In the second quarter of this year, Korea’s net external financial assets (external financial assets minus external financial liabilities), which reflects the country’s external solvency, declined amid rising stock markets at home and abroad.However, Korea’s ratio of short-term external debt to tota
The Japanese yen-U.S. dollar exchange rate rose to 146 yen per U.S. dollar on the Tokyo foreign exchange market on Aug. 17. It reached the highest level in nine months since November 2022 and the highest so far this year.While the Japanese yen has stayed at one of the lowest points in history, the K
Korea’s coffee imports have shrunken this year, according to the Korea Customs Service. The decline is attributed to a drought that impeded global coffee production.According to the Korea Customs Service’s trade statistics on Jan. 21, the volume of Korea’s coffee imports from January to July this ye
Following a ban on overseas transfers of rare earth permanent magnet manufacturing technology at the end of 2022, China has decided to control the export of gallium and germanium emerging as next-generation semiconductor materials, starting from August. The Russian-Ukrainian war, which has been goin
Chinese companies that have been exporting solar cells and modules to the United States through Southeast Asia are facing a “tariff bomb” from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Hanwha Q CELLS, the solar division of Hanwha Solutions, based in Malaysia, stands to benefit from these tariffs.On Aug. 18,
South Korea, once the largest exporter to China, fell to fifth place among exporters to China in the first half of this year. This is because exports of intermediate goods to China, which account for more than 80 percent of South Korea’s exports to China, have been on a sharp decline. On the other h
The Mexican government’s surprise move to raise tariffs on steel imports by up to 25 percent from countries with which it has not signed trade agreements is expected to deal a blow to South Korea only, not touching the United States or Japan.The USTR announced on its website on Aug. 18 (local time)
Japan’s nationwide average minimum wage has surpassed 1,000 yen (9,241 won or US$6.88) per hour for the first time. It is analyzed that local governments have implemented larger increases than expected as rising prices overlapped with labor shortages.According to reports from Nihon Keizai Shimbun an
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at minjae.lee@nhqv.com. -- Ed. Presidential transition committee’s housing policy proposalsThe presidential transition committee, which was launched in March following the presidential election, has been actively communicating
The authors are economists of Shinhan Investment Corp. They can be reached at heekim@shinhan.com. – Ed. Rising grain prices leading to agflation fearsRising prices of agricultural products are driving agflation concerns. Global farm production was hit hard by last winter's unfavorable weather co
The authors are economists of Shinhan Investment Corp. They can be reached at keonhyeong.ha@shinhan.com. -- Ed. COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war fueling further deglobalizationGlobalization, after driving the world’s economies, politics and cultural developments through the 20th century, sta
Located 541 meters above the ground, the Sky Bridge of the Lotte World Tower is a bridge at the highest altitude in the world. The bridge, nicknamed a "rooftop on a rooftop," has been gaining popularity since 2020 by operating a so-called "high-altitude activity program" as an experience course for
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport published the first version of its urban air mobility concept on Sept. 28.According to the publication, drone taxis are expected to be used for movement between Seoul and the Incheon and Gimpo Airports starting from 2025. These days, Hyundai Motor G
The Seoul Metropolitan Council has passed an amendment to the ordinance on towing illegally parked shared e-scooters.Under the amended ordinance, which passed on May 6, a device left in a no-parking zone will be towed at the operator's expense of 40,000 won (US$36) if it is not collected within
Naver ranked 33rd in "The Future 50" selected by Fortune, a global economic magazine. Among Korean companies, only Naver and Celltrion (49th) made the list.Regarding the selection of Naver, Fortune said, "Naver is the company that runs Korea's largest search engine and has recently achieved more
The author is CEO of SK Lubricants. -- Ed.SK Lubricants has reinforced its ESG practice and established its vision slogan “Make It Move, Make It Green” through a contest within the company in accordance with our Green Balance management strategy. This means that we will make all objects keep moving,
The author of the article is the CEO of SK Innovation. -- Ed. The Issue at Hand for SK Innovation: “Green”As the CEO of SK Innovation, I am constantly contemplating ways for our company to achieve sustainable growth and bring even greater happiness. In order to draw a new future, I heed the voices o
Korea’s renewable market has grown, centering on solar powerHelped by the government’s renewable energy support policies, Korea’s renewable energy market has seen rising facility installations centering on solar power. With solar power facility installations being relatively free from the opposition
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at ys.jung@nhqv.com. -- Ed. 1) Solar energy marketSolar energy installations to slide for first timeGlobal solar energy installations are projected to slip 7% y-y to 110GW in 2020. While more than 130GW in installations was ex
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at ys.jung@nhqv.com. -- Ed. EU announces European Green Deal roadmapIn Dec 2019, the EU announced the European Green Deal roadmap, including policies in a range of areas (eg, industry and trade) aimed at reducing greenhouse ga