Korean Air to sign $13.7 bln deal to buy 33 Airbus A350 jets

Korean Air Co., South Korea's No. 1 flag carrier, said Thursday it plans to sign a $13.7 billion deal with Airbus to buy 33 units of its latest A350 series aircraft. The company said the deal, which includes 27 A350-1000s and six smaller-sized A350-900s, will be clinched to supplement its long-term fleet operations as it retires its older aircraft. The A350-1000 is the largest in the A350 family, accommodating up to 410 passengers, and uses advanced composite materials to reduce fuel cons

March 21, 2024

Samsung Display to pay out dividends for 1st time

Samsung Display Co. said Thursday it will pay out dividends for the first time since its establishment in 2012, a move that will lead its parent company Samsung Electronics Co. to receive about 5.6 trillion won ($4.2 billion) in dividends. At a shareholders' meeting Tuesday, Samsung Display decided to deliver 25,400 won per share in dividends totaling 6.65 trillion won, the company said in a regulatory filing. Samsung Electronics is the top shareholder of Samsung Display with an 84.8 perc

March 21, 2024

SK chief wins 2nd term as KCCI chair

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won was elected to head the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the nation's largest business lobby, for a second term, vowing to make more policy proposals to bring about disruptive innovation across industries. Chey was sworn in as the 25th chair of the KCCI after earning unanimous support from regional chamber leaders at the extraordinary general meeting held in Seoul on Thursday. He will serve his new three-year term until March 2027. In his inaugural re

March 21, 2024

Galleria's foreign customer sales surpass pre-pandemic levels

Galleria Department Store, one of the nation’s leading luxury goods retailers, said Thursday that its sales to customers of foreign nationality soared to all-time highs in the first two months of this year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Its luxury brand stores posted 10 billion won ($8.4 million) and 7.5 billion won in sales to foreign customers in January and February, respectively, marking a 166 percent jump from the same period last year. "Foreign customer sales hit 26 billion wo

March 21, 2024

[Herald Interview] Mercedes-Benz focused on ‘great brand experience’

Mercedes-Benz was dethroned by BMW as the top auto importer in South Korea last year for the first time since 2015. Despite the quantitative loss, Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Mathias Vaitl says the focus is to offer a great brand experience for the customers. “Our strategy is not to be No. 1 here in the market,” said Vaitl in an interview with reporters from the Korea Automobile Journalists Association at the Korean office of Mercedes-Benz in Seoul on Wednesday. “We are the stronge

March 21, 2024

Chang In-wha takes helm at Posco

Chang In-hwa, a company veteran, officially took office as chairman of South Korean steel giant Posco Group, the nation’s fifth-largest conglomerate, on Thursday after winning unanimous approval from shareholders. It marked the group’s first change in leadership in almost six years, following the conclusion of the second term of Choi Jeong-woo. No objection was made against the appointment during the general meeting of shareholders held in Seoul earlier in the day. Right after the ge

March 21, 2024

Merck to invest 300m euros in new bioprocessing center in Korea

German pharmaceutical group Merck Life Science said Thursday the company will invest around 300 million euros ($326 million) to build a new bioprocessing complex in South Korea, its largest investment yet in the Asia-Pacific region. The new investment comes as the company renews its commitment to expanding its production capacities for biotech products in the fast-growing market. It also aims to boost the overall biotech industry in the region, saying the new facility alone will create some 300

March 21, 2024

S. Korean shares jump over 2% on hopes for US rate cuts; won sharply up

South Korean shares rallied by more than 2 percent Thursday amid growing hopes for US rate cuts in the near future. The local currency also rose sharply against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index surged 64.72 points, or 2.41 percent, to close at 2,754.86, the highest in nearly two years since April 5, 2022 when the index closed at 2,759.20. Trade volume was heavy at 811.8 million shares worth 13.8 trillion won ($10.4 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 655 to 2

March 21, 2024

Korea sighs in relief on US Fed's dovish signal

While the possibility of the US Federal Reserve cutting its base rate three times this year has sent Seoul shares higher, the Bank of Korea is likely to start bringing down its key rate in July, experts viewed. Through a two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting, the US Fed maintained its benchmark lending rate to stand in the 5.25-5.5 percent range. Though the rate freeze had been expected by the market, the global stock market, including that of Korea, rallied as the Fed stuck to its dovis

March 21, 2024

HD Hyundai honors late founder

HD Hyundai commemorated the 23rd anniversary of the passing of its founder, Chung Ju-yung, with a dedicated memorial event held Thursday that paid homage to his enduring legacy. The tribute took place at the HD Hyundai Global Research and Development Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and was marked by a traditional statue unveiling ceremony in memory of the late founder. HD Hyundai Chairman Kwon Oh-gap, Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun, and executives from affiliates attended the ceremony. The ce

March 21, 2024

Hanwha develops extra-high voltage cable compound

South Korean petrochemical firm Hanwha Solutions said Thursday it has developed a proprietary extra-high-quality voltage cable compound to meet the surging global demand for advanced power grid infrastructure. Petrochemicals, derived from petroleum or natural gas, form the basis for advanced polymers used as insulation in extra-high-quality voltage cables. The company’s innovation is Cross-Linked Polyethylene, or XLPE, which enhances the heat resistance and efficiency of power cables throu

March 21, 2024

SK Bioscience exports cell-cultured flu vaccines to Thailand

South Korean pharmaceuticals firm SK Bioscience said Thursday that it exported its cell-cultured flu vaccine, SKYCellflu, to Thailand, marking its first entry into a market with southern hemisphere requirements. The company shipped out approximately 440,000 doses of SKYCellflu to its Thai partner Biogenetech from its vaccine manufacturing facility in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province. SKYCellflu, the world's first cell-cultured flu vaccine endorsed by the World Health Organization, aligns w

March 21, 2024

AliExpress to open bidding for logistics partner in Korea

Chinese e-commerce giant AliExpress has chosen to solicit open competitive bids in Korea instead of extending its delivery contract with CJ Logistics, set to expire in April. According to industry sources Thursday, AliExpress recently submitted bid proposals to major logistics firms here to handle customs clearance and parcel delivery services. The new contract period, which reportedly spans one year from May, is seen as AliExpress' cost-saving measure, according to sources. In addition to

March 21, 2024

[Photo News] All-black Genesis G90

Genesis unveiled the G90 Black on Thursday, refining its flagship sedan with an exclusive all-black design theme known as Genesis Black. The new theme dresses every element, from the grille to the 21-inch wheels, in a deep and consistent shade. Inside, the cabin mirrors this theme with black semi-aniline leather seats, wood trim and aluminum details. The car is on sale now with a starting price of 138 million won ($104,000). (Hyundai Motor Group)

March 21, 2024

Seoul shares open sharply higher on hopes for US rate cuts

South Korean stocks opened sharply higher Thursday following record-high finishes on Wall Street afforded by hopes for US rate cuts this year. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 37.38 points, or 1.39 percent, to 2,727.52 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The US Federal Reserve kept its policy rate intact for a fifth consecutive session Wednesday at the 5.25 to 5.50 percent range but signaled as many as three rate cuts within the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed

March 21, 2024

Yoon vows to improve conditions for family business succession

President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Wednesday to improve the conditions for family business successions as he lamented local conglomerates' reluctance to grow their value out of fear of having to pay a larger inheritance tax. Yoon made the promise during a special lecture marking the 51st Commerce & Industry Day in front of some 1,000 people, including the chief executives of large family-run conglomerates, such as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group and LG Group. "Many companies

March 20, 2024

Japan's historic rate pivot won't roil Korea: experts

The Bank of Japan's first interest rate hike in almost two decades has rattled the global economy, yet it may not have as much of an impact in South Korea, at least not for a while. The central bank of Japan on Tuesday announced it is lifting its short-term policy rate to a range of 0 to 0.1 percent from minus 0.1 percent, stepping away from the negative interest rate policy it had been applying since 2016 to fight chronic deflation. It also marked the central bank's first interest rat

March 20, 2024

[Photo News] Commerce & industry day

President Yoon Suk Yeol (center) and business leaders attend this year's Commerce & Industry Day ceremony held in Seoul on Wednesday. From right: LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Minister for Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun, Yoon, and K Group Chairman Chey Tae-won who doubles as chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. (Yonhap)

March 20, 2024

[Photo News] Samsung president wins top industrial honor

Samsung Electronics Executive President Lee Young-hee, who is in charge of global marketing for mobile devices, poses with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol after receiving the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit in Seoul on Wednesday. Lee is credited for raising the brand value of Samsung. In 2022, she became the first female president at Samsung, apart from members of the founding family. (Yonhap)

March 20, 2024

Seoul shares soar over 1% on Samsung

South Korean shares closed more than 1 percent higher Wednesday on a rally in top cap Samsung Electronics and before the results of the Federal Reserve's rate-setting meeting. The local currency stayed unchanged against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index surged 33.97 points, or 1.28 percent, to close at 2,690.14. Trade volume was heavy at 710 million shares worth 12.6 trillion won ($9.3 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 481 to 380. Foreign investors turn

March 20, 2024