South Korean internet giant Naver said Tuesday it has secured a large-scale deal in Saudi Arabia to build a cloud-based digital twin platform for the kingdom’s futuristic smart city project. The deal signing ceremony was held in Saudi capital Riyadh on Monday upon President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit. Naver didn’t reveal the exact size of the deal, but the presidential office hinted that it could amount to $100 million. Under the agreement signed with Saudi Arabia’s Mini

Technology Oct. 24, 2023

Samsung SDI said Monday it has clinched a deal to supply electric vehicle batteries for Hyundai Motor Group – the first battery partnership between the two chaebol groups. Under the deal, Samsung SDI will supply prismatic batteries produced at its Hungary plant for Hyundai EVs made in Europe for seven years, from 2026 through 2032. Although the exact size of the deal was not disclosed immediately, industry sources predict that Samsung SDI could supply batteries to power up to 500,000 high-

Mobility Oct. 23, 2023

China last week unveiled its plans to restrict exports of graphite starting from December, piling pressure on Korean companies that are highly dependent on one of the key anode materials for making electric vehicle batteries. The world’s top graphite producer and exporter said Friday that export permits will be mandated to ship synthetic graphite material -- including high-purity, high-hardness and high-density versions -- as well as natural flake graphite from China. Chinese graphite manu

Mobility Oct. 23, 2023

South Korean battery materials manufacturer EcoPro, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, has laid out a goal to post 10 trillion won ($7.41 billion) in sales next year. EcoPro CEO Song Ho-jun and top executives of the firm's subsidiaries, including EcoPro BM, participated in a celebratory event held at the company’s headquarters in Ochang, North Chungcheong Province, on Friday. Preparing for the next 25 years, EcoPro said it plans to develop game changer materials, diversi

Mobility Oct. 22, 2023

Tesla, the world’s No. 1 electric vehicle manufacturer, is slashing car prices worldwide to further consolidate its leadership, seemingly willing to sacrifice its long-held premium brand image. In September, Tesla’s Model Y sport utility vehicle topped import car sales in Korea, selling a total of 4,206 vehicles, an 876 percent surge from a month ago, according to market tracker Carisyou. The Model Y outpaced Mercedes-Benz’s E-Class, the best-selling import car of 2022, which s

Mobility Oct. 22, 2023

LG Energy Solution said Thursday it is set to launch a new residential energy storage system device lineup called LG enblock S in the United States next month. Installed with nickel, manganese and cobalt batteries, the LG enblock S is a device with high energy density that can provide a wide range of power sources for households. “With LG enblock S products, households can save energy and lower electric bills. They can also be used as a backup power source when the electricity is shut do

Industry Oct. 19, 2023

Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday that its affiliate Kia has reached a tentative agreement with its labor union, continuing wage talks without a strike for a third consecutive year. The management and labor union members sat down for the 16th round of negotiations at Kia Autoland in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. The most pressing item on the agenda was whether Kia would remove a clause in the collective agreement that allows for the hiring of children of workers with more than 25 yea

Mobility Oct. 18, 2023

Hyundai Motor Group said Tuesday that its urban air mobility arm Supernal, along with its sister firm Kia, are showcasing their latest UAM vision and drone technology at this week's Seoul ADEX 2023, Korea’s largest aerospace and defense trade show. This is the first time for the US-based Supernal to set up an exhibition booth at the biennial event since its launch in 2020. During the event, it aims to raise its brand awareness and seek new business opportunities. At this year’s

Mobility Oct. 17, 2023

Doosan Robotics, South Korea’s largest collaborative robot manufacturer under the conglomerate Doosan Group, said Monday it will supply chicken-frying collaborative robots to fried chicken franchise Kyochon F&B. Under the deal, Doosan will install its first collaborative robot at Kyochon F&B headquarters in Osan, Gyeonggi Province within this month, with plans to do so at other Kyochon franchise stores nationwide. Doosan Robotics co-CEOs Park In-won and Ryu Jung-hoon, Kyochon F&

Industry Oct. 16, 2023

Samsung SDI said Thursday it is poised to set up a second electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant with Stellantis in the US state of Indiana. The production facility will be built by StarPlus Energy, a joint venture of Samsung SDI and Stellantis in the city of Kokomo, next to the JV’s first plant under construction within the region. The first and second StarPlus Energy Kokomo Gigafactory plants will start operation in the first quarter of 2025 and early 2027 for 33 GWh and 34 GWh cap

Mobility Oct. 12, 2023

Hanwha Aerospace said Wednesday it plans to become a total services provider for outer space, ranging from space-based internet, future air mobility and cosmic data analysis platform. “Although the space sector is considered a high-risk business, it is a key infrastructure for sustainable growth of our future generation. With the combination of big data and artificial intelligence, the space economy is witnessing exponential growth,” said Lee Joon-won, senior vice president at Hanw

Technology Oct. 11, 2023

Science and ICT Minister Lee Jong-ho on Wednesday made congratulatory remarks for The Korea Herald’s Humanity in Tech Forum, vowing to take the lead in ushering in Korea’s new space economy. “I give my sincere congratulations for The Korea Herald’s HIT Forum that discusses ‘space’ as its first topic for sharing vision on science and technology innovation,” said Lee in a pre-recorded video played during the forum held at the Shilla Seoul. “It is a t

Technology Oct. 11, 2023

Hyundai Motor Group is expected to post record earnings this year, breaking its own record for the third year in a row since Executive Chair Chung Euisun took the helm of the world's third largest carmaker in 2020. Hyundai and its smaller affiliate Kia are projected to post 260.8 trillion won ($192.5 billion) and 26.6 trillion won in sales and operating profits this year, according to estimates by market tracker FnGuide. Both figures stand at an all-time high. Since Chung took up leadership

Mobility Oct. 10, 2023

Hanwha Aerospace said Monday it participated in the Association of the US Army exhibition, one of the world’s largest military shows, to showcase its state-of-the-art ground weapons systems. At its 232-square-meter exhibition booth, the company displayed the K-9 Thunder -- the world’s No. 1 self-propelled artillery -- k56 automatic ammunition resupply vehicle and a modular charge system. “Our goal is to join the US Army’s upgrade project of self-propelled artillery and ma

Industry Oct. 9, 2023

BMW’s 5 Series, one of the bestselling premium sedans in Korea, has returned with full-change upgrades in design and driving performance, making its global debut in the country in six years. The 5 Series has sold over 8 million units worldwide since its launch of the first generation model in 1972. Korea, in particular, has shown great enthusiasm for the high-end sedan, taking approximately 20 percent of total sales last year, according to the German carmaker. “We know how important

Mobility Oct. 8, 2023