When President Trump recently tweeted that he has a big “nuclear button” that he can and will use, it was one of the most ridiculous things I had heard from a president. Well, one of the most, since ex-President Park Geun-hye said she “didn’t know” that she was getting in trouble when she let her friend Choi Soon-sil run the country. In addition to who spoke the words -- the president of the world’s most powerful country with corresponding responsibilities -- the choice of vocabulary had a great

Viewpoints Jan. 10, 2018

A woman of 40 is something of a rarity in the startup culture, and those who do exist are usually on the incubating side, and not the actual founding of companies.So to me, a woman of 40, the local startup scene feels like a vibrant stage filled with young actors and actresses whose enthusiasm is almost contagious. And for the first few months that we started covering startups in earnest, I felt this truly was a place where new things could happen, where we really might have the honor of witness

Viewpoints Nov. 22, 2017

It’s way past time to realize North Korea will never give up its nuclear arsenalMy job takes me frequently abroad, and one destination I visit quite often is Tokyo. Now that my initial trepidation has ebbed away, I can see why so many are in love with this city. And from this tidy yet bustling city, I watched in raw fear this week as events surrounding the two Koreas and the US unfolded. For me, it was a moment of truth. For the first time in a while, I hit me just how precarious things look fro

Viewpoints Sept. 27, 2017

[THE INVESTOR] The owners or majority shareholders of eight out of 30 top industrial groups are not registered board members at any of the firms’ affiliates, according to conglomerate tracker Chaebul.com on Sept. 25.The eight companies are Samsung, Hanwha, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Shinsegae, CJ, Dalim, Mirae Asset and Dongkuk Steel Mill. The findings were based on data as of end-August. Among them, the owners of Hanwha, CJ, Mirae Asset and Dongkuk all resigned as registered board members after

Sept. 26, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Hyundai Department Store appears to be ready to further strengthen its areas of core competence to pursue sustainable growth. Officials of Hyundai Department Store already confirmed on Sept.20 that the retailer is undergoing discussions for acquiring SK Networks.Industry sources say the move is a part of chairman Chung Ji-sun 's vision for the future. “Hyundai Department appears to be looking to build up its exterior, particularly in terms of fashion,” said Kim Geun-jong, a resear

Sept. 21, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] A local court issued a personal bankruptcy order on former Tong Yang Group Chairman Hyun Jae-hyun who previously inflicted broad monetary damage on investors by issuing bogus commercial paper. With the ruling, the court sided with a number of victims who requested the former chairman to be declared bankrupt.Based on the current laws, the latest ruling would allow the court to name a trustee to review Hyun’s assets so they can be disposed of to be divided among the creditors. Forme

Sept. 19, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] As many as five members of the founding family of Lotte Group -- Korea’s fifth-largest conglomerate -- have either been questioned or face indictment in relation to the prosecution’s ongoing investigation into corporate malfeasance. Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin is scheduled to be summoned for questioning on Sept. 20 on a broad range of allegations, most of them involving embezzlement and breach of trust.Some sources say the amount concerning his involvement may reach up to 2

Sept. 19, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Shinsegae Department Store President Chung Yoo-kyung is stepping up business as she looks to hit the annual 2 trillion won (US$1.82 billion) sales figure in the near future. Chung was promoted to CEO in 2015, six years after she became vice president. And in April this year, she bought the department store stocks from her brother Yong-jin -- vice chairman of Shinsegae Group -- to now hold a 9.83 percent stake in Shinsegae Department Store, solidifying her managerial position withi

Sept. 9, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Hanwha Group’s next-in-line Kim Dong-gwan, the sales managing director of key affiliate Hanwha Q CELLS said he expects renewable energy to account for 54 percent of the global energy market by 2040, with solar energy taking up 26 percent. That would reflect a 13-fold jump from the current 2 percent market share. Kim, the eldest son of group Chairman Kim Seung-youn also said that an integration between solar energy technology and energy storage system technology is expected to brin

Sept. 8, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] AmorePacific Group Chairman Suh Kyung-bae on Sept.1 confirmed that he would donate 300 billion won (US$267.90 million) of his personal assets to the Seo Kyung-bae Science Foundation.“I hope this foundation can contribute to discovering high caliber researchers who will be able to pioneer new areas of research and constantly put forward new ideas to eventually become globally competitive, and in turn contribute to Korea’s national competitiveness and the overall quality of human ra

Sept. 1, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Kolmar Korea has promoted CEO and Vice President Yoon Sang-hyun to president of the firm, the company said on Sept. 1 Yoon is the eldest son of the founding Chairman Yoon Dong-han. The junior Yoon was previously an executive at consulting firm Bain and Co. before he entered Kolmar Korea in 2009. He was promoted to vice president in 2011, and to CEO in 2015.By Kim Ji-hyun (jemmie@heraldcorp.com)

Sept. 1, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Seo Mi-kyung, the common-law wife of Lotte Group founder Shin Kyuk-ho, owns real estate worth over 100 billion won (US$88.97 million), according to a local conglomerate tracker on Aug. 30.Chaebul.com said that Seo owns five pieces of real estate, which were worth a total of 117.7 billion won, based on the appraisal by the Land Ministry this year. Lotte founder Shin Kyuk-ho.They include land that she inherited from Shin in 2007 that is worth 82.2 billion won. Another piece of land

Aug. 30, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Hi Investment & Securities, a brokerage affiliated with Hyundai Heavy Industries, said in an Aug. 25 report that a change in Hyundai Motor Group’s corporate governance is expected in the near future, with the focus shifting to Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Glovis.The two firms have central roles in the succession of managerial control over Hyundai Motor Group from incumbent Chairman Chung Mong-koo to his son Eui-sun. Hyundai Motor Group’s corporate governance has a circular investment

Aug. 26, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Hyundai Motor Group’s high-end car brand Genesis entered North American markets eight months after its launch in South Korea.On Aug. 8, Hyundai Motor’s North American corporation announced the beginning of sales there with a media test drive for its mid-sized luxury sedan, the G80. The new flagship G90 will be launched overseas in September.　Hyundai Motor Group vice chairman Chung Eui-sun speaks to the press at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last January. Hy

Aug. 26, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Hyundai Motor Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun is cited as a hybrid between his grandfather Chung Ju-young, who founded Hyundai Group, and his father Chung Mong-koo, who is the incumbent chairman of Hyundai Motor Group. Those close to Chung Eui-sun say that while he has his own flavor of patience and perseverance, he seems to have inherited the love of challenge from his grandfather and from his father, an unwavering drive. Hyundai Group fouder Chung Ju-young.  Hyundai Motor GroupAt th

Aug. 26, 2016