The National Tax Service (NTS) announced on Dec. 28 that it has collected 1.35 trillion won (US$1.05 billion) in tax assessments in the area of overseas tax evasion alone through tax investigations conducted this year. The figure exceeds the average annual collection for the three years before the C
Last month witnessed a turnaround in domestic production and consumption with an increase, while investments declined for the second consecutive month.According to the “Industrial Activity Trends for November 2023” report released by Statistics Korea on Dec. 28, overall industrial production, exclud
South Korea’s exports will fall by 10% if the world’s major economies split into two groups and strengthen trade barriers against each other, according to a report. However, if Korea promotes export diversification, it will be able to significantly reduce adverse effects.According to the Bank of Kor
The South Korean automotive industry has experienced a year of contrasts in 2023. In the first 11 months, the sector achieved its highest ever performance, but the fortunes of individual companies have varied significantly. Hyundai, Kia, and GM Korea continued to grow, leveraging their leading model
The United States is expanding its regulatory front to include Chinese-made general-purpose semiconductors, a development that is expected to benefit domestic memory semiconductor companies like Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. It is anticipated that the focus on NAND flash, where the technological
Indiscriminate attacks by Yemen’s Islamist Houthi rebels have forced major shipping companies to divert their routes around the Cape of Good Hope off the southern tip of Africa instead of the Suez Canal in the Red Sea, costing them up to US$1.5 million to US$2 million more in fuel costs per ship, ac
Taihan Cable & Solution announced on Dec. 26 that it has secured an order for a 380 kilovolt (kV) high-voltage power grid project from Germany’s TenneT. The contract is valued at 60 billion won (US$46.28 million).The project involves the construction of a 380 kV underground cable network to expand t
Inception Lab,Artificial Intelligence Computer Diagnosis Research Lab in Korea, will receive an innovation award at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, USA, scheduled for January next year.The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the organizer of CES, evaluates and awards innovation prizes to outstanding produ
Leading defense industry companies in South Korea, including Hanwha Aerospace, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), LIG Nex1, Hyundai Rotem, and Hanwha Ocean, have hit “contract jackpots” in countries like Poland and Australia, marking a significant shift for South Korea from a defense equipment import
According to the International Contractors Association of Korea (ICAK) on Dec. 25, the total value of construction contracts in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has reached US$8.38 billion from the beginning of the year to the end of November this year, mar
South Korea’s growing imports of secondary battery materials and intermediate goods from China were blamed for South Korea’s trade balance with China which is expected to post its first deficit in 31 years.According to the Bank of Korea (BOK) on Dec. 20, South Korea’s trade balance with China posted
Following the spread of COVID-19, North Korea’s real gross domestic product (GDP) has experienced three consecutive years of negative growth, leading to a widening income gap of up to 30 times per capita between North and South Korea. Last year, North Korea’s population was approximately half the si
Germany’s abrupt suspension of subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs) sold in the country is puzzling South Korea’s auto industry, which exports electric vehicles to the region. This along with France’s plan to reorganize its EV subsidies to measure carbon emissions and provide differential subsidies
Foreign currency deposits held by residents of South Korea have increased for the second consecutive month. The prolonged trend of a historically low value yen has led to a growing number of investors seeking to purchase yen at a favorable rate. Additionally, the increase in export earnings deposite
Hyundai Motor plans to sell its Russian plant, which has been idle for nearly two years, to a local company for a mere 140,000 won (US$107.12). However, the contract includes a “buyback” clause, allowing Hyundai to repurchase the facility within the next two years, in anticipation of the possibility
Coupang is making a significant entry into the 500-trillion-won luxury market by acquiring Farfetch, the world’s largest luxury platform. Farfetch boasts a collection of 1,400 luxury brands, including Chanel and Hermes, catering to global consumers in 190 countries such as the United States and the
A South Korean company’s overseas gas field project, which had been suspended for nearly a year due to local opposition, has dramatically resumed thanks to intergovernmental cooperation.The Australian Maritime Safety Authority approved an environmental license for SK E&S to drill an offshore gas fie
Hanwha Aerospace has delivered an additional six K9 self-propelled howitzers to Estonia, adding to the 24 already in operation there. By 2026, when the remaining six units are delivered, Estonia will have a total of 36 K9 howitzers in operation.According to the defense industry on Dec. 18, the Eston
China’s DRAM semiconductor company, ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), has hinted at the development of the next-generation semiconductor process technology, Gate-All-Around (GAA), attracting attention in the industry.According to industry sources on Dec. 14, CXMT recently announced at the 69th In
Information and communication technology (ICT) and automobiles are leading Korean exports. ICT exports emerged from a 17-month recessionary tunnel on the coattail of memory semiconductors. Automobiles are close to surpassing US$70 billion in annual exports for the first time ever.According to the Mi