The amount of debts owed by households and businesses in Korea was more than twice Korea’s gross domestic product (GDP). About half of the nation’s companies were unable to pay even interest on their debts with money they earned from sales, revealing their vulnerability.The ratio of private credit t
On March 13, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to ban TikTok, a Chinese video platform, from being downloaded in the United States due to security concerns. The bill was approved with an overwhelming majority of 352 votes in favor and 65 against. Europe is also engulfed in national sec
The Hyundai Research Institute (HRI) has forecasted that the South Korean economy will enter a recovery phase after passing its lowest point this year.According to a report titled “Now is an Important Time to Form an Early Economic Cycle Bottom” released by the HRI on March 3, there is a high possib
Shinhan Financial Group announced on Feb. 7 that it has received the “Leadership A” rating in the CDP Climate Change category announced by the Korean Committee of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) on Feb. 6, making it the only domestic financial institution to achieve this distinction.CDP is a glo
The upcoming introduction of Alibaba Group’s B2B shopping platform “1688.com” to the domestic market has raised concerns within the domestic e-commerce industry. The sector is already grappling with the competitive pricing strategies of Chinese direct procurement platforms such as AliExpress and Tem
Huawei held a conference on the Top 10 Trends of Data Center Facility in 2024 and released the corresponding White Paper. At the conference, Yao Quan, President of Huawei Data Center Facility Domain, defined the three characteristics of future data centers: reliable, simplified, and sustainable. Yao
More than four out of 10 listed companies in Korea were unable to pay interest with money they made, according to a recent survey. High interest rates and stagflation worsened the business environment, raising red flags on their financial conditions.As of the third quarter of 2023, 710 of 1,674 list
Debt, or credit, for both households and businesses surged to a historic peak, surpassing twice the gross domestic product (GDP) during the third quarter of this year. With an increasing number of businesses relying on non-banking institutions after the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with a rising house
LG Electronics is intensifying its foray into the automotive market by enhancing its capabilities in car security platforms. The company plans to expand its market presence by strengthening global marketing and incorporating security technologies into its infotainment systems and telematics componen
On Dec. 18, Korea Development Bank (KDB) and the Korea Ocean Business Corporation (KOBC) announced the selection of the Pan Ocean-JKL consortium as the preferred bidder for the acquisition of the management rights of HMM, the largest ocean container shipping company in South Korea. After negotiation
The government is opening up industrial research and development (R&D) to foreign institutions to discover and develop key technologies in areas vulnerable to becoming weak links in South Korea’s flagship industry value chains, such as “technology critical for leapfrogging,” “next-generation growth-
Volunteer employees from CBRE Korea, a global commercial real estate services company, provided meals on November 27 and 28 at the Seoul Senior Welfare Center in Jongno-gu as part of its CBRE Cares social contribution campaign. The initiative, undertaken by CBRE offices worldwide, aims to support lo
The government has decided to extend financial market stabilization measures, currently operating at a scale of 37.4 trillion won (US$28.77 billion), until the end of next year. Additionally, flexibility measures in financial regulations, such as the banks’ liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) and the res
The Korean business community has been strongly opposing the Yellow Envelope Bill (an amendment to Article 2-3 of the Trade Union Act), saying it will disrupt Korea’s labor relations and industrial ecosystems. But the majority Democratic Party passed the bill in a plenary session of the National Ass
This summer, the country has seen an unusually high number of landslides due to concentrated heavy rainfalls. In 2023, the nationwide damage from landslides amounted to 2,410 cases with 458 hectares of land lost, resulting in 15 fatalities. Business Korea had a detailed conversation with Choi Byeong
Seven Korean companies, including LG Electronics, Lotte Chemical and Samsung Fire & Marine, have joined RE100 this year, bringing the total number of Korean companies to 34, according to the U.K.-based Climactic Group on Nov. 3.This means that Korea has the fourth-most number of companies after the
Over the past month, it has been observed that 92 percent of the top 50 stocks with high short-selling turnover experienced declines in their share prices. This percentage is notably higher than the 84 percent of declining stocks in the overall Korean stock market, including the KOSPI and KOSDAQ. Th
Habitat for Humanity addressed the crisis of affordable and inclusive housing in Asia and the Pacific and urged stakeholders to take sustainable approaches for adequate housing in informal settlements, at a press conference hosted by the global non-profit housing organization today. Habitat also hig
As the global energy market is rapidly changing, South Korea, the world’s third-largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after Japan and China, is also closely monitoring the situation.According to the Korea Customs Service on Sept. 3, South Korea’s cumulative LNG import volume and import val