Thanks to the booming export of Hallyu content such as dramas, movies, and webtoons, South Korea’s trade balance in intellectual property rights achieved its largest annual surplus in history last year.According to statistics released by the Bank of Korea (BOK) on March 20, the provisional trade bal
In February, automobile exports, production, and domestic sales declined from the same month of 2023 and the previous month of January.The descent was attributable to a slowdown in the growth of electric vehicle sales in both the Korean and overseas markets, as well as a drop in production and shipp
The online stock trading platform Webull, which is gaining popularity among global individual investors based on its commission-free policy, is entering the domestic securities market in Korea. Consequently, there are concerns that individual investors who currently invest in the U.S. stock market t
As the Bank of Japan (BOJ) has embarked on its first interest rate hike in 17 years, it is anticipated that the strengthening of the yen due to the lifting of Japan’s negative interest rates could have a positive impact on domestic exports such as semiconductors, automobiles, and shipbuilding. Howev
Patent applications originating from the Republic of Korea at the European Patent Office (EPO) grew by 21% last year, according to the EPO’s Patent Index 2023 published today. This was the highest growth rate among the 20 leading innovating countries, and more than five times the average growth at t
LG Electronics is expanding its content ecosystem beyond household appliances to mobility by installing its own OTT service, LG Channel, into Hyundai and Kia vehicles.According to the electronics industry on March 18, LG Electronics started the LG Channel service in Hyundai and Kia vehicles from Jan
India, the world’s third-largest automobile market, is expected to emerge as an electric vehicle battleground after the United States and Europe. This is because the Indian government, which has been sticking to high tariff barriers, has launched a drastic tariff reduction policy to attract global e
Kwak Hyung-chan, the manager of the Automotive Optics Team at Samsung Electro-Mechanics’ Optical Communication Solutions Division, discussed the competitive edge of Samsung Electro-Mechanics’ camera module business during a technology briefing held on March 14. He highlighted the company’s “independ
The U.S. Congress began to keep Hyundai and Kia in check as the two Korean automakers continue to enjoy the growth of their electric vehicle sales in the U.S. market. The U.S. Congress made a thing of their business strategy of discounting subsidized electric vehicles through a lease car exception u
The combined operating profit of the top 10 companies by market capitalization in the South Korean stock market falls short of those of leading Japanese company Toyota and top Taiwanese company TSMC.To address the “Korea discount,” which refers to the undervaluation of South Korean stocks, it is poi
Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) announced on March 14 that it will launch the country’s first airport online duty-free shops at Gimpo, Gimhae, and Jeju airports in Korea, following the selection of a new duty-free shop operator for Gimpo Airport on March 6.KAC completed the construction of a common
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
For the fourth consecutive month, semiconductor exports have shown double-digit growth rates, leading the charge in exports. With increases in exports across various components such as displays and computer/peripheral devices, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector as a whole is s
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),
Taiwan’s TSMC, the worldwide leader in the semiconductor foundry industry, has surpassed 60 percent of the market share, widening its gap between with second-ranked Samsung Electronics. In the fourth quarter (October-December) of 2023, the foundry market grew about 8 percent from the previous quarte
Samsung Group’s electronics affiliates are joining forces to expedite the commercialization of glass substrates, a material used in semiconductor packaging, by establishing a united front for joint research and development (R&D). This strategy aims to achieve commercialization faster than semiconduc
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have reportedly stopped selling their old semiconductor equipment to China. The move comes in response to the United States urging them to align with its controls on semiconductor exports to China.The Financial Times (FT) cited several industry insiders on March 12 s
South Korea’s current account remained in surplus for the ninth consecutive month thanks to strong semiconductor and automobile exports.According to provisional statistics on the balance of payments released by the Bank of Korea (BOK) on March 8, the nation’s current account surplus stood at US$3.05
LG Energy Solution announced on March 10 that it is collaborating with Qualcomm to develop advanced Battery Management System (BMS) diagnostic solutions for next-generation electric vehicles. Through this partnership, LG Energy Solution plans to develop a more sophisticated BMS solution by integrati
South Korea has narrowed its gap with the United States in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by 0.1 years. According to the “2022 ICT Level Survey and Technology Competitiveness Analysis Report” by the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluati