The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jaemin.ahn@nhqv.com -- Ed.With the launch of Crimson Desert having been postponed to 2025, operating losses appear inevitable for Pearl Abyss in 2024. However, as Crimson Desert is an AAA-grade new game targeting the globa
HMM has said that the shipping company will respond to a slump in the shipping industry by using super-large ships and boosting sales efficiency, but external variables are expected to impede the sale of the company.According to a 2024 maritime and fisheries outlook report released on Feb. 15, the K
The Korea Development Institute (KDI) has maintained its economic growth forecast for South Korea at 2.2 percent for this year. However, it has slightly lowered its forecast for private consumption, citing prolonged high interest rates as a contributing factor.According to the “Economic Outlook” rel
The number of employment insurance holders rebounded for the first time in seven months in January. However, one third or more of the increase was among foreign workers.The figure also shrank in the manufacturing industry with the exclusion of foreigners. It had been on the wane for four months sinc
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
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has raised its global economic growth forecast for this year, but lowered its economic growth forecast for South Korea. While the organization said that global trade markets such as markets of semiconductors and information technology
The South Korean battery industry, on the brink of achieving an annual export milestone of US$10 billion, has seen a slowdown in its growth momentum. This deceleration is attributed to a reduction in battery demand due to a slowdown in electric vehicle (EV) demand, along with the relocation of produ
The government plans to allocate 910 billion won (US$679.87 million) to a seed fund, intending to establish a 1.7 trillion won venture capital. Notably, the government’s investment is scheduled to be executed entirely within the first quarter, providing a ray of hope for the cash-strapped venture in
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
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
Samsung Electronics has emerged as the leading investor in semiconductor capital expenditures (CAPEX) globally over the past ten years.Andrea Lati, a researcher at TechInsights, announced during a press briefing at SEMICON Korea 2024 on Jan. 31 that “the semiconductor market will exhibit a robust gr
Samsung Electronics has forecasted a return to profit for its memory business in the first quarter. The company is confident in the continuous recovery of the memory industry, driven by the growth of the artificial intelligence (AI) market. Consequently, Samsung Electronics plans to significantly in
Lithium-for-earth and Hydro Lithium announced on Jan. 31 that two technologies invented by Dr. Jun Woong -- Lithium Extraction from Saline and Other Sources (CULX), and Environmentally Friendly Lithium Hydroxide Production Using Water (CULH) -- have recently been granted patent registrations in mult
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
In 2023, Chinese smartphone manufacturers continued to expand their adoption of OLED technology, increasingly sourcing their required volumes from domestic display panel companies. This shift has led to Chinese display manufacturers breaking through a 40 percent market share.According to market rese
As international oil prices and refining margins both experienced a simultaneous decline in the fourth quarter of last year, the oil industry’s performance was once again placed in a state of emergency.In the worst-case scenario, four major oil companies -- SK Energy, GS Caltex, S-Oil, and HD Hyunda
Experts are anticipating that the economic growth rate for South Korea will reach 2.2 percent this year. This aligns with the forecasts presented by the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), both indicating a 2.2 percent growth. It slightly surpasses the Bank of Korea’s projection of
South Korea’s economy continued to grow slowly throughout the year of 2023 with an annualized growth rate in the low 1 percent range. Exports are expecting it to continue to improve, but a strong rebound is unlikely this year as domestic demand remains weak.The Bank of Korea (BOK) released prelimina
SK hynix announced on Jan. 25 that it plans to more than double the production capacity of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) this year compared to the previous year. This move is part of the company’s strategy to capture the new demand from artificial intelligence (AI) applications.This shows the confiden
SK hynix Inc. announced today that it recorded an operating profit of 346 billion won (US$259 million) in the fourth quarter of last year amid a recovery of the memory chip market, marking the first quarter of profit following four straight quarters of losses.The company posted revenues of 11.31 tri