[Photo News] Marking 100m vehicles

To celebrate producing 100 million vehicles, Hyundai Motor Company is hosting the “One Step Further” exhibition at Hyundai Motorstudio Seoul from Oct. 10 to Nov. 10. Spanning five floors, the exhibit tells Hyundai’s story from its first-ever car, the Cortina Mark 2 (right), to its latest EVs and SUVs. Iconic models, including the Sonata and Elantra, are showcased as milestones of innovation. The exhibition caps off celebrations that began at Hyundai’s Ulsan plant last wee

Oct. 10, 2024

Bond sales rise on corporate bond issues in Sept.

Bond sales in South Korea rose sharply from a month earlier in September helped by an increase in corporate bond issues, data showed Thursday. The value of bonds sold last month came to 77.1 trillion won ($57.1 billion), up 7.4 trillion won from 69.7 trillion won sold in August, according to the data from the Korea Financial Investment Association. The value of outstanding bonds, on the other hand, dropped 10.3 trillion won to 2,802.6 trillion won over the cited period, due to a sharp decline in

Oct. 10, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on Wall Street gains

Seoul stocks opened higher Thursday thanks to overnight US stocks gains led by a decline in international oil prices and a rise in local tech stocks. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 0.46 percent, or 11.90 points, to 2,606.26 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US stocks extended their gains thanks to a decline in global oil prices and gains in tech stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.03 percent, the S&P 500 gained 0.71 percent, and the tech-heavy N

Oct. 10, 2024

MBK says not to raise tender offer price for Korea Zinc amid management battle

Private equity firm MBK Partners said Wednesday that it will not further raise the tender offer price for Korea Zinc Inc. amid intensifying competition for management control. MBK and Young Poong Corp. recently raised their tender offer price for Korea Zinc to 830,000 won ($617) and for Young Poong Precision to 30,000 won, as they aim to gain a controlling stake in the world's top zinc smelter. Young Poong Precision holds a 1.85 percent stake in Korea Zinc. "We cannot stand by as the c

Oct. 9, 2024

Korea added to key bond index

South Korea finally succeeded in joining the World Government Bond Index, a global benchmark measuring the performance of sovereign fixed income. The inclusion is expected to draw in passive foreign funds worth over $56 billion. The WGBI, managed by Financial Times Stock Exchange Russell, is one of the three key government bond indices, along with the Bloomberg-Barclays Global Aggregate Index and JP Morgan Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets. It is tracked by global funds worth over $2.5 tril

Oct. 9, 2024

LS Group on smooth sail for double growth by 2030

LS Group, a South Korean cable and industrial electric machinery conglomerate, is looking to achieve the vision to double its total assets value to 50 trillion won ($37 billion) by 2030 as it welcomes more opportunities for its existing businesses in the era of artificial intelligence while investing in the sectors of batteries, electric vehicles and semiconductors. Since taking the helm of the conglomerate in January 2022, LS Group Chairman Koo Ja-eun has vowed to invest 20 trillion won or more

Oct. 9, 2024

Will Apple quit smart ring race with Samsung?

After the July launch of Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Ring, several tech rivals have jumped into the smart ring race. But rumors are rampant that Apple may have scrapped its long-held plan for its own ring possibly to focus on the Apple Watch. According to a recent Bloomberg report, Apple has no plans to release an Apple smart ring despite two decades of research into the product. "Apple isn't actively developing a ring and has no plans to launch one," the report said. &ldq

Oct. 9, 2024

[Herald Interview] Innovation, people key to Korea's energy transition: ABB CCO

As South Korea moves to achieve its renewable energy goals by 2050, strategic partnerships and innovative technologies will be essential in overcoming existing challenges and maximizing the potential of renewable resources, according to Karen Bomber, chief commercial officer of the Energy Industries division of ABB, a Swiss-based multinational tech company specializing in electrification, automation and digitalization solutions. In an interview with The Korea Herald at ABB's Korea office in

Oct. 9, 2024

Hyundai, Singapore bolster R&D ties in hydrogen, manufacturing

Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday it will boost its partnership with Singapore, home to the carmaker’s highly automated production base and key research hub, focusing on areas ranging from advanced and sustainable energy to manufacturing solutions. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia’s Nanyang Technological University earlier in the day during the Singapore-Korea Business Forum. The signing ceremony was attended by: Chang Jae-hoon, president and CEO of Hyu

Oct. 9, 2024

[KH explains] Will CATL’s Korean push reshape battery alliance with Hyundai, Kia?

China’s CATL, the world’s largest battery maker for electric vehicles, is reportedly seeking a bigger footing in Korea, the home turf of its archrivals LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and SK On, and a crucial client, Hyundai Motor Group. According to industry sources, the Chinese company is reviewing setting up its Korean unit by upgrading the current office in Seoul that has been operational since 2011. The specific nature of the new operations has not yet been disclosed -- whether

Oct. 9, 2024

Paris Baguette expands presence in Southeast Asia

SPC Group's bakery brand Paris Baguette has signed contracts to enter the markets of Thailand, Brunei and Laos, aiming to strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia. On Monday, Paris Baguette finalized a master franchising agreement with Berjaya Food, which has supported its expansion into Malaysia and the Philippines, to newly operate the bakery chain in Thailand and Brunei. As for Laos, a separate master franchising agreement was established with Kolao Group, a prominent local firm in the

Oct. 9, 2024

Yoon visits Hyundai Motor's AI-powered factory in Singapore

SINGAPORE -- President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday visited the highly automated Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore, a car manufacturing facility powered by artificial intelligence and robots, on the sidelines of his state visit to the city-state. Yoon inspected the automated car manufacturing line that uses the "cell production" system in which a small team of human employees and robots is responsible for a specific assembly process. The factory operates 27 such cells. Accord

Oct. 8, 2024

AliExpress Korea chief questioned on product safety at Assembly audit

AliExpress Korea CEO Ray Zhang expressed the company’s commitment to enhancing product safety during a parliamentary audit, where he faced criticism from South Korean lawmakers for the platform’s failure to stop the sale of hazardous products despite previous pledges to do so. The audit, led by the Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee on Monday, was convened to address growing concerns about unsafe products circulating on Chinese e-commerce platforms. These platforms,

Oct. 8, 2024

Banks, brokerages, insurers spent W2.4tr in entertainment expenses over last five years

South Korea’s financial sector, including banks, brokerage houses and insurers, spent a staggering 2.4 trillion won ($1.78 billion) on entertaining clients over the past five years, data showed Tuesday. From 2019 through the first half of this year, banks, brokerages and insurance companies spent 957.8 billion won, 1.13 trillion won and 308.5 billion won, respectively, on entertainment expenses, according to Financial Supervisory Service data submitted to Rep. Kim Hyun-jung of the main opp

Oct. 8, 2024

US ambassador discusses battery supply chain at Posco Future M plant

Posco Future M CEO Yoo Byung-ok and US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg have discussed the importance of stabilizing supply chains as the Korean battery material and chemical producer struggles to cope with declining anode prices due to competition from China. According to Posco Future M on Tuesday, the US Ambassador visited the Korean company’s artificial graphite anode plant in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, the previous day. “Despite being the only alternative for sta

Oct. 8, 2024

Seoul shares end lower on weak earnings by Samsung, US losses

Seoul stocks finished lower Tuesday due to weaker-than-expected earnings results by Samsung Electronics and overnight US stock losses. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 0.61 percent, or 16.02 points, to 2,594.36. Trading volume was moderate at 313 million shares worth 8.98 trillion won ($6.65 billion), with losers outpacing gainers at 569 to 305. Institutions and foreign investors together sold a net 72 billion won, while retai

Oct. 8, 2024

[KH Explains] Samsung chief says he is still ‘hungry’ for foundry growth

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong on Monday put an end to the long-standing rumor that the memory chip giant might spin off its lackluster foundry business, saying he is still “hungry” for growth. “We are hungry to grow (our) business, not interested in spinning (it) off,” the Samsung chief told Reuters upon his visit to the Philippines. Regarding the delayed operation of the company's new foundry plant currently under construction in Taylor, Texas, Lee said,

Oct. 8, 2024

[Herald Interview] Dentlink eyes becoming 'next Invisalign’

Dentlink intends to become a household name in the burgeoning dental prosthetic market, matching the fame of Align Technology, the US company behind the Invisalign clear teeth straightener, said Kook Jin-hyeok, founder and CEO of Innovaid. Kook founded Innovaid in 2021 to offer Dentlink, a unique international service connecting Korean lab technicians with overseas dental practices. Through it, dental clinics around the world can order prostheses such as zirconia crowns and implant restorations

Oct. 8, 2024

LG posts record sales in Q3; profits down on rising costs

LG Electronics on Tuesday expected its third-quarter sales to reach an all-time high of 22.17 trillion won ($16.5 billion), outpacing an earlier market consensus of 21.77 trillion won. But its operating profits during the same period were estimated to have plunged nearly 21 percent to 751.1 billion won from a year ago, largely due to rising logistics and marketing costs. The earnings guidance was far lower than market expectations. FnGuide, a local market intelligence firm, projected the compa

Oct. 8, 2024

Samsung's chip head apologizes as Q3 earnings miss estimates

Samsung Electronics predicted Tuesday that its operating profit for the July-September period would miss market expectations due to a slow recovery in memory demand and the lackluster performance of High Bandwidth Memory chips used in artificial intelligence computing. Samsung's third-quarter operating profit is estimated to hit 9.1 trillion won ($6.76 billion), up 274.5 percent from a year ago, according to the company’s earnings guidance. The figure is lower than the 10.77 trillio

Oct. 8, 2024