Most Popular
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Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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S. Korean children, teens grow taller, mature faster than before: study
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Army takes group action against Hybe for neglecting BTS
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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[Graphic News] Number of coffee franchises in S. Korea rises 13%
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Some junior doctors are returning: Health Ministry
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[Robert J. Fouser] AI changes rationale for learning languages
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Ador CEO's request for exclusive right to terminate NewJeans' contract with Hybe refused in February
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Woman dangling from power lines rescued by residents holding blanket
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BOK should make more accurate assessments of markets ahead of rate-setting meeting: official
The Bank of Korea (BOK) should step up efforts to make more accurate assessments of current economic and financial situations ahead of next week's rate-setting meeting, the central bank's acting chief said Monday. BOK Vice Gov. Lee Seung-heon, who is serving as acting chair of the central bank after Lee Ju-yeol left office last week, made the call in an internal meeting with senior officials, according to the bank. The chief post is not expected to be filled until the rate-setting meet
April 4, 2022
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FTC chief to attend global antitrust regulators' meeting this week
South Korea's antitrust chief plans to participate in a global meeting of regulatory authorities this week to discuss merger guidelines and competition policy, her office said Monday. Joh Sung-wook, chairperson of the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), will take part in the Enforcers Summit on Monday (US time) to be co-hosted by the US Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department (DOJ), according to the FTC. The summit will be attended by Lina M. Khan, chair of the US antitrust body, DOJ Assist
April 4, 2022
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Seoul stocks open lower amid uncertainty over Ukraine crisis
South Korean stocks opened lower Monday as investors unloaded large-cap shares, including tech issues, amid lingering uncertainties over the Ukraine crisis and inflation. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 11.51 points, or 0.42 percent, to trade at 2,728.34 points as of 9:15 a.m. Investors took to the sidelines as the ongoing crisis surrounding Ukraine has deepened concerns over soaring energy prices and inflation. Moscow said Sunday that it attacked and destroyed key energy fa
April 4, 2022
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Bumpy road ahead for SBW’s SsangYong Motor bid
Ssangbangwool Group, best known for its underwear business, is joining an estimated 1 trillion won ($819 million) bidding war to acquire debt-ridden carmaker SsangYong Motor whose takeover deal with Edison Motors has recently been called off. Ssangbangwool, or SBW, plans to turn in a letter of intent this week to the lead manager of the deal, EY Hanyoung, by forming a consortium led by subsidiary Kanglim, a maker of special-purpose vehicles like firetrucks and cranes. Other than Ka
April 3, 2022
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[Newsmaker] 65% of Millennials, Gen Z choose ethical consumption over price
Some 65 percent of South Korean millennials and Generation Z said they would buy products manufactured by ethical businesses even if they are more expensive than nonethical ones, a survey showed Sunday. In a survey conducted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry with 380 young people last month, 64.5 percent of respondents said they would choose products from businesses that uphold environmental, social and governance values over price. Some 4 percent said they are willing to pay ove
April 3, 2022
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Equity, bond funds remain sluggish over fears of rate hikes
South Korean equity and bond funds have disappointed investors in the first three months of the year, with many seeing noticeable losses in profitability, data showed Sunday. Equity funds with over 1 billion won ($819,000) in assets saw an average 7.89 percent loss in profitability since the beginning of the year as of Sunday, data provided by local financial market FnGuide showed. Korean index funds, which closely tracks local stock market indexes saw an 8.59 percent profitability loss in the
April 3, 2022
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‘Workcation’: Mixing work, vacation for both productivity, creativity
Oh Chung-hee, a product designer at Korean fintech startup Toss, was at first reluctant to go on a two-week “workcation,” worrying it was going to be a hassle. But her worries melted away soon after she arrived at the company’s workcation site in the southern coastal region of Namhae, South Gyeongsang Province. Instead of going to work on a jam-packed bus or subway like others in Seoul, Oh started her day by enjoying the vast open scenery and fresh air. “Changing the wo
April 3, 2022
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Pulmuone completes 2nd tofu plant in China
Korea’s food giant Pulmuone said Sunday it has completed the construction of its second tofu factory in China, as it looks to accelerate its expansion in the growing market there. Located in the eastern Beijing of Pinggu, the new factory can produce 1,800 kilograms of tofu annually, increasing the productivity by 400 percent compared to the old factory. The second factory will produce a variety of tofu for soup, salad and steamed dish, tofu noodle, and soybean milk, according to the com
April 3, 2022
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Korean Air named cargo operator of 2022
National flag carrier Korean Air was selected as cargo operator of the year for 2022 for addressing global cargo capacity shortages with new gateways and freighters, Air Transport World announced Friday. Korean Air has “continued to go from strength to strength, remaining at the forefront of addressing the global cargo capacity shortages resulting from the pandemic,” noted ATW, a publication for the global aviation industry. Korean Air opened two gateways in the United States to a
April 3, 2022
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Hyundai, Kia's US sales down 3.7% in Q1
Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Corp. said Saturday their combined sales in the United States fell 3.7 percent in the first quarter compared with a year ago due to the prolonged pandemic and chip shortages. The corporate duo sold a total of 322,593 vehicles in the US in the first three months of this year, according to the companies' sales data. In March alone, the two automakers sold a combined 123,507 units, a 14.8 percent decline from a year earlier. Hyundai's US sales in the fir
April 2, 2022
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[Interactive] Grain import prices soar 47% over 2 years
South Korea’s import prices of grain has jumped nearly 50 percent over the past two years to a near nine-year high amid the prolonged coronavirus pandemic, data showed. Prices of imported grains came to $386 per ton in February, up 26 percent from a year earlier and 47.4 percent from two years earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service and industry sources. The February per-ton import price represented the highest level since it reached $388 in May 2013. Last
April 2, 2022
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Kyobo Life Insurance hits snag over options contract row
Kyobo Life Insurance, Korea’s third-largest insurance company by assets, said Friday that a private equity firm-led consortium is threatening to derail its efforts to go public. The consortium is compelling the insurance company to honor an options contract that Kyobo says could undermine its CEO, the largest shareholder. The consortium -- led by equity firm Affinity Equity Partners -- signed a put option agreement with Kyobo Life Insurance CEO Shin Chang-jae in 2012.
April 1, 2022
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Samsung CEO tells staff to ‘call me by my initials’
Samsung Electronics is one of many South Korean companies who have taken on reforming the use of honorific titles in the workplace, aiming for a more horizontal culture and removing hurdles that might have stifled employees’ creativity. The tech giant appears to have made a step toward this goal recently, namely from upper management. Samsung co-Chief Executive Officer Han Jong-hee told staff to call him by the initials of his given name rather than honorific expressions for his job ti
April 1, 2022
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Underwear maker shares jump on bid to acquire SsangYong Motor
Shares of underwear maker Ssangbangwool rose about 29 percent Friday, as the company announced its bid to acquire SsangYong Motor, a debt-ridden carmaker whose recent takeover by a local electric carmaker fell apart. The company’s shares closed at 1,010 won ($0.83), up 29 percent from Thursday’s closing on the benchmark Kospi board. Ssangbangwool’s key subsidiary Kanglim, which trades on the junior Kosdaq, saw its shares rise by 30 percent. Kanglim manufactures special vehicle
April 1, 2022
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Medytox files complaint with ITC against Hugel over botox dispute
South Korean botox maker Medytox has filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission against its local rival Hugel over allegations of stealing its bacteria and manufacturing processes, the company said Friday. According to Medytox, the company lodged the complaint on Wednesday against Hugel, Hugel America and Croma-Pharma GmbH with top global law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan leading the litigation. Croma-Pharma, an Austrian family-owned company based on north of Vie
April 1, 2022
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KakaoBank tops in worker productivity
Employees at South Korean mobile lender KakaoBank have higher productivity than their peers at the country’s four banking giants, data showed Friday. A KakaoBank employee was estimated to have earned 349 million won ($280,000), higher than the average figures for Hana Bank and Shinhan Bank, at 315 million won and 271 million won, respectively. Worker productivity of the other two giants -- KB Kookmin Bank and Woori Bank -- on average was 245 million won and 229 million won, respect
April 1, 2022
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Trade deficit seen despite record-high exports in March
SEJONG -- Korea’s monthly exports recorded an all-time high in March on the back of robust performance in outbound shipments of semiconductors and petrochemicals, state data showed Friday. But the nation saw its trade balance in the red, as imports also increased to a record high last month in the wake of a spike in international raw materials prices. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the country recorded $63.4 billion in exports for March, up 18.2 percent from a y
April 1, 2022
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[Interactive] Instant noodles rank 1st in food output in 2020
Instant noodles captured the top spot in production among food products in South Korea in 2020 on a surge in exports amid the coronavirus pandemic, data showed. The output of instant noodles, or “ramyeon” in Korean, stood at 1.93 million metric tons in 2020, up a whopping 231 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Ramyeon’s ranking in terms of production was up 12 notches from the previous year. Carbonated drink
April 1, 2022
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Seoul stocks open lower on Ukraine, inflation risks
South Korean stocks opened lower Friday amid still ongoing tensions surrounding Ukraine and rising inflation risks. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 21.6 points, or 0.78 percent, to trade at 2,736.05 points as of 9:15 a.m. Stocks dropped as Russia's attack on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol fueled pessimism about the two country's peace talks. Most large caps traded lower in Seoul. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics lost 0.72 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix declined 0
April 1, 2022
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Inflation growth estimated to pick up in March amid high oil prices: official
South Korea's consumer prices are estimated to have grown at a faster pace in March as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has driven up oil prices, a senior government official said Friday. Inflationary pressure is likely to remain high for the time being as external economic uncertainty has heightened, according to First Vice Finance Minister Lee Eog-weon. "Expectations are growing that inflation growth will pick up in March, led by a jump in prices of petroleum products," Lee said at a gov
April 1, 2022