Korea’s full-size car sales surged in the first half of this year thanks to the popularity of the fifth-generation Grandeur sedan made by top automaker Hyundai Motor Co., industry data showed Monday.Domestic sales of full or large luxury sedans jumped 39.6 percent on-year to 112,927 units in the January-June period. The increase far outstrips overall car sales in the country that grew 4.1 percent

Industry July 4, 2011

Korea aims to increase its market share in the European Union to 3 percent within three years by taking advantage of a bilateral free trade pact that took effect last week, Korea’s trade minister said Monday.In a radio interview, Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon said increasing market share from 2.6 percent at present is possible since the free trade agreement gives local businesses an edge over rival

Industry July 4, 2011

Output of makgeolli is picking up in Korea as more people are opting to drink the traditional rice wine following a report that it contains anti-cancer compounds, government data showed Monday. Production of makgeolli rose 12.8 percent on-year to 35,114 kiloliters in April, with the number jumping 16.8 percent to 39,543 kiloliters in May, according to the data by Statistics Korea. Domestic shipmen

Industry July 4, 2011

Korea’s foreign exchange reserves shrank for the second straight month in June because a weaker British pound reduced the dollar conversion value, the central bank said Monday.The country’s foreign reserves reached $304.48 billion as of the end of June, down $600 million from the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea.The reserves fell for the second straight month in June after hitting a

Industry July 4, 2011

Korea’s trade deficit with Japan fell in the first half, compared with a year earlier mainly because exports by Asia’s fourth-largest economy benefited from Japan’s devastating quake in March, data showed Sunday.Korea’s exports to Japan rose 49.9 percent on-year to $17.7 billion in the January-June period while imports grew 11.3 percent to $32.1 billion, according to data compiled by the Ministry

July 3, 2011

Korea’s financial watchdog said Sunday it plans to inspect large local banks and insurers every other year, a change from the current annual checkups, in a bid to ease unintended burdens on financial firms.Instead, the Financial Supervisory Service is seeking to strengthen the sector-wide monitoring system and focus on issue-based inspections when potential systemic risks crop up.In the wake of th

July 3, 2011

Finance ministers of South Korea and Japan agreed to step up policy coordination in pushing for “a strong, sustainable and balanced growth,” both sides said.During their meeting in Tokyo on Friday, South Korea’s Finance Minister Bahk Jae-wan and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihiko Noda shared the view that the economy in East Asia still faces risk factors, despite its steady rebound from the global

July 3, 2011

Some automated teller machine services of Kookmin Bank, South Korea’s largest lender, were paralyzed for around three hours on Saturday morning, bank officials said, rekindling concerns over banking security in the country. Customers had difficulties depositing and withdrawing money through ATMs across the nation between 7:30 a.m. and 10:20 a.m., according to the officials.Kookmin Bank said its of

July 3, 2011

Hyundai Motor Co., Korea’s largest carmaker, said Friday that it started selling the 2012 model Santa Fe sport utility vehicle on the local market.The updated model of the popular SUV has a restyled radiator grille, new headlights and positioning lamps that improve the overall attractiveness of the vehicle, the company said.It also said the new Santa Fe will have 18-inch aluminum wheels, a black h

Mobility July 3, 2011

Audi AG is taking aim at Ferrari SpA with a convertible version of the R8 GT supercar, as the Volkswagen AG unit hones a high-end sporty image in its quest to overtake Bayerische Motoren Werke AG as the luxury-car leader. The R8 GT Spyder, Audi’s most expensive series production car, boasts carbon-fiber in the front and rear spoilers to reduce weight and help the car accelerate to 100 kilometers p

Mobility July 3, 2011