[THE INVESTOR] South Korea’s largest food catering service Samsung Welstory is out to tap into China’s foodstuff market that is estimated to be worth around 300 trillion won (US$ 259.5 billion).Samsung Welstory said teamed up with Japan’s largest food distributor Gokubu Group and Yinlong Agriculture Development Corp., one of China’s top 10 state-run agricultural firms to form a joint venture specializing in distributing foodstuffs throughout China. With a capital of 28.5 million yuan (5 billion

June 23, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] The nation’s top telecom firms SK Telecom and KT are gearing up to compete in the field of next-generation network 5G.Korea’s leading mobile operator SK Telecom said on June 23 it has successfully developed 5G test equipment with Ericsson that will be applied to the world’s first 5G test network that is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. “The upcoming demonstration will be a chance to show stable and sufficient support for up-and-coming 5G services,” said Park Jin-

June 23, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] South Korea's Export-Import Bank unveiled a road map for overhaul on June 23, the same day Korea Development Bank released its own self-refom measures. Eximbank's plans include streamlining of the organization, cost cutting and asset sales to improve finances.The policy bank will pursue changes in its organization to be much more efficient yet competitive in the face of macroeconomic difficulties.  Export-Import Bank of Korea.This “innovation plan” comes as the country is facing s

June 23, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Korea Development Bank, a state policy bank under fire for mismanagement of bailed-out companies, said on June 23 it would exit from its ownership of 46 companies this year, raising the count by 10 from its earlier plan. “From 2016 to 2018, we’ll be exiting from our investments in 132 nonfinancial companies,” the Seoul-based bank said in a statement. After the planned 46 sales this year, the auction process will begin for 44 companies in 2017 and for another 42 in 2018.  KDB chair

June 23, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Early this year, Samsung Electronics’ marketing team was preparing for the firm’s most important launch -- the Galaxy S7. It was a crucial juncture for the Korean tech giant. Its profits were hit hard by lukewarm sales of the phone’s predecessor, while rivals were fast gobbling up market share of the world’s largest smartphone-maker. But the team didn’t seek a safe option and decided to take risks. They launched the model in Barcelona at the industry’s first virtual reality unveil

June 23, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] South Korea’s Samsung Display was the world’s No.1 in terms of organic light-emitting diode panel shipment in the first quarter, accounting for 97.7 percent of global shipments.Industry tracker IHS said Samsung Display shipped 88.75 million panels, followed by LG Display whose shipments accounted for 0.9 percent of the market. No.3 player AUO of Taiwan had a 0.7 percent market share. Samsung Display has the capacity to produce 300 million displays a year. It is also the only manuf

June 23, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics‘ semiconductor factory in China’s Xian City has been restored 90 hours after a power outage, the company said on June 22. The fab began full operations in the afternoon of June 21. Damages are expected to amount to up to 2 billion won (US$1.72 million). 　 Samsung Electronics' Xian fabOn June 18, an explosion occurred at an electrical substation in Xian, causing a power outage at Samsung’s fab for a few seconds. The facility, which is totally devoted to the adva

June 22, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Korea relies on imports for 96 percent of primary energy sources and 99 percent of key mineral resources. In the 2015 Energy Sustainability Index released by the World Energy Council, the country ranked 121st, far behind China and Japan, which placed Nos. 21 and 83, respectively.This means that Korea needs to implement a consistent, efficient and long-term policy for developing resources abroad. But it has failed to do so over the past years, with President Park Geun-hye’s governm

June 22, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] More than 240 intellectual property-related lawsuits were filed against South Korean firms in 2014, which was more than four times the 58 cases filed in 2010, according to data from the Korea Economic Research Institute. This means the volume of lawsuits grew an average 49.2 percent during the four years.The data comes amid concerns from the local corporate sector about the burgeoning costs of legal battles involving copy right and other intellectual property.Almost half of 41 Sou

June 21, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Funds deposited in investment accounts reached a record 26.2 trillion won ($22.7 billion) as of last Friday on the back of low interest rates, according to the Korea Financial Investment Association on Tuesday.With the central bank slashing its key base rate to a historic low of 1.25 percent, investors have been either reallocating their money from bank deposits to investment accounts or parking their funds in securities accounts to invest in equities.Previous record deposit holdi

June 21, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Amid fierce rivalry growing over a new airport in the nation’s southeast region, the government dropped the multitrillion won project on Tuesday and said it would extend the facilities of Gimhae International Airport in Busan instead.After conducting a feasibility study on candidate cities in South Gyeongsang Province, the government has reached a conclusion that extension of the existing Gimhae Airport is “the optimal choice,” rather than choosing to build a new airport on Gadeok

June 21, 2016

프리미엄 내추럴 푸드 업체 올가니카가 제조하는 통견과 스낵 어네스트바가 4월1일부로 도쿄에서 판매를 개시했다.국내 최초 무첨가 스낵으로 몸에 좋은 통 견과류와 슈퍼푸드인 퀴노아와 헴프 등으로 만들어진 어네스트바는 현재 도쿄에 55개 체인점을 운영하고 있는 마트 하나마사를 통해 판매되고 있다.하나마사 긴자 본점.하나마사에 따르면, 어네스트바는 4월10일까지 열흘간 판매량이 약 2,000개에 이르는 등의 좋은 기록을 보여주고 있다.하나마사의 구매담당 임원인 토미자와 상무는, “맛도 좋고 가격도 맞기 때문에 잘 팔리는 것으로 보인다,” 고 말하며 판매에 대한 자신감을 드러냈다.올가니카 최정휘 대표 또한 이번 일본 수출을 통해 이미 국내에서 서울푸드 어워드 등에서 건강한 스낵으로서의 우수성을 인정받은 어네스트바가 해외에서도 인기를 누릴 것으로 예상했다. 지난 1월, 하나마사는 어네스트바에 대한 공식 발주를 요청했다. 공식 판매자는 일본 및 한국에서 김과 기타 수입품을 전문으로 취급하는 가온

한국어판 April 11, 2016

일본 남자 국회의원으로는 사상 최초로 육아휴직을 신청한 자민당의 미야자키 켄스케 의원이 다시 화제가 되고 있다.1월5일 현지 언론에 따르면 켄스케 의원은 아베 신조 총리에게 새해 인사를 하는 과정에서 “이래야 국회의원답다”라며 휴직에 대한 따뜻한 격려의 말을 아끼지 않았다고 전했다. 그러면서 그는 다급한 상황이 발생할 때는 언제라도 국회로 달려갈 준비가 되어 있으므로 완전한 육아휴직은 아니라고도 말했다.켄스케 의원은 부부국회의원으로, 2월에 출산을 앞두고 있는 아내 카네코 메구미 의원 역시 자민당 소속이다. 일본 사회에서는 켄스케 의원의 결정을 지원하는 목소리가 크지만, 일각에서는 규정에 없는 육아휴직이 정당한가에 대한 비판도 만만치 않다. 국회의원에 대한 관련 규정이 없다는 이유로 육아휴직에 들어가는 일본 국회의원은 국민의 세금으로 이루어지는 월급의 전액을 받게 된다. 회기마다 자리를 비운다는 공지만 미리 띄우면 되는 형식이다. 한편, 일본 정기 국회가 지난 1월4일 개원했다. (

한국어판 Jan. 5, 2016