Regulator seeks to revise law to protect small shareholders

South Korea’s top financial regulator said Monday it would seek to revise the Capital Market Act to protect individual shareholders when listed companies undertake a merger and relist after a corporate spin-off. "We prepared a proposal for the revision of the Capital Market Act with the recognition that the protection of the interests of general shareholders should be strengthened to enhance the value of the capital market," Kim Byoung-hwan, chair of the Financial Services Co

EconomyDec. 2, 2024

Hyundai, Kia less dependent than rivals on EV tax credits in US: study

An automotive industry study has found that American buyers of Hyundai Motor and Kia electric vehicles are less likely to have chosen the Korean EVs based on the US government’s tax benefits, raising hopes for the Korean automakers as they gear up for a second Donald Trump administration next year. According to a study published by US auto industry research firm J.D. Power last week, only 32 percent of Hyundai buyers and 24 percent of Kia buyers selected tax credits and incentives as a pri

MobilityDec. 2, 2024

LG makes big push to export chillers for AI data centers

LG Electronics said Monday it is teaming up with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to expand exports of its cooling solutions for data centers powering AI. The large-scale cooling systems, called chillers, are in high demand as thermal management becomes crucial for operating massive data centers. According to LG, Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun visited LG’s chiller plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, earlier in the day and pledged the ministry’s full support to boost t

IndustryDec. 2, 2024

Samsung Biologics launches charity program to support children

Samsung Biologics has introduced a new charity program designed to assist children in need, in cooperation with neighboring restaurants and retail stores, as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance corporate social responsibility. According to the company, the launch ceremony took place Monday at the company’s headquarters in Songdo, Incheon. The event was attended by Rep. Jung Il-young of the Democratic Party of Korea, John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, Park Jae-sung, head of the company&

CompaniesDec. 2, 2024

Hyundai Hillstate Deungchon starts sales of apartments

Hyundai Engineering & Construction said Monday it has recently opened a showroom for Hillstate Deungchon in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, to start the housing subscription process. Hillstate Deungchon features 12 15-story buildings with five basement floors, accommodating a total of 543 households. Of these, 274 units are available for general sale. The apartments offer two main layouts: 59 square meters for 103 households and 84 square meters for 171 households. New residents are expected to move in b

IndustryDec. 2, 2024

Weave Living to launch flagship serviced apartments in Seoul

Rental accommodation provider Weave Living said last Thursday it is launching its flagship property “Weave Suites – Sunyu Parkside” in Seoul to attract both locals and expats here with premium serviced apartments. Established in 2017, Weave Living currently operates about 3,000 rental units across the Asia Pacific region under four consumer brands: Weave Studios, Weave Place, Weave Suites and Weave Residences. Weave Suites, as serviced apartments, in particular, caters to resid

IndustryDec. 2, 2024

Hyundai Rotem wins $60m defense contract in Peru

South Korea's sole tank maker Hyundai Rotem said Monday that it has delivered its K808 White Tiger wheeled armored personnel carriers to Peru in a $60 million deal, marking the entrance of Korea-made armored vehicles into the Latin American market. The contract was commissioned by the Peruvian Army Arsenal in May and facilitated by South Korea’s STX Corporation -- a global trading company specializing in defense procurement. Hyundai Rotem will supply 30 K808 vehicles through STX Corpo

IndustryDec. 2, 2024

Rebellions, Sapeon merge to create Korea's first AI chip unicorn

Artificial intelligence startup Rebellions said Monday that it has completed a merger with Sapeon Korea, SK Telecom’s AI chip subsidiary, to officially form Korea’s first AI chip unicorn under the unified name Rebellions. The merger was finalized about six months after the plan was announced in June. Rebellions has valued the merged entity at around 1.3 trillion won ($929 million), based on the agreed merger ratio of 1:2.4 for Sapeon Korea and Rebellions, respectively. The merged ent

IndustryDec. 2, 2024

Extending retirement age to 65 could cost W30tr won in labor costs: FKI report

Extending the legal retirement age from the current 60 to 65 could result in additional labor costs of over 30 trillion won ($21.39 billion) per year for local businesses, according to a report released Monday by a lobby group of local entrepreneurs. The Federation of Korean Industries' report estimated that in the first year of the new retirement age, companies across South Korea would have an additional 58,214 workers aged 60 to 64 on their payroll. This number of employees, who, under th

EconomyDec. 2, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on US gains

Seoul shares opened higher Monday, tracking gains on Wall Street, with the local stock market also getting a boost from advances in auto and energy shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) rose 23.63 points, or 0.96 percent, to 2,479.54 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.42 percent to 44,910.65 points and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.83 percent to 19,218.17. In Seoul, top carmaker Hyundai Motor rose 0.23 perc

MarketDec. 2, 2024

S. Korea to extend tariff quota on energy, food imports to ease burden on households

South Korea plans to extend its tariff rate quota on energy and food imports into part of next year to help ease the burden on households, the finance ministry said Monday, as the nation continues to struggle with high inflation and a strong U.S. dollar. The tariff rate quota system allows a specified volume of imports to enter the country under reduced tariff rates for a specific period of time. Under the initiative, the zero-tariff policy for liquefied natural gas imports, used for power gener

EconomyDec. 2, 2024

Woori Bank boosts internal verification at overseas branches

Woori Bank is enhancing its internal controls by implementing a fingerprint authentication system in the software used at its international branches, the lender said Sunday. Woori Bank is the first Korean commercial bank to adopt this technology for its overseas operations. The system uses advanced encryption to securely manage data through fingerprint verification, allowing employees to access the bank's computerized system and perform tasks. This innovation is aimed at preventing financ

IndustryDec. 1, 2024

Rising cacao costs cited for driving up S. Korea's chocolate snack prices

South Korea's major confectionery companies have decided to raise the prices of their popular chocolate snacks on the back of soaring cacao prices, driven by climate change. Orion announced a 10.6 percent average price increase for 13 products starting Sunday. The price of its popular products like Choco Songyi and Bichobi will rise by as much as 20 percent. Orion also said it would temporarily suspend the supply of its chocolate bar, To You, instead of applying an unavoidable price increas

IndustryDec. 1, 2024

[Photo News] Art takes off at Incheon Airport

Incheon International Airport unveiled a large-scale art project on Saturday, as part of its fourth-phase expansion completion, transforming Terminal 2 into a vibrant cultural hub. Featuring 18 art pavilions spread across 8,000 square meters, travelers can enjoy a fusion of Korean traditions and art from across the world as they walk through and spend time at the terminal. Some highlights from the permanent exhibition include Chae Byungrok’s "Good Luck & Colorful Wishes" an

IndustryDec. 1, 2024

FSS chief intensifies probe into Young Poong for accounting flaws

South Korea’s top financial regulator is intensifying its investigation into Young Poong amid growing concerns over the company’s environmental violations and potential improper collusion with private equity firm MBK Partners, as tensions rise in its continuing dispute with Korea Zinc. Lee Bok-hyun, head of the Financial Supervisory Service, said Thursday that the agency had launched a probe into Young Poong after uncovering accounting irregularities, including unrecognized impairmen

IndustryDec. 1, 2024

[Test Drive] BMW's new X3 offers sedan-like driving

The new X3, BMW’s latest sports utility vehicle, has come back as a premium mid-sized SUV that offers the comfort driving of a luxury sedan while looking more dynamic than ever. The Korea Herald got to ride the new X3 20 xDrive, a full-change model following the previous third generation that has been immensely popular in the global market since its launch in 2017, in a media test drive and launch ceremony held at the BMW Experience Center in Incheon on Thursday. The BMW X3 has led Korea&r

MobilityDec. 1, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Development assistance is important for export-dependent Korea'

Strengthening international development assistance efforts could be a solution to lifting the stagnant Korean economy, as such aid helps create a global economic environment favorable to countries with an export-led growth model, according to the chief of the multilateral lender World Bank Group’s Korea office. “For a country like Korea that is engaged in trading in international markets and a lot of its wealth comes from access to export markets, creating a stable and prosperous g

EconomyDec. 1, 2024

Samsung challenges LG in home appliance subscription market

Samsung Electronics has entered a new round of competition with LG Electronics in the home appliance subscription services market by launching its own service centered on artificial intelligence products. Samsung announced Sunday the introduction of its AI subscription club service, which is available at the tech giant’s offline store nationwide and official online store. This service allows consumers to pay a monthly subscription fee to use home appliances for a certain period. By subsc

IndustryDec. 1, 2024

Hyundai-Kia may face 19% profit loss from US tariffs: report

Korean automaker Hyundai and its smaller affiliate Kia may face a steep 19 percent decline in operating profitability if the US enacts a proposed 20 percent tariff on vehicles imported from South Korea, according to a report by S&P Global Ratings published last Friday. The potential tariffs, part of US President-elect Donald Trump’s suggested “universal tariff” on imports, would significantly impact the automaker’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amo

MobilityDec. 1, 2024

Korea’s advanced nuclear tech to take center stage at NES 2024

In aims to showcase South Korea's advanced nuclear power technologies and their potential to address global energy and climate challenges, the Global Nuclear Energy & Safety Confex 2024 will take place from Tuesday to Thursday at the Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Hosted by the Korea Nuclear Association for International Cooperation, the three-day event, themed “Borderless Energy: Globalizing Nuclear Business,” will

IndustryDec. 1, 2024