Seoul stocks open higher on auto, chemical gains

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher on Thursday, led by advances by auto and chemical stocks. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 5.28 points, or 0.18 percent, to trade at 3,007.08 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite added 0.64 percent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.1 percent on easing concerns about the omicron variant of the new coronavirus. In Seoul, market bellwether Samsung Electronics lost 0.28 p

Dec. 9, 2021

5 companies to recall over 4,200 vehicles over faulty parts

Audi Volkswagen Korea, Honda Korea and three other companies will voluntarily recall more than 4,200 vehicles to fix faulty components, the transport ministry said Thursday. This is the latest in a series of recalls by carmakers operating in South Korea due to problems with vehicle components. The five companies, including Volvo Trucks Korea, Stellantis Korea, FMK which sells Ferraris and Maseratis in the country, are recalling a combined 4,282 units in 10 kinds of models, the Ministry of La

Dec. 9, 2021

Stock rebounds signal recovery from omicron scare: analysts

South Korean stocks rebounded Wednesday on foreign buying amid growing hopes that the omicron variant would not derail a global economic recovery. Analysts in Seoul also said that stocks will shake off their pandemic-caused weakness early next year when supply disruptions are resolved. The main benchmark Kospi closed at 3001.80, up 0.34 percent from a day earlier, surpassing the 3,000-mark again for the first time since Nov. 24. The junior tech-heavy Kosdaq closed at 1006.04, up 0.94 percent f

Dec. 8, 2021

[Herald Interview] Travel will be back in 2022 but in a different form, says luggage maker exec

Honeymoons were canceled, business trips were pushed back and vacation plans were postponed indefinitely for the past two years as the COVID-19 pandemic forced countries to tighten border control and decimated air travel. As vaccination rates rise and countries slowly open their borders under travel bubble agreements, travel will bounce back in 2022, but will take a different form, says Paul Melkebeke, Samsonite’s president for the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions. “People wi

Dec. 8, 2021

Posco International sets up holding company in Singapore to expand palm oil business

Posco International, the trading arm of the country’s leading steelmaker Posco, has set up a holding company in Singapore to expand its palm oil business, the company said Wednesday. The trading company is currently seeking to transfer 85 percent of its stake in an Indonesian palm farm to the holding company in the city state. The transfer will be completed by the end of the year, officials in Songdo, west of Seoul, said. The company plans to dispatch professionals next year to expand th

Dec. 8, 2021

Hanmi Global, CIOB to share educational contents

　Hanmi Global said Wednesday it has signed a preliminary agreement with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) to share educational contents on construction management. 　The construction management company has recently developed an online education platform, tentatively called Global PM University, to foster professionals in project management and offer knowledge on construction to the general public. 　The CIOB, established in 1834, is a global professional body for construction management

Dec. 8, 2021

Busan bar’s ‘No Professor Zone’ poster goes viral

A bar in Busan has declared itself a “No Professor Zone” to create a friendlier environment for student customers. When someone took a picture of the announcement and shared it in a tweet, it went viral. “We profusely apologize. For other customers to enjoy themselves with ease, we are asking full-time professors to refrain from entering our place,” the poster reads. The message appears to target scholars at Pusan National University, which is located near the venue.

Dec. 8, 2021

[Newsmaker] SK chief says sustainability, not size, priority in chip investment

While Samsung makes a multibillion dollar bet on a new chip fab in the US, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won is seeking to chart a different path in the semiconductor business, emphasizing “sustainability” as a prime factor to consider before making major investment decisions. While attending 2021 Trans-Pacific Dialogue held near Washington, DC, on Tuesday, the 61-year-old leader underscored that the key of the chip business is sustainability, not size, when asked of his plan on makin

Dec. 8, 2021

Seoul stocks gain for 6th session on eased virus woes

South Korean stocks advanced for a sixth straight session Wednesday on the back of eased concerns about the omicron variant. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) added 10.08 points, or 0.34 percent, to close at 3,001.8 points. The key index retrieved the 3,000-point mark for the first time in about two weeks. Trading volume was moderate at about 482 million shares worth some 11 trillion won ($9.4 billion), with losers outnumbering g

Dec. 8, 2021

Home prices stabilize in some Seoul districts: minister

SEJONG -- Deputy prime minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Wednesday that home prices in some districts of Seoul and others nationwide have stabilized. During a meeting with real estate-related ministers, Hong said prices of some apartments in Seoul have “stabilized to the level before entering a possible downhill phase.” His remarks indicate that some districts of the capital might be seeing a plateau or slowdown in prices. He said the trend of stabilization has been at

Dec. 8, 2021

[Herald Interview] SBA to guide digital transformation of small businesses

In times of digital transformation, bigger firms have the tools, technology and personnel for digital transformation, but smaller companies often lack the necessary resources. This is where the Seoul Business Agency steps in to support small- to medium-sized companies in the capital. "Conglomerates or IT companies are undergoing digital transformation and making business opportunities out of it. SMEs are aware of the shift, but they are very busy with their daily workload," said Kim H

Dec. 8, 2021

Jungheung Construction to sign deal to buy Daewoo E&C this week

Jungheung Construction, a midsized local builder, said Wednesday that it will sign a deal this week to buy a controlling stake in Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co. In July, Jungheung Construction was named the preferred bidder to take over the 50.75-percent stake in its bigger rival from an investment fund under the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB). The deal is known to be worth around 2 trillion won ($1.7 billion). In 2018, Hoban Construction Co. was selected as a preferred bid

Dec. 8, 2021

Hyundai Motor likely to post record-high profit this year: analysts

Hyundai Motor Group is likely to post a better-than-expected fourth quarter result as well as a record-high operating profit of 7 trillion won ($5.9 billion) this year, despite the ongoing chip shortage, market experts said Wednesday.  Market analysts viewed that the Korean automaker’s focus on expanding sales of its ecofriendly models and broadening its product mix to enhance its brand value has helped the company to anticipate a turnaround this year.  Nine local securities f

Dec. 8, 2021

Samsung ranks 4th on global digital inclusion index

Samsung Electronics said Wednesday that it was ranked 4th out of the top 150 global tech companies in an index that gauged corporate efforts in using technology ethically and for reducing digital inequality overall. The Korean tech giant’s ranking soared from last year’s 10th position from the World Benchmarking Alliance’s Digital Inclusion Benchmark, topping all of its Asian peers. The WBA is a global alliance of more than 200 global, regional and local organizations that

Dec. 8, 2021

SK Gas invests in US hydrogen startup in push for clean energy transition

SK Gas Co., a key energy unit of South Korea's No. 3 conglomerate SK Group, said Wednesday it has invested in a US startup that has the original decarbonizing technology to produce clean hydrogen, as part of efforts to advance its transition to clean energy. SK Gas did not disclose the value of the investment in C-Zero, a California-based tech company, citing the terms of the contract. C-Zero is known for its methane pyrolysis technology that uses high temperatures to break methane in natural

Dec. 8, 2021

8 aluminum alloy makers fined W21b for price fixing

South Korea's antitrust regulator said Wednesday it has decided to impose a combined 20.7 billion won ($17.6 million) in fines on eight makers of aluminum alloy products for colluding to fix bidding prices. Altechno Metal and seven other firms colluded to fix their quotations between 2011 and 2021 for bids on aluminum alloy products by the country's largest carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Corp., according to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC). Prior to the bidding, the companies

Dec. 8, 2021

Banks' household loans grow at slower pace in November amid tight lending rules

South Korean banks' loans to households grew at a slower pace in November amid the government's stepped-up control on home-backed loans and other lending, central bank data showed Wednesday. According to the data from the Bank of Korea, banks' household loans stood at 1,060.9 trillion won ($901.2 billion) as of end-November, up 3 trillion won from a month earlier. The on-month growth decelerated from a 5.2 trillion won growth in October. Of household loans, mortgage loans grew 2.4 trillion wo

Dec. 8, 2021

Hyundai Doosan Infracore wins preorders for 100 excavators from N. America

Construction machinery manufacturer Hyundai Doosan Infracore Co. said Wednesday that it has won preorders for 100 excavators from North America. Under the deals with dealers in North America, Hyundai Doosan Infracore will deliver the 10-ton excavators during the third quarter of next year, the company said. The South Korea's top construction equipment maker, however, did not reveal the value of the deals. Hyundai Doosan Infracore released its 10-ton excavators for the first time at a meeting

Dec. 8, 2021

2022 economic policy centers on support for merchants, economic recovery: minister

South Korea's top economic policymaker said Wednesday the 2022 economic policy will be focused on supporting pandemic-hit small merchants and helping the country's economy pull off a full recovery. Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki made the remarks at a meeting with heads of major economic institutes and experts from investment banks over the government's economic policy for next year. "Next year, we should make efforts to help the Korean economy pull off a complete recovery and put it on an u

Dec. 8, 2021

S. Korea seeks Russia's cooperation on stable supply of urea and grain amid export quota

South Korea has asked for Russia's cooperation to ensure the stable supply of urea, grain and other major items amid Russia's export quotas, Seoul's finance ministry said Wednesday. Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki made the request Tuesday during a virtual South Korea-Russia joint committee meeting on the economy, science and technology with Yury Trutnev, Russia's deputy prime minister and presidential envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District. During the video conference, Hong asked for the smoot

Dec. 8, 2021