Corporate direct financing gains 10.8% in 2020 amid pandemic

South Korea's corporate direct financing gained 10.8 percent on year in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic prompted more companies to tap the bond market to raise funds, data showed Wednesday. Local companies raised a combined 194.4 trillion won ($175.6 billion) by selling stocks and bonds last year, up 18.9 trillion won from 2019, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). Corporate stock sales more than doubled to 10.9 trillion won, with the value of initial public off

Jan. 27, 2021

S. Korea's consumer sentiment improves in January

South Korea's consumer sentiment improved in January as a third wave of coronavirus infections showed signs of slowing down amid hopes for vaccine rollouts, central bank data showed Wednesday. The composite consumer sentiment index (CCSI) came in at 95.4 for January, up 4.2 points from the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists. The latest reading marks the first on-month gain following a drop in December, w

Jan. 27, 2021

IMF raises growth outlook for S. Korea to 3.1% this year

The International Monetary Fund has raised its growth outlook for South Korea this year to 3.1 percent from the earlier figure of 2.9 percent estimated in October last year, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said Tuesday. The nation’s economic growth projection improved largely thanks to the government’s aggressive policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis, including economic stimulus packages as well as strict quarantine measures, according to a report released by the ministry on

Jan. 26, 2021

Philip Morris Korea named 'top employer' in Asia Pacific

Philip Morris Korea Inc. has been certified as the ‘Top Employer Asia Pacific 2021’ for its ‘people-centric’ HR philosophy and management amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said Tuesday. The South Korean unit of the global cigarette and tobacco manufacturing firm also bagged the ‘Top Employer South Korea 2021’ prize from Top Employers Institute, while winning the honor for the Asia Pacific region for two years in a row. Praveen Upadhyay, Philip Morris

Jan. 26, 2021

SKC launches first overseas copper foil plant in Malaysia

South Korean chemicals maker SKC said Tuesday it will establish its first overseas production base for copper foils in Malaysia and that the factory would be powered by 100 percent renewable energy sources. According to the company, its copper foil subsidiary SK Nexilis will invest 650 billion won ($587.4 million) and construct a copper foil plant with an annual production capacity of 44,000 metric tons at Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park in the state of Sabah. “After breaking ground in

Jan. 26, 2021

Samsung Biologics joins W1tr revenue club, after just 9 years

Samsung Biologics joined the club of companies making more than 1 trillion won in revenue in 2020, just nine years after its founding. According to the company’s fourth quarter earnings report made Tuesday, Samsung Biologics’ full-year revenue increased 66 percent on-year in 2020, marking 1.16 trillion won ($1 billion). The previous year, Samsung Biologics made 463 billion won in revenue. Its operating profit also rose 12 percent on-year to 292.8 billion on, from the previous ye

Jan. 26, 2021

Food delivery services cash in on eat-at-home trend　

Total payments made on food delivery platforms Baedal Minjok and Yogiyo jumped 75 percent on-year in 2020 to reach a whopping 12.2 trillion won ($11 billion), according to retail market data tracker Wiseapp on Tuesday. The stunning growth is attributed to strong demand for food delivery services in line with the South Korean government’s strict social distancing measures and lockdowns to slow down the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The payment volume on the two platforms stood at

Jan. 26, 2021

S. Korean products sweep 101 awards at CES 2021

A total of 101 products from South Korean companies were awarded at this year’s CES, taking 26 percent of the honors up for grabs, according to the Korea International Trade Association, Tuesday. In the most coveted Best of Innovation Awards, which recognized 27 items, seven local products took home prizes, up from six a year earlier. By category, South Korea grabbed 13 awards for health and wellness products, six for smart home solutions and five for sustainability. “CES 2021

Jan. 26, 2021

Retail investors push Kosdaq above 1,000 for first time in 20 years

South Korea’s tech-heavy Kosdaq rose above 1,000 points Tuesday for the first time in 20 years, before wiping out earlier gains in the afternoon. The secondary index inched up as much as 8.10 points to 1,007.40 points in the morning, for the first time since Sept. 14, 2000, then turned negative to close at 994.00 points, 0.53 percent lower than the previous day. The Kosdaq began at 1,000 points on July 1, 1996 and rose as high as 2834.40 points on March 10, 2000 before plummeting to 99

Jan. 26, 2021

S. Korea to further expand 5G infrastructure

South Korea will increase the coverage of the next-generation mobile networks, dubbed as 5G, to 85 cities across the country this year, from the current seven major cities, the Ministry of Science and ICT said. The ministry’s plan, unveiled Tuesday, also include an expanded support for local firms to transition to the ultra-fast networks, investments in research and development of mobile edge computing, a key component in driving the commercial use of 5G in areas such as virtual reality

Jan. 26, 2021

Game, app, VR as medicine?

A video game treats children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, helping them build self-control and concentration. Adults with specific phobias are prescribed to virtual reality programs designed to help them face their fears and train their minds. Games are no longer just fun stress relievers. They are rising as next-generation treatments. According to a session at CES this month, digital therapeutics, or medical software in the form of games, mobile applications, virtual rea

Jan. 26, 2021

Power generators to bleed W1.3tr in 2021 due to anti-coal drive

South Korea’s state power companies are projected to register 1.3 trillion won ($1.17 billion) in combined losses this year due to the nation’s anti-coal drive and low electricity prices. According to budget plans submitted by five subsidiaries of Korea Power Corp. on Tuesday, the Korea South-East Power, Korea Midland Power, Korea Southern Power, Korea East-West Power and Korea Western Power are expected to record net losses of between 230.8 billion won and 350 billion won. The b

Jan. 26, 2021

Korean defense industry set to enjoy robust 2021

South Korean defense companies enjoyed a solid performance last year despite complications from the pandemic and are expected to continue their momentum this year, according to market tracker FnGuide on Tuesday. Last year, five major local defense firms -- Hanwha Aerospace, LIG Nex1, Korea Aerospace Industries, Hyundai Rotem and Hanwha Systems -- were estimated to have logged sales similar or slightly lower than those of a year prior, as the coronavirus prevented them from landing new contra

Jan. 26, 2021

Hyundai Motor marks 41% growth in Q4 profits

Hyundai Motor saw its operating profit soar by over 40 percent in the fourth quarter last year despite the COVID-19 market fallout, on the back of new product launches and robust domestic sales, the company said Tuesday. The carmaker achieved 1.64 trillion won ($1.49 billion) in operating profit from October to December last year, up 40.9 percent from the 1.24 trillion won a year earlier. Sales for the given period stood at 29.24 trillion won, up 5.1 percent on-year. The overall yearly figur

Jan. 26, 2021

Hyundai’s Kona EV investigated for catching fire after recall

The Transport Ministry will investigate the cause of a fire involving a recalled unit of Hyundai’s Kona electric vehicle, as well as the propriety of the car maker’s recall measures, the ministry said Tuesday. On Saturday, a Kona EV caught on fire for an unknown reason, while it was charging in a public charging station in Daegu. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the car had been recalled by the automaker. It decided the car should be investigated b

Jan. 26, 2021

Pfizer says supply reduction temporary, won't affect Korea

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine’s temporary supply reduction in Europe has sparked worries for a possible delay in shipments here, but Pfizer Korea said Tuesday that Korea will suffer no such setback. “For the doses Pfizer Korea has signed with the South Korean government, there appears to be no problem with the supply,” a Pfizer Korea official told The Korea Herald. Pfizer and BioNTech announced via press release dated Jan. 15, that the companies have decided to scale-up the manufa

Jan. 26, 2021

Seoul stocks slump over 2% on profit-taking

South Korean stocks dropped more than 2 percent Tuesday as foreign and institutional investors sought to cash in profits after the key stock index hit its all-time high the previous session. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 68.68 points, or 2.14 percent, to close at 3,140.31 points. Trading volume was high at about 860 million shares worth some 21.6 trillion won ($19.5 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 639 to 239.

Jan. 26, 2021

Hyundai Heavy Industries to go public on Korean stock market this year

Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., South Korea's leading shipbuilder, said Tuesday it will raise 1 trillion won ($907 million) by listing its shares on the main bourse this year for its environment-friendly business. Hyundai Heavy said it will issue new shares equivalent to a 20 percent stake in the company to finance its eco-friendly business projects following the initial public offering on the Korea Exchange within this year. The shipbuilder said it plans to use the proceeds from the new share s

Jan. 26, 2021

Samsung BioLogics 2020 net profit up 18.8% on increased sales

Samsung BioLogics, a biopharmaceutical unit of South Korea's top conglomerate Samsung Group, said Tuesday its net income increased 18.8 percent on-year in 2020 on the back of improved factory utilization and increased sales. The company's net profit reached 241 billion won ($217.8 million) in 2020, compared with a net income of 203 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing. Operating income reached 292.8 billion won last year, compared with 91.7 billion a year earlier

Jan. 26, 2021

Samsung Biologics Q4 net income down 54.3% to W96.2b

Samsung Biologics Co. on Tuesday reported its fourth-quarter net profit of 96.2 billion won ($87 million), down 54.3 percent from a year earlier. The company said in a regulatory filing that operating income for the October-December period fell 13.4 percent on-year to 92.6 billion won. Sales increased 19.8 percent to 375.3 billion won. (Yonhap)

Jan. 26, 2021