Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will build the world’s largest and best semiconductor mega cluster in the southern part of Gyeonggi Province with a total investment of 622 trillion won. The Korean government will support this project by creating infrastructure and an investment environment, strengt
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in South Korea announced the launch of the Asia-Pacific Food Regulatory Authority Summit (APFRAS) Secretariat on Jan. 15 to support the activities of the international cooperative body aimed at leading food sector international cooperation and regulatory harmoniz
The number of technical regulations notified by World Trade Organization (WTO) member countries in 2023 exceeded 4,000 for the first time ever, a record high, showing that technical barriers to trade were rising among countries.The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Tra
The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on Jan. 9 that they will take follow-up measures to establish the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) in earnest, as three bills related to the agency passed a plenary session at the National Assembly.In November
On Jan. 10, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) announced the results of its Venture Enterprise Detailed Survey, analyzing the management performance, employment, and research and development (R&D) of venture companies as of the end of 2022.According to the MSS, the average revenue of venture co
Hanmi Pharmaceutical has received additional approval for the therapeutic use of the anti-cancer drug candidate Belvarafenib, which was technologically transferred to global pharmaceutical company Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (RHO).According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Jan.
Ssangyong Engineering & Construction (E&C) announced that it has won the final order for the construction and operation of solar power generation facilities and energy storage system (ESS) facilities in Haiti ordered by Haiti’s Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF).The project is to build and operat
With the re-addition of Guatemala, the only Central American country that had previously withdrawn from the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with South Korea and Central American nations, the FTA has reached its final completion.The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) announced that it formall
In 2023, overseas construction orders totaled US$33.31 billion, exceeding US$30 billion for the fourth consecutive year. However, it is just short of the target of US$35 billion.According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) on Jan. 8, 321 Korean overseas construction compa
Starting from the second half of this year, South Korean companies will have the option to settle export and import payments in Korean won when engaging in trade transactions with certain countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This move is expected to allow businesses to
The government’s new entrusted operating funds for the Korea Investment Corporation (KIC), the sovereign wealth fund, have effectively ceased from 2022 until last year. Some argue that the KIC faces concerns about its international competitiveness. In a landscape where competing sovereign wealth fun
In 2023, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Korea exceeded US$32.7 billion, a record high. High-tech materials, parts, and equipment such as semiconductors, secondary batteries, and biotech items led the increase in FDI in Korea.According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Jan. 4, FDI
The government has announced its intention to reduce the ratio of household debt to gross domestic product (GDP) to below 100 percent by the year 2027.On Jan. 4, the government released the “2024 Economic Policy Direction,” outlining its strategy for managing household debt.According to the Bank for
Following the United States, South Korea has also issued a voluntary corrective action (recall) for all Tesla vehicles equipped with the Autopilot autonomous driving assistance feature.The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea announced on Jan. 4 that they are recalling a tot
Overseas luxury brands are once again raising product prices early in the new year.According to the retail industry on Jan. 2, Hermes has raised the prices of its shoe products starting from Jan. 1. Among the various models of “Oran” sandals, the one crafted from lizard leather has witnessed a subst
In the domestic automotive market, a significant deceleration in the demand for electric cars is becoming apparent. Specifically, there will also be a decrease in government subsidies for electric car purchases this year. The aversion of domestic consumers towards electric cars, which are positioned
South Korea recorded a trade deficit of US$9.97 billion last year, marking the second consecutive year of deficit since 2022. However, the trade deficit in the past year contracted compared to 2022 when it was US$47.78 billion, primarily due to the recovery in exports in the latter half of the year.
In December of last year, domestic semiconductor exports recorded the highest annual growth rate yet. The prices of memory semiconductors, the main export products of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, have consistently been on the rise.According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy on Jan.
A public tender for a 4.7 trillion won stake in NXC, the holding company of Nexon, has ended empty-handed again.The second tender for 851,968 shares (29.3 percent stake) of NXC failed to find buyers, according to the Online Tender Offer System of Korea Asset Management Corporation (KAMCO) on Dec. 29
Recent data indicates that the number of mid-sized companies playing a crucial role as the “backbone” of the domestic economy increased by nearly 100 last year. Both the total revenue and operating profit of mid-sized companies saw an increase of around 10% compared to the previous year, and investm