The ongoing armed conflict between Israel and the armed Palestinian faction, Hamas, has sent shock waves through the Middle East. Accordingly, major South Korean companies like Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor, which have a significant presence in the area, are closely monitoring the situation.
South Korea has seen a surge in the import of cost-effective Chinese-made Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries. This trend is primarily due to the aggressive pricing strategy of Tesla, the world’s leading electric car manufacturer that uses LFPs, steering the electric car market towards a price-ce
Google and Apple have been hit with a corrective order and a potential maximum fine of 680 billion won by the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) for forcing app developers into in-app payment systems, an act described as 'overbearing.'The KCC announced its intentions based on the results of a fac
Korea’s shipbuilding industry lost ground to its rival, the Chinese shipbuilding industry, in September.According to Clarkson Research, a U.K.-based shipbuilding and shipping market analyst, global ship orders totaled 1.86 million CGT (71 ships) in September of 2023, down 59 percent from the same mo
Korea’s foreign exchange reserves fell for the second consecutive month in September as the U.S. dollar continued to strengthen.Korea’s foreign exchange reserves stood at US$414.1 billion at the end of September, down by US$4.18 billion from US$418.3 billion at the end of August, according to foreig
Tesla’s Model Y, a five-seat midsize electric sport utility vehicle (SUV), was the top-selling imported vehicle in Korea in September. Purchases of the model swelled as it was loaded with Chinese-made lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries which helped lower its retail price, analysts say.According
The U.S. Department of Commerce has imposed countervailing duties on Hyundai Steel and Dongkuk Steel, alleging that Korea’s cheap electricity rates are effectively subsidizing the Korean steel industry. This is the first time the U.S. government has slapped tariffs due to cheap electric power in a f
Amid a decline in overseas real estate prices, funds that invested in offices in the United States and Europe are facing potential losses. It has been estimated that over 1 trillion won was invested in mutual funds that were sold since 2018. The number of investors who have invested in these funds e
South Korean government bond yields have been on a soaring trajectory, surging by nearly 0.5 percentage points in just the past month, and are now heading towards the 5 percent range.According to the Economic Statistics System of the Bank of Korea (BOK) on Oct. 5, the yield on 10-year government bon
EV Parking Service (EVPS) announced on Oct. 5 that they have recently signed a letter of intent with the Cabazon Band of Cahuilla Indians Government in the U.S. and plan to break ground on two electric vehicle charging station assembly factories with a combined annual production capacity of 200,000
Korea’s industrial production, which had shrunken due to a slump in the semiconductor industry, made a comeback as semiconductor production rebounded.According to Statistics Korea on Oct. 4, the nation’s semiconductor production surged 13.4 percent month on month in August, the largest increase in f
Samsung Electronics, which has begun substantial cutbacks in its NAND flash division in the latter half of this year, is reportedly planning a double-digit price increase as early as this month. All eyes are on how the pricing move by Samsung, a dominant player in the market, will affect other compe
CJ Olive Young, which faces allegations of forcing suppliers into exclusive product deliveries by the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), may be subject to fines exceeding 500 billion won according to recent media reports.On Oct. 4, a domestic news outlet reported that the FTC, which has been investigating
Yuhan Pharmaceuticals’ lung cancer drug Leclaza has demonstrated enhanced efficacy when combined with Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) lung cancer treatment. Detailed data is set to be presented at a global conference on Oct. 23, heightening market anticipation.According to industry sources on Oct. 4, Yuha
In a move seen as a counter to Apple’s upcoming pre-sale of the iPhone 15 series in South Korea on Oct. 6, Samsung Electronics has unveiled its Galaxy Fan Edition (FE) series after a two-year hiatus.On Oct. 4, Samsung Electronics announced the launch of its new Galaxy FE lineup comprising Galaxy S23
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at kyuha.lee@nhqv.com -- Ed.Meta Platforms has unveiled its new XR product, the Meta Quest 3. Although hardware and software improvements have been made, the device remains reasonably priced. Sales are expected to be strong.M
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at kyuha.lee@nhqv.com -- Ed.While global smartphone sales continued to slide y-y in August, the Chinese market achieved y-y growth for the first time since Mar 2021. We expect market conditions to continue improving after Sep
As the global energy market is rapidly changing, South Korea, the world’s third-largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after Japan and China, is also closely monitoring the situation.According to the Korea Customs Service on Sept. 3, South Korea’s cumulative LNG import volume and import val
Three out of every 10 imported sport utility vehicles (SUVs) sold in the first half of 2023 were high-priced cars worth more than 100 million won.A total of 28,005 imported SUVs costing more than 100 million won were sold in Korea from January to August this year, up 15.9 percent from 24,156 units i
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) is expected to be the first company to win a second batch of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier orders for its LNG project from Qatar Energy, the state-run energy company of Qatar, beating out Chinese shipbuilders. The contract alone is worth US$3.9 billion for 17