Interest in the Chinese e-commerce platform that surged in the Korean market with its low-price strategy appears to be waning. The average usage time for the AliExpress app (combining Android and iOS) has plummeted to levels last seen three years ago, and the transaction volume is also at a meager l
Among the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the South Korean won was revealed to be the fifth most undervalued, while among the Group of Twenty (G20) nations, it ranked as the fourth most undervalued.According to the Bank for International Settleme
In 2023, about 20 percent of the 1.43 million resident foreigners in Korea obtained Korean language proficiency test ratings. The biggest share was taken by international students studying in Korea among them. The largest number of them earned a Level 4 rating.According to the results of the 2023 Im
Much attention is paid to geopolitical risks in the Middle East, which have accounted for the largest share of overseas construction orders to Korean construction companies in the first quarter of this year.A total of 183 Korean construction companies won 171 orders in 63 countries around the world
South Korean cosmetics companies such as LG Household & Health Care and AmorePacific are reducing their reliance on the Chinese market and aggressively increasing their market share in the United States.According to statistics from the Korea Customs Service on April 15, the export amount of Korean c
A forecast suggests that the proportion of foreigners in the domestic population will reach 5.7%, based on median estimates, in 20 years. With a rapid decline anticipated in the native population, it is projected that one out of every ten working-age individuals will be a foreigner.On April 11, Stat
HMM is set to enhance its market share on the major U.S. routes by deploying additional container ships. This strategy is part of their plan to seize a “performance turnaround” opportunity by maintaining high sea freight rates ahead of long-term freight contracts.According to the maritime industry o
South Korea’s current account surplus has been in the black for 10 consecutive months as the South Korean semiconductor industry has recovered. The main positive factor is that the nation’s current account surplus is expected to continue as demand for semiconductors will grow this year.According to
While global ship orders in 2024 fell from 2023, orders for high-value-added ships such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers are on the rise, bringing smiles to Korean shipbuilders.According to Clarkson Research, a British shipbuilding and shipping market analyst
Domestic individual investors have surpassed the milestone of holding over 113 trillion won in overseas stocks, marking a historic high. With the KOSPI index rising by 3 percent in the first quarter of this year, major foreign markets such as the United States and Japan surged by over 10 percent, de
Korea’s exports jumped by 3.1 percent in March 2024 compared to the same month of 2023. The nation marked the sixth consecutive month of positive exports. Semiconductor exports also hit a 24-month high.The Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced March export and import statis
Samsung Display saw its market share for smartphone Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) panels fall below 50% for the first time last year, facing intense competition from Chinese manufacturers. The surge in market share for companies like BOE, which have secured exclusive supplies for Chinese smart
Korea’s export value index rose for the fifth consecutive month in February thanks to a recovery of the semiconductor industry. Export value is the current value of exports converted to U.S. dollars and expressed as a percentage of the average of the base period (2000). Semiconductor exports are sho
A recovery in the influx of Chinese group tours into South Korea is becoming noticeable. Chinese tourists to South Korea have passed the pre-COVID-19 level and are getting closer to the level where they peaked in the past. New momentum in China’s recovering economy is also something that can help se
In February, Korea’s instant noodle exports reached a record high. As the green light has been given to instant noodle exports since the beginning of the year, Korea’s ramen exports are expected to exceed USUS$1 billion for the first time this year.Korea’s instant noodle exports last month was the h
Samsung Display and LG Display, the two major Korean display makers, have begun the second round of their battle in the display market. Unlike LG Display, which makes large-sized panels, Samsung Display makes smash hits focused on small and medium-sized panels. LG Display is trying to reverse its fo
Thanks to the booming export of Hallyu content such as dramas, movies, and webtoons, South Korea’s trade balance in intellectual property rights achieved its largest annual surplus in history last year.According to statistics released by the Bank of Korea (BOK) on March 20, the provisional trade bal
A huge wave that began with Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress is now on the horizon, making it to more difficult to predict the future of the Korean e-commerce market.While Korean e-commerce players are competing fiercely for survival, the United States, China, and other Asian countries have jo
Coupang announced on March 11 that it has expanded its “Rocket Direct Purchase” service to Japan. The company has been expanding its direct purchase regions, starting from the United States in 2017, followed by China in 2021 and Hong Kong in 2022.Coupang’s decision to add Japan to its Rocket Direct
The number of properties purchased by foreigners exceeded 15,000 in Korea in 2023, marking a new high of foreigner real estate buyers on record.According to the latest data on buyers applying for registrations of ownership transfer after purchases and sale on the court registration information plaza