Hana’s Travlog currency exchange service hits 5m users

Hana Financial Group announced Tuesday that its mobile currency exchange service, Travlog, has surpassed over 5 million subscribers, with the total amount exchanged exceeding 1.9 trillion won ($1.39 billion). Launched in July 2022, Travlog is a digital service that allows users to exchange currency at any time without time constraints, eliminating the need for physical currency exchange during overseas travel. The service offers a range of benefits, including favorable exchange rates for 41 di

IndustryJune 4, 2024

[KH Explains] Has South Korea really struck oil?

The South Korean government is making headlines with claims of potentially substantial oil and natural gas reserves discovered off its southeastern coast, near Pohang's Yeongil Bay. If confirmed, this discovery could elevate Korea’s status as an oil-producing nation. However, transitioning from finding these reserves to harnessing them is a complex journey. Here, we address the key questions surrounding this development.   What is the basis of the government's claim? In February 2023,

EconomyJune 4, 2024

[Bio USA] Samsung Biologics unveils new CDO platform

SAN DIEGO -- Leading contract development and manufacturing organization Samsung Biologics has introduced a new contract development platform with a customized strategy to enhance its competitive edge in the market. At the 2024 Bio International Convention's opening event on Monday, Samsung Biologics introduced S-Tensify, its new platform designed to support the development of high-concentration biopharmaceuticals through advanced culture technology. "Sixth year into the CDO business,

IndustryJune 4, 2024

S. Korea to extend tax reduction for imported fruits, food materials

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said Tuesday the government will extend tariff reduction on fruit imports and introduce the lower-tariff scheme for food materials in an effort to curb inflation. The government has applied the tax reduction through the tariff-rate quota on imports of 28 kinds of fruits, including bananas, pineapples, mangoes and cherries, which was supposed to end by end-June. But it decided to extend the measure through the end of 2024, Choi said, presiding over a prices-related

EconomyJune 4, 2024

Seoul shares open lower on profit taking, mixed US stock results

South Korean stocked opened weaker Tuesday as investors took profit from strong gains the previous session and on mixed overnight results on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index slid 6.06 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,676.46 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, Wall Street shares finished mixed amid the latest economic indicators showing a slowing of the US economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3 percent while the Nasdaq composite gained 0.6 percent a

MarketJune 4, 2024

Oil, gas stocks skyrocket on massive drilling prospects

Stock prices of oil- and gas-related companies spiked Monday, following President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval for exploratory drilling of potentially massive reserves of natural resources off the country's southeastern coast. Out of 10 stocks that hit upper price limits on Monday, seven were related to oil and gas. The benchmark Kospi was up 1.74 percent from the previous day. Shares of the state-run Korea Gas Corp. surged by 29.9 percent to close at 38,600 won ($28). Other shares in the

MarketJune 3, 2024

Korean Air CEO expects US to approve Asiana merger by October

Korean Air Chairman and CEO Walter Cho said Sunday that he expects US approval of the planned merger with Asiana Airlines to come by the end of October. “We expect full approval by the end of October this year,” Cho said in an interview with Bloomberg in Dubai, Sunday. He stressed “no further concessions,” saying “We have done everything the US and EU have requested us to do.” His comments come as the US is the last of 14 jurisdictions in which Korean Air need

IndustryJune 3, 2024

MBK starts sell-off talks for Homeplus Express

Asia's largest private equity firm MBK Partners is to push for the sale of Homeplus Express, a supermarket unit of Homeplus, according to industry officials Monday. The firm has kicked off the process by selecting Morgan Stanley as the sales manager for the deal. The details of the sales plan have not been released yet. Though the market had projected that the equity house would be eyeing an exit on Homeplus soon, the sales plan has been limited to its unit Homeplus Express for the time bei

IndustryJune 3, 2024

Seoul shares jump over 1.7% on US inflation, strong data

South Korean stocks rallied by more than 1.7 percent Monday as investors' sentiment was boosted by favorable economic data that could lead to a rate cut in the United States. The local currency rose sharply against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 46 points, or 1.74 percent, to close at 2,682.52, ending in positive territory for the second consecutive session. Trade volume was heavy at 768.6 million shares worth 13.8 trillion won ($10 billion), with gainer

MarketJune 3, 2024

Toss Bank outpaces bigger rivals in workers' pay

Internet-only lender Toss Bank led the local banking industry by paying its employees the highest salaries last year, surpassing even the nation's top five commercial banks. According to recent management disclosure reports from the Korea Federation of Banks, Toss Bank, operated by financial technology company Viva Republica, boasted an average annual salary of 126.2 million won ($92,000) for employees in 2023, a notable 11.5 percent increase from the previous year's 113.14 million won

IndustryJune 3, 2024

Samsung out to reclaim foldable crown

Competition in the growing foldable smartphone market is set to get fiercer. Samsung Electronics is out to regain market leadership with a new foldable phone series next month, while Chinese rivals are trying to catch up with the Korean tech giant’s market dominance in the sector. Lenovo-owned Motorola has reportedly passed the Chinese government’s certification and is expected to roll out its new flagship foldable phone, Razr 50 Ultra, within the next month, according to industry so

TechnologyJune 3, 2024

Korea bets big on gas, oil prospects in East Sea

South Korea has approved a large-scale project to carry out exploration drilling of potentially massive gas and oil reserves, which could hold up to 14 billion barrels of gas and oil in the deep sea off the country’s southeastern coast, President Yoon Suk Yeol announced Monday. Yoon highlighted that the maximum amount of buried gas and oil would be enough for the country to use for 29 years and four years, respectively. He said the government entrusted Act-Geo, a top global deep-sea techno

IndustryJune 3, 2024

Chey apologizes for 'public concern' after massive divorce settlement

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won issued an apology on Monday after his high-profile divorce settlement ruling -- ordering him to pay a record 1.38 trillion won ($1 billion) to his ex-wife -- raised concerns for the company's employees and stakeholders. Taking part in an extraordinary meeting held by the SK Supex Council, the conglomerate's top decision-making body, Chey also vowed to do his best to make sure his personal affairs do not have negative impacts on the company’s busines

IndustryJune 3, 2024

[KH Explains] Korea yet to welcome spot crypto ETFs

While the US Securities and Exchange Commission made another move to embrace cryptocurrency by approving exchange-traded funds tied to the price of ether, the most famous crypto after bitcoin, spot cryptocurrency ETFs remain out of reach for South Korean investors. On May 23, the US SEC gave the green light for eight spot ether ETFs, potentially paving the way for the funds to begin trading later this year. The decision came four months after its landmark approval on spot bitcoin ETFs. For Korea

MarketJune 3, 2024

[KH Explains] Hyundai eyes IPO to leverage presence in India

Hyundai Motor Group is aiming to list its Indian subsidiary, Hyundai Motor India, in the coming months, raising up to $3 billion in a landmark initial public offering, according to industry sources Monday. HMI reportedly plans to file for the IPO in June, with Kotak and Morgan Stanley newly joining the syndicate as the deal advisers. If successful, it could surpass the $2.5 billion raised by the Life Insurance Corporation of India in 2022, potentially setting a new record in the Indian stock mar

MobilityJune 3, 2024

Hyundai rally team wins third WRC race in Italy

Hyundai Motor Co. said Monday it clinched its third consecutive victory of the 2024 World Rally Championship season on Sunday at the Rally Italia Sardegna. The Hyundai World Rally Team secured a win in the sixth round of the 2024 WRC season on the Italian island of Sardinia, held from Thursday to Sunday. Rally Italia Sardegna, known for its challenging narrow and rough roads and sweltering early summer weather, is considered one of the toughest events in the WRC calendar. Hyundai's Ott Tana

MobilityJune 3, 2024

Daesang to ramp up kimchi production in Vietnam

South Korea's food maker Daesang announced Monday the expansion of its manufacturing plant in Vietnam with an investment of approximately 30 billion won ($21.8 million). Vietnam is a key market for Daesang's global business. Fueled by the K-food wave, Daesang’s food and materials sales exceeded 200 billion won last year. In line with this success, Daesang’s subsidiaries, Daesang Vietnam and Daesang Duc Viet, have each completed their second factories in Hai Duong Province a

IndustryJune 3, 2024

Korea Ginseng's fermented red ginseng boosts immunity

Korea Ginseng, a ginseng brand of Korean health product and cosmetics retailer DAV International, has introduced red ginseng products to combat exhaustion and weakened immunity due to recent temperature fluctuations. Red ginseng is renowned for its immune-boosting properties, particularly its antioxidant and blood flow benefits. These benefits are largely attributed to saponins, compounds found in ginseng that help defend against external factors such as viral infections. Specifically, ginsenosi

IndustryJune 3, 2024

Govt. to extend tax incentives, tailored support for SMEs' scale-up

The government will extend greater tax benefits and tailored support to smaller companies to help them become second-tier midsized firms in an effort to create quality jobs and spur growth momentum, the finance ministry said Monday. A set of such supportive measures were presented during an economic ministers' meeting presided over by Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, which also called for extending an additional 7 trillion won ($5.07 billion) of funding to exporters. "A smaller number o

EconomyJune 3, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on rate-cut hopes

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Monday as moderate US inflation raised hopes for a possible rate cut by the Federal Reserve. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 33.76 points, or 1.28 percent, to 2,670.28 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The US personal consumption expenditures price index, excluding food and energy costs, increased 0.2 percent in April, meeting market expectations. The PCE index is one of the key barometers for the US central bank to set its ton

MarketJune 3, 2024