Samsung Biologics, GreenLight to produce COVID vaccine for Africa

Samsung Biologics and Boston-based biotech firm GreenLight Biosciences have teamed up to help make COVID-19 vaccines more accessible to people in poor countries, especially in Africa, the Korean pharmaceutical company said Thursday.  Under a contract manufacturing deal signed earlier in the day, Samsung Biologics will produce drug substances for GreenLight’s messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate.  The drugmaking unit of Samsung Group said it is adding new production facilit

Nov. 25, 2021

Hyundai to test Level 4 self-driving system next year

Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday it would test its Level 4 autonomous driving system in downtown Seoul under its new mobility service “RoboRide,” using its fully electric compact Ioniq 5 as early as next year. The Korean auto giant said running RoboRide will be set the grounds for the company’s advancement of self-driving tech, in a step toward the commercialization of uncrewed mobility services. “We’ve been developing autonomous driving technology for all to mov

Nov. 25, 2021

Seoul motor show presents future of sustainable mobility

South Korea’s biannual auto show kicked off Thursday with global carmakers showcasing sustainable, smart and sophisticated mobility to lure local drivers with future technologies designed to revitalize the pandemic-hit automotive industry. The Seoul Mobility Show offers its stage for one world premiere, five Asia premieres and 14 Korea premiers of six different local and foreign brands. About 100 car manufacturers and mobility companies from six different countries joined the show simulta

Nov. 25, 2021

Seoul stocks down for 3rd day on hawkish Fed, BOK's rate hike

South Korean stocks closed lower to extend their losing streak to a third day Thursday as the country's central bank raised its key policy rate to fight inflation and household debt. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) retreated 14.02 points, or 0.47 percent, to close at 2,980.27 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 587 million shares worth some 9.3 trillion won ($7.8 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 642 to 228. Foreigners and institutions offloaded a ne

Nov. 25, 2021

Kakao Brain to give Korean-language AI an upgrade

Kakao Brain, an AI technology research and development subsidiary of Kakao, said Thursday it will upgrade its Korean-language AI model to go full swing in promoting the development of local AI industry. According to the AI company, it plans to enhance the deep learning process of KoGPT, Kako Brain’s Korean- language AI model, and make it 100 times more efficient by using Google Cloud’s supercomputer, Google Tensor Processing Unit. Google TPU is a large-scale computing system that

Nov. 25, 2021

NongHyup says virtual human ‘hired’ for digitalization

NongHyup Financial Group said Thursday that it has “hired” an artificial intelligence-powered member of staff to work along with the lender’s human staff, as part of its effort to digitize its operations and enhance the customer experience. A virtual human figure powered by artificial intelligence will assist staff at its key subsidiary NongHyup Bank from January, officials said. This is the first time a bank has officially recognized an AI machine as a member of staff, give

Nov. 25, 2021

Kakao co-CEO Yeo wins another 4-year term

Kakao Corp. said Thursday co-CEO Yeo Min-soo has been named to lead the operator of South Korea's top mobile messenger, KakaoTalk, for another four years. Kakao said its board of directors also selected Ryu Young-joon, who has served as the chief of Kakao's payment arm, Kakao Pay, as a new co-CEO of Kakao. Yeo, who has been leading Kakao since March 2018, will begin a second four-year term as a co-CEO with Ryu at a board meeting slated for March. "I will faithfully serve my role in this

Nov. 25, 2021

S. Korea to devise measures for MSCI-developed market status: minister

South Korea's chief economic policymaker said Thursday the country will come up with measures to win developed market status from Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI). South Korea has been pushing for the upgrade from the current position on the emerging markets list, as the global index provider will have its annual review in June next year. Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki earlier said the country deserves to win the developed market status "in light of its economic situation and fo

Nov. 25, 2021

Winter season operation curb on coal plants in store to cut dust emissions

South Korea plans to halt the operation of some coal-powered plants over the winter in a move to reduce fine dust emissions, the industry ministry said Thursday. The operation of eight to 16 coal-powered plants will be suspended from December through February, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. The country now has 53 coal plants. Up to 46 plants can be required to maintain their power output at 80 percent of capacity depending on the fine dust situation, the ministry ad

Nov. 25, 2021

Insurers' earnings soar 37.3% in Jan.-Sept.

South Korean insurance firms' earnings jumped more than 37 percent in the first nine months of this year amid the coronavirus pandemic and a bullish stock market, data showed Thursday. The combined net profit of insurance companies operating in South Korea came to 7.63 trillion won ($6.4 billion) in the January-September period, up 37.3 percent from a year earlier, according to the preliminary data from the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). Life insurers saw their combined net profit expand

Nov. 25, 2021

2 transport firms fined W340m for bid rigging

South Korea's antitrust regulator said Thursday it has decided to impose a combined fine of 340 million won ($285,000) on two transport companies for rigging bids to win three projects by the country's major shipbuilder, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. In 2014, Sebang Co. and Dongbang Transport Logistics Co. colluded to fix their price quotations on a transport project to make sure Saebang won the deal. After winning the bidding, Sebang assigned part of the order to Dongbang Tr

Nov. 25, 2021

BOK raises rate to 1% amid inflation concerns

South Korea’s central bank on Thursday raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points, returning to the 1 percent rate range after 20 months, while upgrading this year’s inflation target. In a largely expected move, the Bank of Korea carried out a rate hike as a result of the last monetary policy meeting of the year. The central bank stood pat on its base rate in the previous rate-setting meeting last month, after carrying out a rate hike of 25 basis points to 0.75 percent i

Nov. 25, 2021

Seoul stocks open lower on profit-taking

South Korean stocks opened lower Thursday as investors attempted to cash in gains from the recent rally. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 7.35 points, or 0.25 percent, to 2,986.94 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. The KOSPI got off to a lackluster start, apparently on the back of losses in tech heavyweights. Top cap Samsung Electronics fell 0.53 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix lost 0.42 percent. Leading chemical firm LG Chem shed 1.2 percent and

Nov. 25, 2021

S. Korea's tax competitiveness ranks 26th worldwide: report

South Korea's international tax competitiveness has fallen nine notches over the past five years, a report said Thursday, pointing to a need to lower tax rates and simplify its tax system. The country's tax competitiveness ranks 26th in the world in 2021, compared with 17th five years earlier, according to the report from the Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI). It marks the sharpest drop among the Group of Five major economies, as well as 37 members of the Organization for Economic Coope

Nov. 25, 2021

Mercedes-Benz Korea to beef up EV lineup

Mercedes-Benz Korea said Thursday it will add an all-electric sedan this year to its EV lineup amid a growing appetite for zero-emission vehicles.  The German carmaker introduced the new EQS, the first pure electric sedan built on its dedicated electric modular architecture, during the media day of the 2021 Seoul Motor Show. Under its all-electric brand Mercedes-EQ, the new EQS 450+ AMG Line and EQS 450+ AMG Line Launch Edition models will go on sale in the Korean market within this year

Nov. 25, 2021

3 companies to recall over 220,000 vehicles over faulty parts

BMW Korea, GM Asia-Pacific Regional headquarters and Mercedes-Benz Korea will voluntarily recall more than 220,000 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 three carmakers are recalling a combined 223,330 units in 84 kinds of models, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement. For instance, BMW plans to gradua

Nov. 25, 2021

S. Korea to increase stockpile of rare metals to ensure stable supply

South Korea plans to increase its stockpile of rare metals and expand the list of such items for strategic reserves, the country's finance minister said Wednesday. The move aimed at ensuring stable supply of such materials came in the wake of a recent supply shortage of aqueous urea solution, a key additive for diesel vehicles. The government plans to swiftly boost the stockpile of rare metals to a maximum of 180 days of use from the current 100 days, according to Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki.

Nov. 24, 2021

S. Korean economy to grow 3.2% in 2022: think tank

South Korea’s economy will grow 3.2 percent next year on consumer spending and strong exports, with pandemic restrictions expected to have eased, a local think tank said Wednesday. The benchmark Kospi will also maintain its growth momentum and hit a record high, it added. “We will see a clear surge in consumer spending early next year as the coronavirus curbs are eased. … Exports will be strong, propped up by a global economic recovery,” said Jang Geun-hyuk, a seni

Nov. 24, 2021

S. Korea to double low-rate loan ceiling to Indonesia over next 5 years

South Korea said Wednesday it plans to more than double the ceiling on the country's low-interest rate loans to Indonesia over the next five years in a bid to strengthen bilateral cooperation. Under the agreement between the two nations, the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) will be expanded to US$1.5 billion in 2022-2026 from the existing $600 million set aside for 2016-2021, according to Seoul's finance ministry. South Korea launched the EDCF program in 1987 in an effort to suppor

Nov. 24, 2021

Lee Jae-yong’s ‘New Samsung’ vision taking shape

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has returned home after a packed North American trip, with his vision for the “New Samsung” taking shape and putting a renewed emphasis on chip business. During his 10-day visit to the US and Canada, Lee held a series of meetings with prospective clients, partners and political leaders and finalized the tech giant’s $17 billion US fab investment. Upon his arrival in Seoul on Wednesday afternoon, the tycoon said the responsibili

Nov. 24, 2021