ShinWon spurs fashion tech innovation with AI, big data

Korean fashion company ShinWon Corporation said Friday that it is increasingly adopting artificial intelligence and big data to lead tech innovation in fashion. By predicting future trends through extensive data analysis, ShinWon said it adapts swiftly to market changes, incorporating these insights into product planning and production. To understand market conditions and patterns, ShinWon employs online market sales data analysis, trend analysis and social media analysis. By examining actual sa

June 21, 2024

Hanwha Qcells wins largest community solar deal in US

Hanwha Qcells, the solar energy division of Korean energy company Hanwha Solutions, has signed a significant agreement with US commercial solar developer Summit Ridge Energy to supply 2 gigawatts of solar modules by 2027 for community solar projects and collaborate on energy storage systems. This new agreement marks the largest community solar partnership in US history, building on a previous 1.2 GW partnership announced in April last year when US Vice President Kamala Harris visited Hanwha Qc

June 21, 2024

S. Korea, Japan to hold finance ministers' meeting next week

South Korea's Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will hold talks with his Japanese counterpart, Shunichi Suzuki, next week to discuss ways of strengthening financial and economic cooperation, Seoul's finance ministry said Friday. The ninth Korea-Japan finance ministers' meeting will take place in Seoul on Tuesday, which will mark the first time in eight years that top economic policymakers of the neighboring countries meet in Seoul, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Th

June 21, 2024

Seoul shares open lower on profit taking

Seoul shares opened lower Friday, after a mixed close on Wall Street, as investors offloaded tech and other large-cap stocks on profit taking following a three-session winning streak. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 19.81 points, or 0.71 percent, to 2,787.82 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.8 percent to 39,134.76 points and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.8 percent to 17,721.59. In Seoul, tech stocks were lead decl

June 21, 2024

Kolmar Korea unveils AI-powered diagnostic solution for hair loss

Kolmar Korea, a cosmetics original design manufacturer, said Thursday that the company has developed an artificial intelligence-based solution that can diagnose hair loss, using scalp biomarkers. The new solution can diagnose 16 types of androgenic hair loss, including nine male and seven female types, by screening biomarkers on the scalp's surface. When a dermatologist collects samples of a patient’s scalp and places them on analysis equipment, the AI-powered solution is designed to

June 20, 2024

Samsung Biologics launches coporate culture change initiative

Samsung Biologics has launched an initiative to improve its corporate culture aimed at transforming it into a top-tier biopharmaceutical company by 2030. On Thursday, Samsung Biologics held a declaration ceremony, under a slogan dubbed “Samsung Biologics Way,” and pledged that the company's management and employees will make joint efforts to build a new company culture. Representatives from both management and staff pledged they would improve communication between leadership and

June 20, 2024

Seoul shares up for 3rd day to exceed 2,800 on tech gains

Seoul shares ended higher for the third consecutive session to exceed 2,800 points for the first time in about 2 1/2 years Thursday on tech gains despite concerns over the possible delay of long-awaited US interest rate cuts. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 10.3 points, or 0.37 percent, to close at 2,807.63. The closing index exceeded the 2,800 level for the first time since Jan. 24, 2022, when the comparable reading was 2,828.11. T

June 20, 2024

SK Group set for major revamp for management efficiency

SK Group, the country's second-largest conglomerate by asset, is speeding up efforts to carry out a comprehensive overhaul of some 200 affiliates and business portfolios, starting with selling its affiliates and pushing for mergers. SK Networks announced Thursday that it is selling 100 percent of its share of SK Rent-a-Car, its rental car service, to Affinity Equity Partners, a Hong Kong-based private equity fund, for 820 billion won ($600 million). The move comes as the company intends to

June 20, 2024

Korean Air boosts flights to China, Japan

South Korean national flag carrier Korean Air will reopen some routes to China that had been suspended since the COVID-19 pandemic, in response to a recent rise in travel demand between the two countries. Starting in July, Korean Air will resume flights between Busan and Shanghai, as well as between Jeju Island and Beijing, with each route operating seven times a week, according to the air carrier on Thursday. Later this year, flights will also resume between Incheon and Hefei, Busan and Beijing

June 20, 2024

NongHyup Bank, Bankcow partner up on tokenized securities

NongHyup Bank has teamed up with local livestock fractional investment platform Bankcow to expand their business enabling customers to pool their funds to invest in livestock raised on Korean farms. The bank announced on Thursday that it has entered a strategic business agreement with Stockeeper, the operator of Bankcow, to collaborate on securities token offerings (STOs). "Through this business agreement, our goal is to enhance convenience and security for investors using our fractional in

June 20, 2024

Korean equipment makers target booming infrastructure markets

South Korea’s construction equipment trio -- HD Hyundai Construction Equipment, HD Hyundai Infracore and Doosan Bobcat -- are ramping up their efforts to penetrate emerging markets. While North America and Europe continue to be major revenue sources, they are investing more in local production and distribution networks of high-growth countries such as India, Brazil and Mexico, where infrastructure development is booming and demand for relatively larger construction machinery is surging.

June 20, 2024

Hyundai to start Georgia EV plant, unlocking IRA benefits

Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, Hyundai Motor Group’s new electric vehicle plant in Georgia, will begin production later this year, allowing the automaker to leverage the Inflation Reduction Act benefits to better compete in the US EV market. Hyundai announced Wednesday that the inaugural model to be produced at the Georgia plant will be the 2025 Ioniq 5. This launch, set for the fourth quarter, marks Hyundai’s first official statement on the operational timeline and specifi

June 20, 2024

Samsung Tizen OS integrates AI features for expanded connectivity

Samsung Electronics has been enhancing the reach of its proprietary Tizen operating system by incorporating artificial intelligence capabilities. According to Samsung Newsroom on Thursday, Tizen has been deployed in approximately 270 million units of Samsung smart TVs released as of the end of last year. Considering that it was installed in about 50 million units in 2015, it recorded a growth rate of about 440 percent. “Samsung Tizen is preparing for another leap forward by evolving into

June 20, 2024

[Photo News] Robotic butler for smart building

Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday that it has dispatched robotic services to the Factorial Seongsu office building in eastern Seoul. The DAL-e Delivery robot by Hyundai Motor and Kia and the parking robot by Hyundai Wia will automate services ranging from parking vehicles up to 2.2 tons to delivering items within the building weighing up to 10 kilograms. The parking robot will also synchronize with Hyundai-Kia’s automatic charging robot, set to arrive in the third quarter at the same build

June 20, 2024

Financial firms to provide W5tr in loans for real estate projects

Five banks and five insurance firms in South Korea agreed Thursday to provide up to 5 trillion won ($3.6 billion) in additional funding for real estate development projects. The move comes amid government-led efforts to normalize real estate project financing ㅣloans as prices continue to rise, which include the liquidation of failing projects. Under a memorandum of understanding signed Thursday, the five banks and five insurance firms will first create a 1 trillion-won syndicated loan and gradua

June 20, 2024

S. Korea's auto exports hit record high in May

South Korea's car exports rose 4.8 percent on-year last month to reach a record high for any May, driven by solid demand for eco-friendly vehicles, data showed Thursday. The combined value of car shipments came to $6.5 billion in May, beating the previous record for any May set in 2023, when the value stood at $6.23 billion, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. In terms of volume, car exports advanced 2.9 percent on-year to come to 254,496 units last month. The increase

June 20, 2024

EU 'ready to react appropriately' against possible safety issues involving T'way's European routes: EASA

The European Union's aviation safety authority will be "ready to react appropriately" against possible flight maintenance issues of the European operation of South Korean low-cost carrier T'way Air, which has recently been plagued by frequent delays due to aircraft maintenance issues, an agency spokesperson said Thursday. T'way Air experienced four flight delay incidents last week alone, affecting hundreds of international passengers connecting South Korea with overseas

June 20, 2024

S. Korea conducts probe into imported Toyota, Yamaha models over fraudulent Japanese testing

The South Korean government said Thursday it has carried out a probe into some imported vehicles made by Japanese automakers Toyota Motor Corp. and Yamaha Motor Co. in connection with their improper certification tests in their home country. Seoul's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it has looked into whether 38 models from Japanese automakers currently under investigation for fraudulent certification tests in Tokyo were being sold in South Korea. The ministry said none of

June 20, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on tech gains

Seoul shares opened higher Thursday, after a holiday in the US, helped by tech gains amid concerns over the possible delay of a long-awaited interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 7.46 points, or 0.27 percent, to 2,804.79 in the first 15 minutes of trading. US stock markets were closed on Juneteenth on Wednesday to commemorate the end of slavery in the US The Fed recently pared back projections for rate cuts this year. In Seoul, tech sto

June 20, 2024

Ex-Alibaba Korea chief tapped as CEO of Shinsegae’s Gmarket

Chung Hyung-kwon, former head of Alibaba Korea, has been named the CEO of Gmarket, the troubled e-commerce unit owned by Shinsegae Group. The new appointment is part of a series of executive reshuffles at the Korean retail giant whose key affiliates are running out of cash amid operational losses. Before joining Alibaba Group, Chung, a financial specialist, worked at multiple investment banks, such as Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse, and served as an executive at Coupang, Shinsegae's e-comm

June 19, 2024