SK's cybersecurity arm IPO to boost cross-border M&A: CEO

SK Shieldus, the cybersecurity service arm of South Korea’s third-largest conglomerate, is poised to use the proceeds from its imminent initial public offering to pursue cross-border mergers and acquisitions, its Chief Executive Officer Park Jin-hyo told reporters Tuesday. Cloud computing security firms would be the major target for a strategic investment, which would allow the nation‘s No. 1 security service firm to make a foray into overseas markets, Park said. “We are pr

TechnologyApril 26, 2022

S. Korea’s economy sees lackluster growth in Q1

South Korea’s economy expanded by a lackluster 0.7 percent in the first three months of this year, compared with the previous quarter, weighed down by the spread of the omicron variant and the risks stemming from the Ukraine crisis, central bank data showed Tuesday. Asia’s fourth-largest economy’s growth momentum nearly halved compared with the fourth quarter of 2021, when it saw a 1.2 percent expansion, preliminary data from the Bank of Korea showed. In terms of on-year growt

EconomyApril 26, 2022

Korean red ginseng relieves stress, fatigue and perhaps long COVID: study

Korean red ginseng improves stress resistance and alleviates fatigue, especially effective in relieving stress among the under-energetic who experience chronic fatigue and have low blood pressure, studies showed on Tuesday, At the 2022 Spring Ginseng Conference held last week by the Korean Society of Ginseng, a series of studies showed that the regular intake of red ginseng products showed an improvement in stress and fatigue management. According to a comparative study by a local family medi

IndustryApril 26, 2022

Daily FX turnover hits record high in Q1 amid increased volatility, trade

The daily foreign exchange (FX) trading by banks in South Korea hit a record high in the first quarter as currency market volatility increased and trade expanded, central bank data showed Tuesday. The daily FX turnover including trading of derivatives came to an average of $65.55 billion in the January-March period, up 14.9 percent from three months earlier, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). The amount marked the largest since 2008, when relevant statistics started to be compil

MarketApril 26, 2022

S. Korea to ramp up policy support for electric, hydrogen cars

South Korea plans to invest 397.5 billion won ($318 million) in building charging stations for electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles this year in an effort to foster the next-generation car industry, a senior government official said Tuesday. The government also plans to focus on building the infrastructure and developing technology for self-driving vehicles this year, according to First Vice Finance Minister Lee Eog-weon. "The government will continue to craft policy support for the next-

IndustryApril 26, 2022

Australian firm makes $6m settlement with US over N. Korea sanctions

An Australian logistics company has agreed to pay $6.13 million to settle a potential civil liability for apparent violations of US sanctions against North Korea, Iran and Syria, according to the US Treasury Department's website Tuesday. Toll Holdings Limited, a Melbourne-based international freight forwarding firm, made the settlement with the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for nearly 3,000 apparent violations of multiple sanctions programs, the department said in

IndustryApril 26, 2022

Fried chicken chain Genesis BBQ opens 6 new US shops

South Korean fried chicken chain Genesis BBQ Co. said Tuesday it has recently opened six new shops in the United States as part of efforts to tap deeper into the American market. Genesis BBQ said it launched three stores in Aurora, Denver and Inglewood in the US state of Colorado. A new shop was also opened in North Quincy, Massachusetts, with two more outlets starting operations in Walnut and Rowland Heights, California. Genesis BBQ now has 150 shops in 19 US states, up from 100 at the end of S

IndustryApril 26, 2022

Seoul shares open higher on US gains, sound earnings

South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday, led by a rise in auto and chemical companies, amid sound earnings reports and overnight gains on Wall Street. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed 10.69 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,667.82 in the first 15 minutes of trading. US stocks finished higher Monday on the back of an advance in tech stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.70 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 1.29 percent. In Seoul, techs, autos and chemicals

MarketApril 26, 2022

Lam Research opens technology center in S. Korea

US semiconductor equipment maker Lam Research Corp. opened a technology center in South Korea on Tuesday, which the company hopes will serve as a key hub of its global research and development (R&D) network. Lam Research completed its Korea technology center at an industrial site in Yongin, about 50 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in February this year after breaking ground in July 2020. Lam Research, the world's No. 3 chip equipment maker, said some 100 researchers will work at the center, w

TechnologyApril 26, 2022

Finance minister nominee dismisses stagflation concerns, sees high inflation

South Korea's finance minister nominee on Monday dismissed concerns that the country's economy is falling into stagflation, a mix of high prices and slumping growth, but said he expected high inflationary pressure will continue for the time being. Rep. Choo Kyung-ho, named to concurrently serve as deputy prime minister for economic affairs, made the remarks in a written reply to a lawmaker's question on economic situations as he prepares for a parliamentary confirmation hearing set for May 2.

BusinessApril 25, 2022

July flight demand expected to recover 40% of pre-pandemic

The daily average of air travelers is expected to be around 81,000 in July, which is around 40 percent of air travelers from the same period in 2019, right before the pandemic hit the world, according to the operator of South Korea‘s major air gateway Incheon Airport, on Monday. After November, Incheon International Airport Corp. anticipates a 70 percent recovery of the daily average air travelers and is gearing up for normalization of its operations in phrases, officials said in a regula

MobilityApril 25, 2022

Kia Q1 net falls 0.2 pct amid chip shortage

  Kia Corp., South Korea's second-biggest carmaker, said Monday its first-quarter net profit fell 0.2 percent from a year earlier due to one-off costs amid global chip shortages. Net profit for the three months ended in March fell to 1.032 trillion won (US$825 million) from 1.035 trillion won during the same period of last year, the company said in a statement. Particularly high deferred corporate taxes were factored in the bottom line in the first quarter, a company spokesman said ove

MobilityApril 25, 2022

High-tech sector key to growth: transition team

Expanding the high-tech sector will be the way to ensure sustainable economic growth, and the government will ease rules to make that happen, President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s transition team said Monday at a press briefing amid concerns over shrinking economic growth. “Building on the high-tech sector involves two things: We help the existing industries go high-tech or go green and digital, because that leads to better products,” said Ahn Cheol-soo, the chief leading the team.

EconomyApril 25, 2022

In-car subscription service could be more profitable than selling new cars

The market for in-car subscription services such as high-end functions like autonomous driving and entertainment systems could be more profitable than selling new cars for carmakers, market data showed Monday, illustrating reason why major carmakers are moving to develop their own software and in-car programs. According to the Korea Automotive Technology Institute (KATECH) report, the world’s top 11 finished carmakers and EV maker Tesla have garnered an average of $109 billion of their a

MobilityApril 25, 2022

Seoul stocks down for 2nd day on Fed rate hike woes; won sharply dips

South Korean stocks fell for a second straight session to retreat more than 1.5 percent Monday, as worries over the US Federal Reserve signaling an aggressive rate hike next week dampened investor sentiment. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) closed down 1.76 percent, or 47.58 points, to 2,657.13. Trading volume was heavy at 988.3 million shares with decliners far outpacing gainers 761 to 142. Foreigners unloaded a net 733.7 billion won (

MarketApril 25, 2022

[Photo News] Under one roof

The entrance to a joint brick-and-mortar branch launched by Hana Bank and Woori Bank is seen in Shinbong-dong of Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday. It is the first such joint branch in the local banking industry that has seen a growing number of closures in recent years with lenders focusing on mobile and online businesses. The idea of opening a co-branch is to offset customer inconvenience, particularly among elderly who are unfamiliar with digital banking, officials say.

MarketApril 25, 2022

Yoon vows full vaccine development support

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday pledged to provide the utmost support for Korean companies developing vaccines and treatment, highlighting that vaccine development is crucial for securing the nation’s economic security. “The essence of the country’s growth lies here,” Yoon said during his visit to SK Bioscience’s headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, adding that South Korea’s economy and security depend on developing drugs. The President-elec

TechnologyApril 25, 2022

S. Korea develops world’s 1st computer to save data without power

South Korean researchers have developed a computer that can save data even after the power is turned off, facilitating ways to reduce electric power consumption, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology said Monday. The research team led by Jung Myoung-soo, an electrical engineering professor at KAIST, has invented the Lightweight Persistence Centric System or Light PC, which can retain data regardless of power supply, according to KAIST. KAIST said most existing computers use d

TechnologyApril 25, 2022

Lobby groups call for Moon's pardon of Samsung chief

Five South Korean lobby groups on Monday called for a presidential pardon to be issued to Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, the de facto leader of the family-owned electronics giant, with businesses saying the leadership void is taking a toll on the group even after Lee was released from prison on parole last year. The plea for Lee’s clemency was submitted to Cheong Wa Dae and the Justice Ministry, in hopes that it would make it onto the list of incumbent President Moon Jae-in’s l

IndustryApril 25, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘Startup ecosystem in Korea entering next level’

What distinguishes Antler from most startup accelerators is that it is interested in funding startups at a very early, pre-seed stage. It works as a matchmaker for teams, helps them receive funds, then pushes them out into society as a full-fledged business -– all in six months. And it intends to do exactly so in South Korea, where startups’ humble beginnings remain reliant on the generosity of families and friends. “Once an innovator decides to launch his or her own busine

MarketApril 25, 2022