KT&G pledges to up shareholder returns

South Korea's top tobacco company KT&G unveiled a new program designed to enhance its corporate value, primarily focused on increasing shareholder returns, Monday. The program centers on improving profitability, optimizing asset efficiency and streamlining financial operations to reach a return-on-equity target of 15 percent by 2027. To drive profitability, KT&G will focus on its three core business areas: overseas cigarette sales, next-generation products and healthy functional foo

Nov. 11, 2024

Chubby banana milk bottle eyes national heritage listing

For over half a century, yellow banana-flavored milk has held a special place in Korean culture, gracing supermarket shelves as a nostalgic favorite across generations. Now, its maker, Binggrae Co., aims to elevate the beloved drink’s status even further. The Korean dairy maker said Sunday that it is launching an effort to have the chubby shape of its top-selling drink’s bottle included on the state-registered cultural heritage list. It is currently gathering data to apply for elig

Nov. 10, 2024

Top court to review SK chief’s $1b divorce settlement

South Korea’s Supreme Court has decided to review SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won’s bid to overturn the country's most expensive divorce suit, opening up the possibility for the head of the nation’s second-largest conglomerate to reduce the size of the settlement. On Saturday, the justices accepted the appeal by Chey who was ordered by the Seoul High Court in May to pay his estranged wife Roh Soh-yeong 1.38 trillion won ($1 billion), or 35 percent of their common wealth, in

Nov. 8, 2024

Celltrion hits record Q3 sales

South Korean biopharmaceutical company Celltrion said Friday it achieved record revenue in the third quarter, driven largely by increased global prescriptions of its flagship biosimilar products. According to a regulatory filing, Celltrion posted consolidated sales of 881.9 billion won ($645.7 million) for the quarter, a 31.2 percent increase from the same period last year. Operating profit totaled 207.7 billion won, with an operating margin of 23.6 percent. In particular, cumulative sales for t

Nov. 8, 2024

PUBG powers Krafton to record Q3 earnings

Krafton, the South Korean gaming giant behind the popular title PUBG: Battlegrounds, on Thursday posted record-breaking financial results for the third quarter of 2024, fueled by strong demand for its flagship game and ongoing investments in artificial intelligence. The company reported third-quarter revenue of 719.3 billion won ($516.18 million) and an operating profit of 324.4 billion won, reflecting year-over-year increases of 59.7 percent and 71.4 percent, respectively. This strong performan

Nov. 7, 2024

aT wins top consumer award for cost reductions, price transparency

The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp., known as aT, announced on Thursday that it has been recognized by the Korea Consumer Association for its excellence in consumer-friendly administration. aT, a government agency responsible for promoting the trade, export and marketing of Korean foods and beverages worldwide, received this year's Korea Consumer Award for its initiatives aimed at reducing costs for consumers. These initiatives include a discount program for domestically produce

Nov. 7, 2024

Kumyang works to win back investor trust

South Korean battery-maker Kumyang unveiled the world’s first 4695 cylindrical battery cell, which the company claimed to have greater capacity than Tesla's 4680 battery, at InterBattery 2024 at Coex in Seoul in March this year. Oxford Metrica, a UK-based global advisory firm, recently analyzed that 600 Kumyang 4695 cells can generate 75 kilowatt-hours of energy to offer about 600 kilometers in driving distance, whereas the same number of Tesla 4680 cells would create about 52 kWh to

Nov. 6, 2024

Renault Korea CEO awarded Industrial Service Medal

Renault Korea CEO Stephane Deblaise has been awarded the Industrial Service Medal from the Korean government in recognition of his leadership in successfully launching the Grand Koleos, the French automaker's new sports utility vehicle codenamed Aurora 1. According to Renault Korea on Wednesday, Deblaise was selected as the recipient of the national award during the 2024 Foreign Company Day hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas the p

Nov. 6, 2024

Posco discusses future strategies at tech forum

South Korean steel giant Posco Group on Wednesday held the 2024 Posco Group Tech Forum, an annual event dedicated to sharing advancements in the core technologies of the group’s key businesses and discussing future directions. Now in its 36th year, the event was held offline in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, for the first time in five years following disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s forum focused on deepening understanding of the group’s core technol

Nov. 6, 2024

Daewoo E&C seeks bigger footing in US property market

South Korean builder Daewoo Engineering & Construction said Wednesday a delegation of its executives recently visited the US to meet with private equity firms and developers as part of its efforts to expand its real estate development operations in the country. The delegation, which included Vice Chairman Chung Jin-haeng, Jung Jung-gil, director of the North America Development Department, and other company officials, visited Chicago and New York last week to explore potential partnerships w

Nov. 6, 2024

KT to cancel W1tr of stocks by 2028 for corporate value

KT Corp., a major South Korean mobile carrier, said Tuesday it will cancel 1 trillion won ($726 million) worth of treasury shares by 2028 as part of its efforts to enhance its corporate value. Under the "value-up program," KT will focus on improving profitability and evolving into a comprehensive artificial intelligence and information technology company, the company said in a statement. KT aims to achieve a 9 to 10 percent return on equity by 2028 by restructuring low-growth businesse

Nov. 5, 2024

Hyundai E&C wins contract for Bulgaria's nuclear project

Hyundai Engineering & Construction said Tuesday it has signed a design and planning contract with Bulgaria's state energy agency for the new construction of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant in the region, in partnership with US-based builder Westinghouse. The signing took place at the Council of Ministers building in Sofia, Bulgaria, Monday, attended by key officials including Hyundai E&C President Yoon Young-joon, Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, Energy Minister Vladimir

Nov. 5, 2024

Daewoo E&C names new CEO

South Korean builder Daewoo Engineering & Construction announced Tuesday that Kim Bo-hyun, the current executive vice president, is set to take on the role of CEO at the upcoming board meeting scheduled for December. Kim, born in 1966, is a retired South Korean Air Force brigadier general and former fighter pilot. He joined Daewoo in 2021 as the head of the acquisition team during Jungheung Group’s takeover of the company. After a year as an adviser, he took on the role of executive vi

Nov. 5, 2024

Hyosung hits W1tr in power equipment orders in Europe

Hyosung Heavy Industries said Monday it has signed a contract with Denmark's leading offshore wind company, Orsted, to supply high-voltage electrical equipment, further strengthening its presence in the European transformer market. Under this agreement, Hyosung will deliver 400 kilovolts of high-voltage transformers and reactors to Orsted by 2027, which will be used for the Hornsea 4 project, an offshore wind farm planned for 2.4-gigawatt capacity off the coast of Yorkshire in northern Engl

Nov. 4, 2024

SPC shares business know-how with Mongolian delegation

South Korean bakery giant SPC Group said Monday that it has shared its overseas business know-how and advanced baking techniques with a delegation of Mongolian government and business officials during their stay in Seoul. The delegation of some 10 people visited SPC’s premium bakery cafe, Passion5, in Itaewon, central Seoul, on Friday, during which they were given an in-depth overview of SPC’s overseas strategy and expansion plans. The company said it shared essential strategies it a

Nov. 4, 2024

Korean startups seek global talent through D.Camp’s new internship initiative

D.Camp, one of South Korea’s largest startup incubators, held a networking event on Friday to connect international students with internship positions at local startups. The event, hosted at D.Camp’s Front1 facility in Seoul’s Mapo-gu district, brought together representatives from 13 startups and dozens of international students who had applied to these companies in hopes of securing an internship over the winter break. The event is part of a new initiative launched by D.Camp

Nov. 3, 2024

SPC to open halal-certified bakery plant in Malaysia

South Korean bakery giant SPC Group announced Friday that construction of a halal-certified bakery factory in Malaysia is set to be completed by year-end, as it aims to expand the reach of its flagship brand Paris Baguette across Southeast Asia and into the Middle East. Ahead of the plant’s opening in Johor Bahru, SPC Group President Hur Jin-soo met with Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi in Seoul on Monday to discuss potential collaborations, including local ingredient sourcing and jo

Nov. 1, 2024

KNOC inks 4 mln-barrel oil storage agreement with Kuwait

South Korea's state-run oil company said Thursday it has signed an agreement with Kuwait Petroleum Corporation to store 4 million barrels of oil from the Middle Eastern country that can be accessed in case of a global energy crisis, adding to Seoul's efforts to secure a stable supply of energy sources. Under the agreement, the Korea National Oil Corp. (KNOC) will store the barrels in the southeastern industrial city of Ulsan, where they can be supplied domestically when needed. "A

Oct. 31, 2024

Amorepacific Q3 earnings more than double on overseas sales

South Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific said Thursday that its third-quarter operating profits nearly doubled, driven by strong overseas sales and improved operational efficiency in the domestic market. According to a regulatory filing, Amorepacific posted revenue of 1.07 trillion won ($775 million) and an operating profit of 75 billion won in the third quarter of 2024, up 11 percent and 160 percent, respectively, year-over-year. The company attributed this growth largely to its global rebal

Oct. 31, 2024

Posco International unveils new brand identity in global push

Posco International, the trading and energy arm of Posco Group, unveiled its first brand identity Thursday, presenting a new vision under the tagline, “We Find Answers Planet Wide.” The new identity reflects Posco International’s mission to seize the lead across diverse sectors, including steel, energy, food and emerging industries, while contributing to sustainable growth, CEO Lee Kye-in explained at the brand launch event, where he outlined the company’s ambitions for g

Oct. 31, 2024