Hyundai, Kia secure financial edge with 'triple A' credit ratings

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia have paved the way for their future investment plans as they recently received triple 'A credit' ratings from the leading credit rating agencies in the world. Hyundai and Kia -- Hyundai Motor Group's two automakers -- stand as one of the only four auto brands worldwide to have all A credit ratings from Fitch, Moody's and Standard & Poor's along with Toyota, Honda and Mercedes-Benz. The Korean automakers said they plan to speed up the pus

Aug. 29, 2024

Korean Air ups commitment to newer, safer airplanes

Korean Air is significantly increasing its investment in a younger, safer and more passenger-friendly fleet, reflecting the carrier's commitment to enhancing its services and providing travelers a broader range of options. According to recent Transport Ministry data, the average age of Korean Air’s fleet is 11 years and four months, making it the youngest among the top five airlines in the country. This achievement is part of the airline's ongoing strategy to introduce new aircra

Aug. 28, 2024

APR's Medicube seeks bigger footing in US, Canada

South Korean beauty tech company APR, known for its Medicube brand, announced Wednesday that it has signed a supply agreement with The TJX Companies, a global retail giant operating nearly 5,000 stores across nine countries, including the United States and Canada. With this agreement, Medicube's popular skin care products and AGE-R beauty devices will now be available in TJX-owned stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls, both well-established names in the North American retail landscape. The prod

Aug. 28, 2024

[Photo News] OLED brings art to life

LG Electronics is bringing the late ink wash master Suh Se-ok’s iconic work, reimagined by his son, artist Suh Do-ho, to life on billboards across Seoul, Incheon, New York and London ahead of Frieze Seoul 2024. The four-day event, starting Oct. 4 at Coex in Gangnam, Seoul, will feature Suh’s 1978 work "Walker” displayed on LG’s transparent OLED display. The tech giant also on Tuesday announced a three-year partnership with the National Museum of Modern and Contempora

Aug. 27, 2024

[KH Explains] Regulatory scrutiny, investor unrest heighten pressure on Doosan’s restructuring

Doosan Group is under intense scrutiny as it struggles to win investor confidence in its proposed governance overhaul. This comes amid growing speculation that the plan could collapse due to discrepancies between the proposed share purchase warrant prices and the company’s current stock prices. The situation has been worsened by regulatory pressures and increasing dissatisfaction among investors, leading to a dip in the stock prices of several Doosan subsidiaries. On Aug.19, shares of Doos

Aug. 26, 2024

HD Hydrogen acquires fuel cell company Convion

HD Hydrogen, a recently established hydrogen fuel cell subsidiary of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, recently acquired Finnish fuel cell firm Convion at 72 million euros ($81 million), HD KSOE said Monday. Established in 2012, Convion specializes in manufacturing solid oxide fuel cells, or SOFC, and solid oxide electrolyzer cells, or SOEC, both of which are key technologies for hydrogen energy. According to HD KSOE, the intermediate holdings company under Korean shipbuilding co

Aug. 26, 2024

Homeplus achieves strong sales increase with summer promotion

South Korean discount chain Homeplus said Monday it saw a significant sales increase during it latest promotional event, which featured discounts on meat, vegetables and fruit, targeting peak demand in the summer vacation season. The event, which ran from July 25 to Aug. 11, resulted in growth across both physical stores and online. According to the company, sales at Homeplus' five major branches surged by over 50 percent, with some branches seeing sales increases of up to 90 percent. Meanw

Aug. 26, 2024

GI Innovation partners with MSD for new cancer drug combination

South Korean biotech company GI Innovation announced Monday a new partnership with Merck Sharp & Dohme, a subsidiary of pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., to test its drug GI-102 in combination with MSD’s anti-PD-1 therapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for treating patients with immunotherapy-resistant liver cancer, melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. This marks GI Innovation’s second collaboration with MSD, building on their earlier work for GI-101A. The trial will specifically t

Aug. 26, 2024

Celltrion gets European approval for Stelara biosimilar

South Korean biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion announced Monday that it has received the European Commission’s final approval for Steqeyma, a Stelara (ustekinumab) biosimilar used to treat various autoimmune conditions. Steqeyma, or CT-P43, has been approved for use in all indications of reference product Stelara, including plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and Crohn's disease, following recent approvals in Korea and Canada in June and July, respectively. According to market resear

Aug. 26, 2024

Samsung, LG to unveil new AI-powered home appliances at IFA 2024 in Berlin

South Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. are planning to showcase various new artificial intelligence-powered home appliances at the IFA 2024 home electronics show in Berlin next month, industry sources said Sunday. Samsung will present a range of products, including the Bespoke AI Combo, an all-in-one washer-dryer; the Bespoke AI Family Hub, a premium refrigerator product; and the Bespoke AI Steam, a new robot vacuum cleaner product. The company will also showcas

Aug. 25, 2024

Hanwha Aerospace opens 1st overseas plant in Australia

Hanwha Aerospace announced Friday that it has completed the construction of the Hanwha Armored Vehicle Centre of Excellence, or H-ACE in Geelong, Australia, signifying the first overseas production foothold for a Korean defense company. “This facility represents Hanwha's commitment to Geelong, Victoria and Australia, demonstrating that the company is focused on the future of programs in this region, including howitzers, vehicles and other technological advancements beyond our current

Aug. 23, 2024

Sung Kim to receive US diplomatic award

Sung Kim, a former United States ambassador to South Korea and currently an adviser for Hyundai Motor Group, has been chosen as this year’s recipient of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy’s George F. Kennan Award for Distinguished Public Service, the Korean auto conglomerate said Friday. The NCAFP, which was established in 1974 as a think tank for supporting the US government’s diplomatic and foreign policies, underscored that Kim has built an outstanding diploma

Aug. 23, 2024

Nexon founder's family sells W670b stakes to settle tax burden

The family of Nexon's late founder, Kim Jung-ju, has sold a significant portion of their shares in the company's holding firm, NXC, to help cover the hefty inheritance taxes following his death. On Monday, NXC announced it had bought back shares from Kim’s widow, Yoo Jeong-hyun, who chairs NXC’s board, and their two children. The family sold a total of 125,288 shares -- 649.9 billion won worth (approximately $488 million). Additionally, NXC purchased 3,122 shares in Wisekid

Aug. 20, 2024

Amorepacific's Hera debuts in Thailand

South Korean cosmetic giant Amorepacific announced Tuesday that its high-end beauty brand Hera has entered the Thai market. Hera opened its first store in Central Chidlom, a stylish 7-story department store in Bangkok, earlier this month. Over 200 guests, including media representatives and influencers, were invited to celebrate the debut at an event that also introduced the brand’s signature makeup and beauty routines. Alongside the store opening, Hera hosted a pop-up event at Central Chi

Aug. 20, 2024

Daewoo E&C builds good management-labor relationship

Daewoo Engineering & Construction and its labor union have joined hands in the effort to create positive, amicable workplace culture for all workers and break through market challenges together. According to the South Korean builder on Tuesday, the management and union reached an agreement earlier this month to reform the company's personnel management systems. The plan includes simplifying the ranking system and upgrading personnel evaluation and wage schemes. They also completed this

Aug. 20, 2024

Honeywell taps strategy expert to lead Korean office

Honeywell, a multinational integrated operating conglomerate, on Monday announced that it has appointed Dean Park as the head of its Korean office as it looks to bolster growth here. According to Honeywell, Park will oversee the delivery of tailored products and solutions designed to meet the local needs of Korea’s key industries that align with the three megatrends -- automation, the future of aviation and energy transition -- shaping Honeywell’s portfolio. The new Korea chief will

Aug. 19, 2024

Celltrion eyes top 5 drug maker by 2030

South Korean biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion Pharm unveiled Monday a new vision to become one of South Korea’s top five pharmaceutical companies by 2023. Under Vision 2030, Celltrion Pharm said the company aims to make a quantum leap by enhancing its core business strengths and implementing differentiated growth strategies across its manufacturing, research and sales divisions. Celltrion plans to boost production at its Cheongju plant, which holds Good Manufacturing Practice certification

Aug. 19, 2024

Hyundai AutoEver leads security infrastructures projects in Africa

Hyundai AutoEver, Hyundai Motor Group’s software subsidiary, has scored a series of orders to build public security infrastructures in developing African nations: Angola and Mozambique. According to information and communications technology industry sources on Sunday, Hyundai AutoEver signed an 89 billion won ($65.7 million) contract with Angola for a security enhancement project in June this year. For the project, Hyundai AutoEver will set up a system similar to the Korean National Police

Aug. 18, 2024

PUBG maker Krafton posts record half-year earnings

Krafton posted record earnings for the first half of this year on the strong output from its popular battle royale shooter PUBG: Battlegrounds, the Korean game developer announced Monday. According to the announcement, Krafton logged 1.37 trillion won ($1 billion) in revenue and 642.6 billion won in operating profit in the January-to-June period this year, up 48.3 percent and 55 percent on year, respectively. For the second quarter alone, the game developer reported 707 billion won in revenue an

Aug. 12, 2024

NCSoft shakes up overseas leadership to spur growth

NCSoft announced new leadership appointments at its global offices Monday, as the Korean gaming giant looks to foster new growth and bolster global businesses. NCSoft has appointed Jin Jeong-hee, former head of Pearl Abyss America, as the new CEO of NC America. Pearl Abyss, a Korean game developer, is best known for its popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game franchise Black Desert. With over 15 years of leadership experience at global gaming companies including the US offices of

Aug. 12, 2024