LG CNS launches Gen AI Studio for corporate clients

LG CNS on Thursday opened its Gen AI Studio, a new venue for its corporate clients to experience business solutions using generative AI. The latest opening aims to offer systematic assistance to companies that seek to explore generative AI but find themselves uncertain about where to begin. Its programs, consisting of Gen AI Tour, Gen AI Discovery Workshop and Gen AI Prototyping, showcase potential applications of generative AI across industries and value chains. Companies can experience the pro

May 9, 2024

HD Hyundai unveils uncrewed vessel concept at US expo

Korean shipbuilding giant HD Hyundai said Thursday that it has unveiled a prototype for its upcoming uncrewed surface vessel Tenebris at this week’s AI Expo for National Competitiveness in Washington, DC. The recent unveiling, a collaboration with US tech firm Palantir Technologies, comes after the two firms signed a memorandum of understanding in April to jointly develop an USV by 2026. Named after the Latin word for darkness, Tenebris is designed for reconnaissance missions in enemy prox

May 9, 2024

Seoul shares dip over 1% amid US rate uncertainties

South Korean shares declined by more than 1 percent Thursday as investors remained concerned over the future course of the US key rates ahead of the release of inflation data next week. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 32.91 points, or 1.2 percent, to close at 2,712.14. Trading volume was moderate at 413 million shares worth 10.9 trillion won ($7.95 billion), with losers outpacing gainers 531 to 355. Foreign investors offloaded a

May 9, 2024

New Seoul-Zurich route launched after 27 years

Switzerland's flag carrier Swiss International Air Lines inaugurated its direct flight from Zurich to Incheon on Wednesday, marking its entry into the Korean market. This marks the first time in 27 years that the airline has introduced flights to Korea since the suspension of the Gimpo-Zurich route in 1998. "The Zurich-Seoul route was a missing piece of our extensive global network," Markus Binkert, chief financial officer of Swiss International Air Lines said during a press confe

May 9, 2024

Yoon doubles down on repeal of financial investment income tax

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday expressed a strong willingness to rescind the introduction of capital gains taxes on financial investment incomes, asserting the legislation would bring massive outflow of funds from the country’s capital market. “Not only is the understanding of 14 million retail investors at stake, but if the capital market collapses and fails to function properly, it will have a significant impact on the real economy,” Yoon said during a press conference m

May 9, 2024

LG Display starts sell-off talks for China plant

LG Display has started talks to sell off its last liquid crystal display manufacturing plant in China in an apparent move to focus on consolidating its leadership in the more advanced organic light-emitting diode display market. According to industry sources on Thursday, LG Display is discussing the issue with Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy as a pricey display plant is considered the nation’s strategic asset whose sales should be approved by the government. In a regul

May 9, 2024

Hyundai Mobis to set up W90b plant for EV parts

Hyundai Mobis, the parts and service arm under Hyundai Motor Group, will construct a dedicated electric vehicle module plant in Ulsan, South Korea, with an investment of approximately 90 billion won ($65 million) and completion expected in late 2025. The company signed an investment memorandum of understanding with the Ulsan Metropolitan City on Thursday, with Ulsan Mayor Kim Du-gyeom and Hyundai Mobis CEO Lee Gyu-suk attending the signing ceremony. Located near Hyundai Motor Group's upcomi

May 9, 2024

Posco’s furnace No. 4 ready to resume operation

Posco Group said Thursday that it was ready to resume the operation of its blast furnace No. 4 in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, at the end of June after months of refurbishment work. A blast furnace usually undergoes maintenance every 15 years, during which its operation is suspended to undergo thorough performance and safety checkups and facility upgrades. The No. 4 furnace, completed in 1981, underwent refurbishments in 1994 and 2010. The current third refurbishment started on Feb. 23 to

May 9, 2024

Korea forecast to overtake Taiwan in chip production by 2032: report

South Korea is projected to account for nearly 20 percent of global semiconductor production in 2032, reaching an all-time high in output, a US report showed on Thursday. Asia’s fourth-largest economy is predicted to take up 19 percent of global chip production eight years later, according to a report by the Semiconductor Industry Association, in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group. The report evaluated that Korea invested in the development of the semiconductor industry from the

May 9, 2024

[Photo News] Porsche in Busan

Porsche Korea is participating in Art Busan 2024 as an official partner and hosting 'Salon de Panamera' at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center through Sunday, the German automaker's local office said Thursday. Inspired by Europe's salon culture, the exhibition will showcase Porsche’s brand philosophy of continuous innovation integrated with the brand's unique design by presenting the new Panamera 4, the automaker's latest powerful sporting luxury sedan,

May 9, 2024

Seoul shares open flat ahead of US inflation data

South Korean shares opened nearly flat Thursday as investors sat on the sidelines ahead of the release of the U.S. consumer price index next week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index edged down 1.9 points, or 0.07 percent, to 2,743.15 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Investors remained cautious ahead of the release of the U.S. inflation data amid a mixed forecast over the future course of the Federal Reserve's key rates. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins

May 9, 2024

SK Hynix to sell 50% stake in China foundry unit to Chinese enterprise

South Korea's SK Hynix has agreed to sell its nearly 50% stake in its foundry unit based in China to a Chinese state-owned enterprise, according to regulatory filings and media reports. SK Hynix System IC said in a regulatory filing that it plans to sell a 21.3% stake in its foundry unit in Wuxi to China's state-owned Wuxi Industry Development Group Company for 205.4 billion won ($150.81 million). In a separate filing, SK Hynix System IC said it will also sell its intangible assets,

May 8, 2024

Korean Air sells five jets to US aerospace firm Sierra Nevada

Korean Air will sell five of its planes to US aerospace firm Sierra Nevada Corporation, the airline said in an exchange filing on Wednesday. Sierra Nevada recently won a $13 billion US Air Force contract to develop a successor to the E-4B Nightwatch, known as the Doomsday plane due to its ability to survive a nuclear war and act as a command and control centre during emergencies. Sierra Nevada did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Korean Air planes being sold are four-engined

May 8, 2024

Pressure mounts on Naver to shed stake in Line

Takeshi Idezawa, CEO of the Tokyo-based LY Corp., the operator of the messaging app Line, said Wednesday that the company has requested its key shareholder Naver to sell stakes in an apparent move to cut the Korean firm’s control over its management. The decision comes as Naver is under growing pressure from the Japanese government to shed its ownership in Line, the popular app the Korean firm has nurtured over the past 13 years. Currently, almost 70 percent of the Japanese population is k

May 8, 2024

Minister says chip subsidy a ‘tall order’

Countries have been rolling out competitive subsidy programs to boost their edge in the critical semiconductor industry. For South Korea, it is difficult to come up with such direct support programs, but the government is working to create an environment to benefit long-term investment in the sector, Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said in a press briefing Tuesday. Ahn also explained that the ministry, along with other government entities will set up a public fund to support strategic industries,

May 8, 2024

Mirae Asset Securities reaps fruits of global growth

Mirae Asset Securities, Korea’s largest stock brokerage company, has yielded solid results and created a strong impetus for growth in overseas markets after two decades of global expansion. Park Hyeon-joo, chairman of the Mirae Asset Financial Group, which covers comprehensive financial services including asset management, wealth management, investment banking and life insurance, has been spearheading the group's ambition to expand businesses beyond familiar horizons. Mirae Asset Se

May 8, 2024

Korean drug makers flock to obesity treatment

South Korea’s pharmaceutical companies are accelerating the development of anti-obesity drugs to take share in the rapidly growing market, which is estimated to hit $100 billion by 2030. Hanmi Pharmaceutical is one of a few Korean drug companies that have been pushing ahead with their clinical trials for homegrown anti-obesity drugs. The drug company is currently expected to be the first Korean company that will launch a homegrown anti-obesity drug. “Hanmi Pharmaceutical is the only

May 8, 2024

Korean battery makers heave sigh of relief over 2-year IRA reprieve

South Korea's battery industry has secured a two-year reprieve from the US Inflation Reduction Act restrictions on electric vehicle batteries containing Chinese graphite, giving it time to diversify its supply chain while the Korean government has committed 9.7 trillion won ($7.1 billion) in policy financing to support this transition. Following negotiations and advocacy by the Korean government and related industries, the US government on Friday agreed to suspend specific provisions of the

May 8, 2024

Coupang earnings hit hard by losses from ailing Farfetch

New York-listed e-commerce giant Coupang reported Wednesday that its sales soared to a record high of $7.1 billion in the first quarter of this year, but operating profits were almost cut in half largely due to the losses from Farfetch, the luxury shopping platform it acquired last year. According to its earnings report earlier in the day, its revenue reached $7.1 billion in the January-March period, up 23 percent from a year ago. Its operating profits were $40 million, which compared to $167.

May 8, 2024

Seoul shares up for 2nd day amid US rate cut concerns

Seoul shares ended higher Wednesday as investors remain watchful over whether the US Federal Reserve will slash key rates this year. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 10.69 points, or 0.39 percent, to close at 2,745.05. Trading volume was moderate at 424.75 million shares worth 10.09 trillion won ($7.4 billion), with winners outpacing losers 575 to 280. Institutions and foreigners bought a combined 434.7 billion won worth of stocks, o

May 8, 2024