With the unprecedented boom in the U.S. stock market since the beginning of this year, domestic individual investors have poured 4 trillion won (US$3 billion) into direct stock investments abroad, surpassing four times the amount invested during the same period last year. Securities firms are also r
A huge wave that began with Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress is now on the horizon, making it to more difficult to predict the future of the Korean e-commerce market.While Korean e-commerce players are competing fiercely for survival, the United States, China, and other Asian countries have jo
The National Pension Service (NPS) has come out against the reappointment of Cho Won-tae, president and chairman of Korean Air, as an inside director, sparking interest in the reasons behind the move.According to the aviation industry on March 17, the NPS’s Fund Management Committee is expected to v
Attacks on Samsung Electronics by patent trolls are becoming increasingly cunning. These entities are focusing on purchasing patents with broad scopes that can be applied to various products and then targeting companies that release related products. Among global information technology (IT) companie
The police have launched a forced investigation into Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) following the detection of an attempt by Indonesian employees dispatched to KAI to leak documents related to the Korean fighter jet KF-21.This action comes 24 days after a government joint investigation team, consi
Korea’s duty exemption threshold for cross-border shopping is set at US$150 per day. This limit is now on the table. It is blamed on the fact that Chinese e-commerce companies such as AliExpress, Temu, and Shein selling ultra-low-priced goods can quickly expand their presences in the Korean market t
The U.S. Congress began to keep Hyundai and Kia in check as the two Korean automakers continue to enjoy the growth of their electric vehicle sales in the U.S. market. The U.S. Congress made a thing of their business strategy of discounting subsidized electric vehicles through a lease car exception u
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
Korean Air will build an engine maintenance cluster in the Unbuk district of Yeongjong Island, Incheon, to expand its aircraft engine maintenance capacity and expand its aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business.Korean Air announced on March 14 that it held a groundbreaking ceremony f
Big South Korean companies are exiting China one after another. Business uncertainties are being fueled by fiercer competition and declining profitability in the Chinese market coupled with the U.S. government’s checks on China and policy changes by Chinese government authorities.Lotte Chemical sold
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Express announced a consumer protection policy on March 14 that offers unconditional returns and refunds within 90 days for cross-border online purchases. Additionally, it has officially launched a customer service hotline and plans to invest about 1.5 trillion won o
In January, Korean display companies received a shocking report card. According to market research firm DSCC, Samsung Display, which held 36% of the market share in the foldable market and was considered the future of the industry, lost its first-place position to China’s BOE, which captured 42% in
The value of overseas construction orders to Korean contractors exceeded US$30 billion for the fourth year in a row in 2023. Korean builders’ target for 2024 is US$40 billion. They have been looking for opportunities in overseas markets as the Korean real estate market has been slumping for a long t
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
The United States targeting Chinese-made goods as part of its supply chain localization and trade war strategies is expected to affect China’s shipbuilding industry after the Chinese semiconductor industry.According to the Financial Times (FT) and other foreign media outlets, U.S. President Joe Bide
Chinese online shopping platforms AliExpress, Temu, Shine and other overseas business operators over a certain size will be required to have representatives in Korea. This new policy is aimed at making them responsible for consumer protection.Unlike AliExpress, which currently has a legal entity in
Following their competition in integrated washing and drying machines, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are now launching AI TVs, sparking another pride battle. On-device AI, which operates AI within the device without a network connection, is rapidly spreading to TVs.On March 13, Samsung Elec
Even after surpassing the “psychological resistance level” of 100 million won, bitcoin continues its upward trend in the domestic market.In particular, a phenomenon known as the “kimchi premium” is observed, where the price of bitcoin in the domestic market is forming higher than that in the U.S. ma
South Korean shipyards are continuously winning contracts for very large crude carriers (VLCCs). Recently, Hanwha Ocean and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HKSOE) have pursued high-value contracts for VLCCs as part of their strategy to diversify their vessel portfolios and prioritize s