Orion Holdings signs contract to export water product to China

Orion Holdings, the holding company of snack maker Orion Group, announced Monday that it had signed a contract with Chinese partners to export its mineral water product, Jeju Yongamsoo. With its partnerships with Qingdao Yongping Market Management and Qingdao Guoxin Culture and Sports Industry, Orion Holdings aims to increase its sales of the water product in China. "Orion expects the company's production and sales of its water product to significantly increase on the latest signing wi

April 10, 2023

[KH Explains] Zero-sugar drinks reshape beverage market

When a 30-year-old Seoulite surnamed Choi drops by the convenience store before hitting the gym, he makes sure that he chooses a sugar-free soft drink from the cooler. “I have been drinking sugar-free soft drinks instead of regular ones, because I find it more helpful for my workouts,” he said. Choi is one of many young health-conscious consumers whose choices reflect the clear winner in the beverage market -- sugar-free beverages. Sugar-free and low-calorie soft drinks are enjoying

April 10, 2023

[KH Explains] Apple ups ante in Samsung's home ground

US tech behemoth Apple has long maintained a low profile in South Korea, the home of its archrival Samsung Electronics, where the iPhone maker takes up a “modest” share of the market at about 20 percent. More recently, the US company seems to be upping the ante here, possibly pinning its hopes on Generation Z -- those born between 1997 and 2012 -- almost half of whom are believed to be iPhone users. According to a recent survey conducted by Gallup Korea, about 52 percent of people

April 10, 2023

Louis Vuitton posts record sales in Korea amid shopping binge

Global luxury giant LVMH Group, the operator of multiple fashion and jewelry brands such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Tiffany & Co., logged record sales in South Korea last year, following a slew of price hikes for its flagship products amid the country's increased spending on luxury goods. According to Louis Vuitton Korea, the Korean subsidiary of LVMH's Louis Vuitton, the company's sales last year recorded 1.69 trillion won ($1.2 billion), up 15 percent from 2021. Th

April 10, 2023

Seoul shares hit nearly 8-month high on tech boost, eased inflation woes

South Korean stocks hit a nearly eight-month high Monday, buoyed by strong gains in tech blue-chips and US jobs data signaling a cooling economy that raises the odds for the Federal Reserve to ease up on its monetary tightening. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index advanced 21.67 points, or 0.87 percent, to close at 2,512.08, the highest since Aug. 17 last year. Trading volume was high at 708.8 million shares worth 13.4 trillion won ($10.

April 10, 2023

LS chief vows to expand presence in Europe

LS Group Chairman Koo Ja-eun has completed a nine-day trip to Europe as the South Korean conglomerate looks to expand its presence in the electric vehicle ecosystem of the region. According to LS Group Monday, Koo visited the local production sites of LS Cable & System and Superior Essex in Germany, Poland and Serbia from April 2-9. Koo conducted on-site tours to check the manufacturing processes of copper wires for EVs, battery parts and communication cables during his first overseas trip s

April 10, 2023

Falling revenue threatens tax cuts

The South Korean government may dial back the scale of tax cuts aimed at curbing inflation, as tax revenue for this year is likely to fall below the estimate. According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Korea’s tax revenue amounted to 54.2 trillion won ($41 billion) in the first two months of this year, marking a 15.7 trillion won drop from the 69.9 trillion won recorded in the same period last year. If the tax revenue from March to December is similar to the year before, the total

April 10, 2023

Korean Air goes all out to close Asiana deal

Korean Air said Monday it is going all out to secure regulatory approvals from the remaining competition authorities -- the EU, US and Japan -- for acquiring its cash-strapped rival Asiana Airline. Korean Air CEO Walter Cho and other top executives have led the negotiation process with the antitrust regulators, the national flag carrier said in a statement. They also met with foreign airline authorities to offer new flying slots in South Korea, but the press release did not give more details.

April 10, 2023

Celltrion confirms safety, efficacy of Xolair biosimilar

South Korean drugmaker Celltrion confirmed the safety and efficacy of its biosimilar version of Xolair, which treats asthma and urticaria, in a phase 3 clinical trial, the firm said on Monday. CT-P39 references Xolair, or omalizumab, a therapy jointly developed by global biotech company Genentech and healthcare company Novartis. Xolair is mainly used to treat allergic asthma and chronic urticaria, or hives, as well as nasal polyps. Global sales of the medication reached approximately 5 trillion

April 10, 2023

S. Korea, UK work together on nuclear power, clean energy

South Korea and Britain agreed to strengthen cooperation on nuclear power and clean energy, releasing a joint declaration Monday. South Korean Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang met with British Minister of Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Grant Shapps in Seoul and agreed to work together to secure energy security and handle climate change, the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said. Exchanging their thoughts on the importance of energy transition, the two ministers issued a

April 10, 2023

[Photo News] New Mercedes-AMG EQE

Mercedes-Benz on Monday launched the new Mercedes-AMG EQE, the high-performance brand's second electric vehicle, in South Korea. Equipped with a 90.56-kilowatt-hour battery, the latest EV can drive up to 354 kilometers on a full charge, according to the automaker. The German brand's fastest EV so far, the new Mercedes-AMG EQE can reach 100 kilometers per hour from zero in 3.5 seconds. The price begins at 143.8 million won ($109,000).

April 10, 2023

Seoul shares open higher ahead of US inflation data release

South Korean stocks opened higher Monday, as investors await the US consumer prices data due later this week that will give them a clue on the Federal Reserve's next monetary policy move. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 13.08 points, or 0.53 percent, to 2,503.49 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The March consumer price index is set be released Wednesday. Investors expect the data will offer them an idea as to whether the Fed will maintain its tough interest rate hike

April 10, 2023

Over half of key listed firms see financial health worsen in 2022

More than half of major listed firms in South Korea saw their financial soundness worsen in 2022 amid high global interest rates and inflation, data showed Monday. The debt-to-equity ratio of 56 out of the 106 listed companies belonging to the country's top 10 business groups increased last year from a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Exchange. In particular, as many as 21 companies had a debt ratio of 200 percent or higher. The data is based on those firms' separate

April 10, 2023

[From the Scene] Han Sung Motor expands service center for Mercedes-Benz owners

Dozens of customers were seen waiting in the lounge of the first floor at Han Sung Motor’s Mercedes-Benz Seongdong Service Center on a Thursday afternoon. About two hours later, only several remained. As the official dealer of Mercedes-Benz cars, it showed Han Sung Motor’s swift customer service for Korean owners of the German luxury brand. “The first keyword is superior customer dedication. Under superior customer dedication, we understand customers’ intricacy, customer

April 10, 2023

'Superrich' ditch real estate for cash in 2022: report

The wealthiest in Korea tended to increase their shares of safe haven assets, such as cash holdings and deposits, rather than taking a risk with real estate in 2022, according to a report published Sunday by a think tank under Hana Bank. According to the 2023 Korean Wealth Report compiled by the Hana Institute of Finance, the wealthiest members of society owned an average of 18.7 billion won ($14.2 million) in cash holdings and deposits, accounting for an average of 58 percent of total assets, m

April 9, 2023

SK Energy opens first hydrogen charging station for trucks

SK Energy, a leading oil company under SK Innovation, said Sunday it has opened the country's first hydrogen charging station for large cargo trucks in Ulsan, an industrial city on the southern coast. With the charging capacity of 80 kilograms per hour, the hydrogen fueling station can charge 16 passenger cars per hour or 40 large trucks a day. Of the 7 billion won ($5.3 million) joint investment with the Korean government and Ulsan city, SK Energy shelled out 1.3 billion won to build a 1

April 9, 2023

Average unit price for exported Korean cars hits all-time high

The average unit price for Korean car exports hit an all-time high of $21,276 last year, thanks to the popularity of ecofriendly cars and recreational vehicles, data from the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association showed Sunday. The price is a 40.5 percent jump from $15,147 in 2017. Last month, the average unit price reached $22,515. In 2022, the auto export volume surged on-year by 12.7 percent to 2.3 million units, while the total export price jumped 18 percent to $48.9 billion. The figu

April 9, 2023

[Photo News] Dream of Expo

HD Hyundai said Sunday it will sponsor the 29th Dream Concert slated for May 27 in Busan, a competing candidate for World Expo 2030. This iconic K-pop concert, which has been sponsored by the shipbuilder since 1995, will take place in Busan for the first time to support the Expo bid. This year’s concert will be the official closing event for the World Climate Industry Expo in May. The photo shows the Dream Concert that took place in Jamsil, Seoul, last year.

April 9, 2023

Daewoo E&C, Binh Duong seek cooperation for Vietnam's new city project

Jungheung Group Vice Chairman Jung Won-ju met with Vietnam's Binh Duong Provincial People's Committee Chairman Vo Van Minh to discuss potential investment in the Vietnamese region. During the meeting at the headquarters of Jungheung subsidiary Daewoo Engineering & Construction on Thursday, the city asked for investment from Daewoo E&C, as Binh Duong is planning infrastructure and smart city projects along with new city development. "Vietnam is the most important hub of Dae

April 9, 2023

LG Electronics CEO travels to Southeast Asia to further market dominance

LG Electronics Chief Executive Officer Cho Joo-wan traveled to Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand last week to inspect the company's key production facilities in Asia, the Korean consumer appliances giant said on Sunday. On the three-day tour, Cho met with the heads of the company's regional corporations and discussed ways to boost competitiveness and further dominance in the global market, LG said. The CEO also inspected the key plants that produce automotive parts, home appliances and T

April 9, 2023