Stock price recovery ‘possible’: Kakao CEO nominee

Kakao’s new CEO nominee Namkoong Whon said Thursday that he wishes to restore the company‘s stock price at over 150,000 won ($124.60) per share during his two-year term amid investors’ growing concerns over its underperforming stocks. 　 “We will be able to see (Kakao‘s stock price) to reach 150,000 won (per share) again if (we can) restore the market trust,“ Namkoong said during an online press conference. “I hope to see a boost in stock price within m

Feb. 24, 2022

Philips Korea receives Health Minister’s Award for improving lives of underserved

Philips Korea has received the Health and Welfare Minister’s Award at the 2022 Happiness Together Social Contribution Campaign for helping improve people’s lives through health care technology, the company said Thursday. Marking its 12th edition, the annual awards recognizes exemplary companies that practice social responsibilities. Co-hosted by the Korea Enterprises Federation and the Association of Korean Journalists, the campaign is sponsored by several ministries including the

Feb. 24, 2022

Posco’s plan to set up holding firm in Seoul faces political backlash

Posco Group has been left baffled over calls from political circles and local communities not to establish a new holding company in Seoul, and to stay in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, where the firm was initially founded as a state-run enterprise in 1968.  All four leading presidential candidates have publicly urged Posco -- which will officially launch a new holding firm on March 2 -- to remain in its birthplace of Pohang for the sake of balanced regional development. Posco has den

Feb. 24, 2022

Kepco suffers record operating loss of W5.8tr

Korea Electric Power Corp. hemorrhaged a record operating loss of 5.8 trillion won ($4.8 billion) last year, going back into the red after an operating profit of 4 trillion won the year before. Kepco suffered an unprecedented deficit as the public company couldn’t raise electricity prices in line with rising global fuel prices, due to the government’s inflation concerns. The figure is almost double from when Kepco witnessed an operating loss of 2.7 trillion won in 2008 when oil

Feb. 24, 2022

Ministry mulls subsidy cut for hybrids

SEJONG -- Hybrid cars will likely be excluded from a government list of eco-friendly cars in the coming years, rendering hybrid-car owners no longer able to enjoy tax benefits or state-led purchase subsidies. During a ministerial meeting for the nation’s innovative growth in Seoul on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki unveiled a policy to regard only electric cars and hydrogen-fueled cars as low-emission cars on a midterm policy direction. He said that the g

Feb. 24, 2022

[MWC 2022] SKT, Samsung to unveil advanced 5G tech at MWC

South Korea’s telecommunication carrier SK Telecom and wireless network equipment maker Samsung Electronics will unveil the test results of their 5G network architecture “Option 4” for enhanced connectivity at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The two firms recently tested the advanced 5G connectivity on a commercial network infrastructure for the first time within the industry. SK Telecom plans to commercialize the technology by 2023 in order to support urban

Feb. 24, 2022

Preorders start for Genesis GV70 EV

Hyundai Motor’s standalone luxury brand Genesis said Thursday it has started getting preorders for the Electrified GV70, a full-electric version of its mid-sized SUV GV70. The new car is priced at 73.32 million won ($61,232). With the government’s EV subsidies, local drivers can purchase the car for under 66 million won. Equipped with a 77.4 killowatt hour battery pack, the Electrified GV70 offers a range of up to 400 kilometers on a single charge. It can be charged up to 80 per

Feb. 24, 2022

Seoul stocks plunge over 2% on escalating Ukraine crisis

South Korean stocks plunged more than 2 percent Thursday, as investor sentiment worsened over Russia's launch of military operations in eastern Ukraine. The Korean won steeply fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) tumbled 70.73 points, or 2.6 percent, to close at 3,029.57 points. Trading volume was high at about 904 million shares worth some 13.1 trillion won ($10.9 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 797 to 108. Foreigners dumped a net 681 bi

Feb. 24, 2022

Biggest drone show in Korea showcases future of air transports

Drone Show Korea 2022 kicked off Thursday to showcase the latest innovations of major South Korean aviation and defense firms, offering a glimpse into future drones that will become available in daily lives in a few years ahead. During the three-day event held at Bexco in Busan, LIG Nex1, a local defense firm that specializes in missiles, unveiled KCD-200, a drone that can transport payloads heavier than 200 kilograms. KCD-200, which looks like a small airplane, is supported by seven propelle

Feb. 24, 2022

BOK freezes key rate, announces decade-high inflation outlook

South Korea’s central bank on Thursday kept its benchmark interest rate anchored at the current 1.25 percent, but sharply revised its annual inflation outlook to a decade high of 3.1 percent. The Bank of Korea’s seven-day monetary policy board unanimously voted to freeze the key rate at the level it maintained since it delivered a 0.25 percentage point rate hike in January. The January decision brought back the base rate to pre-pandemic levels, before the BOK carried out a 0.5 perc

Feb. 24, 2022

[MWC 2022] Samsung’s mobile chief hints at greener, more inclusive Galaxy ecosystem

Samsung Electronics mobile head Roh Tae-moon said Thursday its use of recycled and eco-conscious materials will play a critical part in its mobile device innovations, a week ahead of the Mobile World Congress 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. Samsung’s Mobile Experience business, led by Roh, oversees operations related to smartphones, tablets, personal computers and wearable devices -- which Samsung seeks to connect under the Galaxy ecosystem that is turning greener and more inclusive. The Sou

Feb. 24, 2022

Hana partners with KAIST to boost scientific approach towards carbon neutrality

South Korea’s Hana Financial Group has partnered up with the nation’s top university in science and technology to bolster the scientific approach toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. On Thursday, Hana said it signed a deal with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology with the goal of developing new technology based on environmental, social and governance values. The goal would be based on the institutions’ joint efforts to resolve climate change issues,

Feb. 24, 2022

Ukraine tensions feared to disrupt chip production

A military confrontation between Russia and Ukraine could disrupt supply of raw materials, potentially exacerbating the ongoing global chip shortage, analysts said Thursday. Russia and Ukraine produce raw materials, such as neon, used in chipmaking processes, raising concerns that the escalating tension could disrupt the supply of key materials. According to market research firm TrendForce, Ukraine supplies nearly 70 percent of the world's highly purified neon gas used to etch circuit designs in

Feb. 24, 2022

21 Hyundai models earn US safety awards

Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday it has earned the most safety pick awards from the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), beating rivals such as Volkswagen and Volvo. Eleven models from the South Korean automotive group garnered the Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) awards and 10 models obtained the Top Safety Pick (TSP) awards, Hyundai said in a statement. The group has Hyundai Motor Co., its independent Genesis brand, and affiliate Kia Corp., under its wing. The 11 TSP+ winners are Hyunda

Feb. 24, 2022

Celltrion expects COVID-19 treatment candidate to show efficacy against omicron

South Korean pharmaceutical giant Celltrion Inc. on Thursday anticipated its antibody treatment against COVID-19 under development would show efficacy against the omicron variant. Celltrion said that CT-P63 has maintained strong neutralizing ability against the omicron variant during pseudo-virus testing. The candidate treatment is currently under clinical trials. The announcement comes after local health authorities announced Wednesday they will halt using Celltiron's COVID-19 treatment, Rekiro

Feb. 24, 2022

Audi Volkswagen Korea executive named to lead imported car association

South Korea's imported car business lobby group said Thursday it has appointed an Audi Volkswagen Korea executive as its new chief to help their members gain a bigger share in the local passenger vehicle market. Till Scheer, group managing director of Audi Volkswagen Korea, will serve as the 15th chairman of the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA) from March to February 2024, KAIDA said in a statement. "With a heavy sense of responsibility, I aspire to find solut

Feb. 24, 2022

S. Korea seeks int'l cooperation for stable supply chains amid Ukraine tensions

South Korea's top trade official met with foreign envoys to Seoul on Thursday and discussed ways of cooperation to ensure stable supplies of key materials amid global supply chain disruptions and simmering tensions surrounding Ukraine, the industry ministry said. The meeting took place in Seoul between Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo and ambassadors and charge d'affaires of nine resource-rich nations -- Indonesia, Canada, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Brazil an

Feb. 24, 2022

BOK freezes policy rate amid pandemic, Ukraine crisis

South Korea's central bank held its key interest rate steady Thursday amid worries that the upsurge in COVID-19 infections and heightening geopolitical risks stemming from Eastern Europe could undercut economic recovery momentum. The Bank of Korea (BOK), however, sharply revised upward its inflation outlook for this year, raising the possibility that it could hike the interest rate in the months to come. As widely expected, the seven-member monetary policy board of the central bank voted to fr

Feb. 24, 2022

Seoul stocks open steeply lower amid escalating Ukraine tensions

South Korean stocks opened steeply lower Thursday, tracking overnight plunges on Wall Street that stemmed from rising tensions in Ukraine. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) retreated 28.85 points, or 1.06 percent, to 2,690.08 points as of 9:15 a.m. Overnight, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite tumbled 2.57 percent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1.38 percent as Ukraine declared a state of emergency and Washington said a Russian invasion of Ukraine remains imminen

Feb. 24, 2022

Corporate direct financing nearly triples in Jan.

Corporate direct financing in South Korea nearly tripled in January from the previous month due mainly to a massive initial public offering (IPO), data showed Thursday. Local companies raised a combined 27.53 trillion won ($23.1 billion) by selling stocks and bonds last month, up 172.5 percent from December, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service. Direct financing refers to raising funds directly from the stock and bond markets without borrowing from banks and other financi

Feb. 24, 2022