[Photo News] K-water partnership with Cambodia

Korea Water Resources (or K-water) CEO Yun Seog-dae (left) and Cambodian Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology H.E. Thor Chetha talk during a meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Monday. The two leaders discussed plans to enhance collaboration on water initiatives, including the upcoming smart water management project in Phnom Penh. As a key member nation of K-water’s Asia Water Council, Cambodia seeks official development assistance and cooperation funds to address water challenges. (K-

IndustryMarch 19, 2024

Korea pledges W452tr in climate finance until 2030

The South Korean government and local banks on Tuesday pledged to jointly invest 452 trillion won ($337.4 billion) until 2030 to tackle the climate crisis. The move aligns with the country's intensified efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and bolster domestic firms' competitive edge in overseas markets. "This unprecedented climate crisis we face today demands action not only to enhance our companies' competitiveness but also for the generations to come," said Ki

EconomyMarch 19, 2024

Drugmakers feeling pinch from doctors’ walkout

The ongoing tug-of-war between the South Korean government and medical professionals over the proposed increase in the number of medical students could have negative impacts on local drug companies’ revenues as well, industry sources said Tuesday. According to officials from local pharmaceutical companies, the ongoing walkout of local doctors is causing a short-term decrease in the overall use of drugs and medical supplies at local hospitals where surgeries are being postponed and appointm

IndustryMarch 19, 2024

Seoul shares dip over 1% ahead of Fed rate decision

South Korean stocks slipped more than 1 percent Tuesday as investors remained cautious ahead of the US Federal Open Market Committee's meeting this week. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 29.67 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,656.17. Trade volume was moderate at 683.5 million shares worth 10.5 trillion won ($7.88 billion), with losers outpacing gainers 603 to 276. Foreigners sold a net 238 billion won worth of stocks, while indi

MarketMarch 19, 2024

[KH Explains] Will Kakao Bank secure footing in untapped Thai market?

Thailand has remained an untapped market for South Korean financial firms since their exodus during the financial crisis in the late 1990s. Now Kakao Bank, the nation’s No. 1 online-only bank, is eyeing an expansion into the burgeoning digital banking market in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. Earlier this month, Thailand’s Ministry of Finance confirmed regulations for authorizing virtual banks, the equivalent of internet lenders in Korea. According to the regulations, a

IndustryMarch 19, 2024

New marriages bounce back buoyed by international couples

One in 10 couples who tied the knot in South Korea last year included a partner of foreign nationality. The growing number of international marriages helped the total number of newly married couples last year to rebound for the first time in 12 years. The number of international marriages stood at 19,700 in 2023, taking up 10.2 percent of the total number of newlywed couples -- 193,700 -- tallied last year, according to Statistics Korea on Tuesday. The number of international marriages grew by 1

EconomyMarch 19, 2024

Hyundai Motor Group continues to rack up EV accolades

Hyundai Motor Group has been winning dozens of awards with its diverse lineup of electric vehicles across the globe and is looking to continue adding more to its trophy collection. According to the South Korean auto conglomerate on Tuesday, the EVs of its three brands -- Hyundai Motor Company, Kia and Genesis -- have won 48 awards in 13 countries over the past six months. Of the awards, 41 came from North America and Europe. The Kia EV9, a large electric sports utility vehicle, led the pack, as

MobilityMarch 19, 2024

SK hynix becomes first to mass produce HBM3E chips

SK hynix, the world’s second-largest memory chip maker, said Tuesday it has begun mass production of its latest HBM3E chips, the next-generation top-performing DRAM for artificial intelligence applications, solidifying its leadership position in the High Bandwidth Memory market. The chip maker said it will deliver the new chips to its clients at the end of this month after finishing the verification process. SK hynix is a major supplier to the US AI chip leader Nvidia but declined to revea

TechnologyMarch 19, 2024

CJ CheilJedang showcases K-food innovations at US expo

CJ CheilJedang said Tuesday it participated in the 2024 Natural Products Expo West, the world's largest trade event in the food industry, to showcase its key products and K-food innovation overall. Held in Anaheim, California, the expo marked its 42nd anniversary, attracting around 3,000 companies and approximately 60,000 visitors over five days starting March 12. This year’s event focused on the latest trends in health and wellness, featuring new food products and nutritional supplem

IndustryMarch 19, 2024

Samsung Electro-Mechanics to release high-voltage MLCCs for EVs

Samsung Electro-Mechanics announced on Tuesday the launch of its latest high-voltage MLCCs tailored for electric vehicles, in response to surging demand from global automotive component manufacturers. MLCCs, or Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitors, play a crucial role in regulating the consistent flow of current in electronic circuits, particularly within automobiles, where each vehicle contains between 3,000 to 10,000 MLCCs. The company has unveiled five new high-voltage MLCCs, including three varian

IndustryMarch 19, 2024

LG Energy Solution makes breakthrough in battery lifespan

LG Energy Solution, in collaboration with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology, has made a significant breakthrough in lithium metal battery technology that addresses key challenges regarding its lifespan and safety. This new technology was detailed in the science journal Nature Energy and represents a considerable leap forward in lithium metal battery research and development. Lithium metal batteries are noted for their theoretical capacity advantages over lithium-ion batter

MobilityMarch 19, 2024

[Photo News] MLB on Hyundai wheels

Hyundai Motor Group is supporting the Major League Baseball Seoul Series this week, the first MLB games to take place in South Korea, with an array of vehicles. According to the automaker on Tuesday, a total of 18 vehicles including six hydrogen-electric buses, three Ioniq 5s and three Ioniq 6s are being used for transporting the players and coaching staff of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Hyundai will also reward an Ioniq 5 to the first batter to hit a home run during the back-to

MobilityMarch 19, 2024

Tuggle joins Goyang, Yourside in promoting pet-related industries

DAO Research Institute, operator of pet service platform Tuggle, signed a memorandum of understanding with the city government of Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and the Yourside volunteer group to collaborate on developing pet-related industries, officials said Tuesday. The memorandum was to ensure that the DAO Research Institute, Goyang Industry Promotion Agency, Goyang City Research Institute and Yourside will combine their resources to enhance their cooperation across various sections of the indu

IndustryMarch 19, 2024

S. Korea to provide W420tr in policy loans for carbon emission reduction by 2030

South Korea's financial regulator unveiled an ambitious plan Tuesday to provide 420 trillion won ($315 billion) in policy loans by 2030 to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Seoul has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent from business-as-usual levels. "There exist concerns that the global competitiveness of our exporters may dwindle should we fail to take appropriate steps to meet the increasing emissions-related regulations in other countries," the Fina

EconomyMarch 19, 2024

Seoul shares open lower ahead of FOMC meeting

South Korean stocks started lower Tuesday as investors awaited the US Federal Open Market Committee's meeting this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 27.32 points, or 1.02 percent, to 2,658.52 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the US stock market closed higher, mainly led by tech shares, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.2 percent and the Nasdaq Composite advancing 0.82 percent. The FOMC is set to start its two-day rate-setting meeting Tuesd

MarketMarch 19, 2024

Trump unlikely to unravel IRA: experts

Korean businesses are unlikely to face a massive challenge by possible shift in US trade policies resulting from the 2024 US presidential election but they should get ready for small hiccups, experts on international trade said on Monday. “From the US perspective, Korean companies are very important partners in trade and investment. … Since the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement has been revised in a way that satisfies US constituencies, there may be hiccups (in the trade relationship) a

EconomyMarch 18, 2024

Trade specialist named new CEO of Hyosung Heavy Industries

Hyosung Heavy Industries on Monday announced that it has appointed Woo Tae-hee, an international trade specialist who currently serves as the vice chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as its new CEO overseeing the company's heavy industry and construction businesses. Woo, 62, a graduate of Yonsei University's Department of Public Administration in 1984, obtained his doctorate in business from Kyung Hee University in 2011. After passing the public service examinatio

IndustryMarch 18, 2024

Renault to invest W118b in Busan plant

Renault Korea Motors on Monday announced a plan to invest 118 billion won ($88.5 million) in upgrading equipment at its Busan manufacturing plant over the next three years, signifying the French automaker’s efforts to produce hybrid and electric vehicles. Renault Korea Motors CEO Stephane Deblaise and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon signed a memorandum of understanding at the Busan city hall earlier in the day. Renault said it plans to hire 200 new personnel at the Busan plant with the fresh i

MobilityMarch 18, 2024

[Herald Interview] ‘Meaty rice will become reality sooner than you think’

A Korean research team has recently unveiled a bowl of pink rice, a new lab-made hybrid rice, which they say could offer a cheaper and more sustainable source of protein not just for those on a vegan diet, but also for countries still reeling from food crises. “The lab-made beef rice could hit supermarket shelves sooner than you think if regulatory issues are cleared,” Hong Jin-kee, a chemical and biomolecular engineering professor at Yonsei University and the leader of the research

IndustryMarch 18, 2024

Celltrion's Zymfentra makes US debut

Korean biopharmaceuticals firm Celltrion announced Monday that its new autoimmune disease treatment Zymfentra has been launched in the US market. Zymfentra is a subcutaneous injection formulation of Celltrion's infliximab Remsima. In October last year, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Zymfentra (infliximab-dyyb) for the maintenance treatment of adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. "Infliximab is a well-established treatment

IndustryMarch 18, 2024