Antitrust regulator considers probe into alleged price-fixingRetail prices of imported whisky from Europe have not dropped but climbed in the local market despite the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement which took effect in July 1, 2011, according to the antitrust regulator.The Fair Trade Commission said Sunday that import prices of European-made whisky products rose by 1.41 percent during the first quarter of 2012, compared to the same period last year.Among the products whose import prices surpassed

Industry June 10, 2012

South Korean credit card companies saw their default rates increase in the first quarter from three months earlier amid falling earnings, the financial regulator said Sunday.The average delinquency rate of seven credit card companies reached 2.09 percent as of the end of March, up 0.18 percentage point from the end of last year, according to the Financial Supervisory Service.The watchdog said the rate rose due to an increase in fresh defaults, which was related to clear signs of the country’s ec

Industry June 10, 2012

South Korean stocks will likely be exposed to volatility ahead of crucial Greek parliamentary elections that will determine the future of the eurozone, local analysts said Saturday.The country’s key stock index, the KOSPI, closed at 1,835.64 points on Friday, up just 0.06 percent or 1.13 points from a week earlier.The weak gains came as the local bourse lost ground in the face of persistent debt and financial sector problems in the European Union and disappointments caused by the U.S. Federal Re

June 10, 2012

Hyundai Group will complete the process of acquiring Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul, one of the nation’s three six-star hotels, in the coming days.An industry source said Wednesday that “Hyundai Group is about to launch its hotel business by becoming the biggest shareholder of Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul” after it was picked as the preferred bidder for the resort last January.The conglomerate has proposed a bid of 160 billion won ($140 million) to acquire the shares on the condition that the grou

Industry June 6, 2012

Early retirement plan comes amid rumors on relocation of production basesGM Korea’s recent policy to downsize its manpower structure via a voluntary redundancy program has been inviting backlash from the carmaker’s labor union.Unionized workers at the automaker are set to stage a series of protests against the early retirement scheme, which has allegedly been initiated by new GM Korea CEO Sergio Rocha, according to sources.The Korean unit of U.S.-based General Motors is considering reducing the

Industry June 6, 2012

Korean won continues to lose ground against U.S. dollarThe eurozone fiscal crisis is likely to deal a severe blow to Korea’s export-oriented industries such as shipbuilding, automobile and information technology, local think tanks forecasted.In particular, the nation’s shipbuilding companies’ exports to the European Union are equivalent to 19.7 percent of their total production, according to a report of the Hyundai Research Institute.Exports account for about 85 percent of the total sales for th

Industry June 5, 2012

Kumho Asiana Group’s unit has undergone tough restructuring for more than 2 yearsCreditors of Kumho Industrial Co. will soon finalize the takeover deal under which a consortium led by IBK Securities is set to acquire a large portion of Kumho Asiana Group’s transportation unit.The imminent sale comes more than two years after Kumho Industrial was placed under joint-management by creditors including Woori Bank for business normalization in late 2009.Both sides are likely to reach a final consensus

Industry June 5, 2012

Upgraded Sorento R, Equus, K3, Tucson ix to debut in second halfHyundai Motor and Kia Motors will continue to push for releases of new vehicle models during the latter half of this year, following their strategies in the first half.They will collectively launch at least four new models ― the Sorento R, Equus, Tucson ix, and K3, according to executives of the affiliated automakers.As their first event for the second half, Kia Motors is poised to unveil the facelift model of the Sorento R, the com

Mobility June 4, 2012

The antitrust regulator is set to take disciplinary action against a group of major builders for cartel activities during their participation in the Lee Myung-bak administration-led project to refurbish the country’s four major rivers.The Fair Trade Commission is considering fines for about 20 construction companies and filing a complaint with the prosecution against some executives of several large firms.It is alleged that some of the 20 companies took the initiative in bidding-price rigging or

Industry June 1, 2012

Five players strive to attract consumers at home amid ongoing weak demandAutomakers saw their vehicle sales at home inch up in May on a year-on-year basis after several months of weak domestic demand.Hyundai Motor said Friday that it posted sales of 58,050 units in the local market, up 0.6 percent from 57,694 units a year earlier.It was the first time the nation’s largest automaker reported an increase in year-on-year sales at home since last February.Excluding February, Hyundai Motor’s domestic

Mobility June 1, 2012

The Fair Trade Commission investigated Google Korea this week by sending its inspectors to the headquarters, marking the fourth antitrust investigation including a raid last September.While the regulator’s raid on Google’s Korean unit in southern Seoul was the result of a joint-complaint by local Internet portals it is alleged the U.S.-based tech giant hindered the FTC from conducting an ordinary probe.The allegation of obstructing civil servants’ on-the-spot investigation could yield an intensi

Industry May 31, 2012