Seoul shares open higher as Fed chair hints at possible rate cut this year

South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday as US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hinted that the rate cut is likely "at some point this year." The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 9.77 points, or 0.37 percent, to 2,651.26 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the US stock market closed higher with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.2 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advancing 0.58 percent. During the testimony delivered before the House o

MarketMarch 7, 2024

[Graphic News] Imports of frozen fruit hit new record in 2023 on higher fresh produce prices

South Korea’s imports of frozen fruit products hit a new record in 2023, data showed Sunday, amid the growing burden on consumers to purchase fresh goods due to lingering inflation. The country’s imports of frozen fruit products came to 64,000 metric tons in 2023, up 6 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korea Rural Economic Institute. In 2023, prices of agricultural, livestock and fishery products climbed 3.1 percent on-year. Of major items, the pric

MarketMarch 7, 2024

Hyundai E&C seeks to join UK SMR project

Hyundai Engineering & Construction announced Wednesday that the company signed business agreements with US energy equipment supplier Holtec International, and with UK construction firms Balfour Beatty and Mott MacDonald, in a bid to join the UK government’s small modular reactor project. The UK government plans to expand nuclear energy capacity to 24 gigawatts by 2050, through building a fleet of SMRs. Holtec is one of the six developers that have been shortlisted to win the project. Holte

IndustryMarch 7, 2024

Fitch keeps S. Korea's 'AA-' credit rating, eyes 2.1% growth

Global credit appraiser Fitch Ratings said Wednesday it has reaffirmed South Korea's sovereign rating at "AA-" with a stable outlook. It is the fourth-highest level on the agency's sovereign ratings table, and Fitch has maintained AA- for South Korea since September 2012 when it upgraded the rating by one notch from A+. "(South) Korea's rating balances robust external finances, resilient macroeconomic performance and a dynamic export sector against geopolitical ri

EconomyMarch 6, 2024

NH Bank cracks down on W11b internal failure

A NongHyup Bank employee is being investigated by local police for possible embezzlement reaching nearly 11 billion won ($8.2 million), the bank disclosed on Wednesday. The bank's internal investigation revealed a financial irregularity that could extend up to 10.95 billion won, which is the total amount of the financial products the accused employee had handled at the related department between March 2019 until November last year. According to an official from the bank, a 1.2 billion won d

IndustryMarch 6, 2024

Seoul shares close lower ahead of Fed chief's testimony

South Korean stocks closed lower Wednesday as investors awaited clues on the US Federal Reserve's future rate direction, with techs and chemicals leading the overall decline. The local currency closed flat against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 7.91 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,641.49. Trade volume was low at 364 million shares worth 9.8 trillion won ($7.38 billion), with losers outpacing gainers 606 to 282. Foreigners offloaded 374.4 billion won worth o

MarketMarch 6, 2024

Korean firms eye chances in net zero, global market: ChatGPT report

The global transition to net zero will be a boon for companies in renewable energy and secondary batteries, while supply chain restructuring will challenge Korean chipmakers, according to data analysis released Wednesday by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The business group released a report on opportunities and risk factors that Korean firms expected this year by analyzing 2024 management messages from the top 100 listed companies using ChatGPT. The opportunity factors for Korean

IndustryMarch 6, 2024

[From the Scene] Korean battery giants showcase new tech amid rivalry with China

South Korean battery makers showcased next-generation battery solutions amid competitive pressure from Chinese counterparts and a decelerating electric vehicle market at Interbattery 2024, Korea's largest gathering for the battery industry. This event, which kicked off at the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center in Seoul on Wednesday, broke records, drawing an audience of 42,872 pre-registered attendees, a 77 percent increase compared to last year. LG Energy Solution took center stage with th

MobilityMarch 6, 2024

[Contribution] The buck stops with all of us, not women

By Judy Hsu This year, for International Women’s Day, the United Nations has called for countries around the world to “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”. This crucial call underlines the need to address the deficit in gender equality measures as economies continue to grow. The call also emphasizes the imperative of prioritizing women’s economic empowerment because a stark reality persists: There continues to be a wide economic disparity between men and women in ma

IndustryMarch 6, 2024

Korea on guard against inflation

Consumer price growth resurged to above 3 percent in February, showing that Korea may be facing stickier-than-expected inflation, data suggested Wednesday. Consumer prices, a key gauge of inflation, advanced 3.1 percent on-year last month, according to data from Statistics Korea. Though price growth fell to 2.8 percent in January, dipping into the 2 percent range for the first time in six months, it rebounded to above 3 percent within a month. The uptick marks the first time in four months that

EconomyMarch 6, 2024

Samsung may build Google’s next Tensor chip: sources

Samsung Electronics' foundry division is expected to get a boost as Google reportedly plans to build its new Tensor G4 chipset based on Samsung’s latest Exynos 2400 blueprint, according to industry sources on Wednesday. Google's new Pixel 9 smartphone is set to launch in the latter half of this year, and it is highly anticipated to incorporate the upcoming Tensor G4 chipset. SamMobile and other industry sources predict Samsung Foundry to produce Google's new chipset leveragi

IndustryMarch 6, 2024

[Photo News] Empowering women

From left: American Chamber of Commerce in Korea Chairman and CEO James Kim, US Embassy in Korea deputy chief of mission Joy M. Sakurai, Citibank Korea CEO Yoo Myung-soon, P&G Korea General Manager Lee Chee-young and Christina Ahn, client partner of Korn Ferry, attend a panel discussion during an International Women’s Day luncheon hosted by AmCham Korea in Seoul on Wednesday. During the event, business leaders shared their unique personal career journeys and delved into strategies fo

IndustryMarch 6, 2024

LG, LS join hands for smart factory leadership

LG Electronics and LS Electric have teamed up to enhance their smart factory leadership and foray into overseas markets together, the companies said Wednesday. Their strategic alliance, formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed Tuesday, aims to leverage the combined technological prowess and market influence of both entities to forge advancements in the smart factory sector, including digital solutions, automation, and energy efficiency. LS Electric is set to contribute its core te

IndustryMarch 6, 2024

Samyang to ramp up ramyeon production for US exports

Korean food manufacturer Samyang Foods on Wednesday held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new plant in Milyang, South Gyeongsang Province, as the company aims to capitalize on the growing global popularity of its spicy ramyeon brand, the Buldak series, especially in the US market. The new plant, set to be completed by 2025, will have an annual production capacity of 560 million units. With the addition of the new plant, the company's combined production capacity will surge to 2.36 billion

CompaniesMarch 6, 2024

Dong-A Otsuka pledges ‘zero plastic’ on 45th anniversary

Korean beverage maker Dong-A Otsuka on Tuesday announced its “zero plastic” goal, renewing its commitment to sustainable management on the company's 45th anniversary. Under the new goal, the company aims to increase the use of sustainable plastic by 50 percent by 2030 and complete a 100 percent transition to sustainable plastic by 2050. As part of its efforts, the company will start adopting eco-friendly PET (polyethylene terephthalate) this year and reduce the use of plastic ma

IndustryMarch 6, 2024

Naver, Aramco team up for digital innovation in Middle East

Korean internet giant Naver on Wednesday said it has signed a partnership with Aramco Digital, a technology subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, for digital innovation in the Middle East and North Africa. Under the deal, the two sides agreed to build a sovereign cloud and super app optimized for the Middle East region. They will also join forces to develop sovereign artificial intelligence based on the Arabic language model. “Aramco Digital is the best partner to implement Naver's cutting-edge

TechnologyMarch 6, 2024

[Photo News] Hyundai in metaverse

Hyundai Motor Group has launched a virtual brand heritage world on Naver's metaverse platform Zepeto, the automaker announced Wednesday. Named "Timeless in Seoul," the virtual world features Hyundai's first self-developed and produced vehicle Pony and the automaker's awards-winning electric vehicle Ioniq 5. According to Naver, the number of Zepeto users has exceeded 300 million users worldwide. (Hyundai Motor Group)

MobilityMarch 6, 2024

Seoul shares open lower on Wall Street losses

South Korean stocks opened lower Wednesday after major blue chips finished bearish on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 8.84 points, or 0.33 percent, to 2,640.56 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the US stock market closed lower, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 1.04 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite losing 1.65 percent. US tech giant Apple sharply lost ground amid reports that its sales in China dipped sharply over the first si

MarketMarch 6, 2024

[Investor] Cheonsuman Bay region emerges as stronghold of future air mobility industry

Hyundai Motor Group and South Chungcheong Province have joined hands to lead the advanced air mobility (AAM) industry in the province. In a strategic move toward innovating the transportation sector, the province concluded a business agreement with the automotive group to foster the AAM-related industry in Cheonsuman Bay B District in Seosan, provincial government officials said. South Chungcheong Gov. Kim Tae-heum and Hyundai Motor Group executives attended the signing ceremony held at the prov

IndustryMarch 5, 2024

Naver to debut new OS for robots at Saudi tech show

Korean internet giant Naver said Tuesday that it is debuting the world’s first web platform-enabled operating system for robots, called “Arc mind,” at this week’s LEAP 2024, a tech trade show held in Saudi Arabia. The company said the new platform combines the web platform technology of Naver Cloud’s Whale and the robotics software technology of Naver Labs. "Team Naver has continuously expanded its tech portfolio from web platform to robotics software by develo

IndustryMarch 5, 2024