS said Tuesday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with SAP, the German software giant, to bolster their strategic partnership in building next-generation enterprise resource planning, or ERP, solutions. The MOU signing ceremony was held at SAP’s headquarters in Walldorf, Germany, on March 10, with LG CNS CEO Hyun Shin-gyoon and SAP CEO Christian Klein in attendance. Under the MOU, the two companies agreed to develop and operate new ER

TechnologyMarch 14, 2023

Work culture, pandemic fuel Koreans’ craving for caffeine

South Koreans drink an average of two to three cups of coffee per day, with the overwhelming majority of coffee consumers in their 40s and 50s, a survey showed Tuesday. Experts explain that Korea's work culture, along with a slew of other factors, contributed to the nation's obsession with coffee. According to a survey conducted by the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation from March 2019 to May 2022, nearly half of the respondents (47.4 percent) said they drink two to three

ConsumerMarch 14, 2023

Finance Minister says Korea will keep close eye on SVB collapse

Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho said the government will closely monitor the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, which has been sending shock waves across the world for the past few days, amid efforts to calm the local financial market. SVB, a major US bank largely focused on startup loans, went bankrupt on Friday. Signature Bank, one of the main banks in the cryptocurrency industry, also closed following concerns of a spreading banking crisis. Choo said that the SVB crisis stemmed from financial in

EconomyMarch 14, 2023

SPC Group names ex-Hotel Shilla exec as new PR chief

South Korean food and bakery giant SPC Group said Monday it has appointed Ha Joo-ho, former communications director of Hotel Shilla, as its new communications chief. Ha is a communications veteran who spent most of his career at Samsung companies. The 59-year-old graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in journalism. After joining Samsung Life Insurance in 1989, he served in diverse communications positions at Samsung’s key affiliates, including Samsung Group. He was promote

IndustryMarch 14, 2023

LG Uplus launches live chat service for foreign users

South Korean telecom operator LG Uplus announced Tuesday that it will launch a live chat customer service platform in foreign languages, including English, Chinese and Vietnamese, to better respond to a recent surge in visitors to Korea. The company said more than 1,000 customer consultations were carried out during the pilot operation period over two months, confirming the increased demand for foreign language services. According to recent immigration data, about 460,000 foreign nationals arriv

TechnologyMarch 14, 2023

Apple Store to open near 'Samsung Town' in Gangnam

US tech behemoth Apple said Tuesday it will open its fifth retail store in South Korea later this month, expanding its presence in the country, home to its archrival Samsung Electronics. Named Apple Gangnam, the store will open near the Shinnonhyeon Subway Station in southern Seoul on March 31. The location is less than a kilometer away from three skyscrapers owned by Samsung Group. The three buildings are home to Samsung’s financial units after Samsung Electronics relocated to an office b

IndustryMarch 14, 2023

Toss Securities names TikTok marketing exec as new CEO

Toss Securities announced Tuesday that it has named Kim Seung-yeon, general manager of TikTok’s Southeast Asia global business solution, as its new CEO. Born in 1980, Korean American Kim is known to be a marketing expert with over 15 years of experience in the field. “Our current CEO Oh Chang-hoon wants to focus on his original CTO position and contribute to the firm further in that capacity. Although Oh still has remaining tenure, we have decided to name a new CEO,” a To

IndustryMarch 14, 2023

Seoul stocks open sharply lower on SVB fallout woes

Seoul stocks opened sharply lower Tuesday as investors weigh the fallout from the collapse of two US banks and uncertainties over the Federal Reserve's monetary tightening. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 36.51 points, or 1.51 percent, to 2,374.09 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The failures of Silicon Valley Bank, the largest shutdown of a US bank since the 2008 financial crisis, and the New York-based Signature Bank fanned sell-offs by foreign and institutional in

MarketMarch 14, 2023