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
After years of double-digit growth, the global electric vehicle market is entering a chasm, considered to be a slowdown in demand just before mass adoption. Global automakers that have been aggressively investing to expand their electric vehicle lineups are scrambling for survival by making use of a
SK Group has embarked on a significant business restructuring, focusing on the future expansion of new businesses in fields like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and carbon neutrality.According to industry sources on April 17, SK networks plans to use the proceeds from the sale of SK Rent-a-
After a failed sale left HMM without a new owner, the company has decided to significantly expand its fleet by 2030. This strategy aims to address the global economic slowdown, restructuring of shipping alliances, and tightening environmental regulations by increasing its size and strengthening busi
Kia has lowered its sales target for China by more than half in a year.At its 2024 CEO Investor Day on April 5, Kia maintained its global sales target for 2030 at 4.3 million units, the same as last year.However, the Korean carmaker has cut its China sales target by more than half (230,000 units) fr
Recent opinion polls suggest that former President Donald Trump is leading in the race in swing states among potential candidates for the upcoming November U.S. presidential election, raising concerns about trade pressure from the United States. During his tenure, former President Trump considered t
Lotte Group has revealed its determination to achieve operational efficiency through selection and concentration and to enhance corporate value by restructuring its business structure.At the 57th regular shareholders’ meeting of Lotte Holdings held at Lotte World Tower in the Songpa district of Seou
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
Nexen Tire is consolidating its three European bases -- Czech Republic, Germany, and Italy -- into a single Czech corporation. This initiative aims to streamline business operations by centralizing dispersed bases within Europe. There is keen interest in whether Nexen Tire, which encountered setback
Big South Korean companies are exiting China one after another. Business uncertainties are being fueled by fiercer competition and declining profitability in the Chinese market coupled with the U.S. government’s checks on China and policy changes by Chinese government authorities.Lotte Chemical sold
LG Chem, Korea’s largest petrochemical company, will shut down its styrene monomer (SM) plant at the end of March. SM is widely used in the manufacture of various petrochemical products. The company is also reportedly considering abandoning production of ethylene oxide (EO) and ethylene glycol (EG),
The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) announced on March 7 that it has inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United States Department of Energy (DOE) for cooperation in the fields of supply chain and eco-friendly energy.Yoon Hee-sung, the president of the Korea Eximbank, sign
The former chief technology officer (CTO) of Kakao Bank, who sparked controversy by exercising stock options worth some 7 billion won (US$5.25 million) immediately after Kakao Bank’s listing, has been nominated as the new CTO of Kakao.According to the IT industry on March 4, it has been reported tha
The government has come up with a detailed blueprint at the inter-ministerial level, encompassing export targets for key items such as semiconductors, automobiles, and plants, to achieve this year’s export goal of US$700 billion. It includes the largest-ever support measures to accelerate progress,
The legal battle between the sons of the founder of Hanmi Pharmaceutical -- Lim Jong-yoon and Lim Jong-hoon -- and the OCI Group has intensified. OCI Group holds a significant stake in Hanmi Science, the parent company of Hanmi Pharmaceutical Group. The legal battle remains on the question of integr
The government plans to accelerate the expansion of K-food exports. It aims to achieve exports of US$13.5 billion this year and has set a target of US$23 billion by 2027.On Feb. 20, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced the “K-Food+ Export Innovation Strategy” to nurture K-fo
Korean forklifts set a new export record last year, benefiting from the increased demand for factory expansions in North America due to supply chain restructuring.According to the Customs Service’s export and import trade statistics on Feb. 14, Korea exported forklifts (forklift trucks and industria
Cho Dong-chul, the president of Korea Development Institute (KDI), publicly issued a stark warning on government debt, going so far as to state, “The country will collapse.” In particular, he cautioned that South Korea’s national debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio could skyrocket to over 250
Japan’s Sony Group has surpassed Samsung Electronics in operating profit for the first time in 24 years. Just 14 years ago, the combined operating profit of nine major Japanese electronics companies did not even reach half of Samsung Electronics’. With Sony’s strong performance last year, however, i
The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) has announced plans to achieve a US$700 billion export target this year. To attain this goal, the ministry will tailor export strategies per market by dividing them into key, strategic and emerging categories such as the United States, China, the E