The government is set to implement a comprehensive plan for “smart cities” incorporating new technologies. The primary focus is accelerating the entry into foreign markets through the restructuring of the “K-City Network” project. This initiative aims to strengthen the global competitiveness of Kore
Hana Bank announced on Jan. 17 (local time) that it has been honored with the “Best Trade Finance Provider in Korea 2024,” an award presented by the global financial and economic publication Global Finance.With the latest award, Hana Bank has achieved a remarkable feat by winning the “Best Trade Fin
South Korean battery companies are reportedly exploring the possibility of establishing a lithium processing plant in Chile, the world’s largest holder of lithium reserves. According to Bloomberg on Jan. 19 (local time), Invest Chile, the foreign investment promotion agency of the South American nat
The won-dollar exchange rate has been on the rise, leading to an influx of foreign selling. The KOSPI index experienced volatility as foreign investors unloaded their holdings, causing it to fall below the 2440 level from the previous day.On the morning of Jan. 18, the KOSPI is indicating a modest r
HD Hyundai announced on Jan. 17 that its Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun attended the Supply Chain & Transport Governors and Oil & Gas Governors group at the Davos Forum in Switzerland to discuss decarbonization initiatives and cooperation.The Supply Chain & Transportation Governors is a group of CEOs fr
Samsung Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean are expected to wrap up shipbuilding contracts in March. QatarEnergy has expanded the size of its second phase LNG carrier ordering project.QatarEnergy, Qatar’s state-run energy company, has increased the number of reserved slots at Samsung Heavy Industries,
Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) participated in CES 2024 held in Las Vegas, Nevada, the U.S., from Jan. 9 to 12. It was joined by 19 partner companies, collectively providing opportunities for global market expansion.K-water’s booth attracted numerous global buyers, investors, accelerato
The Korean beauty care industry is turning its eyes to the Japanese market. It is a strategy to try to rebound by targeting Japan as an alternative market as its performance weakened due to a decline in the market share of Korean cosmetics in China.LG Household and Health Care’s cumulative sales thr
Samsung Electronics’ first artificial intelligence (AI) smartphone, the Galaxy S24 series, is set to be unveiled on Jan. 18.According to industry sources on Jan. 14, Samsung Electronics will reveal the Galaxy S24 series at its first half of the year product launch event, Galaxy Unpacked 2024, schedu
SK Group announced that the cumulative number of visitors to the SK Group’s integrated exhibition hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), held from Jan. 9 to 12, was expected to reach around 60,000 by the third day of the opening, Jan. 11. In fact, throughout the event, long lines of visitor
Foreign tourists spent 5.64 million won (US$4,297) and 1.43 million won on duty-free goods per capita in November 2022 and November 2023, respectively. The amount plunged by more than 70%.The number of foreigners who visited domestic duty-free shops in November more than doubled to 646,000 from the
The heads of the four major Korean conglomerates are expected not to participate in this year’s Davos Forum.Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo will not attend the 2024 Davos Forum,
According to foreign media on Jan. 10, American investment bank Jefferies reported that Apple’s sales in China are increasingly suffering due to intense competition from local Chinese smartphone manufacturers, including Huawei.Chinese smartphone makers continue to aggressively challenge the market w
LS Eco Energy (formerly known as LS Cable & System Asia) has become the first Korean company to sign a large-scale long-term rare earth purchase contract in Vietnam. The contract signing is expected to stabilize LS Eco Energy’s rare earth supply chain by diversifying import sources of rare earth tha
STX has secured a stake in a local lithium mine in Peru to secure lithium, a key material for secondary batteries and trade lithium concentrates.STX announced on Jan. 9 that it has secured a stake in a lithium mine located in Puno Province in southeastern Peru and an off-take right to sell lithium c
SK hynix has successfully issued a US$1.5 billion dollar-denominated bond.According to foreign reports on Jan. 9, SK hynix conducted demand forecasts for dollar bonds in Asia, Europe, and the United States the previous day and confirmed the issuance of a US$1.5 billion bond. The issued dollar bonds
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
The joint battery plant of Chinese battery maker CATL and U.S. automaker Ford in the United States is not excluded from those eligible for subsidies under the local Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of the U.S. government, a leading Chinese newspaper reported.“Ford has not found anything in the IRA or i
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