Average monthly wage climbs to W3.2m in 2020

SEJONG -- The average monthly salary for Korean employees climbed to 3.2 million won ($2,680) as of 2020 on the back of drastic hikes in the statutory minimum wage between 2018 and 2020, state data showed Monday. According to Statistics Korea, the average monthly wage for salaried workers rose by 430,000 won, or 15.5 percent, in just four years -- from 2.77 million won in 2016. During the period of 2016-2020, the minimum wage per hour surged by 42.4 percent from 6,030 won to 8,590 won, with th

EconomyFeb. 21, 2022

Seoul stocks end nearly flat amid hopes of US-Russia summit over Ukraine

South Korean stocks closed almost unchanged Monday after paring most of its earlier heavy losses due to hopes of a summit between the United States and Russia over the Ukraine crisis. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) slipped 0.72 points, or 0.03 percent, to close at 2,743.8 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 484 million shares worth some 7.8 trillion won ($6.5 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 430 to 399. Instit

MarketFeb. 21, 2022

British fashion brand unveils bags inspired by South Korean anime series ‘Run Hany’

British fashion label JW Anderson has unveiled new bags inspired by South Korean anime series “Run Hany.” The accessories, which appear to be a collaboration project as part of the brand’s new season collection, come in at least three colors -- blue, orange and white -- according to a recent post on Instagram. In another photo, one bag has a picture of the face of the series’ main character Hany, along with the JW logo in orange. “Not long till the show,” t

ConsumerFeb. 21, 2022

South Korean medalists to get chicken ‘pension’

South Korean medalists have shown excitement at not only winning medals, but also free chicken for the rest of their lives. The so-called “chicken pension” is backed by Yoon Hong-geun, CEO of Korea’s fried chicken franchise Genesis BBQ, and also the chief of South Korea’s athletic mission at the Beijing Olympic Games. Yoon promised to give free chicken for the country’s short track speedskating medalists Hwang Dae-heon and Choi Min-jeong at their requests. &ldquo

ConsumerFeb. 21, 2022

[KH Explains] Why is the auto industry still short on chips?

For automakers in Korea, there is no sign the prolonged automotive semiconductor shortage will abate this year. Those who have purchased a new Genesis, for instance, have been notified that the car will take six to 12 months to be delivered –- if they are lucky. GM Korea’s second Buypeong plant in Incheon cut production volume by half earlier this month. And according to the market, this delay in car production due to the chip shortage may continue in the next year or even the year

MobilityFeb. 21, 2022

Posco to launch holding firm in March

Posco Group said Monday that it will launch a new holding firm in March with an aim to improve the sustainability of its core steelmaking business amid the global transition to a low-carbon economy. Following shareholders’ approval of the holding company structure plans, the group will be split off into two entities -- Posco Holdings, the new holding company, and Posco, the steelmaking unit wholly owned by the holding firm. The holding company will nurture new growth engine businesses a

IndustryFeb. 21, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘Korea needs financial backing to become pharmaceutical powerhouse’

The year 2021 was monumental for South Korea’s pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries, as they set a number of records. The country rolled out four new drugs, the most in a year since the first domestically-developed new drug came to light in 1999. Companies also licensed out technologies worth 13 trillion won ($10.9 billion) and exported drugs worth over 10 trillion won. Big firms such as Samsung Biologics, SK bioscience and Celltrion are taking the lead in making the country&r

IndustryFeb. 21, 2022

SK chief assumes chairman role at SK Telecom

SK Group said Monday Chairman Chey Tae-won will assume the chairman title of its telecom unit SK Telecom to boost the group’s burgeoning artificial intelligence business. SK said the chairman will play a supporting role as he serves as an unregistered director on the board rather than participating in the daily operations directly. Chey has served as the chairman of SK Inc., the holding unit, as a board member, while taking the chairman post of SK Innovation, the chemicals and energy u

TechnologyFeb. 21, 2022

Korea Shipbuilding wins LNG carrier worth W260b

Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. (KSOE) said Monday it has received an order for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier worth 260 billion won ($217 million). A 174,000-cubit meter LNG carrier will be constructed by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co. in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, and will be delivered to an unidentified client in the second half of 2024, the company said. Korea Shipbuilding has won 37 ship orders so far this year, valued at a combined $4.37 billion, accomplis

IndustryFeb. 21, 2022

Foreign currency deposits dip for 2nd month in Jan.

Foreign currency deposits at banks in South Korea dropped for the second straight month in January due mainly to decreased corporate deposits, central bank data showed Monday. Residents' outstanding foreign currency-denominated deposits reached $93.17 billion as of end-January, down $4.1 billion from the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). It represents the second consecutive month of on-month decline. In December, the country's foreign currency deposits decreased

MarketFeb. 21, 2022

LG Energy Solution hires Nvidia data scientist as chief digital officer

LG Energy Solution said Monday it has appointed Pyun Kyung-suk, a data scientist from Nvidia, as the new chief digital officer to lead the digital transformation of the South Korean battery giant. Before joining LG Energy Solution, Pyun was one of the five principal data scientists at Nvidia. He has over 20 years of expertise in machine learning, according to the company. “As our new CDO, Pyun will be tasked with the digital transformation of LG Energy Solution’s global battery

IndustryFeb. 21, 2022

S. Korean telcos to take part in MWC 2022 next week amid virus fears

South Korea's three major mobile carriers said Monday they will participate in the upcoming mobile technology trade fair in Spain to showcase their latest technologies despite growing coronavirus woes. The three telecommunication companies -- SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. -- said their respective CEOs will participate in the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022, set to take place from Feb. 28 to March 3 in Barcelona. The MWC is one of the top three tech events in the world, along with

IndustryFeb. 21, 2022

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance net soars 42.5% in 2021

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co. said Monday its earnings soared more than 42 percent in 2021 from a year earlier on the car insurance division's switch to profit. Net income came to 1.09 trillion won ($910 million) last year, up 42.5 percent from a year earlier, the leading non-life insurer said in a regulatory filing. Operating income stood at 1.55 trillion won, up 36.9 percent from a year earlier, with sales edging up 1.9 percent to 19.65 trillion won. Samsung Fire & Marine Insuran

IndustryFeb. 21, 2022

Seoul stocks open sharply lower on Ukraine risk

South Korean stocks opened sharply lower Monday, as investors took to the sidelines over the Ukraine risk, which stemmed from concerns about Moscow's potential invasion of Ukraine. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) lost 43.15 points, or 1.57 percent, to 2,701.37 points as of 9:18 a.m. Most large caps traded lower in Seoul due to foreign and institutional sell-offs, with tech and chemical sectors leading the KOSPI's retreat. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics decreased 2.

MarketFeb. 21, 2022

S. Korea to hold annual meetings with Moody's this week

South Korea will hold its annual consultation meetings with global rating agency Moody's Investors Service this week over the country's economic conditions, Seoul's finance ministry said Monday. The Moody's credit rating team, led by Gene Fang, associate managing director of the agency, will hold a series of meetings with the finance ministry, the central bank and other agencies starting Monday through Feb. 28. During the meetings, the two sides will discuss the country's recent economic situati

EconomyFeb. 21, 2022

Exports rise 13% in first 20 days of Feb.

South Korea's exports grew 13.1 percent on-year in the first 20 days of February on the back of demand for chips and petroleum products, customs data showed Monday. The country's outbound shipments stood at $34.30 billion in the Feb. 1-20 period, compared with $30.34 billion a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service. Imports rose 12.9 percent on-year to $35.98 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of $1.68 billion during the cited period, the data showed. By sector, ou

EconomyFeb. 21, 2022

Probe expands into workplace accidents amid confusion over new rules

Authorities are widening investigations into a series of severe workplace accidents under a new industrial safety law, with businesses on high alert for its impact across industries. According to the Labor Ministry Sunday, authorities have launched probes into a total of six cases, involving 11 deaths, since the law took effect on Jan. 27. Many of the accidents occurred at construction sites. Three died in a landslide accident at Sampyo Industry’s quarry in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province on

IndustryFeb. 20, 2022

[Newsmaker] aT CEO at vanguard of global green food campaign

Going green is not just about having more electric vehicles or shutting down old factories powered by fossil fuels, says the head of South Korea’s food distribution and export promotion agency, but also extending that eco-friendly thinking to the table. Not just reducing food waste but also choosing to eat more local production would make a greater impact on the Earth, said Kim Choon-jin, president of Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. Kim and his agency have been taking an ini

ConsumerFeb. 20, 2022

CEOs call on next government to offer tax incentives for growth

Business leaders here called on the next government to raise tax revenue by boosting the economy rather than seeking tax hikes on businesses, according to a survey by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry released Sunday. Of the 252 CEOs surveyed, 70 percent said economic growth should be prioritized for the next government to revamp the nation’s taxation policy, calling for more tax incentives for businesses. The CEOs urged to reduce corporate taxes overall, expand support for st

IndustryFeb. 20, 2022

South Korea’s fiscal deficit tops W100tr as spending surged amid COVID-19

South Korea’s fiscal deficit reached over 100 trillion won ($83 billion), while national debt logged a deficit of 240 trillion won, as the country was bogged down by COVID-19 woes in the past two years, data from the Finance Ministry showed Sunday. With an additional 70 trillion won in fiscal deficit and 100 trillion won of national debt projected to be added this year, based on the size of the supplementary budget currently being discussed by officials and lawmakers, onlookers are expre

EconomyFeb. 20, 2022