KT explores synergy between AI, media

South Korean telecom carrier KT Corp. said Monday it is expanding its advanced artificial intelligence technology to the group’s entire media business, from content investment and production to marketing and control, to accelerate innovation. "The media business is one of KT's three core businesses, along with communications and AI,” Kim Hoon-bae, executive vice president of the media platform business unit at KT, said in a press conference held earlier in the day in Seou

April 29, 2024

MBK chief donates $25m to Haverford College

MBK Partners Chairman Michael ByungJu Kim has recently donated $25 million to his undergraduate alma mater, Haverford College, according to the asset manager's announcement on Monday. The $25 million donation, the largest amount in the school's history, was made on April 23. It will fund the establishment of the Institute for Ethical Inquiry & Leadership at the liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania. “Ethical inquiry is at the core of a Haverford education, and leade

April 29, 2024

Over half a million S. Koreans hold multiple jobs: data

The number of South Koreans working multiple jobs surpassed 500,000 in the first quarter of this year, with older people taking up a large proportion of such workers. A total of 552,000 people here had at least one additional job while working full time in the first quarter, according to Statistics Korea data. This marked a 22.4 percent increase compared to the 451,000 tallied in the same period in 2023. While the overwhelming majority of the working population still only has one job, the perc

April 29, 2024

Beloved singer attracts fans, customers to JungKwanJang stores

Korea Ginseng Corp., a global leader in ginseng production, has significantly enhanced its brand positioning and visibility through its marketing strategies that prominently feature Lim Young-woong. Lim, a trot singer with an avid fan base, has recently been named the ginseng brand's brand model. The marketing campaign kicked off with the release of an advertisement featuring Lim on YouTube on Wednesday, which rapidly gained traction by accumulating over 2 million views within 40 hours. The

April 29, 2024

CJ's Tous Les Jours debuts in Cambodia

CJ Foodville said Monday it has opened two new Tous Les Jours branches in Cambodia, as part of efforts to broaden its foothold in Southeast Asia. The two new branches, which opened Friday in Kam Puchea Kroum and Toul Tom Poung in the country’s capital, Phnom Penh, mark the first locations for CJ Foodville to showcase the Tous Les Jours brand in the country. According to the company, both of the new branches feature a hybrid concept of cafe and bakery elements, boasting a selection of over

April 29, 2024

[Photo News] Kumho in Europe

Kumho Tire held a brand experience day at the Vairano Circuit in Milan on April 21 to offer European dealers hands-on experiences with the Korean brand, the tire maker said Monday. The company plans to bolster its presence in the European market even further, as it has seen an average of 20 percent annual growth rate in its regional revenue over the last five years. The Korean tire maker has set out the record-high goal of reaching 4.56 trillion won ($3.3 billion) in annual sales this year after

April 29, 2024

SK Innovation's Q1 net loss widens on FX losses

SK Innovation Co., South Korea's leading refiner by sales, said Monday its net losses widened in the first quarter from a year earlier due mainly to foreign-exchange losses. Net losses deepened to 97.62 billion won ($71 million) in the first quarter from 51.95 billion won in the year-ago period, the company said in a statement. "A weak won, which drove up import prices of crude oil and decreased equity gains from SK On, weighed on the quarterly bottom line," a company spokesperson

April 29, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korean banks’ earnings dilemma: More profits, more responsibility

Korean banks may face diminishing profitability due to mounting pressure to take on social responsibilities amid the country's slowing economic growth, a senior official at global credit appraiser Fitch Ratings said. Commercial banks, often criticized for making money from excessively high interest rates, are facing stronger pressure from local authorities to return a portion of profits to the provision of public goods. “From the operating environment side, the pressure to commit to s

April 29, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on large cap gains

South Korean stocks opened higher Monday on large cap gains, tracking advances on Wall Street last week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 13.6 points, or 0.51 percent, to 2,669.93 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The advance follows Wall Street gains last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.4 percent higher Friday, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq spiked 2.03 percent. In Seoul, most large caps were in positive terrain. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics went up

April 29, 2024

KT launches new mobile plans for foreign residents

South Korea's leading telecom carrier, KT Corp., announced Sunday that the company will introduce new 5G mobile plans for foreign national residents starting Monday. “KT decided to introduce new mobile plans as there are not enough plans specifically for foreigners despite the increasing number of foreign residents in the country,” KT said. According to the Ministry of Justice, the number of long-term residents with nationalities other than Korean here grew to 1.9 million as of

April 28, 2024

[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games

Kakao Games has decided to scrap using English names among its employees, becoming the first Kakao affiliate to backtrack on the IT front-runner’s attempt to make a more bottom-up working environment with open communication. Kakao Games CEO Han Sang-woo, whose English name is Michael, announced the decision in a meeting with employees on April 17, noting that there had been confusion as its workers had to use English names inside the company but went by their Korean names for external comm

April 28, 2024

[Photo News] Shinhan supports families

Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Jin Ok-dong on Friday cleans up the home of a family with multiple children, as part of the group’s volunteer program to support financially vulnerable groups. Shinhan plans to donate 150 million won ($109,000) to aid financially vulnerable families with multiple children. Following Friday's activity, Jin noted, "Shinhan Financial Group will continue paying attention to families with many children and will spare no effort in addressing the natio

April 28, 2024

Samsung chief bolsters ties with Germany’s Zeiss

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong met with top executives of German optics manufacturer Zeiss, a crucial partner for the Korean tech giant's push to lead the burgeoning market for artificial intelligence chips, during his recent trip to Europe. According to Samsung on Sunday, its chief toured the Zeiss headquarters in Oberkochen on Friday and discussed long-term partnerships with Zeiss Group CEO Karl Lamprecht and Zeiss Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology CEO Andreas Pecher. Lee&

April 28, 2024

Woori Financial jumps in race to take over Lotte Insurance

The competition to acquire Lotte Insurance, South Korea's seventh-largest nonlife insurer, is intensifying, with Woori Financial Group recently joining the race. Woori Financial Group's Chief Financial Official Lee Sung-wook stated Friday that the company is reviewing the acquisition of the insurer "to fortify our competitiveness in the nonbanking sectors." The remarks came during the company's quarterly conference call. The move represents Woori's effort to reenter

April 28, 2024

KT&G CEO highlights Indonesia as new global production hub

KT&G’s newly-appointed CEO Bang Kyung-man recently embarked on a business trip to Indonesia, a nation the company projects as a new production hub on the global stage, according to the South Korean cigarette manufacturer on Sunday. The business trip is Bang's first since assuming the role of CEO last month. Following shareholder approval during the company's annual general meeting on March 28, Bang, formerly the company's vice president, ascended to his new leadership

April 28, 2024

Cost of eating up, particularly in Seoul: data

The prices of dishes at local eateries have been on the rise in South Korea, following the rising prices of agricultural, fishery and livestock products reported last week. According to the Korea Consumer Agency, an affiliate of the Korea Fair Trade Commission, the average prices for eight major dining options have all gone up in Seoul in March, compared to March of last year. In a bid to provide a general understanding of the dining costs in South Korea, the agency discloses the monthly average

April 28, 2024

HD Hyundai CEO to co-chair WEF Special Meeting

HD Hyundai Vice Chairman and CEO Chung Ki-sun will serve as a co-chair of the Special Meeting of the World Economic Forum held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from Sunday to Monday. This session convenes 900 leaders from a broad array of sectors, including public and private enterprises, international organizations, NGOs, academia and civil society. The agenda is centered on addressing critical global challenges that are vital to sustainable growth: revitalizing global cooperation, fostering inclusive g

April 28, 2024

Nongshim launches dance challenge for new ramyeon products

Leading ramyeon producer Nongshim has announced the launch of a dance challenge event to mark the release of its latest products: Pu Phat Phong Guri Big Bowl and Kimchi Jja Guri Big Bowl. The newly launched products are inspired by Thai curry and Korean kimchi and pork stew, respectively. The product name "Guri" comes from the Korean word for raccoon, "Neoguri." The new initiative, tailored to resonate with the younger demographic’s love for dance challenges, also aims

April 28, 2024

More eateries went out of business in 2023 than pandemic years

Roughly 1 out of 5 businesses in the food service industry here went out of business in 2023 -- a higher rate than during the years of economic slump sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic -- according to figures disclosed by a local data analysis firm. According to Finda, 176,258 restaurants, takeout joints and food delivery locations across the country shut down for good last year, accounting for 21.5 percent of the 818,867 eateries in total. It implied that the food service industry had a worse yea

April 28, 2024

[Photo News] OLED train windows

LG Display said Sunday that it has delivered transparent organic light-emitting displays for the windows of the latest Great Train Express trains, the new high-speed trains connecting the Greater Seoul area. It is the first time that transparent OLED screens have been used in train windows here to display route maps and other entertainment content for passengers. LG has been supplying transparent OLED train windows to China and Japan since 2020, with plans to extend their applications to other i

April 28, 2024