Zodiac sign of the snake spells good luck for execs

Ancient oriental wisdom says having a snake in the house is a good omen because it means the family will never starve. The snake in this case indicates individuals born under the zodiac sign of the “snake,” and if the saying is anything to go by, it looks as though there are some snake-borns who most definitely won’t be starving anytime soon. Analyses of the local stock markets showed that there were some 456 billionaires in Korea who were born under the sign of the snake, according to Chaebul.c

IndustryDec. 25, 2012

New oversupply to lead high vacancy rate in office market

Cushman & Wakefield, the world’s largest privately held real estate firm, presents the 2013 Seoul Office Market forecast and summarizes its key findings on three major office districts. Excessive new supply of Grade A buildings resulted in a high vacancy rate in 2011. Abundant new supply led to advantages for tenants, including rent-free periods. However, the concession packages have moderated through the third quarter of 2012 due to demand recovery. Leasing activity remained healthy during the

Dec. 25, 2012

Branding: From good to smart

“Don’t be evil” was the corporate philosophy adopted by Google, the company that ranked 4th place in the 2012 Best Global Brands Report by Interbrand. This simple sentence reflects the company’s philosophy for pursuing profit without compromising services or loyalty to their clients. This year, Google was worth 26 percent more than last year, with its asset value reaching $69.7 billion. The figure reflects the effectiveness of strong branding. Google’s brand image is as a “search engine that off

Dec. 25, 2012

Air France offers ‘art of French living’

Renowned for its high standard of attentive service, Air France’s business class has evolved along with customers’ changing taste to present the art of French living. From its cabin amenities to its exquisite meal service, the airline company stresses refinement, modernity and comfort in its services. Operating more than 1,500 flights per day, the French carrier launched its new business class seats in 2011 that is now available on flights to more than 25 destinations. Spacious, comfortable and

Dec. 25, 2012

Samsung reaches world’s top spot, spearheaded by Galaxy S3 smartphone

With Samsung Electronics recently selling over 100 million mobile phones around the world every quarter, its flagship smartphone Galaxy S3 has taken the leading position.Since its launch in May this year, a total of 30 million units of the Galaxy S3, which comes with a 4.8-inch display, have been purchased worldwide in its first five months on the market, according to U.S. market research firm Strategy Analytics.Boosted by its flagship smartphone, Samsung’s global share took up 27.2 percent of t

IndustryDec. 25, 2012

KB’s GOLD&WISE leads private banking for a decade

KB Kookmin Bank’s private banking brand GOLD&WISE has won The Korea Herald’s Best Brand Award in the private banking segment in both halves of this year. GOLD&WISE has been a market leader ever since it was launched 10 years ago. It runs 23 centers across the country including four large private banking centers. Located in landmark buildings ― Gangnam Finance Center and Center One in Myeong-dong ― the Star PB Centers have top-notch financial hardware as well as excellent private-banking staff.Wi

Dec. 25, 2012

Renault Samsung seeks leap with new SM5

Renault Samsung Motors is eyeing a new leap with its flagship midsize sedan, the SM5. The carmaker recently unveiled the New SM5 Platinum, a facelift version of the third- generation 2010 model. First launched in 1998, the car has been one of the best-selling models in the midsize sedan segment here. The latest model sold 2,200 units only a week after its official launch on Nov. 7.The overall exterior of the new SM5 represents the steady-seller’s futuristic and dynamic makeover. The car has fres

IndustryDec. 25, 2012

IBK eyes expansion with ‘Asian finance belt’

The Industrial Bank of Korea is seeking to tap into more Asian countries, as part of an overseas expansion beyond its current businesses in China and Vietnam.Its overseas expansion policy is part of the bank’s roadmap to set up the “IBK Finance Belt in East Asia” by 2015.It has a mid-term project of opening bank branches in three Asian countries ― India, Indonesia and Thailand ― in the coming years after initially opening liaison offices.In addition, IBK, which already operates bank branches in

Dec. 25, 2012

Rumors tip lighter, thinner Apple iPad

Apple is developing a thinner, lighter fifth-generation iPad sharing some design points with the recently released iPad Mini, a Japanese tech blog is reporting.The Macotakara site also said Apple‘s next iPad Mini would feature the high-resolution Retina display many had expected on the first version, CNET reported Monday.The rumored next full-size iPad is another case of the accelerated product life cycle Apple seems to be favoring; the fourth-generation model was released last month, just eight

TechnologyDec. 25, 2012

Imports of Japanese sake, beer surge: data

Imports of Japanese rice wine sake increased 70 percent this year to a record-breaking level, according to the Korea Customs Service on Monday.Imported beer to Korea also amounted to $68 million, surpassing total local beer exports for the first time, KCS officials said.In data on trade of major liquors unveiled by the agency, total imports of whiskey, wine, beer and sake recorded a total of 115 million liters in January-November, up 15.3 percent fromlast year.With sake being widely recognized b

IndustryDec. 24, 2012

Hyundai-Kia on road to world’s No. 4

Hyundai Motor, including its affiliate Kia Motors, is closely vying with Renault Group for fourth place in yearly global auto sales.While Hyundai-Kia ranked fifth in 2010 and 2011 in global vehicle sales, auto industry insiders raised the possibility on Monday that the Korean automotive group would overtake Renault-Nissan Alliance, the long-standing No. 4 player, this year.Their prediction is based on the sluggish sales of Paris-based Renault, which suffered a drop of about 20 percent in the wak

IndustryDec. 24, 2012