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
Align Partners, which conducted an activist campaign against JB Financial Group, has succeeded in placing two directors on the board. This marks the first instance of a shareholder-proposed director being included in a South Korean financial company.At the 11th regular shareholders’ meeting of JB Fi
SK Innovation announced at its shareholder meeting held on March 28 that it will reassess numerous businesses it has aggressively pursued so far. The company expressed its intention to focus on select ventures and concentrate its efforts.According to industry sources on March 28, SK has been conduct
Kwak Noh-jeong, president and CEO of SK hynix, announced on March 27 that the order volume for High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) will remain “tight” until next year, adding that “this year, the proportion of HBM in the total DRAM sales volume will rise to a double digit percentage, which will help profita
LG Group has decided to invest approximately 100 trillion won domestically over the next five years. This figure represents a slight decrease from previous investments, with half of it allocated for artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, and batteries.On March 27, LG Corporation, the holding c
Last year, insurance companies recorded a net profit exceeding 13 trillion won (US$9.68 billion), marking a record high performance in history.According to the “2023 Insurance Company Management Performance” report released by the Financial Supervisory Service on March 26, the combined net profit of
The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) announced on March 25 that it would initiate a concentrated investigation into what are colloquially referred to as “zombie companies.” These are businesses considered financially distressed, resorting to tactics such as capital increases through disguised pay
For the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) is preparing to establish its first overseas office in Poland, marking its initial foray into the country. The recent amendment to the Export-Import Bank of Korea Act has created the opportu
As the United States steps up its checks on China’s semiconductor industry, China has launched a countermeasure. The Financial Times (FT) reported on March 24 (local time) that the Chinese government is advancing its efforts to replace foreign technology with domestic alternatives. According to guid
Ssangyong Engineering & Construction (Ssangyong E&C) announced on March 25 that it has simultaneously secured contracts for two luxury residence projects, “Creek Waters,” in the Dubai Creek Harbour area. Creek Waters 1 and 2, set to be located in the new residential hub of Creek Harbour in Dubai, wi
AIA Group Limited has published its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report 2023, "Sustaining Healthier, Longer, Better Lives." The report highlights the strong progress of AIA's five-pillar ESG Strategy.Among the significant achievements in 2023 AIA published its first Climate Transition
Align Partners Capital Management has raised the issue of overseas shareholders not being able to properly use a cumulative voting system ahead of JB Financial Group’s general shareholders meeting scheduled for March 28.“We have confirmed a number of cases where overseas shareholders have been unabl
The Carlyle Group, a global private equity fund management firm, is stepping in as a facilitator for the overseas mergers and acquisitions (M&A) of domestically prominent defense companies with a stature that is growing worldwide.According to industry and investment banking (IB) sources on March 24,
According to sources from the battery and investment banking (IB) industries on March 24, it has been confirmed that SK on is in the final stages of securing US$1.1 billion in funding.Firstly, SK on secured a US$400 million loan through Shinhan Bank last month, which was then transferred to its U.S.
The CEO of Osstem Implant allegedly made approximately 150 million won (US$111,431) in short-term trading profits by utilizing important undisclosed information before the company’s delisting.According to Osstem Implant’s business report for last year released on March 22, the company was informed o
KEB Hana Bank is achieving robust performance through equity investments in Vietnam and China. Instead of securing local corporate licenses, the bank’s decision to opt for minority stake acquisitions has proven successful. KEB Hana Bank is further expanding its collaborations with invested banks to
The 17-year trend of Japan’s persistent negative interest rates has come to an end, yet the market’s response remains tepid. This is attributed to assessments indicating difficulty in perceiving a full-fledged tightening. However, there are prospects suggesting that the yen may strengthen from the s
Taiwan’s stock market has reached an all-time high, propelled by the surge in Taiwanese technology stocks, including TSMC, amid the global semiconductor boom. The narrowing gap in market capitalization with the domestic stock market has narrowed to approximately US$4 billion.According to the Taiwan
FILA Holdings reaffirmed its commitment to responsible management and shareholder returns by publicly disclosing on March 20 that it will retire its existing treasury stocks and buy back up to 50 billion won worth of shares this year.The treasury stock retirement and share buyback plan aligns with t
The trade conflict between the U.S. and China has spilled over into the shipbuilding industry and Korean shipbuilders that compete with China for the No. 1 spot in the global shipbuilding market are expected to benefit from this situation.According to industry sources, the U.S. Trade Representative