[Herald Interview] Meet ant investors' YouTube guru

Kim Dong-hwan, the founder of a market and economic YouTube show “Three Pros” had never imagined that his channel would have 1 million subscribers, a tenfold increase, just within a year. “Three Pros: With Economic God” provides daily market updates and analysis of industries and economy and is hosted by three “pros” in the field: Kim, Lee Jin-woo and Jung Young-jin. The channel has recorded more than 200 million views so far and attracts as many as 60,000

EconomyJan. 24, 2021

AI, robotics: New keywords for LG

LG Electronics, a household name in home appliances, is preparing for the future of homes by investing in robotics and artificial intelligence technology. The company, which has so far launched more than 10 kinds of robots, is seeking more innovation opportunities with global partners and experts to raise competitiveness in the field. CLOi robots At the 2021 CES, LG Electronics garnered attention with its CLOi UV-C robot, which can move around and sanitize indoor spaces with ultraviolet

TechnologyJan. 24, 2021

LG charges ahead for tomorrow’s business

Under its fourth-generation leader, LG Group, South Korea’s fourth-biggest conglomerate, is undergoing a major transformation: From a manufacturer of fridges and washing machines to one of future cars, robots and artificial intelligence-based solutions. Since rising to the helm of the group in 2018, Chairman and CEO Koo Kwang-mo has put forward the “digital transformation” driver across all LG affiliates, and is spearheading a group-level restructuring of its business portfol

TechnologyJan. 24, 2021

Commercial banks seek ideas from new rivals for digitalization

South Korea’s leading commercial banks are seeking ways to accelerate digitalization of their retail services with some even breaking down traditional barriers between new industry rivals in order to share ideas on boosting innovation. Kakao Bank CEO Yoon Ho-young was invited by Woori Bank on Friday to speak about the internet-only banking giant’s success and the future of finance, Kakao Bank said. Woori’s invitation of the head of the fast-growing online banking company is

MarketJan. 24, 2021

Foreign-invested companies passive about hiring amid pandemic: KOTRA

As market uncertainty continues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, foreign-invested companies here have been passive about taking on new employees, a report from a state trade agency showed Sunday. According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, which surveyed 2,500 firms between August and October last year, only 2 out of 10 had carried out their recruitment plans for the year. A total of 464 companies, or 18.6 percent of those surveyed, sought to hire. Of those, 218 had completed thei

IndustryJan. 24, 2021

SK Holdings to invest in advanced materials, green, bio, digital sectors

SK Holdings, an investment-focused holdings firm within SK Group, said Sunday that it will focus its investment on four business areas: advanced materials, green, bio and digital. For investment expertise and efficiency, the company has reorganized its operations according to the four sectors, it added. “2021 will be a meaningful year for SK Holdings in this four-way investment drive,” CEO Jang Dong-hyun said via a press release. The company kicked off the year with a 1.6 trill

IndustryJan. 24, 2021

Foreign investors still strong buyers of LG Chem shares

Foreign investors have continued to scoop up vast amounts of LG Chem shares in the first month of this year, after raking in some 2.38 trillion-won ($2.16 billion) worth of the South Korean chemical giant’s stocks last year, data showed Sunday. Offshore investors purchased a net 605.4 billion-won worth of LG Chem stocks in the Jan. 4-Friday period, according to the Korea Exchange. It was followed by their net buying in internet platform giant Naver with 610.3 billion won across the same p

MarketJan. 24, 2021

Lotte, Shilla to close duty-free stores at Incheon Airport’s Terminal 1 after next month

Two major South Korean duty-free operators, Lotte and Shilla, will close their stores at Incheon Airport’s Terminal 1 next month, leaving more empty space at the airport. Both Lotte Duty Free and Shilla Duty Free’s leases expired in August but were extended for an additional six months after new bidders backed out before signing contracts, as the worsening coronavirus pandemic threatened prospects for duty-free shopping businesses. With the possibility of further extensions off th

MobilityJan. 24, 2021

LG Innotek introduces next-generation digital car key

Rummaging around for car keys may soon become a relic of the past. South Korea’s electronic component manufacturing firm LG Innotek said Sunday that it has succeeded in developing a digital car key module that would enable smartphones to replace car keys. The module is equipped with high-precision location detection ability and has reliable security functions, LG Innotek said. The company is actively running promotions targeting global manufacturers of vehicles and vehicle components in

IndustryJan. 24, 2021

Posco Q4 profit tipped to jump despite pandemic

Posco, the world's fifth-largest steelmaker by output, is expected to have logged double-digit operating profit growth in the fourth quarter on increased demand despite the coronavirus pandemic. Strong demand for steel products in China and a hike in steel prices likely buoyed the company's bottom line in the October-December period, analysts said. Posco is estimated to have posted an operating profit of 838.3 billion won ($760.1 million) in the fourth quarter, up 50.3 percent from a year earl

IndustryJan. 24, 2021

Air traffic halved in 2020 due to coronavirus pandemic

Air traffic volume in South Korea halved year-on-year in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Sunday. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said the number of flight operations last year totaled 421,000, down 50 percent from 2019. The volume on domestic routes fell 10.4 percent to 221,000, while international flights plummeted 66.4 percent to 200,000. Air traffic had been steadily increasing, from 739,000 flights in 2016 to 842,000 in 2019. Operations beg

MobilityJan. 24, 2021

Hyundai Glovis pushes to tap East Asian logistics market

Hyundai Glovis, a vehicle delivery arm of South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group, is pushing deeper into the East Asian freight and logistics market. The company, which in 2009 opened its third overseas office in Vietnam, has recently clinched a deal to build a logistics center in Ho Chi Minh City. Under the agreement, Hyundai Glovis will team up with Ulsan Port Authority to construct and operate the facility on a 30,000 square meter plot. Once completed, the center will serve as a logist

MobilityJan. 24, 2021

Beauty stores ‘battered’ by coronavirus pandemic

Once the symbol of South Korea’s K-beauty boom, cosmetics franchise stores are now declining at an alarming rate as international tourism dwindles and online shopping takes the spotlight during the pandemic. Myeong-dong, one of the most popular downtown shopping districts, took the shopping crunch hard. Its stores, which used to bustle with tourists from China, Japan and various Southeast Asian states, are now struggling to survive in the high-rent district amid a dwindling number of visi

ConsumerJan. 24, 2021

Korean excavator makers likely to enjoy another boom in China this year

South Korea's two excavator makers are expected to see a steady rise in their shipments to China this year thanks to a boom in the neighbor's construction market, according to industry watchers Sunday. "The Chinese government's policy to boost the economy is forecast to expand the volume of the civil engineering and construction market in 2021, which has an impact on the sales of excavators," said Kim Hong-gyun, an analyst at DB Financial Investment, in his recent report. Exports of

EconomyJan. 24, 2021

Hyundai, Kia struggle in 3 key markets last year amid pandemic

Hyundai Motor Co. and affiliate Kia Corp. slumped in their three major markets last year amid the coronavirus pandemic, company data showed Sunday. Hyundai and Kia, South Korea's two biggest carmakers, saw their sales slump in the United States, Europe and China in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic affected vehicle production and sales. Among the three markets, the automakers performed worst in China, with their combined sales plunging 27 percent to 908,828 units last year from 664,744 the previou

MobilityJan. 24, 2021

KT to sell its radio system affiliate KT Powertel

KT has chosen IDIS, a local security solutions provider, as a preferred bidder for a controlling stake in its radio systems subsidiary KT Powertel, the company announced Friday. KT’s board of directors approved the disposal of its 44.85 percent stake in KT Powertel, worth 40.6 billion won in a meeting Friday. How much IDIS has offered to pay is not known. KT expects to finish the deal by the end of March this year, officials said. With the equity sale, the South Korean telecommunica

TechnologyJan. 22, 2021

[Herald Interview] GreenPureTech seeks to provide the world with hospital beds

A lack of hospital beds has been one of the painstaking points of COVID-19 pandemic as more and more medical institutions around the globe become overwhelmed with patients amid the relentless spread of the coronavirus. GreenPureTech., a Seoul-based medical equipment provider, hopes to provide quick relief to this bed crunch and contribute to saving more lives. According to CEO Lim Hyung-bo, the company is an unrivalled leader in the field of movable negative pressure rooms in South Korea, wi

IndustryJan. 22, 2021

Seoul office transactions hit record in 2020 despite pandemic

The total volume of office investments in major districts of the Greater Seoul area hit yet another record in 2020 despite the pandemic, as high demand for offices in prime locations led the bullish market, data showed Friday. The full-year transaction total of offices last year in Seoul and the neighboring city of Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, came to 13.4 trillion won ($12.1 billion), up 9 percent from the previous all-time high in 2019, according to data suggested by commercial real estate se

MarketJan. 22, 2021

Seoul stocks snap 3-day winning streak on valuation pressure

South Korea's stock exchange ended its three-day winning streak Friday on valuation pressure after hitting another new high the previous session. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) retreated 20.21 points, or 0.64 percent, to close at 3,140.63 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 1.1 billion shares worth some 24 trillion won ($21.7 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 476 to 384. Foreigners sold a net 270 billion won

MarketJan. 22, 2021

Future of LG’s rollable smartphone up in the air

The future of LG Electronics’ next generation smartphone model with a rollable OLED display hangs in the air as the tech giant seeks to sell its money-losing mobile business unit. The company said Friday that it was still developing the Rollable, but added that detailed plans for its launch had not been decided, and that the company was “open to every possibility.” During this year’s CES, LG teased the model with a 10-second clip, grabbing global media attention as the

TechnologyJan. 22, 2021