KAI CEO denies sellout rumor

Korea Aerospace Industries will spend 4.5 trillion won ($3.5 billion) in research and development to achieve a quantum jump in the global aerospace industry, according to its CEO on Friday. “In the aerospace industry, you cannot survive if you are not looking ahead 40 to 50 years from now. From the perspective of a CEO, (spending money on) research and development drags down (short-term) performance because it cuts down revenue. But if we don’t (invest in R&D) now, KAI will not h

March 17, 2023

HD Hyundai builds industrial alliance for carbon neutrality

South Korea’s HD Hyundai, the world’s largest shipbuilding group, said Friday it is forming the industry’s first alliance for carbon neutrality along with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Samsung Heavy Industries, the American Bureau of Shipping and the Korean Register of Shipping. On Thursday, the top three local shipbuilders and international ship classification organizations agreed to carry out a joint project tracking and standardizing their carbon footprint ba

March 17, 2023

NPS to vote against Shinhan Financial chairman nominee

South Korea’s public pension fund the National Pension Service said Thursday it would vote against the appointment of former Shinhan Bank President Jin Ok-dong as the new chairman of the Shinhan Financial Group, the nation’s second largest financial giant in terms of total assets. The NPS, the world’s third-largest pension fund, holds a 7.96 percent stake in Shinhan Financial Group as of December. The decision comes as the NPS’ special committee reviewed the direction o

March 17, 2023

Samsung Biologics to invest W2tr for 5th plant

Samsung Biologics said Friday it is investing 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) to build its fifth production plant as part of efforts to meet market demands and bolster its manufacturing competitiveness. The company announced the plan after an approval from the board of directors earlier in the day. Last year, the company’s revenue exceeded the 3 trillion-won mark for the first time within the bio pharma industry, with its operating profits reaching some 1 trillion won. While its fourth pla

March 17, 2023

Economic slowdown persists on weak exports, biz sentiment: finance ministry

South Korea's finance ministry said Friday that Asia's No. 4 economy continues to experience an economic slowdown amid sluggish exports and weak business sentiment. "While the inflation has slowed recently, the recovery in domestic consumption has become moderate. With exports remaining sluggish and manufacturers' business sentiment contracting, the trend of an economic slowdown has continued," the Ministry of Economy and Finance said. It marked the second consecutive mo

March 17, 2023

Seoul stocks open higher as banking jitters ease

Seoul stocks opened higher Friday on news that a group of banks would throw a lifeline to a troubled US bank. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 15.84 points, or 0.67 percent, to 2,393.75 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, Wall Street finished up after 11 American banks vowed to inject $30 billion into the ailing San Francisco-based First Republic Bank, reassuring investors of the financial soundness of the US banking system. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained

March 17, 2023

SpaceX sets up subsidiary in S. Korea for Starlink service

US space firm SpaceX has set up a subsidiary in Seoul to launch satellite internet services using Starlink here, industry sources said Thursday. SpaceX established Starlink Korea LLC on March 8, and Lauren Ashley Dreyer, SpaceX's senior director of Starlink business operations, has been appointed as representative, according to the sources. In January, the space firm owned by Elon Musk applied for business registration with the South Korean government, as it seeks to launch Starlink in the

March 16, 2023

Tokyo lifts export curbs; Seoul withdraws WTO complaint

South Korea and Japan's easing of trade tensions has spurred hope among Korean businesses, as the two agreed to bolster economic ties on the sidelines of the summit talks held in Tokyo on Thursday. Earlier in the day, Japan announced it would lift restrictions on exports of key semiconductor materials to Korea, while Korea in return decided to withdraw its complaint filed with the World Trade Organization against the export curbs. Both countries also plan to continue talks to reinstate each

March 16, 2023

Hyundai Steel to sell Beijing unit after years of sluggish sales

Hyundai Steel, South Korea’s second-largest steelmaker, said Thursday that it would sell its Beijing unit, Hyundai Steel Beijing Process, after years of sluggish sales compounded by the shrunken market share of Hyundai Motor and Kia cars in China. Hyundai Steel will still keep its Tianjin unit for its business in China, the company added. "(Hyundai Steel) has completed signing a memorandum of understanding with a potential buyer for the Beijing plant. The company will soon engage in

March 16, 2023

E1 pledges $100,000 in aid for earthquake victims in Turkey

South Korean eco-friendly energy company E1 announced Thursday that it will donate $100,000 to support earthquake victims in Turkey. Having already participated in LS Group’s Turkey relief fund in February, E1 said it has decided to make additional donations considering the severity of earthquake damage. E1 has communicated with BGN, an energy trading company in Turkey, for the selection of local donation sources, while the relief fund and supplies will be delivered to Turkey’s Disas

March 16, 2023

Samsung ups stake in Rainbow Robotics

Samsung Electronics has purchased more shares in Rainbow Robotics, a local humanoid robotics company, in an apparent move to ramp up its presence in the burgeoning robotics market. In a regulatory filing on Wednesday, Rainbow Robotics reported its Chief Executive Officer Oh Jun-ho and other special interest groups sold their combined 4.8 percent stake in the company to Samsung for 27.8 billion won ($21.2 million). Adding to its 10.22 percent stake purchased in January, Samsung now owns a tota

March 16, 2023

[K-Food] Daesang aims to grow kimchi consumption globally

This is the third installment of a series of interviews with global business chiefs of South Korean food companies that are expanding aggressively in overseas markets. -- Ed. Characteristically zesty, zingy and spicy -- and with very little in the way of similar flavors abroad -- kimchi is arguably Korea's most symbolic dish. Strategies to creatively market kimchi so that it may become common-place on dinner tables around the world are essential for kimchi to penetrate into overseas markets

March 16, 2023

Seoul stocks slip over Credit Suisse rout

Seoul stocks closed slightly lower Thursday amid concerns that global investment bank Credit Suisse's fiasco may worsen and possibly harm the global financial sector. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 1.81 points, or 0.08 percent, to close at 2,377.91 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 314 million shares worth some 7.7 trillion won ($5.9 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 670 to 220. Institutions sold a net 3

March 16, 2023

Eximbank, NuScale Power ink partnership for overseas SMR venture

The Export-Import Bank of Korea said Thursday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with NuScale Power, an Oregon-based nuclear power company, for financial cooperation aimed at expanding the reach of Korean companies in securing overseas orders. Eximbank Chairman Yoon Hee-sung met with NuScale Power CEO John L. Hopkins to sign the contract at NuScale’s office in Rockville, Maryland. NuScale Power, which specializes in small modular reactor, or SMR, technology, is a company in which

March 16, 2023

Number of marriages in Korea hits new low

Amid changing social norms, more Koreans tie the knot at an older age The number of marriages in Korea dropped to an all-time low in 2022, government data showed on Thursday. According to a report shared by Statistics Korea, the number of Koreans getting married came to a record low of 192,000 last year, down 0.4 percent on-year. It marked the lowest reading since 1970, when the government statistics agency first began compiling the data, and is the 11th straight year the figure has decreased. T

March 16, 2023

APR raises W8b in pre-IPO funding

South Korean beauty tech conglomerate APR announced Thursday that it has attracted 8 billion won ($6.1 million) through a pre-initial public offering, which is to be mainly funneled into its beauty device business. NH-Soo Investment Capital’s Innovation Growth M&A Investment Association, SJ Partners and IBK Industrial Bank of Korea participated in the pre-IPO investments, based on its recognized corporate value of 700 billion won. APR has several brands encompassing street fashion and

March 16, 2023

Korea, Japan biz groups to create future partnership fund

The two biggest business groups from South Korea and Japan will establish two future partnership funds as the two countries’ economic sectors try to mend ties and strengthen cooperation, according to officials Thursday. Kim Byong-joon, acting chief of the Korean Federation of Industries, and Masakazu Tokura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, commonly known as Keidanren, announced the joint declaration at Keidanren's office in Tokyo. The announcement was made on the occasion o

March 16, 2023

Seoul Mobility Show to showcase new EVs, flying cars

The upcoming Seoul Mobility Show will unveil a wide range of innovative transportation spanning from new electric vehicles to air taxis, the organizing committee said Thursday. The 11-day exhibition, slated for March 30 - April 9, is scheduled to take place at Kintex in Gyeonggi Province. More than 160 mobility companies including automakers, mobility service providers and mobility software companies across 10 countries will participate in the event, a 60 percent jump from a year earlier, accord

March 16, 2023

SK Inc. seeks bigger footing in Southeast Asia’s car-sharing market

SK Inc., the investment arm of SK Group, said Thursday it will divest all of its 2.98 percent stake in Turo, the San Francisco-based car-sharing company, as it is looking to cement its leadership in the fast-growing mobility market in Southeast Asia. SK will sell its stake in Turo to Swiss-based venture capital firm G Squared, an existing shareholder, for $67.5 million. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first half of this year, company officials said. “We are pleased to co

March 16, 2023

[Photo News] Seoul-inspired Rolls-Royce cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars on Thursday unveiled the Korea-only Lucid Night Editions of the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan SUV. The three limited-edition cars were inspired by the night view of Seoul that represents South Korea’s dynamics and modernity, the ultra-luxury carmaker said. Their prices are estimated at over 800 million won ($610,000). Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos is scheduled to visit Seoul later this month.

March 16, 2023