Korean steel companies' earnings expected to dip in Q1

Earnings of Korean steel companies in the first quarter are expected to fall due to increased prices of raw materials and the sluggish construction market, according to reports from local securities companies, Sunday. Analysts had a bleak outlook for Posco, the country's steel giant, expecting that both sales and operating profit will drop from the previous year, when its sales and operating profit came to 15.5 trillion won ($11.2 billion) and 338 billion won, respectively. Due to the decre

April 14, 2024

Coupang shares hit 18-month high on membership fee hike

The stock price of New York-listed e-commerce giant Coupang surpassed $20 a share on Friday for the first time in 18 months, following the company's announcement it would raise membership fees by nearly 60 percent. Coupang's stock price closed trading at $21.25 on Friday, marking an 11.49 percent increase from the previous day's closing price of $19.06. Its market capitalization recorded $38.1 billion. The surge in the stock price coincided with the company's announcement ear

April 14, 2024

HD Hyundai to develop uncrewed surface vessel by 2026

HD Hyundai has teamed up with Palantir Technologies, a US software company, to develop uncrewed surface vessels by 2026, the Korean shipbuilding conglomerate said Sunday. Officials from HD Hyundai and Palantir signed a memorandum of understanding at the US side’s office in Washington, DC, on Thursday. The two sides plan to develop reconnaissance USVs by 2026 and expand their portfolio to combat USVs later on. In doing so, Avikus, an autonomous navigation solutions developer that was launch

April 14, 2024

Nongshim brings Chapagetti to the fore for global market

South Korea's leading ramyeon manufacturer Nongshim plans to prioritize the promotion of Chapagetti, its black bean-flavored ramyeon product, to diversify its overseas marketing appeal. Following Shin Ramyun, its top-selling instant noodle product, the company will now focus on promoting its 40-year-old Chapagetti as the next major brand targeting the global market, a Nongshim official said during a press conference held in eastern Seoul on Friday. "We have previously concentrated on a

April 14, 2024

CJ begins production of kimchi in Australia, US

CJ CheilJedang said Sunday that it has started local production of kimchi, under the brand Bibigo, in Australia, while reformulating its existing kimchi products exported from Korea to the country. The company is responding to growing demand for freshly pickled kimchi in Australia by using local ingredients, distinguishing these products from those conventionally made in Korea for export. The new locally sourced and manufactured Bibigo Sliced Kimchi, now available in Australia, comes in two size

April 14, 2024

[Photo News] Free charging

Hyundai Motor Group will offer free charging for drivers who rent its electric vehicles from Lotte Rent-a-Car in Jeju starting Monday, the automaker said Sunday. Drivers will be able to charge their rented EVs to up to 80 percent for free if they use a fast charger installed at Hyundai Motor charging stations named E-pit. There are three E-pit stations on Jeju Island with 16 chargers. The free charging service will be offered through Oct. 15. (Hyundai Motor Group)

April 14, 2024

Korea faces another compensation claim over 2015 Samsung merger

The South Korean government faced another compensation claim for its alleged role in the 2015 merger of two Samsung companies. The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled Thursday that the Korean government should compensate some $32.03 million to Mason Capital, a New York-based hedge fund, for its investment losses from the high-profile merger deal. Mason had originally demanded to be compensated with $200 million. The latest arbitrative ruling is the second of its kind made against

April 12, 2024

BOK holds rate, wary of inflation's ‘last mile’

Nearing the “last mile” of its fight against rising prices, the Bank of Korea held the base rate at 3.5 percent for the 10th consecutive time Friday. The monetary policy board of the central bank decided to maintain the rate through a unanimous vote, keeping the rate steady for more than a year since February 2023, BOK Gov. Rhee Chang-yong said at a press conference held shortly after the rate-setting decision. “While the headline and core inflation moved in a nearly synchroniz

April 12, 2024

Hyundai to start hydrogen vehicle trials in Guangzhou this year

Hyundai Motor Group plans to expand operations at its HTWO Guangzhou facility -- its first overseas hydrogen fuel cell system production plant -- by initiating pilot projects for commercial hydrogen fuel cell vehicles this year. Lee Hyuk-joon, executive vice president of Hyundai Motor Group China, detailed the initiative Tuesday at the 10th Annual Guangzhou International Investment Conference. Hyundai HTWO is a dedicated brand created by the Hyundai Motor Group to represent their hydrogen fuel c

April 12, 2024

Korean auto exports hit record $17.5 billion in Q1

Korean automobile exports reached a record $17.5 billion in the first quarter of this year, marking a 2.7 percent increase from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Thursday. Automobile exports surged to $6.2 billion in March alone, following a slight dip to $5.2 billion the previous month. This boost was largely driven by the robust performance of hybrid vehicles, which did not include plug-in hybrids. Hybrid vehicle exports in March soared to a

April 12, 2024

Kakao joins AI Alliance, promotes safe, responsible AI

Korean IT giant Kakao joined AI Alliance, the global open-source community dedicated to the responsible development of artificial intelligence, becoming the first Korean firm to do so, the company said Friday. “We will work together with the AI Alliance to establish an open AI ecosystem meeting the global standard for the open, responsible and safe development of AI technology,” Kakao AI Safety Leader Kim Kyung-hoon said. “We will take on the social responsibility as a digital

April 12, 2024

Uneven pace of economic recovery among sectors continues in S. Korea: finance ministry

The South Korean economy has largely been on a recovery track on the back of robust growth of exports and manufacturing production, but domestic demand remains weak and uncertainties have grown over global prices of raw materials, the finance ministry said Friday. "Our economy has seen an economic recovery centering on manufacturing output and exports while reporting a high level of employment," the Ministry of Economy and Finance said in the Green Book, its monthly economic assessment

April 12, 2024

Seoul shares open lower despite US gains

South Korean stocks started lower Friday despite overnight US gains as investors await the Bank of Korea's rate decision later in the day. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 16.61 points, or 0.61 percent, to 2,690.35 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.7 percent and the S&P 500 rose 0.7 percent on a tech rally, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was almost flat. Apple soared 4.3 percent, Nvidia surged 4.1 percent, and Amazon c

April 12, 2024

S. Korea ordered to pay Mason Capital W43.8b in investor-state suit

An international tribunal ordered South Korea on Thursday to pay 43.8 billion won ($32 million) in compensation to US-based hedge fund Mason Capital in an investor-state suit the company filed over a controversial 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates, the justice ministry said. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Netherlands issued the decision nearly six years after the New York-based fund brought the investor-state dispute settlement process against the South Korean government, de

April 11, 2024

[Herald Interview] Weak consumption, property risk could delay Korea’s recovery: ADB economist

While recent figures indicate the Korean economy is on the path of recovery, weak household consumption and a fragile property market could remain challenges for the country, an economist from the Asian Development Bank projected. In its Asian Development Outlook report released Thursday, the international organization based in Manila forecast Korea's gross domestic product to grow by 2.2 percent in 2024 and 2.3 percent in 2025, signaling a turn from the 1.4 percent increase observed last y

April 11, 2024

Amid deepening apple crisis, S. Korea eyes long-term measures

This year’s spikes in apple prices have prompted South Korean officials to explore long-term strategies to stabilize fruit harvests. While the latest price trends are influenced by various factors, including short-term weather events, officials are concerned about a troubling underlying trend: Declining harvests due to shrinking cultivation areas in the country attributed to climate change, a decreasing and aging farming population, among other reasons. Data released Thursday by the Korea

April 11, 2024

Kakao Healthcare boosts partnership with Google

Kakao Healthcare, the digital health care unit under platform giant Kakao, announced Thursday that the company would boost its collaboration with Google to improve its cloud-based data platform. The announcement came after Kakao Healthcare CEO Hwang Hee shared the company's recent progress with Healthcare Data Research Suite (HRS), the company’s cloud-based data platform service, during Google's Cloud Next conference in Las Vegas this week. According to Hwang, Korea has a significant amoun

April 11, 2024

Yoon's plans to boost stock market likely to fizzle

With the liberal opposition clinching a landslide victory in Wednesday's general election, expectations over President Yoon Suk Yeol’s economic policies that favor stock market investment falter. Yoon’s People Power Party faced a major defeat in the parliamentary elections, as the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and its satellite party won 175 seats in the 300-member National Assembly. The election results sent a signal to the market that Yoon and his party’s drive to

April 11, 2024

Seoul shares close almost flat despite higher US inflation; won sharply down

South Korean stocks ended almost flat Thursday thanks to gains in techs and autos despite higher-than-expected US inflation that dimmed hopes for the Federal Reserve's early rate cuts. The Korean won sharply fell to the lowest point in 17 months against the US dollar. After starting 1.45 percent lower, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index pared earlier losses by rising 1.8 points, or 0.07 percent, to close at 2,706.96. Trade volume was moderate at 522.4 million shares worth 12.5

April 11, 2024

Korea's national debt hits record high in 2023

South Korea's national debt surged by nearly 60 trillion won ($44 billion) last year, reaching a record high. According to a report on the 2023 national settlement of accounts approved at a Cabinet meeting, the country's national debt stood at 1,126.7 trillion won, up by 59.4 trillion won from 2022. The total includes 1,092.5 trillion won owed by the central government and 34.2 trillion won owed by provincial governments, increasing by 59.1 trillion won and 300 billion won, respectively, from th

April 11, 2024