Naver, Intel, KAIST join forces to set up AI lab in Korea

Naver, Intel and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology will set up a joint lab in Korea to lead the new global ecosystem for artificial intelligence semiconductors, KAIST announced Tuesday. The joint lab called NIK AI Research Center will be established on the KAIST campus in Daejeon in the first half of this year and begin research in July. KAIST said that the joint research center will be run for three years, adding that its operation can be extended depending on research achi

April 30, 2024

Shinsegae faces showdown with investors over SSG.com's delayed IPO

Korean retail giant Shinsegae Group's e-commerce unit SSG.com faces mounting pressure from investors to recoup the 1 trillion won ($727 million) investment made between 2019 and 2022 amid its delayed market debut hit by lukewarm sales in recent years. According to industry sources on Tuesday, Shinsegae is in last-minute discussions with Affinity Equity Partners and BlueRun Ventures, the two private equity funds that are reportedly considering exercising a put option to sell back their stake

April 30, 2024

Ministry launches special team to end dog meat consumption by 2027

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Tuesday launched a special commission dedicated to ending dog meat consumption in the country by 2027. Earlier on Jan. 22, the ministry had introduced a task force to iron out the details of implementing a government plan to end the practice, with a revision to the related law taking effect Tuesday. The task force has become an official entity under the ministry, comprising 13 members, including officials from the Ministry of Interior and S

April 30, 2024

SK Telecom to unveil LLM for telecom carriers in June

SK Telecom, Korea's largest wireless carrier by the number of subscribers, said Tuesday it aims to introduce a large language model specializing in telecom-related terms as early as June. The upcoming telecom-specific LLM is developed from general-purpose LLMs such as ChatGPT and Claude. SK Telecom joined hands with global Big Tech firms including OpenAI and Anthropic to develop the LLM. Telco-specific LLMs are more adjusted to the telecommunications domain and better at understanding use

April 30, 2024

GS E&C secures W600b LNG terminal project

South Korean construction giant GS Engineering & Construction announced Tuesday that it has won a contract worth 600 billion won ($435 million) to build a new liquefied natural gas terminal in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. The Northeast Asia LNG Hub Terminal Project aims to establish a large-scale energy storage facility in the southwestern city of Yeosu. Expected to take about 42 months, the project will involve the construction of two LNG storage tanks, each with a capacity of 200,000 kilo

April 30, 2024

Hyundai Motor launches internship program for foreign students

Hyundai Motor Company announced Tuesday its commitment to cultivating global talent through a summer internship program designated for international students in Korea, fostering the company’s cultural inclusivity and global market presence. This marks the first time Hyundai Motor has openly recruited international students studying in Korea as interns. The flagship unit of Hyundai Motor Group, the world's third-largest carmaker, aims to blend diverse international perspectives into it

April 30, 2024

S. Korea's tax revenue falls W2.2tr on-year through March

South Korea's tax revenue fell 2.5 percent on-year during the first three months of 2024 due mainly to weak corporate performances, the finance ministry said Tuesday. The government collected 84.9 trillion won ($61.68 billion) in taxes this year through March, down 2.2 trillion won from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The decline was due mainly to the fall in corporate taxes collected and income taxes. The collection of corporate taxes sank 22.8 percent, or

April 30, 2024

[Photo News] Stylish revamp

Renault Korea opens a new showroom in Daegu on Monday as part of the carmaker's brand revamp announced earlier this year. The latest showroom is the third of its kind here to embrace the French carmaker's new showroom concept, called "rnlt©." The showroom also features a range of lifestyle products under the brand name, "The Originals." (Renault Korea)

April 30, 2024

[Photo News] Robot cook at school

Doosan Robotics demonstrates the efficiency of its robotic solution for cooking fried food at a high school in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, according to the company on Tuesday. The robotic solution is capable of cooking fried dishes for 500 people in two hours by operating six frying baskets at once. (Doosan Robotics)

April 30, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on Samsung

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Tuesday backed by strong earnings performance by top cap Samsung Electronics and overnight US stock gains. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 7.81 points, or 0.29 percent, to 2,665.25 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Samsung Electronics, the world's largest memory chip manufacturer, announced earlier in the day its first quarter operating profit shot up more than tenfold from a year ago in the first quarter, with its chip bus

April 30, 2024

Industrial output falls by most in 4 years in March

South Korea's industrial output logged the sharpest fall in about four years after four months of monthly gains in March on falling manufacturing production, data showed Tuesday. Retail sales, however, rebounded on rising demand for food and vehicles, among other items, amid concerns about weak domestic demand, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. Industrial output declined 2.1 percent in March from a month earlier, the first fall since October, It also marked the sharpest fa

April 30, 2024

Celltion’s Zymfentra gets preference in top US formulary

Korean biosimilar giant Celltrion said Monday that its Zymfentra, the world’s first subcutaneous formulation of infliximab called Remsima SC outside the US, has been included in the preferred formulary of Express Scripts, one of the top three pharmacy benefit managers or PMBs in the US. In the US, PBMs act as negotiating entities in the prescription drug supply chain. Insurers work with PBMs as third-party contractors that manage their prescription drug benefits. PBMs create and update for

April 29, 2024

China outpaces Korea in smaller OLED shipments for 1st time

China outpaced Korea in the shipment of organic light-emitting display panels for IT gadgets for the first time in the first quarter of this year, stirring concerns that Korean manufacturers could eventually be pushed out of the market by Chinese rivals. According to Chinese market tracker Cinno Research on Monday, China's OLED shipments for IT gadgets including smartphones and tablet PCs accounted for 53.4 percent of the total in the January-March period, ahead of Korea’s 46.6 percen

April 29, 2024

Seoul shares jump over 1% on battery, chemical stocks

Seoul shares closed over 1 percent higher Monday on advances in battery and chemical shares amid a slump in techs. The local currency slightly fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 31.11 points, or 1.17 percent, to close at 2,687.44. Trade volume was moderate at 461 million shares worth 10.2 trillion won ($7.4 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 719 to 165. Foreigners remained net buyers for a second consecutive session, scooping up a net 415.9

April 29, 2024

BNEF names Hyosung Heavy as top ESS supplier

South Korea’s Hyosung Heavy Industries announced Monday that it has been recognized as a tier-1 supplier of energy storage systems by BNEF or Bloomberg New Energy Finance, a market research firm specializing in the renewable energy sector. The firm has now been included in the top-tier list for two consecutive quarters. “It is meaningful that a Korean firm has won the industrial recognition in the global ESS market that is dominated by Chinese rivals,” said a Hyosung Heavy offi

April 29, 2024

Intel CEO to visit Seoul in June

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is planning to visit Korea in early June to attend the company's global conference in Seoul, according to industry sources Monday. The AI Summit event, which is held multiple times a year across countries, typically highlights Intel’s local subsidiaries. It shares knowledge on the intersection between artificial intelligence technology and business models for key players in the industry. Sources predicted the summit will be held on June 5, which will mark the

April 29, 2024

Hanwha Systems breaks ground on satellite center in Jeju

Hanwha Systems, a defense electronics and ICT solutions provider under the Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group, broke ground on a space center in Jeju on Monday. Named the Jeju Hanwha Space Center, the new facility will be capable of developing and manufacturing satellites. Hanwha Systems plans to complete the construction by the end of next year. “The Jeju Hanwha Space Center will create innovative technology and economic value as a birthplace for satellite development and manufacturing,&rdq

April 29, 2024

Korean franchises eye Japan, riding high on K-food trend

Korean food and beverage companies are increasingly entering the Japanese market in pursuit of broader opportunities, largely driven by a saturated market at home and to capitalize on the rising popularity of Korean cuisine in the neighboring country. As of 2023, Japan saw a total of 19 Korean food franchises operating a combined 133 branches nationwide. According to the state-run Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. (aT), Japan was the fourth most popular destination for Korean franchise

April 29, 2024

[Herald Interview] Mom’s Touch seeks to replicate success in Japan

Renowned for its signature spicy thigh patty burgers, Mom’s Touch has established itself as a dominant player in South Korea’s fast-food landscape, with the highest number of branches here, despite its relatively late entry to the market. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the fast-food chain has ventured into the Japanese market with the opening of its inaugural branch in Tokyo's Shibuya district on April 16. Mom’s Touch CEO Kim Dong-jeon revealed that the decisi

April 29, 2024

[Photo News] Boosting Korea-China ties

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won (left), who doubles as chair of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Bi Jinquan, executive vice chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, a state think tank, meet in Beijing on Monday to discuss ways to expand economic cooperation between the two countries. This meeting was held to check on the implementation status of the agenda items discussed at the fourth edition of the Korea-China High-Level Economic Dialogue, jointly hosted

April 29, 2024