The collective net worth of Korea’s 50 Richest on the 2024 Forbes list rose slightly to US$115 billion from $106 billion, amid the country’s global chipmaking ambitions. The complete list can be found at www.forbes.com/korea, as well as in the April/May issue of Forbes Asia and the May issue of Forb
This March, Four Seasons Hotel Seoul takes centre stage as an official partner of the prestigious Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024, which comes to the Korean capital for the first time. Securing its place as a gastronomic hotspot in the city’s thriving culinary scene, the contemporary Gwanghwamun hot
K-pop powerhouse ENHYPEN has just dropped their Spotify K-Pop ON! (온) Single featuring their soul-stirring rendition of “I NEED U” by BTS. Produced and released as part of Spotify’s K-Pop ON! (온) First Crush campaign, the track is the first of three Spotify-exclusive covers by a stellar line-up of K
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. He can be reached at sokang@shinhan.com -- Ed.4Q23 review: New game and profitability disappointNCsoft registered operating profit of KRW3.9bn (-91.9% YoY, -76.7% QoQ, operating margin of 0.9%) on sales of KRW437.7bn (-20.1% YoY, +3.5% QoQ) for 4Q23,
Com2us will launch three new games for the global game market in different genres in the first half of the year. “Our goal is to see all three new games reach top 10 in sales in the global market,” said Han Ji-hoon, head of the game industry division at Com2us.Com2us revealed the details of the thre
Germany’s abrupt suspension of subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs) sold in the country is puzzling South Korea’s auto industry, which exports electric vehicles to the region. This along with France’s plan to reorganize its EV subsidies to measure carbon emissions and provide differential subsidies
South Korea’s small and medium-sized semiconductor material, component, and equipment companies are making a bold move by establishing their production facilities within the semiconductor cluster taking shape in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The anticipated tech hub, known as the Yongin Semiconductor C
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jaemin.ahn@nhqv.com -- Ed.Although initial results for Lies of P were disappointing, sales volume seems steady. Attention should also be paid to new titles coming out in 2024. Recently, the share price has fallen excessive
The South Korean semiconductor industry is experiencing a surge in domestic production of advanced materials for High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), often touted as next-generation DRAM. As Samsung Electronics and SK hynix amplify their HBM production capabilities, heightened technical advancements across
Cleveland Avenue, a prominent Chicago-based venture capital firm specializing in investments within lifestyle consumer brands and pioneering technology companies that positively disrupt large and growing markets, hosted CA Tech X Asia in collaboration with Shinsegae at The Devil's Door in Seoul toda
Hyundai Motor Group is faced with complicated situations in its business operations in France after France’s announcement of a draft decree to subsidize electric vehicles based on carbon emissions. While the draft decree is not as worrisome as the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), it will be a tot
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jaemin.ahn@nhqv.com -- Ed.Backed by Eversoul, ArcheAge War, and Ares, Kakao Games is continuing to produce new-lineup successes in 2023. Earnings at the firm are believed to have bottomed out, and the share price has falle
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jaemin.ahn@nhqv.com -- Ed.Despite the impending release of Ares, Kakao Games’ most anticipated 2023 game, expectations for the new title have yet to be reflected in share price. Ares’s sci-fi theme is to set it apart from
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at hwdoh@nhqv.com -- Ed.A key client’s GAA process is expected to reach the mass production stage in 2024, in turn benefiting Soulbrain. Also to benefit its earnings is an expected improvement in semiconductor supply/demand c
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jaemin.ahn@nhqv.com -- Ed.Kakao Games’ competence as a publisher is to be proven via the continued popularity of new games. Backed by accumulated sales for a wealth of new titles, OP should soon recover. New games to be re
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jaemin.ahn@nhqv.com -- Ed.Following the successes of Eversoul and ArcheAge War, Kakao Games no longer needs to prove its competence as a publisher. Ares (scheduled to be released in June) and Goddess Order (2H23) are both a
The United States is putting more pressure on companies in the EV battery industry to rely less on China. Most South Korean companies in the industry are regarding the pressure as both a challenge and an opportunity.This is because they have diversified their material supply sources for years. For i
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jaemin.ahn@nhqv.com -- Ed.We look forward to change of NCSOFT. Preparations are underway to reduce its sales portion for MMORPG titles (which has served as a disadvantage) and its domestic-centered business structure. If th
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jaemin.ahn@nhqv.com -- Ed.Although quarterly operating losses have continued since 1Q22, the launch of new games not only in Korea but also overseas (especially in China upon gaining publishing rights from China’s National
Sports utility vehicles (SUVs) accounted for more than 70 percent of Hyundai Motor Group’s cars sold in the United States. They have higher margins per unit than sedans, so Hyundai Motor Group’s profitability is also expected to grow significantly.Hyundai Motor Company (including the Genesis brand)