In the third quarter (July-September) of this year, the Korean economy continued to grow thanks to a recovery in exports and consumption in the private sector. However, uncertainties surrounding outlooks on growth for the fourth quarter have increased with consumer and business sentiment deteriorati
There seems no end in sight in the growth of Korea’s trade deficit with China. This is due to a significant drop in Korea’s exports of high-tech products such as semiconductors and displays to China.Korea’s exports and imports from China reached US$91.6 billion and US$107.3 billion, respectively, in
Global brands from various sectors are taking notice of the Korean market. Leading luxury brands like Gucci and PRADA have hosted large-scale events in Korea, while imported car brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi are using Korea as a testbed for their products. This trend extends beyond jus
The KOSPI index has fluctuated amid consecutive adverse developments, returning to its January levels. Compared to the annual high of 2,667.07 on Aug. 1, it has declined by 13.7 percent.On Oct. 26, the KOSPI index closed at 2,299.08, marking a 2.17 percent decline, while the KOSDAQ index concluded a
SK Signet, the leading player in the U.S. electric vehicle fast-charging market, announced on October 18 that it had delivered its first 400kW fast charger V2 products with a scale of $4.2million to Revel Transit Inc, a specialized electric transportation company in the United States.Revel, which wa
“All-solid-state batteries are different from conventional batteries in terms of materials and process methods, which poses many challenges for battery makers,” said Samsung SDI Vice President Michael Son in a conference call on the morning of Oct. 26. “In the fourth quarter, we will start supplying
South Korea’s defense industry is projected to post robust results in the third quarter, with both sales and operating profits expected to increase compared to last year.According to industry sources on Oct. 26, as third-quarter results for domestic defense companies are to be announced by the end o
SK hynix said it does not agree with the merger of Japan’s Kioxia and U.S.-based Western Digital.SK hynix made the announcement during its third quarter earnings call on the morning of Oct. 26.SK hynix reportedly acquired a 15 percent stake in Kioxia Holdings in 2018 through BCPE Pangea Intermediate
SK hynix has already sold out all of its HBM3E, a memory chip for artificial intelligence (AI), that it plans to produce beginning from 2024.“We have sold off all the production volume of not only HBM3 but HBM3E in 2023,” an SK hynix official said in a conference call to announce its third-quarter e
SK Innovation is set to embark on a mangrove reforestation project in Fiji. The project aims to contribute to solving the pressing environmental challenges that are national crises in the region, such as rising sea levels caused by global warming.SK Innovation announced that it had signed a Memorand
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at kyuha.lee@nhqv.com -- Ed.Sales of the recently released smartphones of LGI’s main North American customer may prove slower than initially expected. In line, we lower our earnings forecasts and TP. However, considering both
Daewoo E&C announced on Oct. 25 that it is promoting its entry into the Eastern European nuclear power plant market in earnest.Demand for nuclear power generation has been growing again in Europe recently due to energy price uncertainties, increasing orders of nuclear power plants and related fields
The proportion of so-called “zombie companies” unable to cover interest costs with their operating profit has reached its highest level since 2009, standing at 42.3 percent last year. Due to the global economic slowdown and the impact of high interest rates, corporate underperformance persisted in t
On Oct. 24, Yoon Hee-sung, the president of the Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM), stated that he anticipates the scale of the second round of defense exports to Poland to be “slightly larger than 30 trillion won (US$22.26 billion).”During a parliamentary audit of the National Assembly’s Strategy
Chairman Kang Seok-hoon of Korea Development Bank has expressed his intention to not push for a forced sale in connection with the shipping company HMM. Regarding the merger of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, he mentioned the possibility of a low recovery of public funds and put pressure on the Asia
China’s move to control exports of graphite, a key raw material for secondary batteries, beginning from the end of the year has put the Korean battery industry on alert. The Korean industry is more than 90 percent dependent on China for graphite. This means that it is a real challenge for the indust
SK hynix has achieved a significantly higher stock price growth this year after successfully pioneering the development of high-performance semiconductors in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector, thereby overshadowing its competitor, Samsung Electronics, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 23.According to
In the intensifying battle of foundry services (semiconductor contract manufacturing), Taiwan’s TSMC has confidently affirmed its technological prowess.According to industry sources on Oct. 23, C.C. Wei, CEO of TSMC, responded with a firm “no” when asked during a recent conference call for the Q3 (J
A forecast suggests that South Korea’s potential growth rate will fall below 2 percent for the first time this year and is expected to further decrease to 1.7 percent next year. The factors contributing to the decline in growth rate include issues related to low birth rates, an aging population, and
Financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), have uncovered allegations of stock manipulation related to a Chinese company, hereinafter referred to as Company A, which is listed on the KOSDAQ in South Korea. These allegations s