Nawah Energy, a joint venture between Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), announced that the Unit 4 reactor of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the UAE successfully reached its first criticality on March 1.Following the acquisition of the o
The Hyundai Research Institute (HRI) has forecasted that the South Korean economy will enter a recovery phase after passing its lowest point this year.According to a report titled “Now is an Important Time to Form an Early Economic Cycle Bottom” released by the HRI on March 3, there is a high possib
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at bk@nhqv.com -- Ed.Global stock markets have rallied of late, with the S&P500 surging for four months in a row. In February, the Kospi has outperformed other major markets. But, the fast market growth is likely to bolster p
Since taking office in early July 2022, Ongjin County Mayor Moon Kyung-bok has been busy listening to the voices of his residents. This has been producing remarkable positive results.In 2023, Ongjin County paved the way for a new leap forward, including finalizing a plan for the construction of Baek
The government has come up with a detailed blueprint at the inter-ministerial level, encompassing export targets for key items such as semiconductors, automobiles, and plants, to achieve this year’s export goal of US$700 billion. It includes the largest-ever support measures to accelerate progress,
Incheon Metropolitan City announced on Feb. 27 that European global investment firms had delivered letters of intent to Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, expressing their intention to invest a total of US$6 billion in the city.On Feb. 26, Mayor Yoo received letters of intent for investments in Paris, France, fro
Amid growing concerns about expanding trade risks in big election years in 76 countries around the world holding elections, the Korean government has decided to actively manage risk factors through a strategy meeting among industry, academia, and research centers.The Ministry of Trade, Industry and
The Korean government has set the goal of seeing Korean green companies achieve 100 trillion won in overseas exports by 2027. To this end, it plans to proactively discover demand for overseas environmental businesses. In particular, it aims to build a sustainable foundation for an overseas expansion
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) announced on Feb. 25 that it held the first Korea-Qatar Smart Farm Cooperation Committee in Doha, Qatar, to promote exchanges and cooperation in the field of smart agriculture between the two countries as a follow-up to an MOU signed betwee
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced it will hold the K-Business Day in the Middle East 2024 export consultation session on Feb. 27 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and on Feb. 29 in Dubai, the UAE, in collaboration with the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises. This initiative aims to su
On Feb. 20, the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) announced the inauguration of Yoon Won-seok, the former executive vice president of the Economic and Trade Cooperation at the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), as its 8th Commissioner. The position of Commissioner of the Incheon Free E
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
Representatives of Korea Energy Technology University (KENTECH) announced on Feb. 21 that they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Feb. 20 in Halle, Germany, with representatives of Fraunhofer IMWS and Anhalt University of Germany to strengthen cooperation throughout the entire cycle o
The Namdong district of Incheon Metropolitan City houses the Namdong National Industrial Complex, playing a pivotal role in driving the Korean economy. The industrial complex, established in December 1989, is a key metropolitan industrial area with an annual production value of approximately 30 tril
A new mega labor union, formed through the collaboration of four Samsung Group affiliates, has emerged. The union comprises over 10,000 members. While there have been instances of certain unions cooperating in solidarity in the past, this marks the first time such a unified form of establishment has
The first meeting of the Korea-Netherlands Semiconductor Dialogue kicked off in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, on Feb. 19 (local time). The Korean and Dutch governments agreed to hold the meeting during President Yoon Suk-yeol’s state visit to the Netherlands in December 2023. The ministries in charge
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
Despite the current economic downturn, South Korea’s top three battery manufacturers are ramping up their investments in infrastructure this year to strengthen their business foundations. According to industry sources on Feb. 18, LG Energy Solution plans to invest approximately 10.9 trillion won in
This year it is projected that the annual overseas construction contract orders for South Korean companies will reach US$40 billion. It is expected that the contract amount will expand compared to previous years through projects such as nuclear power plants, renewable energy, and investment developm
The presidential office stated regarding Cuba, with which diplomatic relations have recently been established, that “as a major reserve of nickel and cobalt, which are essential for secondary battery production, Cuba holds significant potential for cooperation in mineral supply chain sectors.”Accord