Seoul shares start lower ahead of key rate decision

South Korean stocks opened a tad lower Wednesday ahead of the central bank's rate-setting meeting. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) lost 11.02 points, or 0.44 percent, to 2,510.74 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight on Wall Street, US stocks climbed modestly on a dovish comment by a Federal Reserve official, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average edging up 0.24 percent and the Nasdaq Composite adding 0.29 percent. The Bank of Korea is set to decide on its pol

Nov. 29, 2023

Daily Sports Hankook hopes to help stengthen Korea-Indonesia ties through business forum

The Korea-Indonesia Cooperation Forum is all set to take place on Thursday in Jakarta, marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Indonesia. The forum is a significant step toward strengthening cooperation, boosting collaboration, and exploring business opportunities between the two nations. The Korea Herald had an interview with Cho Sung-hyun, the director of the Corporate Planning and Management Division of The Daily Sports Hankook, one of the media partners for the

Nov. 28, 2023

Seoul shares close more than 1% higher on extended Israel-Hamas truce

South Korean stocks ended more than 1 percent higher Tuesday, as investors were buoyed by the latest news on an extended cease-fire in the Middle East. The local currency rose sharply against the US greenback. The benchmark Kospi jumped 26.1 points, or 1.05 percent, to close at 2,521.76. Trading volume was slim at 435.8 million shares worth 8.59 trillion won ($6.64 billion), with gainers slightly outnumbering decliners 457 to 417. Individual investors led the rally, purchasing a net 572.6 billio

Nov. 28, 2023

Samsung Biologics sees highest-ever annual orders

Samsung Biologics said Tuesday that the company has signed five contract manufacturing deals to bring the total value of its annual orders this year to an all-time high of 3.48 trillion won ($2.7 billion). According to Samsung Biologics’ regulatory filing, the company has recently inked one new and four expanded deals with a pharmaceutical company based in Asia. The five contracts are worth a total of around 761 billion won, the company said. The new CMO deal is worth 589 billion won, and

Nov. 28, 2023

LS Materials to tap deeper into EV, green energy markets

LS Materials, a South Korean energy storage device manufacturer, said on Tuesday the firm will further solidify its presence in sustainable energy and technology markets with the fund it would raise from its upcoming initial public offering slated for next month. As the company prepares to list on the secondary Kosdaq market, it's positioning itself as a pivotal player in emerging green industries, including ultra capacitors and electric vehicles. "We're seeking a third location f

Nov. 28, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Korea strives to set global standards for data protection in generative AI era'

With the rise of generative artificial intelligence like ChatGPT, regulators across the world have started to establish rules and regulations on the technology. South Korea is also getting ready to come up with normative systems on the burgeoning AI that it hopes will serve as a benchmark for other countries, the nation's data protection watchdog chief said. Although the European Union and the United States are so far leading the world in the push to regulate AI, Korea is receiving global a

Nov. 28, 2023

China’s AliExpress eyes expansion in Korea

AliExpress, an online direct purchase platform owned by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, is considering whether to set up a massive logistics center in South Korea in a sign of business expansion, according to industry sources on Tuesday. “Given the extent of AliExpress’ expansion here, the company would need at least five logistics centers to manage products upon their arrival in Incheon (the nation’s main international gateway),” an industry source told The Korea

Nov. 28, 2023

Hyundai’s ‘Uni Wheel’ system gives more room for different car designs

Hyundai Motor Group on Tuesday unveiled a more compact, integrated wheel system that frees up more room for futuristic car designs. Called “Uni Wheel,” short for Universal Wheel Drive System, the system integrates the constant velocity joints – a device that links the vehicle’s transmission to its wheels – and other parts such as the drive shaft and car decelerator into a wheel. The system, the first of its kind, also connects smaller motors to each wheel, instead o

Nov. 28, 2023

Volvo EX30 debuts in Korea

Volvo on Tuesday launched its latest all-electric sport utility vehicle, EX30, in South Korea, emphasizing the EV’s extraordinary safety technology and affordable prices to win the hearts of local customers. “EX30 is a premium all-electric vehicle that has everything required to move toward a safer future,” said Lee Yun-mo, CEO of Volvo Cars Korea. “(The EV) has everything that our customers expect from Volvo. Ranging from a new, pure electric powertrain that has achieved

Nov. 28, 2023

LG Electronics CEO to present AI vision at CES

LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan will lay out the blueprints for the home appliance giant’s vision and innovation in artificial intelligence-based future growth a day ahead of the opening of the Consumer Electronics Show in January in Las Vegas, according to the company on Tuesday. Under the theme of “Reinvent your future,” the CEO will unveil the company’s key focuses for next year at the company’s global press conference, dubbed the “LG World Premiere,”

Nov. 28, 2023

HiteJinro soju seeks bigger footing in UK

South Korean liquor giant HiteJinro said Tuesday it is expanding its distribution network of soju products in the UK as part of efforts to strengthen its market presence in Europe. Since last week, HiteJinro has started selling its Jinro Green Grape Soju and Jinro Peach Soju at 88 Sainsbury's stores and via online shopping portals, including Sainsbury's Online and Ocado, the company said. According to HiteJinro, the company's distilled spirit exports to the UK have been increasing

Nov. 28, 2023

[Photo News] Faker for Mercedes

Mercedes-Benz Korea said Tuesday that the automaker held a fan meeting with Lee Sang-hyeok and Moon Hyun-jun -- two players of Korea's League of Legends team T1, better known as Faker and Oner, respectively -- at the Yongin AMG Speedway in Gyeonggi Province on Monday to celebrate T1's victory at the LoL World Championship Finals earlier this month. Mercedes-Benz is an official sponsor of T1. In this photo, Lee poses with the high-performance electric vehicle Mercedes-AMG EQE on the rac

Nov. 28, 2023

Samsung's Harman acquires audio platform Roon

Harman, Samsung Electronics' audio and automotive component subsidiary, said Tuesday it acquired Roon, a popular music player platform, to strengthen its home audio business. Roon is a music player platform for enthusiasts, featuring a rich interface for browsing and discovering music, compatibility with almost any audio device and a playback engine designed to deliver the best possible sound, according to Samsung. Roon is available on all popular operating systems, and the firm also manu

Nov. 28, 2023

[Herald Interview] Korea ramps up high-tech IP protection and leak crackdown

The Korean Intellectual Property Office, under the leadership of Commissioner Lee Insil, has been implementing multiple measures to support high-tech industries by speeding up patent processes, particularly in semiconductors and displays, while also tackling technology leakage and enhancing international intellectual property protection. This follows President Yoon Suk Yeol’s announcement made last month to invest 25 trillion won ($19.2 billion) in 12 key strategic technologies over the

Nov. 28, 2023

KIPO chief strengthens IP alliances with Middle Eastern counterparts

The Korean Intellectual Property Office has moved to strength relations with authorities in the Middle East to pursue cooperation in intellectual property fields, ranging from manpower training to patent information utilization. According to the KIPO, its commissioner, Lee Insil, held a series of meetings with her Middle Eastern counterparts during an official visit to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Oct. 20-22. Lee and Abdulla Al Saleh, the UAE's undersecretary for the Economy

Nov. 28, 2023

Seoul shares open higher despite US losses

South Korean stocks started a tad higher on Tuesday despite overnight losses on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 15.98 points, or 0.64 percent, to 2,511.64 in the first 15 minutes of trading. In the United States, major stock indices closed in negative territory, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing 0.16 percent and the Nasdaq Composite declining 0.07 percent. In Seoul, large-cap shares led the positive start. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 0.

Nov. 28, 2023

[Graphic News] Eco-friendly cars account for 1/3 of new car purchases in Jan.-Sept.

Eco-friendly cars accounted for one-third of all new vehicle purchases made here in the first nine months of 2023, government and industry data showed. According to data from the Transportation Ministry and the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association, the rate of car purchasers who bought eco-friendly models, including hybrid and electric units, between January and September, stood at 32.1 percent of all new vehicle customers. It marked the first time for the portion of new eco-friendly model

Nov. 28, 2023

Hyundai Motor to halt Asan factory in Korea for EV factory construction

Hyundai Motor plans to halt its factory in Asan, South Korea, to construct an electric vehicle plant in the period between Dec 31. 2023 to Feb. 13 2024, the South Korean automaker said in a regulatory filing on Monday. Hyundai Motor said it plans to resume operations at the Asan factory on Feb. 14.

Nov. 27, 2023

S. Korea, AIIB discuss stronger partnership, new investment chances

South Korea and the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) discussed ways Monday to boost bilateral cooperation on the financial sector and conduct various joint infrastructure projects, the finance ministry here said. The discussion took place during the meeting between Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho and AIIB President Jin Liqun held in Seoul earlier in the day, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Choo asked for the AIIB chief's support for South Korean com

Nov. 27, 2023

Korean banks at risk of W3tr in losses in HK-tied ELS sales

Concerns are looming large over the loss of principles in equity-linked securities products underlying Hong Kong’s slumping benchmark index with over 8 trillion won ($6.1 billion) in ELS products sold by Korean banks set to mature in the first half of next year. The size of ELS products tracking the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index maturing next year and sold by Korea’s five major banks exceeds 13 trillion won. Of them, some 8.4 trillion won worth of ELS products are facing matu

Nov. 27, 2023