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
Despite a sluggish construction industry, corporate sentiment in the economy has rebounded slightly for the first time in three months, attributed to the recovery in semiconductor exports.According to the survey results of the Business Survey Index (BSI) and Economic Sentiment Index (ESI) for March
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
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have both reached new record highs simultaneously. Samsung Electronics share price has recovered to 80,000 won (US$60) in approximately two years and three months, while SK hynix’s market capitalization approaches 130 trillion won. Expectations are rising for Samsung
Last year, the amount spent in Korea through mobile devices such as smartphones and smartwatches exceeded that spent through physical cards for the first time. Thanks to the expansion of mobile payments, the average daily card usage surpassed 3 trillion won (approximately US$2.23 billion).According
HD Hyundai Construction Equipment recently announced on March 20 that it has signed a contract for the supply of 60 construction machines, including 6 units of 34-ton large excavators and 36 units of 22-ton medium excavators in Sudan.Despite a nearly half decrease in excavator sales in the African m
While domestic demand including consumption continues to remain weak, exports, which have been driving up Korea’s economic recovery, are also facing a threat on the account of a slump in exports to China. Exports to China grew by more than 16 percent in January this year, snapping a 19-month streak
As the Bank of Japan (BOJ) has embarked on its first interest rate hike in 17 years, it is anticipated that the strengthening of the yen due to the lifting of Japan’s negative interest rates could have a positive impact on domestic exports such as semiconductors, automobiles, and shipbuilding. Howev
The combined operating profit of the top 10 companies by market capitalization in the South Korean stock market falls short of those of leading Japanese company Toyota and top Taiwanese company TSMC.To address the “Korea discount,” which refers to the undervaluation of South Korean stocks, it is poi
For the fourth consecutive month, semiconductor exports have shown double-digit growth rates, leading the charge in exports. With increases in exports across various components such as displays and computer/peripheral devices, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector as a whole is s
The value of overseas construction orders to Korean contractors exceeded US$30 billion for the fourth year in a row in 2023. Korean builders’ target for 2024 is US$40 billion. They have been looking for opportunities in overseas markets as the Korean real estate market has been slumping for a long t
The United States targeting Chinese-made goods as part of its supply chain localization and trade war strategies is expected to affect China’s shipbuilding industry after the Chinese semiconductor industry.According to the Financial Times (FT) and other foreign media outlets, U.S. President Joe Bide
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
After a period of downturn due to economic slowdown and weak demand for IT devices, the display industry is on the verge of a significant rebound. The surge in demand for Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED)-based displays for laptops and tablets, driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, is a
The Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced on March 10 that they held the Korea-UAE Future Technology Partnership Plaza in Dubai of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for two days from March 6 to 8.The event was held to sho
The Korean government has set a higher plant order intake target for this year than 2023 and will provide intensive support to help Korean plant builders attain the goal. This is because the global plant market is expected to grow and Korean companies’ order-taking competitiveness has been strengthe
Following last year’s memory semiconductor downturn, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are aggressively increasing their focus on DRAM through the expansion of advanced processing. This move is anticipated due to the expected rise in orders for High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and Double Data Rate 5 (DDR5
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
The legal risks facing the former President of POSCO, Jang In-hwa, who has been nominated as the next chairman of the POSCO Group, are growing, sparking controversy.According to industry sources, on Feb. 19, the People’s Livelihood Countermeasure Committee filed a complaint against former President
South Korea’s exports to China are expected to surge in 2024 due to a recovery of the IT market in China. However, South Korea is unlikely to record a large trade balance surplus as in the past due to an increase in imports of Chinese batteries and the declining competitiveness of Korean products.“I