Hyosung vice chairman takes helm of 2025 APEC business council

HS Hyosung Vice Chairman Cho Hyun-sang has officially begun his role as the member and incoming chair of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) for 2025, Hyosung Group announced on Friday. Appointed the ABAC chair in August this year, Cho recently met with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun. On Thursday, he also met with Trade Minister Jeong In-kyo to discuss the ABAC's role and vision for next year’s APEC meeting, which will primarily take pl

Nov. 3, 2024

[Photo News] AI-driven growth

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won delivers his closing remarks during the 2024 CEO Seminar held at SKMS Research Institute in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Saturday. Some 30 top executives across SK companies participated in the three-day annual event. The SK chief stressed to spur growth centering on artificial intelligence amid the ongoing efforts for portfolio rebalancing and operational improvements. (SK Group)

Nov. 3, 2024

[Herald Interview] Lufthansa bets big on Korea’s growing cultural influence in Europe

Celebrating 40 years of direct flights between Korea and Germany, Lufthansa Group is intensifying its focus on Korea with tech-driven travel solutions and sustainability efforts. Earlier this year, the group launched direct services from Seoul to Zurich with SWISS and is continuing to explore opportunities to increase capacity in the Korean market. In a recent interview with The Korea Herald, Leandro Tonidandel, Lufthansa Group’s general manager for Korea, shared insights into how Korea&

Nov. 3, 2024

[Herald Interview] C&W eyes Seoul's robust demand for overseas commercial properties

Global commercial real estate services provider Cushman & Wakefield is looking to expand its Korean client pool for overseas deals, while riding on the wave of demand for properties in Seoul, according to its Korea and Japan chief. “Seoul is definitely in the tier one bucket, where we want to focus a lot of our investment, growth and make sure we continue to have a larger and a very strong platform,” Todd Olson, executive managing director of North Asia at Cushman & Wakefield

Nov. 2, 2024

Korea’s instant ramyeon exports cross $1b milestone

South Korea’s instant ramyeon exports have officially surpassed the $1 billion mark for the first time this year, reflecting surging global demand. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs reported on Friday that instant noodle exports from January to October reached an impressive $1.02 billion (1.4 trillion won), representing a 30 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Last year’s exports totaled $952 million, meaning this year's exports exceeded tha

Nov. 1, 2024

SK Innovation becomes Asia-Pacific's largest energy firm after merger

SK Innovation and SK E&S, both part of South Korea’s SK Group, officially completed their merger Friday, forming the largest privately owned integrated energy company in the Asia-Pacific region, with a combined asset value of 105 trillion won (around $76.1 billion). What does the merger mean for SK Innovation? With SK E&S now folded into SK Innovation, the newly merged company can tap into an expanded portfolio that includes oil, chemicals, liquefied natural gas, power generati

Nov. 1, 2024

Samsung’s Luxembourg-listed DRs to transfer to London Stock Exchange

Samsung Electronics’ depositary receipts listed in Luxembourg Stock Exchange are to transfer to the London Stock Exchange, according to the company’s filing on Friday. A depositary receipt is a financial security that allows investors to own shares in a foreign company without trading on a foreign market. The decision came upon the tech giant’s board of directors' decision to delist the DRs from Luxembourg, the filing showed. Based on Samsung Electronics' preferred sh

Nov. 1, 2024

Presidential office says Czech nuclear power project to proceed as planned

The presidential office said Thursday that a South Korean nuclear power plant project in the Czech Republic will proceed as planned despite a temporary hold placed by the Czech antitrust body. On Wednesday, news reports said the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition had imposed the hold in response to appeals filed by U.S. nuclear energy firm Westinghouse Electric Co. and French energy company Electricite de France. The news came as a South Korean consortium, led by Korea Hydro &

Oct. 31, 2024

Samsung vows to boost AI chip sales after earnings miss

Samsung Electronics said Thursday it will focus on producing high-value chips and is ready to supply the cutting-edge AI chips high in demand after announcing disappointing quarterly earnings. The company also hinted it is making strides to supply its cutting-edge HBM3E chips to Nvidia, which controls some 80 percent of the world's AI chips, and said it aims to mass produce the next HBM4 in the second half of next year. “There was a delay in commercializing HBM3E chips, but we have ma

Oct. 31, 2024

HD Hyundai Oilbank to launch rice lottery

HD Hyundai Oilbank, one of the nation’s top refiners, announced Thursday that its gas and charging stations will offer customers the chance to win instant rice made from freshly harvested grains. Starting Friday, customers who spend over 40,000 won ($29) at gas stations or more than 20,000 won at charging stations can enter a raffle. Only those with a Bonus Card -- a loyalty card that offers points and benefits -- are eligible. Winners will receive a bundle of three instant rice packs, mad

Oct. 31, 2024

LG’s transparent OLED TV makes Time's best inventions list

The world’s first wireless and transparent OLED TV and a premium built-in appliance introduced by LG Electronics have been selected among the 200 best inventions of the year by Time magazine. The transparent OLED TV, dubbed LG Signature OLED T, was included in the consumer electronics criteria, according to industry sources on Thursday. “The TV’s always-on-display feature can display ever-changing artwork, or you can turn it off to simply look like a pane of glass,” the m

Oct. 31, 2024

[Herald Interview] S. Korea sets example in forest conservation, says UN forest chief

Juliette Biao, director of the United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat, describes South Korea’s forest policy as a global model of successful reforestation and sustainable forest management, achieved through a balance of scientific methods and community-based efforts. “Korea’s forest policy is one of the great examples of success in conservation, reforestation, and sustainable management. Since the mid-20th century, the country has transformed degraded landscapes into well-

Oct. 31, 2024

[Photo News] Mercedes-KERI EV charging research

Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Mathias Vaitl (right) and Kim Nam-kyun, president of the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, pose for a photo during a signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding in Seoul on Tuesday, during which the two agreed to set up a joint research center on EV charging systems, called the Global Interoperability Test Center. “As the electric vehicle market continues to evolve, expanding charging infrastructure and creating a standardized testing environment ar

Oct. 30, 2024

Sibling leadership made official in Shinsegae Group revamp

South Korean retail giant Shinsegae Group on Wednesday announced a structural revamp dividing its flagship retail business into two companies, E-Mart and Shinsegae Department Store, making official the sibling leadership that for years has formed part of the founding family’s succession plan. In an executive reshuffle, Chung Yu-kyung, president and younger daughter of Chairwoman Lee Myung-hee, was promoted to chair to lead the department store business Shinsegae Inc. Her elder brother Chun

Oct. 30, 2024

Mobile carriers raise severance pay to slim down workforce

Mobile carriers are strengthening their severance packages to encourage early retirement amid efforts to renew their business portfolio and restructure stagnant workforce. Kicking off voluntary redundancy, KT Corp., the country's second-largest telecommunication company, recently raised the maximum severance pay for voluntary redundancy, from 330 million won ($238,000) to 430 million won. Earlier this month, the mobile carrier decided to establish two new affiliates, KT OSP and KT P&M,

Oct. 30, 2024

LG Innotek develops industry's first rare earth-free magnet

LG Innotek said Wednesday it has developed a high-performance eco-friendly magnet that eliminates the use of heavy rare earth elements. Heavy rare earth elements have been critical for magnets to retain their strength at high temperatures. However, these elements are predominantly sourced from specific countries like China, posing price volatility and supply instability risks, alongside significant environmental damage due to mining. Following its 2021 achievement of reducing rare earth usage by

Oct. 30, 2024

SK Networks teams up with Malaysia’s Sunway in AI push

SK Networks said Wednesday it has joined forces with Malaysia’s Sunway Group, a leading conglomerate in Southeast Asia with key interests in real estate and construction, to drive artificial intelligence innovation. Founded in 1974, Sunway is one of Malaysia’s top 20 conglomerates, operating in 13 sectors across 50 countries with a market capitalization exceeding 10 trillion won ($7.2 billion). Under the partnership, the two companies plan to collaborate in the AI sector across Kor

Oct. 30, 2024

AmCham, KITA host seminar on doing business in US

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea hosted a seminar on Tuesday in Seoul, partnering with the Korea International Trade Association to explore key business opportunities and challenges associated with expanding into the US market. Now in its sixth year, the annual seminar focused on providing essential insights and practical strategies for Korean companies aiming to establish or expand their presence in the US, with particular emphasis on US market trends and key implications of the 2024 U

Oct. 29, 2024

Seminar stresses arbitration's role in ending private equity disputes

Arbitration can be a powerful tool to resolve the rising number of disputes related to private equity investments, according to a seminar jointly hosted by leading law firms from South Korea and the US. Kim & Chang, South Korea’s leading law firm, and US law firm Debevoise & Plimpton LLP held a joint seminar on arbitrating private equity disputes in southern Seoul on Monday. The event kicked off with lawyer Jeffrey Sullivan from Debevoise & Plimpton LLP explaining how private e

Oct. 29, 2024

Hankook Tire uses carbon black for sustainable production

Hankook Tire announced on Tuesday that it has incorporated three types of carbon black, a byproduct of the combustion of various petroleum products, into tire production as part of its efforts to create a circular economy. Last year, Hankook Tire launched the Tire-to-Tire Circular Economy Model consortium together with HD Hyundai Oilbank and HD Hyundai OCI to upcycle waste tires and develop carbon black. HD Hyundai Oilbank sources recovered carbon and pyrolysis oil, or bio-oil, from end-of-life

Oct. 29, 2024