Hanwha looks to secure drone defense technology

Hanwha Aerospace and a group of investors including Lockheed Martin have invested $17.8 million in Fortem Technologies, a US airspace security firm specialized in drone defense, Hanwha officials said Wednesday. Fortem Technologies operates its own air defense system based on an artificial intelligence radar that can monitor and detect dangerous drones or unmanned aircrafts and catch them by sending autonomous flying drones equipped with nets. The system is being used in Ukraine’s efforts a

Feb. 22, 2023

LG Energy Solution teams up with Ford on Turkey battery project

LG Energy Solution said Wednesday it has forged a new partnership with Ford and KOC Holding, a Turkish real estate developer, to build an electric vehicle battery plant in Turkey, two weeks after similar talks fell apart between its crosstown rival SK On and the US auto giant. Under a nonbinding memorandum of understanding, the three companies agreed to build an EV battery plant in the Baskent region near the Turkish capital of Ankara. The plant will have an annual production capacity of 25 gi

Feb. 22, 2023

Average pay at Samsung estimated at W130m: report

The average annual compensation for Samsung Electronics’ employees and executives last year was over 130 million won ($99,700), data showed Wednesday. According to market tracker Korea CXO Institute, the estimated annual salary that Samsung’s 113,604 employees and executives received in 2022 was between 133 million won and 138 million on average. This was about 8 million won lower than the 144.6 million won posted in 2021, but about 10 million won higher than the 127 million won in 2

Feb. 22, 2023

South Korea’s fertility rate drops to all-time low

South Korea's total fertility rate hit an all-time low last year, government data showed Wednesday, darkening prospects for one of the world's most aged countries. In 2022, the country saw 249,000 newborns, down 4.4 percent, or 11,500 less, than that of the year before. The fertility rate, the average number of children women aged 15-49 have, fell to 0.78, down 0.03 from the 0.81 of the previous year, according to Statistics Korea. The figure hit an all-time low since the statistics

Feb. 22, 2023

New compound knocks out sperm for hours, research shows

Vasectomies are often topics of conversation among couples who have already had enough children or for those who do not want any in the first place. Condoms or abstinence are the only other options for male contraception, while there are several available to women, including hormonal pills, IUD implants, vaginal rings and diaphragms. Recent research results suggest that an on-demand, non-hormonal male contraceptive pill might someday become a reality, as scientists have found a cell pathway, or

Feb. 22, 2023

Seoul shares open sharply lower on rate hike woes

South Korean stocks opened sharply lower Wednesday, tracking a Wall Street plunge overnight, on worries over higher borrowing rates ahead of the release of the Federal Reserve's latest minutes. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index had shed 34.26 points, or 1.39 percent, to 2,424.70 as of 9:15 a.m. Wall Street dropped overnight as market sentiment was weighed down by fears about higher rates for a longer period of time. Investors are concerned that the Fed will continue to raise r

Feb. 22, 2023

[Graphic News] South Korea’s gas, coal imports hit record high in 2022: data

South Korea’s imports of gas and coal hit an all-time high last year on surging global energy prices, data showed. The value of gas imports came to $56.7 billion last year, the highest since 1956 when the government began compiling the related data, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The previous record of $36.6 billion was set in 2014. The import value of coal also reached an all-time high of $28.1 billion, surpassing the previous record of $18.3 billion logged in 20

Feb. 22, 2023

Posco International ready to help rebuild Ukraine

Posco International, a commodities trader affiliated with South Korean steel giant Posco Holdings, said Tuesday that it is eager to take part in reconstruction projects in Ukraine after the war to help the country rebuild. The Posco unit is the only Korean company that has maintained its business operations in the war-torn country since the onset of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24 last year. It operates a grain terminal in the southern city of Mykolaiv, about 480 kilometers away from the Ukra

Feb. 21, 2023

CJ Logistics forays into Polish market

CJ Logistics, South Korea’s largest logistics firm, said Tuesday it has opened a regional office in Wroclaw, Poland, in a bid to target the European logistics market. According to CJ Logistics, Wroclaw is the largest industrial city and logistics hub in southern Poland. The company explained that the city functions as an important crossing region for European companies, as it is located right in the middle of Europe. Moreover, CJ Logistics explained that Poland is home to Gdansk port, wh

Feb. 21, 2023

Posco Holdings mulls relocating to Pohang

Posco Holdings, the holding unit of South Korean steel giant Posco Group, may be relocating its headquarters to Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, as its board of directors is set to discuss the issue at the upcoming shareholders’ meeting next month. The conflict between Posco and the residents of Pohang, however, is expected to continue because it is uncertain if employees working in the current headquarters in Seoul will also move to the industrial city some 375 kilometers southeast of

Feb. 21, 2023

Seoul shares end tad up amid rate hike concerns

South Korean stocks finished slightly higher Tuesday as traders remained uncertain about how aggressive the US Federal Reserve will be in raising interest rates to fight inflation. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 3.84 points, or 0.16 percent, to close at 2,458.96 won. Trading volume was moderate at 486.86 million shares worth 7.21 trillion won ($5.56 billion), with gainers outpacing decliners 549 to 323. The index had fluctuated b

Feb. 21, 2023

[Herald Interview] Align Partners CEO faces off against SM founder, Hybe

A two-year-old activist fund that triggered a controversial corporate ownership battle between two K-pop powerhouses said it will persistently demand governance improvement of SM Entertainment until it makes substantial profit. With only a 1.1 percent stake, Seoul-based Align Partners has been shaking up the governance structure of SM Entertainment, which is behind stars like NCT, EXO and aespa, by gathering minority shareholders. Align’s shareholder campaign against the K-pop juggernaut

Feb. 21, 2023

Samsung, Naver join forces against Apple on payments

As IT behemoth Apple will likely launch its mobile payments service Apple Pay in Korea next month, Samsung Electronics appears to be reacting to the rival’s move by strengthening its digital payment service Samsung Pay through a strategic partnership with internet giant Naver. Samsung announced Monday that it signed a partnership agreement with Naver Financial to promote its mobile payment system, making digital payments more convenient for its users. Samsung has gained a stronger online p

Feb. 21, 2023

Ssangyong E&C completes $1.2b UAE landmark project

South Korean builder Ssangyong Engineering & Construction said Tuesday it has completed the construction of Atlantis the Royal, a $1.2 billion ultraluxury resort complex, after almost seven years of work. Atlantis the Royal, set on the crescent of the human-made island Palm Jumeirah in Dubai of the United Arab Emirates, comprises three 44-story five-star hotels and three residence hotels. The hotel buildings consist of 791 rooms, 94 pools and penthouses with their own private infinity pools,

Feb. 21, 2023

LG Energy Solution seeks shared growth with employees

The fast-changing job industry in Korea has been showing a shift in work culture with a rising inclination toward catering to individual growth and self-improvement, away from a focus simply on boosting corporate growth. The country’s leading battery maker LG Energy Solution is making strides to invest more in their employees. Under the philosophy that corporate growth is achievable when employees truly want to work in their positions, the company aims to move away from the increasingly ob

Feb. 21, 2023

Local banks cut lending rates amid rising criticism

Top commercial Korean banks are moving to lower their lending rates further amid backlash from financial authorities and the public against its presentation of a social contribution plan that was deemed inadequate for easing pressing burdens from high rates. Many have demanded South Korean banks share their profits with society after they enjoyed a bumper year on last year's interest rate hikes. The top four Korean financial groups -- Shinhan, KB, Hana and Woori -- saw their combined ne

Feb. 21, 2023

Toyota aims to win back Korean customers

Toyota will release eight new electric vehicles in South Korea to ramp up its automation lineup to meet the diversifying needs of local customers this year, Toyota Motor Korea said Tuesday as it announced the launch of its RAV4 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. According to the Japanese automaker, the Korean office has set 2023 as a turning point to implement the global headquarters’ “multipathway” strategy that aims to offer a varied selection of automated vehicles in different

Feb. 21, 2023

Exports fall 2.3 percent during first 20 days of February on weak chip demand

South Korea's exports fell 2.3 percent on-year in the first 20 days of February, data showed Tuesday, as the sluggish global demand for chips offset strong shipments of automobiles. The country's outbound shipments stood at $33.5 billion in the Feb. 1-20 period, compared with $34.3 billion a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service. Imports rose 9.3 percent on-year to $39.5 billion during the cited period, resulting in a trade deficit of $5.9 billion. The de

Feb. 21, 2023

Seoul shares open tad lower on rate hike concerns

South Korean stocks opened slightly lower Tuesday as traders remained uncertain about the US Federal Reserve's future monetary policy to curb inflation. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index had shed 7.36 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,447.76 in the first 15 minutes of trading. US financial markets closed Monday for the Presidents' Day holiday. On Friday, Wall Street ended mixed as stronger-than-expected US inflation readings and a low unemployment rate reinforced investors

Feb. 21, 2023

Former SK hynix VP named chief economist for US team overseeing chip development fund

A former vice president and chief economist for SK hynix has joined the US government team overseeing a $52.7 billion fund to boost development and manufacturing in the chipmaking industry. On Friday, the US Commerce Department announced that Dan Kim has joined the CHIPS Program Office as chief economist and director of strategic planning and industry analysis. The program is aimed at spurring manufacturing and innovation in the US semiconductor industry under the CHIPS and Science Act signed in

Feb. 20, 2023