The upcoming introduction of Alibaba Group’s B2B shopping platform “1688.com” to the domestic market has raised concerns within the domestic e-commerce industry. The sector is already grappling with the competitive pricing strategies of Chinese direct procurement platforms such as AliExpress and Tem
The defense affiliates of Hanwha Group, including Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems, and Hanwha Ocean, will be participating in the World Defense Show 2024 (WDS 2024), held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 4th to 8th Feb. With geopolitical crises increasing security demands in key Middle East regions, Ha
Hahn & Company, South Korea’s largest private equity firm, announced today that it has acquired 100% of the SK Group’s semiconductor fine ceramics business for US$270 million (KRW360 billion). Under Hahn & Co.’s ownership, the company will operate under a new name, Solmics.Solmics produces high-puri
U.S.-based Aptiv, Hyundai Motor Group’s partner in autonomous driving technology development, will stop funding for its joint venture with the Korean automaker Motional. After six years of preparations, the company’s commercialization of unmanned autonomous taxis (robotaxis) has been delayed and its
South Korea’s exports posted double-digit growth in January, led by a recovery in semiconductor exports.Korea’s exports totaled US$54.69 billion in January, while Korea’s imports totaled US$54.39 billion, according to the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE).Exports increased 18 per
ASML Korea’s President, Lee Woo-kyung, disclosed before attending the SEMICON Korea 2024 Industry Leadership Dinner held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in the Gangnam district of Seoul, on the last day of January, “We are looking at the year 2027 to bring in the High-Numerical Aperture (
Airport Railroad has launched pre-online transportation card sales from February 1st to inhance the transfer convenience for Express train passengers at Seoul Station.Passengers using the Express train faced a lengthy and complex transfer process as they had to exit the gate at Seoul Station with th
The ruling People Power Party has decided to prioritize the passage of an amendment to the Korea Export-Import Bank Act in a February extraordinary session of the Korean National Assembly in order to secure a second contract worth 30 trillion won for arms exports to Poland.According to sources in th
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
Hanwha Ocean and Hanwha Aerospace presented their state-of-the-art defense technologies to Dr. David Perry, President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI), who visited Hanwha facilities from January 23-24. The CGAI is recognized as Canada’s leading source of expertise on global affairs an
In 2023, South Korean and Japanese tourists took first place in the rankings of the numbers of foreign tourists to Japan and South Korea. This is attributed to an improvement in bilateral relations following a South Korea-Japan summit, the Korean Wave, and weaker Japanese yen effects.The Korea Touri
Kia Corp.’s market capitalization has outstripped Hyundai Motor’s. The automaker’s record-breaking earnings and strong shareholder return policy paid off handsomely, stock market experts say. Some of them believe that there is a remaining upside as the price-to-earnings ratio (PBR) is still below 1x
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) has set a target of US$700 billion for South Korea’s exports next year, with a plan to attract US$35 billion in foreign direct investment in Korea and US$150 trillion in private investment.MOTIE Minister Ahn Duk-geun said in a briefing at the Sejong
Korean Air has received approval for its merger with Asiana Airlines from Japan’s competition regulator, facing the final hurdle in its quest to become Korea’s megacarrier.The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC), Japan’s competition authority, approved the merger of Korean Air and Asiana on Jan. 31.T
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at bk@nhqv.com -- Ed.The two terms that defined last year’s stock market were ‘new cold war’ and ‘supply chain reshaping’. In 2024, decoupling between DMs and EMs is to become a new market-defining feature. Today, the US’s bu
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea announced on Jan. 29 that it will start accepting applications from Jan. 30 for this year’s K-City Network Global Collaboration Project. This initiative aims to establish a smart city cooperation network with foreign nations and suppo
South Korean trading firm SK Networks is joining hands with the Bow Capital, the U.S.-based venture capital firm, to pursue a transformation into an investment company focused on the artificial intelligence (AI) sector.SK Networks announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the
ONDA, a South Korean hospitality technology startup, has formed a significant partnership to provide its booking management solutions to a premier hospitality company in South Korea.ONDA announced it has entered into a technology agreement with Josun Hotels & Resorts to develop the Central Reservati
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. She can be reached at hpark@shinhan.com -- Ed.4Q23 OP falls short due to inventory adjustments at distributorsAmorepacific posted consolidated operating profit of KRW20.7bn (-64% YoY) on sales of KRW926bn (-15% YoY) for 4Q23, missing our estimate (KRW
Alibaba’s international service, AliExpress, has been attracting Korean brands with a ‘zero commission’ policy, potentially disrupting the domestic e-commerce market dominated by Coupang and Naver Shopping.According to the retail industry on Jan. 30, AliExpress is waiving commission fees for Korean