BOK maintains key rate at 3.5% but hints at cut

The Bank of Korea kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the 12th consecutive time Thursday, while hinting at a future rate cut if the current path of disinflation continues. The central bank has maintained the rate at 3.5 percent for over one and half years, since the rate-setting decision made in January 2023. This is the longest rate freeze ever, surpassing the previous 17-month record in 2016-2017. All six members of the monetary policy board, excluding BOK Gov. Rhee Chang-yong, agre

July 11, 2024

S. Korea appeals tribunal order to pay $32m to US hedge fund

South Korea has filed an appeal against a ruling by a Hague-based arbitration court ordering it to pay $32 million to a US hedge fund to compensate for its intervention in the merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015, the Justice Ministry said Thursday. The appeal to the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration follows the tribunal’s decision in April to side with Mason Capital Management, though the compensation ordered was much less than the $200 million the hedge fund had sought. Ma

July 11, 2024

LGE, Qualcomm chiefs meet to discuss AI partnership

LG Electronics Chief Executive Officer Cho Joo-wan met with Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon on Wednesday to discuss their ongoing collaboration on advanced technology, including on-device artificial intelligence and automotive electronics, according to industry sources. On the second day of his trip to Seoul, Amon met with Cho at the LG Electronics headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. The two companies have been building a firm partnership over the past years, especially in the fields of audio products a

July 11, 2024

Starbucks Korea vows to donate W1b for cultural preservation

Starbucks Korea said Thursday it has partnered with the country’s heritage service organizations to intensify its contribution to cultural preservation efforts. Starbucks Korea, the Korea Heritage Service and the National Trust for Cultural Heritage agreed to establish a national heritage protection fund during a ceremony held at the Starbucks Hwangudan branch in Seoul on Thursday. The event was attended by Starbucks Korea CEO Sohn Jeong-hyun, Korea Heritage Service Administrator Choi Eung

July 11, 2024

Samsung invests W72b in US fund for AI-driven biotech

Samsung C&T and its biotech subsidiaries Samsung Biologics and Samsung Bioepis, announced Thursday they would invest 72 billion won ($52 million) in a US fund focused on startups using AI-based new power drug development platform technologies. The investment will be made through the Samsung Life Science fund, created by the Samsung affiliates and managed by Samsung Venture Investment. The money will be invested in venture capital firm Flagship Pioneering's eighth fund, which has so far

July 11, 2024

Hanwha Qcells breaks ground on 267 MW solar project in Colorado

Hanwha Qcells, a division of Hanwha Solutions specializing in solar energy, has started construction on a solar power project totaling 267 megawatts in the United States. On Wednesday, Hanwha Qcells announced its partnership with the Platte River Power Authority, a US public power provider, to launch the full-scale construction of a new solar plant in Weld County, Colorado. Hanwha Qcells is responsible for the project's engineering, procurement and construction, ensuring a streamlined proce

July 11, 2024

HD Hyundai gets green light to bid for US warship maintenance projects

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said Thursday that it has secured the right to bid for the United States Navy's warship maintenance, repair and operations, or MRO, projects to become the first South Korean shipbuilder to do so. According to the shipbuilder, HD HHI signed the master ship repair agreement with the US Naval Supply Systems Command. Under the agreement, HD HHI has been given the qualification to submit bids for MRO projects of the US Navy's warships as well as support ships of

July 11, 2024

Zyx Technology donates CAD software to University of Seoul

AI digital design platform company Zyx Technology announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding to donate ZyxCAD licenses worth 1 billion won ($722,021) to the University of Seoul. Key figures including Eom Shin-jo, CEO of Zyx Technology, and Won Yong-geol, President of the University of Seoul, attended the signing ceremony held on June 25. ZyxCAD is a versatile computer-aided design (CAD) software independently developed by Zyx Technology. It features a user interface and software lang

July 11, 2024

Exports soar 34% from July 1-10 on strong chip sales

South Korea's exports jumped 33.8 percent on-year in the first 10 days of July on strong global demand for semiconductors, data showed Thursday. Outbound shipments reached $17.75 billion in the July 1-10 period, compared with $13.26 billion tallied a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service. Per-day exports also gained 10.2 percent on-year to $2.09 billion. Imports grew 26.7 percent on-year to $19.7 billion during the period, resulting in a trade deficit of $2 bill

July 11, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on Powell's comments

Seoul shares opened higher Thursday as Wall Street rallied after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank will not wait until inflation "gets all the way down to 2 percent" for a rate cut. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index jumped 27.35 points, or 0.95 percent, to 2,895.29 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 rose to record highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also increased 1.09 percent.

July 11, 2024

Zyx Technology releases CAD software in Vietnam

AI digital design platform company Zyx Technology announced Wednesday that it has signed a distribution agreement with HTI Hantech Innovation Vietnam, a system integration specialist, for ZyxCAD in the Vietnamese market. HTI, which operates offices in Vietnam, Europe and the Middle East, brings and promotes Korean smart construction technologies in Vietnam, such as smart factories and smart building technologies, in Vietnam. Zyx Technology anticipated that ZyxCAD and its AI-driven intelligent de

July 11, 2024

McDonald’s unveils new Taste of Korea items

McDonald's Korea has introduced new items under its "Taste of Korea" lineup -- including a cheeseburger and a chicken muffin featuring locally sourced peppers -- highlighting its commitment to collaborating with rural areas across the country. In its fourth edition since 2021, this year’s Taste of Korea lineup focuses on peppers produced in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, in the Jinju Pepper Cream Cheese Burger and Jinju Pepper Cream Cheese Muffin. “McDonald’s

July 11, 2024

Samsung unveils slimmer AI-powered foldable phones

Samsung Electronics unveiled its new slimmer and lighter foldable phones -- the Galaxy Z Flip6 and Z Fold6 -- in Paris on Wednesday, betting big on the Olympics fever brewing in the French capital. As the venue for the biggest product launch in the latter half of this year, the Korean tech giant chose the iconic Louvre Museum, inviting some 1,000 journalists and industry people from around the globe. “Samsung Electronics has been leading the foldable market through continuous innovation si

July 10, 2024

Korean builders association explores new opportunities in Vietnam

The Korea Housing Builders Association said Wednesday that its special delegation is visiting Vietnam this week to explore new opportunities in the Southeast Asian country where diverse development projects are underway to boost the vibrant economy. The delegation consists of 13 members, led by Chairman Jung Won-ju, who doubles as chairman of Daewoo Engineering & Construction. They departed for the seven-day trip on Saturday, during which they plan to meet with government and business leader

July 10, 2024

Zyx Technology launches CAD application program Works globally

South Korean design software developer Zyx Technology has globally launched its proprietary computer-aided design (CAD) application program, Works. Works offers approximately 270 utility functions tailored to various industries utilizing CAD. CAD is a computer program that generates two- or three-dimensional graphic representation. It is employed in various fields, such as computer animation, industrial, civil and architecture design. Notable features offered by Works are the multiplot feature,

July 10, 2024

Korea Post joins efforts to revitalize international postal service

Korea Post announced Wednesday that it took part in the Kahala Posts Group CEO meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand, to tighten cooperation aimed at revitalizing international postal services. The Kahala Posts Group is an international alliance of leading postal services from the Asia-Pacific region. Established in 2002 by postal operators from six Asia-Pacific countries including South Korea, the unit has since expanded its membership to include European countries, now comprising a total of 10 mem

July 10, 2024

Seoul shares close nearly flat ahead of US inflation data

Seoul shares closed nearly flat Wednesday as investors sat on the sidelines ahead of the release of the latest US inflation data that may give more clues on future rate directions. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index inched up 0.61 points, or 0.02 percent, to 2,867.99. Trade volume was moderate at 459 million shares worth 11.2 trillion won ($8 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 432 to 423. Foreigners sold a net 599 billion won, w

July 10, 2024

[Herald Interview] TIAA-owned asset manager eyes Korean investors’ appetite for alternative assets

Nuveen, the investment manager of the US Teachers Insurance Annuity Association with $1.2 trillion in assets under management, is seeking to broaden its investor base in the Korean market from big institutions to retail investors by launching funds to invest in unlisted medium-sized companies. Retail investors are now seeking unconventional opportunities in the alternative market to expand their portfolios beyond their typical investment vehicles, such as stocks and bonds. Chang Jae-ho, Nuveen&#

July 10, 2024

Texas governor vows full support for Samsung’s expansion in US

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday reiterated his full support for Samsung Electronics to secure a bigger footing in the US, upon his visit to the chip giant’s semiconductor manufacturing plant in Korea. Abbott visited Samsung’s semiconductor campus -- the world's largest semiconductor production facility -- in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, as part of his Asian trip that includes South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. He arrived in Korea on Monday. The governor inspected the P1 line, gu

July 10, 2024

LG Chem vows humanitarian support for Indian victims of 2020 gas leak

LG Chem has pledged to increase humanitarian support for villagers affected by the 2020 gas leak accident at its Indian subsidiary LG Polymers. According to the company on Wednesday, its top executives, including Vice Chairman and CEO Shin Hak-cheol and Chief Financial Officer Cha Dong-seok, visited Andhra Pradesh, a southern coastal state of India, on Tuesday to meet with the state’s Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and local people. At the site, Shin expressed his deepest sympathy to

July 10, 2024