The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has decided to review the designation of dominant business entities, which is at the core of the Fair Competition Promotion Act (the Platform Act for short). This means that virtually, the Korean market watchdog will review the designation from scratch. Industr
Partnerships are on the uptick between North America’s No. 1 automaker General Motors (GM) and Korean companies. They started with electric vehicle batteries and are now expanding to battery materials and electronics and semiconductors.GM Chairwoman Mary Barra, who made her first visit to Korea on F
The domestic copper foil industry is strategically increasing investments in North America and Europe, aiming to gain a competitive advantage over China, which is launching a low-cost offensive in the medium to long term.As of Feb. 7, industry sources indicate that Lotte Advanced Materials plans to
The South Korean government has approved new projects worth 13.8 trillion won (US$11.5 billion) under the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) to be implemented by 2026, with 6.5 trillion won to be disbursed. Established in 1987, the EDCF is a fund for concessional loans aimed at supporting
Hyundai Glovis has secured four of the world’s largest pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs). They are expected to help alleviate a shortage of vessels for the Korean automobile industry.Hyundai Glovis announced on Feb. 6 that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korea Ocean Business Cor
Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon has been named as the chairman of the Korea-Japan Exchange Committee.The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) held the Inauguration Ceremony and First Meeting of the Korea-Japan Exchange Committee at the Grand Intercontinental Hotel in the Samseong neighb
Pernod Ricard Korea, the Korean affiliate of the Pernod Ricard Group, donated KRW 100 million in scholarships to 54 students of National Gugak Schools to develop the Gugak (traditional Korean music) culture and to foster Gugak talents.Minju Ji, HR & Corporate Affairs Director of Pernod Ricard Korea,
Despite a slowdown in the growth of electric vehicles, it was revealed that the usage of electric vehicle batteries increased by 38.6 percent last year compared a year earlier. Chinese companies CATL and BYD jointly secured the top two positions in the global market. The market share of South Korea’
Shinhan Financial Group announced on Feb. 7 that it has received the “Leadership A” rating in the CDP Climate Change category announced by the Korean Committee of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) on Feb. 6, making it the only domestic financial institution to achieve this distinction.CDP is a glo
Hyundai Engineering & Construction announced on Feb. 7 that it has been awarded the highest grade in the climate change response sector, “Leadership A,” by the Korean Committee of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a global sustainable management evaluation organization.Leadership A is a grade awa
The Korea Development Institute (KDI) recently evaluated the state of the South Korean economy, noting a recovery in exports but a slowdown in domestic consumption. This marks the third consecutive month that the KDI has assessed a “slowdown in domestic consumption.”On Feb. 7, the KDI assessed the e
Korea Development Bank (KDB) and Korea Ocean Business Corporation announced on Feb. 7 that negotiations on the sale of Korean container shipping company HMM have been held with a consortium of Harim Group’s Pan Ocean and JKL as a preferred bidder, but their meeting finally ended empty-handed.“During
Korea’s current account surplus reached US$35.5 billion in 2023. This was mainly because the volume of goods exports reaching a yearly high at the end of 2023.The current account surplus stood at US$7.41 billion in December, according to a December 2023 provisional balance of payments data released
U.S. General Motors (GM) Chairwoman Mary Barra will visit South Korea to meet with battery partners -- LG Energy Solutions and Samsung SDI -- on Feb. 7. Barra has made several unofficial visits to South Korea since taking office as chairwoman in 2016, but this is the first time she has officially co
A contract worth US$3.2 billion has been finalized to export the KM-SAM2 (Cheongung) ballistic missile system, also known as the Korean Patriot Missile, to Saudi Arabia.The Korean Ministry of National Defense announced on Feb. 6 (local time) a contract for the export of 10 M-SAM2 batteries signed be
Pernod Ricard Korea, the Korean affiliate of the wine and spirits company Pernod Ricard, has successfully completed “Drink More Water” employee challenge by releasing the challenge video on the official LinkedIn channel of Pernod Ricard.The employee challenge, as part of the responsible drinking cam
Korean carmakers and car importers are in a flurry of activity as the Korean Ministry of Environment laid out a plan on Feb. 6 to change subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs) in 2024. According to the revised plan, Hyundai and Kia will remain at the same level, while mid-sized Korean-based carmakers
Pulmuone's innovative plant-based protein product, 'Tofu Bar,' continues its rapid sales growth, captivating the taste of local consumers in Japan's top three major convenience stores.Pulmuone, a South Korean fresh food company, announced on the 7th that the sales of Tofu Bar, launched by its Japane
Samsung Heavy Industries has secured a second-phase project for liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers worth 4.6 trillion won (US$2.5 billion), following HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, marking another success for two of South Korea’s major shipbuilders in the Qatar LNG project.On Feb. 6, Samsung Heavy I
Samsung smartphones, once leading the market in the United States, have seen a significant drop in market share, facing a crisis as Galaxy sales plummet in one of the world’s largest markets.According to market research firm Counterpoint Research on Feb. 6, Samsung Electronics’ market share in the U