Seoul shares end nearly flat amid bargain hunting

Seoul shares closed nearly flat Friday as investors' bargain hunting limited declines amid lingering uncertainties, including a possible slowdown in US rate cuts. The local currency gained against the US dollar, trading at the 1,300 won level as of 3:30 p.m. for the first time in four days. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index edged down 2 points, or 0.08 percent, to close at 2,416.86. The main index briefly fell below the psychologically significant 2,400 level at one point. Tra

Nov. 15, 2024

Hyundai Motor appoints 1st foreign CEO

Hyundai Motor Group appointed Jose Munoz, global chief operating officer at Hyundai Motor Co., as the next CEO of the auto brand on Friday, marking the conglomerate’s first-ever appointment of a foreign leader. The appointment is to take effect on Jan. 1. Munoz, a native of Spain and a US citizen, joined the Korean automaker in 2019 and has served as president and global COO of Hyundai Motor Co. as well as president of Hyundai and Genesis Motor North America. “Through strengthening d

Nov. 15, 2024

Hyundai donates EVs to support UN hunger relief with sustainable transport

Hyundai Motor Group has donated eight Ioniq 5 electric vehicles to the United Nations World Food Programme to support its humanitarian missions with cleaner, more sustainable transportation, the automaker said Friday. As the world’s largest hunger-relief organization, WFP is at the forefront of efforts to end food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly in areas affected by conflict and extreme poverty. Through this partnership, Hyundai and WFP aim to make humanitarian aid efforts more e

Nov. 15, 2024

Hanwha chief appointed to lead defense affiliate

Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn has taken a top position at the conglomerate’s main defense affiliate, Hanwha Aerospace, to ramp up the firm’s global expansion. According to Hanwha Aerospace’s quarterly report released on Thursday, Kim has been appointed as the defense firm's chairman. With the newly given title, the Hanwha Group head now has five chair positions, at Hanwha Corporation, Hanwha Solutions, Hanwha Systems, Hanwha Vision and Hanwha Aerospace. “Chair

Nov. 15, 2024

Economy continues on 'gradual' recovery path, yet uncertainties linger: finance ministry

The South Korean economy is gradually recovering, supported by stabilizing prices, but uncertainties remain both at home and abroad, the finance ministry said Friday. The ministry made the assessment in its monthly economic report, the Green Book, highlighting plans to promote a road map for strengthening the sustainability of the country's economy. "Our economy is seeing a gradual recovery amid stabilizing prices, but uncertainties persist due to changing conditions at home and abroad

Nov. 15, 2024

S. Korean trade minister discusses supply chain at APEC CEO summit in Peru

Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo attended an economic event for business executives at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru, where he exchanged views on the global supply chain with other participants, his office said Friday. In the event held Wednesday, Cheong also highlighted that his country sought to gain insights from Peru about preparing for the annual summit of 21 global leaders as Seoul is set to host the 2025 APEC summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. During his vis

Nov. 15, 2024

Supermarkets in central Seoul to change mandatory closure day to Wednesday

The mandatory closing day for large supermarkets in a major tourist district in Seoul will be changed from weekends to weekdays, the industry ministry said Friday, adding to the convenience of its residents and foreign tourists alike. Starting later this month, large supermarkets in Seoul's central district of Jung will close their business on Wednesdays instead of Sundays. The latest decision is expected to add convenience not only for the residents but also the high number of foreign tour

Nov. 15, 2024

Seoul shares open lower as Fed hints at slowing rate cut

South Korean stocks opened lower Friday as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hinted at slowing the central bank's rate cut amid signs of lingering inflation. The Korean won opened slightly lower against the greenback, continuing to hover above the psychologically important level of 1,400 won. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 0.57 points, or 0.57 percent, to 2,405.12 in the first 15 minutes of trading. During a speech held in Dallas, Powell said the economy is showing n

Nov. 15, 2024

Toss posts record revenue in Q3, led by brokerage biz

Viva Republica, the operator of mobile financial service Toss, posted record-high revenue in the July-September period, gaining traction for a potential US listing. According to the company on Thursday, its third-quarter revenue soared 47.5 percent to 502.1 billion won ($356 million) from a year ago, largely buoyed by its diverse business portfolio ranging from internet banking to digital brokerage. With the latest figure, the company's cumulative revenue this year stood at 1.41 trillion wo

Nov. 14, 2024

Upbit D Conference explores how to bridge crypto with real world

Dunamu, the operator of South Korea's largest cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, hosted the Upbit D Conference on Thursday, discussing how blockchain technology can bring changes into the real world. This year’s event, in its seventh edition, was held under the title of "Blockchain: Powering Real World Change." “Blockchain is no longer an invisible technology. Just a few years ago, blockchain was considered unfamiliar and complex, but now we can see that perceptions in Kor

Nov. 14, 2024

Korea to take action if currency falls more

South Korea’s finance minister warned against excessively volatile currency moves on Thursday, vowing to take swift action if needed amid the rapid depreciation of the Korean currency against the US dollar. Financial authorities will bolster efforts to stabilize the financial and foreign exchange market experiencing continued fluctuation stemming from uncertainties over major anticipated US policy shifts as Donald Trump won a second term in the White House. “As uncertainties remain

Nov. 14, 2024

[Security Forum] Trump’s return mixed bag for Korean economy: trade experts

Trade specialists agreed that Donald Trump’s second term could be both a boon and bane for Korean businesses as they discussed the outlook for policy changes under the upcoming US president during The Korea Herald Security Forum held in Seoul on Wednesday. Over 200 foreign affairs and trade specialists, lawmakers and ambassadors joined the inaugural event, titled “Alliance after US Election 2024: A Seoul Perspective.” The second economic and technological security session was m

Nov. 14, 2024

HD Hyundai vice chairman promoted in CEO reshuffle

HD Hyundai announced new nominees to head its affiliates on Thursday as the Korean shipbuilding conglomerate aims to cope with changes in the global business environment in the wake of the US presidential election. HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun has been promoted to the group’s executive vice chairman. With the promotion, Chung is expected to play a bigger role in leading HD Hyundai’s key projects and eco-friendly and technological innovation, discovering future growth engines

Nov. 14, 2024

Samsung, SK to unveil supercomputer chips at SC24

South Korean chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will showcase their latest chips for artificial intelligence applications and supercomputing at Supercomputing 24, the largest international conference on high-performance computing, next week. The annual event which first kicked off in 1988 and is organized by Association for Computing Machinery and the IEEE Computer Society, will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, from Sunday to Nov. 22. The Korean chipmakers wil

Nov. 14, 2024

[KH Explains] For Korean automakers, Chinese EVs may loom larger than Trump’s tariffs

Donald Trump’s impending return to the White House has reignited fears of trade protectionism in the global auto industry. But the real question for automakers may not be about tariffs or changes to the Inflation Reduction Act. Trump’s stance on Chinese electric vehicles could have a greater impact, especially as Chinese automakers continue their aggressive push into global markets. For South Korean automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia, who face the mounting pressure of China’s rap

Nov. 14, 2024

Braun razor popular gift option for young men

P&G Korea on Thursday suggested Braun’s Series 7 razor as a thoughtful gift option for young men approaching adulthood, citing a recent survey that high school students who finished college entrance exams prefer practical gifts rather than traditional sweets. Designed to deliver a personalized shaving experience, the German brand’s Series 7 razor features a flexible 360-degree head that adapts to facial contours, allowing young adults to easily maneuver over challenging areas lik

Nov. 14, 2024

[Photo News] Next-gen logistics

Hanjin Logistics Corp. President and Chief Marketing Officer Emily Cho introduces the company's new smart logistics technologies, including drone inventory management and smart glasses for workers, at the Hanjin Southern Seoul Integrated Logistics Center in Seoul on Wednesday. By leveraging these smart devices, Hanjin said it aims to increase logistics efficiency, strengthen customer data security and lead innovation in logistics management. (Hanjin Logistics Corp.)

Nov. 14, 2024

LG Energy Solution to supply ESS for US Terra-Gen

LG Energy Solution has secured a contract to supply up to 8 gigawatt-hour energy storage systems to US renewable energy firm Terra-Gen, the Korean battery-maker announced Thursday. Under the deal, LG Energy Solution Vertech will deliver the ESS to Terra-Gen from 2026 to 2029. The Korean battery maker acquired NEC Energy Solutions, a grid battery integrator based in the US, in 2022 and renamed it LG Energy Solution Vertech. The deal marked the biggest supply contract since the launch of LG Energy

Nov. 14, 2024

[Photo News] Hungarian SK Road

An SK Road sign is posted in Ivancsa, a Hungarian industrial village, in recognition of Korena battery-maker SK On's economic contributions to the region. The newly designated road stretches approximately 1.8 kilometers, connecting the Ivancsa industrial park to SK On’s electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant. SK On has also donated 15 million forints ($39,000) to local communities to help improve the urban environment, upgrade school facilities, revitalize local events and provi

Nov. 14, 2024