Hanwha Life Insurance has become the first domestic insurance company to venture into overseas banking.The company announced on April 24 that it will acquire a 40 percent stake in Nobu Bank held by Lippo Group, the sixth largest conglomerate in Indonesia. The process of equity investment will be fin
President Yoon Suk-yeol held a summit with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis at the Yongsan presidential office on April 23 to discuss bilateral cooperation. It is the first bilateral summit in Korea in 16 years since 2008. Yoon visited the Lithuanian capital Vilnius for a North Atlantic Treaty Orga
On April 23, Samsung SDI announced that it will showcase future battery technology for electric vehicles to global scholars at the “37th Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exhibition (EVS37).”EVS is the largest electric vehicle symposium and exhibition worldwide, starting in 1969. It is an event where glo
Deutsche Bank has today announced it has been appointed by Euroclear Bank SA/NV as Cash Settlement and Foreign Exchange Bank (under Euroclear direct link) with the Korea Securities Depository (KSD). The mandate is to support South Korean government bond activity for Korea Treasury Bonds (KTBs) and M
As Samsung Electronics launches its new all-in-one personal computer (PC), Intel, the provider of the central processing unit (CPU), has announced its intention to work with Samsung Electronics to develop the AI PC market together.Bae Tae-won, vice president of the Intel Korea Samsung Business Divis
The number of affiliates belonging to Korea’s conglomerates crossed 3,000 for the first time in 2023. The increase is the result of business diversification in response to an unstable global business environment, but the increase has generated many negative side effects.As of May 2023, the number of
Lotte C&T announced on April 21 that it held the 2024 Sky Run, a vertical marathon event, at Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, Seoul on April 21. The Sky Run is the largest vertical marathon event in Korea, with runners climbing 2,917 stairs from the first floor to the 123rd floor of Lotte World Tower.Sk
Netflix Services Korea has begun an administrative lawsuit against Korea’s tax authorities over 78 billion won (US$57 million) in tax imposed on the OTT giant. Much attention is being paid to see how the Korean court will rule on the unfair practice of global platform companies such as Netflix not p
The New Zealand Wine Festivals, which promise an unforgettable experience of New Zealand culture and remarkable wines, are returning this year by popular demand. The events in Seoul and Busan will leverage the growth and recognition of an array of New Zealand’s premium wines.“New Zealand wine is a f
The exchange rate between the Korean won and the U.S. dollar has surged by more than 7 percent this year, surpassing the magnitude of the increase during the global financial crisis from 2008 to 2009.On April 19, the won-U.S. dollar exchange rate concluded trading at 1,382.2 won in the foreign excha
In the first quarter of this year, Korea’s exports to the United States surpassed those to China for the first time since the second quarter of 2003.Exports to the U.S. are expected to remain strong for the foreseeable future, driven by foreign direct investment (FDI) in the manufacturing industries
Seoul is considering establishing an international school in the international financial center of Yeouido in Seoul. The idea is to create a comfortable environment for foreigners to live in Seoul in order to attract more overseas investment.The Seoul Metropolitan Government will launch a service to
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) signed a business agreement with Framatome, a French nuclear power plant equipment company to cooperate in production of isotopes for cancer treatment in Paris, France, on April 17 (local time).Under the agreement, the two companies will jointly conduct a technical
On April 18, the KOSPI rebounded by nearly 2 percent, reclaiming the 2,600 level in just one day. The value of the Korean won and government bonds also rose. This was attributed to the somewhat calming effect on the U.S. dollar’s strength thanks to the joint verbal intervention by the finance minist
On April 18, Hyundai Motor Group signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Toray Group to develop new materials for mobility at the Hyundai Motor Group headquarters in the Yangjae neighborhood of Seoul.Hyundai Motor Group has partnered with Toray Group to innovate mobility materials. The strateg
Jo Joo-wan, the CEO of LG Electronics, is set to meet with Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella to discuss the artificial intelligence business. Following Meta, LG Electronics is establishing AI collaboration relations with global “Big Tech” firms preparing for future ventures.According to sources in the c
bereum co.,ltd, a specialist in postbiotic, led by CEO Hwan Kwon Il, has signed an export and supply contract worth $980,000 for postbiotic pet food with Tecnocalidad of Colombia, under the leadership of CEO Harvey Ibanez Ortiz.Tecnocalidad is a subsidiary responsible for product imports of Agrocamp
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
The finance ministers of South Korea and Japan jointly announced that they could take appropriate measures to address recent volatility in the foreign exchange markets, signaling a readiness for “verbal intervention.” It appears that South Korea and Japan are joining hands to engage in a “currency w
In the realm of emerging artificial intelligence startups, South Korea lags behind China and India in terms of scale, a recent survey reveals.On April 17, the Singapore-based tech news outlet Tech in Asia released a list of the Top 50 AI Startups in Asia receiving the most investment. China leads wi