Samsung SDI CEO stresses ESG as key future strategy

South Korean battery maker Samsung SDI said Thursday an executive meeting was held to bolster environmental, social and governance management efforts. Some 20 top executives, including Samsung SDI CEO Choi Yoon-ho, joined the workshop held at the company’s headquarters in Giheung, Gyeonggi Province. “ESG management goes beyond corporate’s social responsibility. It is a key strategy to enhancing our competitive edge for the future,” said the CEO in his opening remarks. &ld

June 1, 2023

Intel to build research lab for chips in Seoul

US chip giant Intel, which takes up over 70 percent of the global CPU market, is expected to establish a semiconductor data center development lab in Seoul to ramp up cooperation with major chipmakers here. The tech giant revealed the plan to build such research facilities in six countries, which also include the United States, Taiwan, China, India and Mexico, at Intel Vision 2023 last week in Taiwan, according to industry sources here on Thursday. In Seoul, the envisioned facility will be dubbe

June 1, 2023

HD Korea Shipbuilding bags W1.24t order for 5 container ships

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. said Thursday it has won a 1.24 trillion won ($937 million) order to build five very large container carriers for a Taiwanese shipper. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., one of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering's three affiliates, will construct the 15,500 twenty-foot equivalent unit ships in its shipyard in the southeastern port of Ulsan, the shipbuilder said in a regulatory filing. The container vessels powered by liquefi

June 1, 2023

Seoul shares open nearly flat ahead of US debt ceiling vote

South Korean stocks opened marginally lower Thursday before soon turning to positive terrain, as investors kept a close eye on the planned vote by US Congress on lifting the federal debt ceiling. After starting lower at the opening bell, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 1.56 points, or 0.06 percent, to 2,578.68 in the first 15 minutes of trading. US stocks closed lower Wednesday as the House of Representatives was set to vote on a bill to raise the $31.4 trillion debt limit

June 1, 2023

S. Korea's exports down for 8th month in May on sagging chip demand

South Korea's exports fell for an eighth consecutive month in May due mainly to weak demand for semiconductors amid an economic slowdown, the industry ministry said Thursday. Outbound shipments fell 15.2 percent on-year to $52.24 billion last month, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. The decline came as exports of semiconductors, the country's key export item, sank 36.2 percent on falling demand and a drop in chip prices. Imports fell 14 percent on-yea

June 1, 2023

Kia to suspend one domestic plant in H2 for EV preparations

Kia Corp., South Korea's second-biggest carmaker, said Wednesday it will suspend the operation of one of its eight domestic plants during the second half of this year in preparation for electric vehicle production. Kia, a smaller affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co., will begin the construction Thursday to change the No. 1 Gwangmyeong plant, just south of Seoul, into an EV plant by the end of December, the company said in a regulatory filing. It may take time for the plant to begin EV productio

May 31, 2023

[From the Scene] In-N-Out pop-up returns after 4 years

Under the searing sunlight, hundreds of customers lined up outside an In-N-Out pop-up store that exclusively opened up for just four hours in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, Wednesday. "People have been lining up since 1 a.m.," said a part-time worker at the In-N-Out pop-up store. "We sold out even before we opened -- all the 500 wristbands that are needed for an entry into the restaurant have been given out to the people standing in lines, before 11 a.m.," he added. In-N-Out, of

May 31, 2023

Daewoo E&C chief meets with Turkmenistan leaders

Daewoo Engineering & Construction's Chairman Jung Won-ju, who doubles as vice chairman of Jungheung Group, met with Turkmenistan's president and other top officials to discuss new business projects in the Central Asian country, the South Korean builder said Wednesday. According to the company, Jung met with Turkmenistan’s de facto leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, the former president who currently serves as chairman of the People’s Council, in the capital city of Ashg

May 31, 2023

Seoul shares close lower amid US debt ceiling saga

South Korean stocks ended lower Wednesday as investors attempted to cash in recent gains while weighing the odds of a debt ceiling deal passing US Congress. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 8.4 points, or 0.32 percent, to close at 2,577.12, ending its two-day winning streak, which had been fueled by an AI chip boom. Trading volume was moderate at 670.12 million shares worth 14.61 trillion won ($11.01 billion), with losers outpaci

May 31, 2023

Seoul shares open higher despite heightened N. Korea tension

Despite North Korea's failed satellite launch attempt in the morning, Seoul shares remained relatively stable on Wednesday. The local stock market opened higher backed by foreigners’ buying spree, but closed lower as a newly released figure showed that China’s economic recovery has lost steam. North Korea's launch attempt did not have much impact on the market, as it had repeatedly signaled its intention to launch its first military spy satellite over the past few days.

May 31, 2023

Samsung employees donate W230m via May campaign

Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it has donated over 230 million won ($174,000) by launching a socially responsible campaign in May, driven by employee participation, to support 20 children from low-income households. Samsung’s chairman Lee Jae-yong, who has reportedly made numerous anonymous donations, is trying to spread a culture of donation throughout affiliates of Samsung Group. The Month of Sharing campaign was designed to encourage Samsung employees’ donations through the Na

May 31, 2023

LG Innotek develops new vehicle lighting module

LG Innotek said Wednesday it has developed a new flexible three-dimensional lighting module for vehicles. Dubbed "Nexlide-M," the product boasts brighter, clearer and more uniform light emission, making it more visible in daylight, the company said. "The Nexlide-M is the whole package -- it has excellent functions and beautiful design," said Yoo In-soo, head of LG Innotek's Motor and Lighting business. In particular, it is able to emit clearer light while with minimal nu

May 31, 2023

Posco, LX team up for LNG terminal project

Posco International and LX International said Wednesday that they have teamed up to complete a new massive LNG terminal in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, by 2027. The two companies signed an agreement the same day with the city and provincial governments to expedite the project. The Dangjin LNG Terminal will be located on a 193,000-square-meter site at a port in the city of Dangjin. The size is equivalent to about 27 soccer fields. The terminal will consist of two 270,000-kiloliter storage

May 31, 2023

Mercedes-Benz Korea taps digital expert as new CEO

Mercedes-Benz Korea said Wednesday that Mathias Vaitl, who currently heads the German automaker's online platform Mercedes Me, as well as their digital service business and e-commerce, has been tapped as the new CEO of the company's Korean office. According to the announcement, Vaitl will begin his tenure at the Seoul office on Sept. 1. "I am very excited to take the role of CEO of Mercedes-Benz Korea, the 4th largest market and one of the most dynamic and trend-setting markets in

May 31, 2023

SK Networks, Bow Capital to invest in startups together

SK Networks' US investment subsidiary, Hico Capital, announced Wednesday that it will pursue a partnership with global venture capital firm Bow Capital as part of efforts to nurture promising startups and bet on their growth potential. The latest partnership comes after their top executives, including SK Networks President and Chief Operating Officer Choi Sung-hwan and Bow Capital Chairman Vivek Ranadive, held a meeting in Silicon Valley on Tuesday (local time). During the meeting, the two

May 31, 2023

AmCham hosts ESG seminar to share insights

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea hosted the AmCham ESG Seminar 2023 on Wednesday to provided a platform for attendees to discuss the latest trends and best practices related to environmental, social and governance issues. "In light of AmCham's mission to establish Korea as a regional headquarters in the Asia Pacific, we recognize the immense potential of ESG in driving innovation and value creation for Korea," AmCham CEO James Kim said during the seminar held at the Four

May 31, 2023

Hyundai Rotem to test drive hydrogen tram

Hyundai Rotem, a railway, defense and plant systems provider under Hyundai Motor Group, is speeding up the commercial debut of the nation’s first hydrogen-powered electric tram, with a test drive set to be carried out in the coming months. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Wednesday, the company’s upcoming tram, equipped with hydrogen fuel cells, is expected to drive a total of 25,000 kilometers on two railway test tracks in Osong, North Chungcheong Provinc

May 31, 2023

Merck introduces enhanced barrier materials for OLED

Merck said Wednesday it introduced new barrier materials that offer superior flexibility, higher reliability and longer lifespan in flexible OLED devices, when compared to existing solutions. Fully flexible OLED displays utilized in foldable, rollable and stretchable devices require a reduction of about 60 percent of the display module’s thickness when compared to standard displays. But because OLEDs are highly susceptible to degradation by moisture and oxygen, an encapsulation or barrier

May 31, 2023

Naver downed by traffic surge after NK launch

The mobile webpage of Naver, South Korea’s largest online portal, suffered a brief service disruption early Wednesday after North Korea launched what it called a military reconnaissance satellite. According to Naver, its the server went down for about five minutes, from 6:43 a.m. to 6:48 a.m. due to high traffic, soon after the Seoul Metropolitan Government issued an emergency alert text message urging people to prepare for evacuation at 6:41 a.m. The message said the city government had i

May 31, 2023

Can KakaoBank pioneer global expansion?

KakaoBank, the largest internet-only bank in South Korea, hopes to replicate its domestic success in overseas markets, aiming to become the first Korean internet-only bank to pioneer international expansion. Having built a substantial user base since its launch in 2017, the largest internet-only bank in South Korea has demonstrated the benefits of branchless banking to financial consumers in the country. Led by CEO Yoon Ho-young, who secured his fourth two-year term in March, KakaoBank is spea

May 31, 2023