[Contribution] Investment diary of a CIO’s son

By Steve Brice My youngest son is starting out on his investment journey. As background, he has been gifted some money, which he wants to invest for at least 7-10 years. He is not interested in finance, although he is interested in making money. He is about to go to university in February and expects to be busy. Therefore, he wants to have an investment plan which he does not have to monitor excessively. He is obviously worried about investing at exactly the wrong time, as is common with most

Nov. 13, 2024

Hyundai Glovis to build massive logistics center in Busan

Automotive logistics provider Hyundai Glovis is set to build a large-scale logistics complex at Busan New Port, one of the busiest container ports globally. The facility, targeted for completion by 2027, will support South Korea’s growing trade demand, the company said. Hyundai Glovis said Wednesday it had signed a land purchase agreement for nearly 95,000 square meters -- about 13 soccer fields -- in the Ungdong Distripark Phase 2, a newly developed area within Busan New Port specifically

Nov. 13, 2024

Kolmar wins trade secret case against Intercos

South Korea’s leading cosmetics original design manufacturer Kolmar Korea said Wednesday it recently won a lawsuit against Intercos Korea, the Korean subsidiary of Italian cosmetic firm Intercos that was accused of transferring trade secrets of Kolmar’s sun care technology. On Oct. 18, the Suwon District Court imposed a 5 million won ($3,700) fine on Intercos Korea for violating the trade secret protection law. The ruling was finalized after the company chose not to appeal. The all

Nov. 13, 2024

Will Samsung team up with foundry rival TSMC?

Samsung Electronics, the tech giant known for its independence as a manufacturer, made a surprise announcement last month hinting it may outsource a key component of its cutting-edge artificial intelligence chips to its Taiwanese rival TSMC. Experts say this comes as the world's largest memory chip maker faces mounting pressure from its global competitors in the increasingly crucial AI chip sector, a headwind that has directly contributed to Samsung's earnings slowdown. “We are c

Nov. 13, 2024

AmCham CEO Servers’ Night sets fundraising record

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea announced Wednesday that it has hosted the 17th fundraising event for student scholarships together with its charity arm, Partners for the Future Foundation. The AmCham CEO Servers’ Night was held at the Conrad Seoul Hotel, bringing together 35 CEOs and C-level executives from AmCham member companies. After being trained by hotel staff, the top executives personally served wine and dinner to 430 guests to show their appreciation. “It is truly

Nov. 13, 2024

Japan’s JSR to produce advanced chip materials in Korea

Japan’s JSR Corporation, the world's top photoresist manufacturer, kicked off construction of its first semiconductor photoresist factory in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on Tuesday. The new plant, being built under its Korean unit JSR Micro Korea, is set to become operational in 2026 and start supplying its advanced photoresist metal oxide resist (MOR) to Korean chipmakers, including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. MOR has been rising as a cutting-edge alternative to low-qu

Nov. 12, 2024

Trump sours K-food outlook in US

After years of record exports, especially to the US, Korea’s food industry is now keen to gauge the impact of Donald Trump’s second presidency. The outspoken leader declared during this campaign that he could impose blanket tariffs of 10 to 20 percent on all US imports, raising concerns for Korea’s key export items such as computer chips and cars. But it is often overlooked that the US remains the largest export destination for Korea’s agricultural and seafood products. I

Nov. 12, 2024

[Photo News] Canada navy visits Hyundai shipyard

CANADA NAVY VISITS HYUNDAI SHIPYARD Canada’s top naval officer, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee (center), visited HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan headquarters Tuesday as Canada ramps up efforts to strengthen its submarine fleet. Canada’s new Canadian Patrol Submarine Project envisions acquiring up to a dozen 3,000-ton submarines, and Hyundai’s advanced shipyard facilities are being closely considered as a potential partner. During his visit, Topshee toured Hyundai’s pr

Nov. 12, 2024

KEF chief, Japanese ambassador vow to bolster economic ties

Member companies of the Korea Enterprises Federation met with Japanese Ambassador Koichi Mizushima on Tuesday to explore opportunities for deepening economic cooperation, as South Korea and Japan approach the 60th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations next year. The business roundtable, held at the Westin Josun Seoul, brought together top Korean business figures and Japanese representatives to discuss future-oriented strategies for bilateral collaboration. In his opening remarks, KEF Ch

Nov. 12, 2024

Samsung Electronics to expand chip packaging facilities for HBM

Samsung Electronics Co. will expand its semiconductor package facilities in South Chungcheong Province to boost production of high bandwidth memory chips, company officials said Tuesday. Under a memorandum of understanding with the provincial government, Samsung Electronics will convert an underused liquid crystal display plant owned by Samsung Display Co. in Cheonan, some 85 kilometers south of Seoul, into a semiconductor fabrication plant, according to the officials. The new facilities, expect

Nov. 12, 2024

Samsung Electronics shares more than 100 patents with smaller firms

Samsung Electronics Co. has shared more than 100 patents with smaller businesses as part of efforts to promote shared growth, the industry ministry said Tuesday. The leading South Korean tech giant transferred 128 patents to 85 companies this year to assist them in developing innovative products and solutions without royalty fees, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Samsung Electronics first launched the program in 2015 and has offered a total of 1,210 patents to 673 compani

Nov. 12, 2024

TCL’s 'QD TVs' face antitrust probe over misleading advertising

Korean specialty chemicals and materials maker Hansol Chemical said Monday it has filed a complaint with the local antitrust authorities against Chinese TV maker TCL for the misleading advertising of its latest TV sets. The Korean firm accused TCL, China’s largest TV manufacturer, of falsely branding its liquid crystal display TVs as “QD TVs” even though they actually contain no QD or quantum-dot materials that help enhance image quality. Higher-priced QD-incorporated LCD TVs,

Nov. 11, 2024

[Photo News] Futuristic Cockpit

LG Electronics on Monday unveiled its new Digital Cockpit concept involving modular systems for ultimate customization. The Digital Cockpit gamma, the third-generation concept of the appliance giant's future mobility, features OLED displays, artificial intelligence and 5G technologies. (LG Electronics)

Nov. 11, 2024

[Photo News] Sharing love with kimchi

Hana Financial Group Chair Ham Young-joo (fourth from left) and other company executives join a "gimjang" or kimchi-making event at the group's headquarters in Seoul on Monday as part of the 2024 Modu Hana Day campaign. Some 300 people, including representatives of Hana's partner firms, participated in the annual event to donate 11,111 heads of kimchi to disadvantaged households. (Hana Financial Group)

Nov. 11, 2024

Young Poong's violations cast doubt on Korea Zinc bid

Young Poong, the world’s sixth-largest zinc smelter, has been ordered to close down its refinery facility for two months for discharging polluted wastewater without authorization, posing a possible setback in its attempt to take ownership control of Korea Zinc, its affiliate and the world’s largest zinc producer. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court dismissed Young Poong’s request to nullify an administrative order to shut down its Seokpo refinery in North Gyeongsang Provinc

Nov. 11, 2024

[Herald Interview] JobKorea’s Klik brings jobs, community to growing foreign workforce in Korea

As Korea’s foreign workforce nears the 1 million mark, JobKorea, the nation’s leading online recruitment platform, has launched the spinoff Klik, or Kickstart Life in Korea, to bring quality jobs and community to foreign national job seekers. Chris Heo, a 33-year-old Canadian national who leads the Klik team, said that the platform’s birth was largely inspired by his own experiences and challenges as a foreign national living in Korea. “I’ve struggled with complex a

Nov. 11, 2024

SK to enhance board's role in readiness for AI era

South Korea’s second-largest conglomerate SK Group announced Monday its commitment to further enhance its governance structure by expanding the board's role beyond decision-making to setting directions and evaluating performance, intent to better navigate the era of artificial intelligence. At SK Directors’ Summit 2024 in Seoul on Thursday, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and chief executives of the group’s affiliates, including Choi Chang-won, the head of the group’s

Nov. 11, 2024

Korean shipbuilders upbeat on Trump’s call for collaboration

Korean shipbuilders are raising hopes to expand their presence in the US, following President-elect Donald Trump’s call for more bilateral cooperation in the shipbuilding sector. According to Seoul’s presidential office, President Yoon Suk Yeol and Trump had a 12-minute phone call Thursday morning after Trump won a second nonconsecutive presidential term. After exchanges of congratulations and gratitude, Trump specifically mentioned Korea’s shipbuilding capabilities and the US&

Nov. 10, 2024

LG Display unveils world's most stretchable display

South Korean display maker LG Display announced Sunday it succeeded in developing the world’s first stretchable display capable of expanding up to 50 percent, the highest elongation rate within the industry. The latest breakthrough, the outcome of five years of research, was unveiled during an industrial gathering at LG Science Park in Seoul on Friday. LG's new prototype features a 12-inch screen that stretches up to 18 inches while delivering a high resolution of 100 pixels per inch

Nov. 10, 2024

IFC Seoul in acquisition talks for over W3tr

Singapore’s ARA Asset Management is reportedly in talks with Brookfield Asset Management to acquire the International Finance Center Seoul, one of South Korea's largest mixed-use commercial properties, according to sources Friday. Following its purchase of the Conrad Seoul Hotel in August, ARA is now discussing a potential deal with the owner of IFC Seoul to buy the remaining office towers and retail mall. Located in Yeouido, Seoul, the IFC complex was initially developed by US-based

Nov. 8, 2024