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
Twenty years ago, the wage level of workers in South Korea was not even half of that in Japan, but now it has surpassed Japan. The wage gap between large, medium, and small-sized enterprises has further widened due to the cumulative wage increases in large companies.On March 17, the Korea Enterprise
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
After the Korean government has announced a strategy to secure 33 key minerals used in high-tech industries, including lithium and graphite, by reducing its dependence on China to 50 percent by 2030, Korea’s dependence on China for some key items began to shrink in 2023.Korea’s lithium hydroxide imp
Coupang announced on March 11 that it has expanded its “Rocket Direct Purchase” service to Japan. The company has been expanding its direct purchase regions, starting from the United States in 2017, followed by China in 2021 and Hong Kong in 2022.Coupang’s decision to add Japan to its Rocket Direct
The number of subscribers to employment insurance increased compared to the same period last year, but the growth was primarily driven by an increase in foreign nationals. As a result of population decline, subscribers in their 20s and 40s have been decreasing for 17 and 4 consecutive months, respec
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) intends to initiate an investigation into Temu and Shein, following its inquiry into AliExpress, the leading online shopping platform in China, regarding potential consumer harm.This comes as the indiscriminate onslaught of Chinese online shopping malls, levera
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
It has been revealed that the hourly wages of domestic helpers in South Korea are more than four times higher than in neighboring countries such as Hong Kong and Taiwan. In an effort to alleviate the burden of caregiving services, which is considered one of the causes of low birth rates, the Bank of
Last year, South Korea’s gross national income (GNI) per capita reached US$33,000, marking a rebound for the first time in a year. The annual real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate was recorded at 1.4 percent.According to the “2023 Preliminary 4th Quarter and Annual National Income” report re
Last quarter, the global semiconductor industry witnessed a nearly 30% increase in DRAM revenue compared to the previous quarter. According to TrendForce, a market research firm based in Taiwan, on March 5, global DRAM revenue reached US$17.46 billion in the fourth quarter, marking a 29.6% growth fr
The Hyundai IONIQ 6 was ranked most fuel efficient among 2024 models selling in the U.S. market.The IONIQ 6 Long Range Rear Wheel Drive model with 18-inch wheels was honored as the most fuel-efficient vehicle with a combined fuel efficiency of 140 MPGe, according to Fuel Economy, a fuel-saving infor
Only 14 percent of South Koreans work in large companies, versus 58 percent of Americans.Koh Young-sun, a senior research fellow at the Korea Development Institute (KDI), presented this statistic in a report titled “A Need for More Large-Company Jobs” released on Feb. 27, emphasizing the need to exp
South Korea’s exports in February of this year increased by 4.8 percent compared to the previous year, continuing the trend of “export growth” for the fifth consecutive month. Particularly noteworthy is the semiconductor exports, which recorded the highest growth rate in six years and four months. A
For four consecutive years, South Korea has maintained its position as the top country among 34 advanced and emerging markets worldwide in terms of household debt relative to gross domestic product (GDP). As of the end of last year, the ratio stood at 100.1 percent, slightly lower than the previous
The trend of improved terms of trade in South Korea has continued for the eighth consecutive month. This is attributed to the slowdown in the decline of export prices, which has resulted in import prices decreasing more significantly than export prices.Exports of semiconductors, the largest export i
Samsung Electronics has thrown a decisive move to overturn the market dynamics of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), a key component of Artificial Intelligence semiconductors, by being the first in the industry to mass-produce the 5th generation HBM, known as “HBM3E” with 12 layers, in the first half of t
Kolmar Korea has discovered the world’s first microbiome (in-human microbiome) that suppresses skin aging caused by ultraviolet exposure. In addition, the related research findings were published in international SCI-level journals, and its research achievements were recognized worldwide.Kolmar Kore
The Monetary Policy Board of the Bank of Korea (BOK) has decided to maintain the key interest rate at the existing level of 3.50 percent. Despite the domestic inflation rate falling to the 2 percent range, it is deemed difficult to consider it as having reached a stable level, especially considering
South Korea’s exports to China are expected to surge in 2024 due to a recovery of the IT market in China. However, South Korea is unlikely to record a large trade balance surplus as in the past due to an increase in imports of Chinese batteries and the declining competitiveness of Korean products.“I