A panel discussion was held on June 15 to shed light on the problems of the merger between Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. (HHIC) and Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME).The meeting was organized by Min Hyung-bae and Lee Jung-moon, lawmakers of the Democratic Party, Seo Il-joon, a lawmake
LG Display is dominating the global automotive display panel market.The company took a 25.9 percent share of the global market for 10-inch or larger high-value vehicle displays in the first quarter of 2021, maintaining the top spot for 11 consecutive quarters, Omdia said on June 14.In particular, th
Soaring shipping rates are wreaking havoc on Korean exporters. Amid a worsening logistics crisis that began in the middle of 2020, the gap between one-year long-term freight rates and spot prices has widened to eight-fold.The Shanghai Container Freight Index (SCFI), a barometer of logistics costs, a
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jinmyung.choi@nhqv.com. -- Ed. We maintain a positive view towards the space industry. Ark Investment launched an ETF related to the space industry, and investor interest is expected to continue in Korea, as well. It is att
Apple posted 16.5 trillion won's in sales in Korea through Apple App Store in 2020. This was the first time Apple has disclosed Korean App Store sales.Citing a report by consulting firm Analysis Group on June 3, Apple announced that global App Store ecosystem sales reached US$643 billion in 2020
The author is an analyst of KB Securities. He can be reached at jeff.kim@kbfg.com. -- Ed. Global leader in OLED displays: Ranked first in TVs and automobiles, second in mobile phones— According to overseas media report (GSM Arena) on June 1, the expansion of applications for OLED is expected to acce
Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced on May 27 that it has been selected as the final supplier in the UPS Voltage Stabilizer Supply Project for Chernaboda Nuclear Power Plant of Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica (SNN) in Romania.KHNP and small and medium-sized Korean companies landed t
Hanwha Group has decided to receive up to 5 trillion won in financial support from Korea Development Bank (KDB) over the next five years for investment in eco-friendly energy such as solar energy and hydrogen.The group plans to use the funds for merger and acquisition (M&A) deals and research and de
Non-major South Korean shipbuilders are failing to improve their business conditions unlike the top three.At present, approximately 50,000 ships are estimated to be in operation worldwide and very large ships the top three are concentrating on make up less than 10 percent of the ships. It is Chinese
The Korea Enterprises Federation (KEF) has asked large companies with at least 500 employees not to raise their base pays. According to experts, this is because the income disparity between those working for large companies and the rest is already excessive.“The average monthly wage of the former is
The Seoul Metropolitan Council has passed an amendment to the ordinance on towing illegally parked shared e-scooters.Under the amended ordinance, which passed on May 6, a device left in a no-parking zone will be towed at the operator's expense of 40,000 won (US$36) if it is not collected within
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. She can be reached at jy.lee@nhqv.com. -- Ed. In 1Q21, Hotel Shilla enjoyed sharp profitability improvement, thanks to: 1) increased high-margin sales to small and medium-sized resellers; and 2) the closing of an IIA T1 DFS location. As of 2Q21
Bank IBK Indonesia, the Indonesian subsidiary of the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK), managed to turn a profit in the first quarter of this year, but it remains to be seen whether it will be able to increase profits going forward.The bank posted a profit of 1.2 billion won in the first quarter after
The Financial Services Commission has decided to designate Lucentblock, a fintech startup, as an innovative financial service under a financial regulatory sandbox. The commission made the decision in a regular meeting on April 14. Under a regulatory sandbox, financial service providers can test out
Korea BeRM Co., a company specializing in postbiotics, has been selected as a “Global IP Star Company” by Gangwon Province, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) and the Korea Invention Promotion Association.The Global IP (Intellectual Property) Star Enterprise Promotion Project is a joint
Lotte Chemical has become the first Korean petrochemical company to launch a project to develop carbon dioxide capture and utilization technology (CCU) using gas separation membranes. The move is aimed at responding to regulations on greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the cost of purchasing carbo
A transparent polyimide (PI) film product developed by Kolon Industries has been used for the world's first foldable laptop.Kolon Industries, a chemical and material affiliate of Kolon Group, announced on April 5 that its transparent PI film, dubbed "CPI Film," has been used as a cover window fo
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) aims to attain 10 trillion won in sales by 2030 to become the No. 1 aerospace company in Asia and the world’s 20th largest player in the world.KAI president Ahn Hyun-ho disclosed the vision at a news conference held at COEX in Seoul on April 2. To this end, KAI plans
Korea Asset Management Corp. (KAMCO) announced on April 1 that it has signed a new ship financing contract worth US$180 million with Pan Ocean.KAMCO will establish Korea Tonnage Newshipbuilding Funds 1 and 2, which will be used to support the construction of two 300,000-ton super-sized oil tankers.T
The authors are analysts of NH Investment & Securities. They can be reached at jy.lee@nhqv.com and mj27@nhqv.com, respectively. -- Ed. Backed by rising consumption in China, accelerating vaccination rates, and signs of a recovery in Korea-China relations, the China-focused business environment has b