Seoul shares open lower on tech, auto losses

South Korean stocks started a tad lower Monday as big-cap tech and auto stocks traded in negative territory. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 7.06 points, or 0.28 percent, to 2,540.62 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics dropped 0.28 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix decreased 0.44 percent. Top automaker Hyundai Motor fell 0.65 percent, and leading battery maker LG Energy Solution skidded 0.79 percent. Major online portal operator

Sept. 11, 2023

Construction orders hit $22b overseas

South Korean construction companies have secured new orders worth $21.9 billion in overseas markets between January and August, according to the International Contractors Association of Korea, Sunday. The association said the total value of construction orders made overseas during the eight-month period was up by 19.9 percent on-year. It is also the first time that the value has surpassed $20 billion since 2018, when overseas construction orders in the January-August period were worth a combined

Sept. 10, 2023

[KH explains] Why Mirae Asset bets big on expanding presence in India

India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, is one of the strategic markets where South Korea’s Mirae Asset Financial Group has poured considerable resources into expanding its presence. Amid industry-wide efforts to de-risk from China more recently, industry watchers say Mirae Asset’s years-long investment could pay off “soon.” Over the past years, the Korean financial giant has been making bold investments in the fast-growing country, broadening its portfolio from s

Sept. 10, 2023

Tax revenue falls on sluggish corporate earnings

South Korea’s tax revenue for this year is likely to fall below the initial estimate by around 60 trillion won ($44 billion) to hover at about 340 trillion won, as major revenue sources such as corporate tax and capital gain tax remain sluggish due to the slow economy. The Finance Ministry is expected to release an update on the estimated tax revenue this week, including corporate taxes prepaid until August. The upcoming announcement comes as the country’s tax revenue has been fallin

Sept. 10, 2023

Samsung’s H2 open recruitment to start Monday

Samsung Group, South Korea’s top conglomerate, announced Sunday that its official recruitment in the latter half of this year will start Monday, with 20 affiliates joining the massive hiring drive. The key affiliates include Samsung Electronics, Samsung Display, Samsung Biologics, Samsung SDS and Samsung SDI, among others. Applicants are required to submit their credentials via Samsung’s official recruitment website from Sept. 11 to 18. The months-long process includes a job alignmen

Sept. 10, 2023

HDC Shilla Duty Free store greets first Chinese group tour

Some 700 Chinese tourists visited the Shilla I'Park Duty Free Shop in Yongsan, central Seoul, on Friday, marking the first group visit to a domestic duty-free store in six years, according to the store operator HDC Shilla Duty Free on Sunday. Following a tour of Gyeongbokgung, South Korea's iconic ancient palace, the group visited the store to enjoy some shopping. They also got the opportunity to try various Korean cuisines at food and beverage stores within the I'Park shopping ma

Sept. 10, 2023

[Photo News] 'Busan is Ready'

Two of Hyundai Motor Group’s flagship electric vehicles, the Ioniq 5, are covered with graffiti reading “Busan is Ready” in front of Qutub Minar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Delhi, India, Sunday. Designed by graffiti artist Jay Flow, the cars drove by iconic landmarks around New Delhi during the 18th G-20 Summit over the weekend to promote Busan’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo. (Hyundai Motor Group)

Sept. 10, 2023

[Photo News] Hana's global one team

Hana Financial Group’s Vice Chairman Lee Eun-hyung (center) and some 30 employees from its overseas affiliates pose for a picture as part of the six-day global workshop held last week at Hana Global Campus in Cheongna, Incheon. Under the theme “All Connected in Hana Global,” this year’s workshop aimed to solidify a sense of belonging among its overseas workers while introducing them to the group's current performance, future vision and sustainability managment projec

Sept. 10, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Korea's 5G leadership to continue with 6G'

South Korea will likely become a leader in promising technology sectors, including the sixth-generation telecommunications network and artificial intelligence, say executives of UK-based mobile industry nonprofit, the GSM Association, or GSMA, the organizer of the Mobile 360 series, citing Korea‘s track record as a leader in digital innovation. “When I first came here for the 5G leaders event, the ICT minister (of Korea) said it was Korea’s ambition to export 5G. I expect the s

Sept. 8, 2023

KB chooses Yang Jong-hee as top chairman candidate

KB Financial Group, Korea's top financial holding company, has selected Vice Chairman Yang Jong-hee as its next chairman candidate. Yang's selection is considered to be a reflection of the importance the Chairman Candidate Recommendation Committee places on Yang's extensive background in both the banking and non-banking sectors. This development came on Friday, following comprehensive two-hour interviews --conducted by the committee of the group -- with three finalists. "Yang

Sept. 8, 2023

Korea to build 120MW data center in Pohang

South Korea will build a 120-megawatt data center with an investment of 1.5 trillion won ($1.12 billion) in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province by 2027, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Friday. According to the ministry, SK Ecoplant, DCT Telecom and KB Asset Management signed a memorandum of understanding to invest the 1.5 trillion won to build the global data center campus as well as the related undersea fiber-optic cables and a landing station that serves as a connection between t

Sept. 8, 2023

Seoul shares down for 4th day on tech losses, rate woes

Seoul shares ended lower Friday following tech losses on Wall Street amid concerns over China's ban on Apple Inc.'s use by government officials and the Federal Reserve's possible rate hikes. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 0.58 point, or 0.02 percent, to close at 2,547.68, extending its losses to the fourth session. The KOSPI has risen 0.6 percent this week. Trading volume was moderate at 386.53 million shares worth 7

Sept. 8, 2023

Orion scores W110b dividend from Vietnamese subsidiary

South Korean confectionery manufacturer Orion said Friday it will receive a cash dividend of 110 billion won ($82.5 million) from its Vietnamese subsidiary for the first time since its establishment in 2005. According to Orion, the company collected 50 billion won in dividends from Orion Food Vina Co., its wholly owned Vietnamese subsidiary, at the end of August. This marks the first time that Orion has brought dividends into its head office in Korea from its Vietnamese subsidiary. Orion said

Sept. 8, 2023

Lotte Homeshopping conducts first voluntary redundancy program

Lotte Homeshopping, the TV channel of South Korean retail giant Lotte, initiated its first voluntary redundancy program amid spluttering financial performance, according to a company official on Friday. From Thursday to Wednesday, the company will allow employees aged 45 or older who have worked for Lotte Homeshopping for five years or more to apply for the program. The employees who voluntarily resign will be compensated with about two years' annual salary, along with reemployment suppor

Sept. 8, 2023

Hyundai Motor chief reviews EV strategy in Indonesia

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun visited the automaker’s joint battery cell plant with LG Energy Solution in Indonesia to discuss its electrification strategy in the growing electric vehicle market, the company said Friday. According to Hyundai Motor, Chung looked around Hyundai LG Indonesia Green Power (HLI Green Power) in Kawarang New Industry City in the Indonesian province of West Java before attending the business roundtable between South Korea and Indonesia on Thursda

Sept. 8, 2023

Hanwha Ocean wins green tech certifications at global gas fair

Major South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean Co. said Friday it has won a series of certifications for eco-friendly technologies from major global maritime rating agencies at an ongoing world gas industry exhibition. Hanwha Ocean, formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., has obtained an approval in principle for the hold of a 70,000-cubic-meter liquefied carbon dioxide carrier from Norwegian accredited registrar and classification society DNV. The capacity of Hanwha Ocean's

Sept. 8, 2023

S. Korea, Uzbekistan strike deal on outstanding payment in gas project

South Korea's finance ministry said Friday it has reached an agreement with Uzbekistan to settle an outstanding payment of around $1 billion involving a joint gas project. The agreement was reached during Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho's visit to the Central Asian nation, where he held a bilateral meeting with his Uzbek counterpart, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. South Korea and Uzbekistan launched a gas project in 2008 with a joint venture named Uz-Kor Gas Chemical,

Sept. 8, 2023

S. Korean, Japanese customs agencies hold first bilateral meeting in 7 years

South Korea's customs agency said Friday it has held the first bilateral meeting with its Japanese counterpart in seven years amid signs of improving economic relations. Commissioner Ko Kwang-hyo met his Japanese counterpart in Seoul on Thursday to discuss a wide array of issues, which marked the first of its kind since 2016, according to the Korea Customs Service. During the meeting, the two countries exchanged opinions on addressing global protectionism, as well as the escalating concerns

Sept. 8, 2023

Foreigners turn net sellers of S. Korean stocks in August

Foreign investors dumped nearly 1.18 trillion won ($883.6 million) worth of South Korean stocks in August, turning net sellers in the month, data showed Friday. With the sell-off, cumulative holdings of listed stocks by foreigners came to 679.1 trillion won, or 26.1 percent of total market capitalization, as of the end of last month, according to the Financial Supervisory Service. Foreigners also sold off a net 383 billion won worth of South Korean bonds last month, switching to net sellers afte

Sept. 8, 2023

Seoul shares open lower on US tech losses

Seoul shares opened lower Friday, tracking tech losses on Wall Street, amid concerns over China's ban on Apple Inc.'s use. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 0.07 point to 2,548.19 in the first 15 minutes of trading. China plans to expand its ban on the use of iPhones in government agencies and state-owned companies. The move is expected to deal a blow to global big tech companies that heavily rely on China, analysts said. In Seoul, tech and auto stocks were the lead

Sept. 8, 2023