Hyundai Motor to double E-pit fast chargers by 2025

Hyundai Motor Group revealed on Sunday its plans to double the number of its ultra-fast chargers for electric vehicles in South Korea to 500 by 2025. As of March, the group operates 286 E-pit EV chargers in 54 locations in Korea. This initiative kicked off in April 2021, with a modest yet strategic deployment of 72 chargers distributed over 12 key rest stops on highways. Achieving the 2025 target of 500 units would mean a 600 percent increase from 2021. E-pit is Hyundai Motor Group’s ultra

MobilityMarch 24, 2024

Executives get paid 11 times more than average employees: report

The average salary of an executive of a major South Korean corporation is almost 11 times that of an average employee working at those companies, a report by an online think-tank monitoring local conglomerates showed Sunday. Chaebol.com analyzed the salaries of the people working for 162 subsidiaries of 20 major conglomerates in South Korea in the 2023 fiscal year, and found that the executives of those companies get paid an average salary of 1.09 billion won ($810,000) a year, compared to 99.6

IndustryMarch 24, 2024

Bosch, Lennox, Samsung vie for Johnson Controls HVAC assets, sources say

Robert Bosch GmbH, Lennox International and Samsung Electronics are among the industrial firms competing to acquire heating and ventilation assets worth over $6 billion from Johnson Controls International, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls has been working with its advisers to sell its residential and light commercial businesses, including includes a US business and a 60 percent stake in an air-conditioning venture with Japan's Hitachi called

MarketMarch 23, 2024

S. Korean shares fall on profit taking; won sharply down

South Korean shares closed slightly lower Friday as investors cashed in gains after the market rallied by more than 2 percent the previous session. The local currency fell sharply against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 6.3 points, or 0.23 percent, to close at 2,748.56. Trade volume was moderate at 501.3 million shares worth 11.3 trillion won ($8.42 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 485 to 381. Foreigners bought a net 665 billion won worth of stocks,

MarketMarch 22, 2024

Woori Bank first to start ELS compensation

South Korean banks are beginning compensation measures for losses stemming from the misselling of equity-linked securities tied to Hong Kong's Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, with the sector's smallest seller, Woori, leading the initiative. Woori Bank officially announced Friday it would begin the compensation process next month, in line with the outline issued by the financial watchdog. The decision was made during the company's board meeting that day. According to Woori Bank,

IndustryMarch 22, 2024

[Test Drive] Hyundai Staria hybrid presents standard of multi-purpose vehicle

Hyundai Motor's flagship minivan Staria has returned with a hybrid engine powertrain and more comfort and safety options, paving the way for the future of multi-purpose vehicles. The Korea Herald had an opportunity to ride in the back of the Staria lounge hybrid model and got behind the wheel in a test drive in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. The back of the seven-seater minivan gave a feeling of being treated from the beginning as a chauffeur opened the door with a touch of a button.

MobilityMarch 22, 2024

Hyundai Motor to provide wheels for Korea-Africa summit in June

Hyundai Motor Group said Friday that it had joined hands with the Korean government’s preparatory committee to provide official transportation at the first Korea-Africa summit in June. Under the partnership, the automaker’s luxury brand Genesis will offer a total of 119 vehicles -- 77 units of the G90 flagship sedan and 42 units of the G80 luxury mid-sized sedan during the Korea-Africa summit slated to be held between June 4 and 5 in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The Genesis G90 has b

MobilityMarch 22, 2024

Seoul shares open nearly flat on profit taking

South Korean stocks opened nearly flat Friday after hitting a nearly two-year high the previous session despite overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index edged down 2.76 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,752.1 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Thursday, the main index rallied by more than 2 percent amid growing hopes for US rate cuts in the near future. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.68 percent to a new high, while the S&P 500 and

MarketMarch 22, 2024

Korean Air to sign $13.7 bln deal to buy 33 Airbus A350 jets

Korean Air Co., South Korea's No. 1 flag carrier, said Thursday it plans to sign a $13.7 billion deal with Airbus to buy 33 units of its latest A350 series aircraft. The company said the deal, which includes 27 A350-1000s and six smaller-sized A350-900s, will be clinched to supplement its long-term fleet operations as it retires its older aircraft. The A350-1000 is the largest in the A350 family, accommodating up to 410 passengers, and uses advanced composite materials to reduce fuel cons

IndustryMarch 21, 2024

Samsung Display to pay out dividends for 1st time

Samsung Display Co. said Thursday it will pay out dividends for the first time since its establishment in 2012, a move that will lead its parent company Samsung Electronics Co. to receive about 5.6 trillion won ($4.2 billion) in dividends. At a shareholders' meeting Tuesday, Samsung Display decided to deliver 25,400 won per share in dividends totaling 6.65 trillion won, the company said in a regulatory filing. Samsung Electronics is the top shareholder of Samsung Display with an 84.8 perc

CompaniesMarch 21, 2024

SK chief wins 2nd term as KCCI chair

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won was elected to head the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the nation's largest business lobby, for a second term, vowing to make more policy proposals to bring about disruptive innovation across industries. Chey was sworn in as the 25th chair of the KCCI after earning unanimous support from regional chamber leaders at the extraordinary general meeting held in Seoul on Thursday. He will serve his new three-year term until March 2027. In his inaugural re

IndustryMarch 21, 2024

Galleria's foreign customer sales surpass pre-pandemic levels

Galleria Department Store, one of the nation’s leading luxury goods retailers, said Thursday that its sales to customers of foreign nationality soared to all-time highs in the first two months of this year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Its luxury brand stores posted 10 billion won ($8.4 million) and 7.5 billion won in sales to foreign customers in January and February, respectively, marking a 166 percent jump from the same period last year. "Foreign customer sales hit 26 billion wo

IndustryMarch 21, 2024

[Herald Interview] Mercedes-Benz focused on ‘great brand experience’

Mercedes-Benz was dethroned by BMW as the top auto importer in South Korea last year for the first time since 2015. Despite the quantitative loss, Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Mathias Vaitl says the focus is to offer a great brand experience for the customers. “Our strategy is not to be No. 1 here in the market,” said Vaitl in an interview with reporters from the Korea Automobile Journalists Association at the Korean office of Mercedes-Benz in Seoul on Wednesday. “We are the stronge

MobilityMarch 21, 2024

Chang In-wha takes helm at Posco

Chang In-hwa, a company veteran, officially took office as chairman of South Korean steel giant Posco Group, the nation’s fifth-largest conglomerate, on Thursday after winning unanimous approval from shareholders. It marked the group’s first change in leadership in almost six years, following the conclusion of the second term of Choi Jeong-woo. No objection was made against the appointment during the general meeting of shareholders held in Seoul earlier in the day. Right after the ge

IndustryMarch 21, 2024

Merck to invest 300m euros in new bioprocessing center in Korea

German pharmaceutical group Merck Life Science said Thursday the company will invest around 300 million euros ($326 million) to build a new bioprocessing complex in South Korea, its largest investment yet in the Asia-Pacific region. The new investment comes as the company renews its commitment to expanding its production capacities for biotech products in the fast-growing market. It also aims to boost the overall biotech industry in the region, saying the new facility alone will create some 300

IndustryMarch 21, 2024

S. Korean shares jump over 2% on hopes for US rate cuts; won sharply up

South Korean shares rallied by more than 2 percent Thursday amid growing hopes for US rate cuts in the near future. The local currency also rose sharply against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index surged 64.72 points, or 2.41 percent, to close at 2,754.86, the highest in nearly two years since April 5, 2022 when the index closed at 2,759.20. Trade volume was heavy at 811.8 million shares worth 13.8 trillion won ($10.4 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 655 to 2

MarketMarch 21, 2024

Korea sighs in relief on US Fed's dovish signal

While the possibility of the US Federal Reserve cutting its base rate three times this year has sent Seoul shares higher, the Bank of Korea is likely to start bringing down its key rate in July, experts viewed. Through a two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting, the US Fed maintained its benchmark lending rate to stand in the 5.25-5.5 percent range. Though the rate freeze had been expected by the market, the global stock market, including that of Korea, rallied as the Fed stuck to its dovis

EconomyMarch 21, 2024

HD Hyundai honors late founder

HD Hyundai commemorated the 23rd anniversary of the passing of its founder, Chung Ju-yung, with a dedicated memorial event held Thursday that paid homage to his enduring legacy. The tribute took place at the HD Hyundai Global Research and Development Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and was marked by a traditional statue unveiling ceremony in memory of the late founder. HD Hyundai Chairman Kwon Oh-gap, Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun, and executives from affiliates attended the ceremony. The ce

IndustryMarch 21, 2024

Hanwha develops extra-high voltage cable compound

South Korean petrochemical firm Hanwha Solutions said Thursday it has developed a proprietary extra-high-quality voltage cable compound to meet the surging global demand for advanced power grid infrastructure. Petrochemicals, derived from petroleum or natural gas, form the basis for advanced polymers used as insulation in extra-high-quality voltage cables. The company’s innovation is Cross-Linked Polyethylene, or XLPE, which enhances the heat resistance and efficiency of power cables throu

IndustryMarch 21, 2024

SK Bioscience exports cell-cultured flu vaccines to Thailand

South Korean pharmaceuticals firm SK Bioscience said Thursday that it exported its cell-cultured flu vaccine, SKYCellflu, to Thailand, marking its first entry into a market with southern hemisphere requirements. The company shipped out approximately 440,000 doses of SKYCellflu to its Thai partner Biogenetech from its vaccine manufacturing facility in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province. SKYCellflu, the world's first cell-cultured flu vaccine endorsed by the World Health Organization, aligns w

IndustryMarch 21, 2024