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Central bank BOK turns more dovish after 25 bp rate cut; 2025 growth outlook halved

The Bank of Korea (BOK) on Thursday cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point to 2.5%, citing growing concerns over faltering do...

Regulations HYBE Bang under financial watchdog’s scrutiny for alleged unfair trading

Bang Si-hyuk, founder and chairman of HYBE Co., the South Korean entertainment giant behind K-pop global sensation BTS, could face investigation by ...

Shipping & Shipbuilding HD Hyundai Group joins S.Korea’s 100 trillion won market cap club

South Korean shipbuilding conglomerate HD Hyundai Group has joined South Korea’s elite club of conglomerates with a market capitalization exce...

Korean games Netmarble set to spark subculture craze at Summer Game Fest

Netmarble Corp., South Korea’s leading game developer and publisher, is seeking to capitalize on the surging global demand for so-called subcu...

Real estate S.Korean military fund to make $73 mn commitment to real estate funds

The Military Mutual Aid Association (MMAA), a South Korean retirement fund, is stepping up efforts to diversify its investment portfolio with a 100 ...

ASK 2025 Rental housing gains appeal amid supply crunch: asset managers

The rental housing markets in the US, Europe and Australia present attractive investment opportunities as persistent supply shortages and rising urb...

Batteries LG Energy, Samsung SDI to build 1st US LFP battery plants with GM

In a pivotal shift for the North American electric vehicle battery landscape, South Korea’s two leading battery makers – LG Energy Solut...

Tech, Media & Telecom Korea’s KT signs $95 million AI partnership with Vietnam’s Viettel Group

South Korea’s leading telecommunications service provider KT Corp. said on Tuesday it has signed a 130 billion won ($95 million) strategic par...

Shareholder value Celltrion shares rise after bonus issue announcement   

Celltrion Inc., South Korea’s largest biosimilar developer, will issue bonus shares to bolster its stock performance, which has been in the do...

Bio & Pharma Samsung Biologics drives foreign lead in Korea’s biotech supply chain

A surge in orders from Samsung Biologics Co., the world’s largest contract drugmaker, has propelled South Korea to the forefront of global rev...

Artificial intelligence OpenAI sets up entity in Korea with most paid ChatGPT users outside US

OpenAI Inc., the creator of generative AI ChatGPT, has established a legal entity in South Korea, which has the largest number of paying ChatGPT sub...

Banking & Finance Shinhan Financial’s Jin meets with Goldman Sachs Int'l CEO for strategies

Jin Ok-dong, chairman of South Korea’s leading financial conglomerate Shinhan Financial Group, has met with senior executives of US-based mult...

Beauty & Cosmetics Shinsegae, Ascent Equity Partners weigh acquisition of C&C International

South Korean retail giant Shinsegae Group is seeking to acquire local color cosmetics manufacturer C&C International Co. in partnership with pri...

Mergers & Acquisitions Kakao Pay in talks to acquire SSG.COM’s SSG Pay and Gmarket’s Smile Pay

Kakao Pay Corp., the mobile payment and digital wallet service unit of South Korean tech giant Kakao Corp., is in advanced negotiations to acquire t...

Pension funds NPS to ramp up shareholder engagement with overseas companies

South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) plans to deepen shareholder engagement with its foreign portfolio companies, signaling a more ass...

Beauty & Cosmetics Europe looms large as K-beauty brands look to blue ocean; shares rise

South Korea’s beauty industry has been reaping decent gains from traditionally strong markets such as China and the US – the world&rsquo...

Banking & Finance NPS gobbles up Korea’s top 4 financial holding stocks

South Korea’s largest institutional investor, the National Pension Service (NPS), remains a strong backer of the country’s top four fina...

North Korea US considers withdrawing thousands of troops from South Korea

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Private equity KKR sells 9.5% stake in HD Hyundai Marine, recoups $450 million

Global private equity firm KKR & Co. Inc., formerly known as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., has sold a 9.5% stake in HD Hyundai Marine Solut...

Energy Hanwha Q Cells eyes tandem cell mass production in 2027

Hanwha Q Cells Co., the solar panel manufacturing unit of South Korea's Hanwha Solutions Corp., is expected to commercialize tandem modules by 2027,...

Korean Investors Carlyle CEO shares investment tips with Korean retail investors

The head of The Carlyle Group met with Korean retail investors in a rare session on Thursday, sharing insights on the US economy and global credit m...

Energy SK Earthon secures rights to explore 2 offshore oil blocks in Indonesia

SK Earthon Co., the petroleum exploration and production (E&P) unit of South Korea’s top energy company SK Innovation Co., has secured rig...

Leadership & Management Morgan Stanley stalwart Cho bows out after over 10 years at the helm   

The investment banking head of Morgan Stanley’s Seoul office is stepping down after overseeing a series of landmark deals over more than a dec...

Asset management Mirae Asset Global Investments’ AUM tops $288 bn as global push pays off

Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. now manages more than 400 trillion won ($288 billion) in assets for the first time since its first global venture...

Tech, Media & Telecom Google partners with Samsung, Gentle Monster for new smart glasses

SILICON VALLEY – Google LLC is making a renewed push into the smart glasses market in partnership with South Korea’s Samsung Electronics...

Investment banking Bill Clinton in Seoul to meet with MBK's ByungJu Kim, business leaders

Michael ByungJu Kim, co-founder, partner and chairman of Seoul-based private equity firm MBK Partners Ltd., is set to meet with former US President ...

Alternative investments Hamilton Lane invests in IMM infrastructure fund in secondary deal

Global private market investor Hamilton Lane Inc. has acquired a stake in Seoul-based alternative investment firm IMM Investment’s infrastruct...

Real estate Seoul’s prime office transactions rise 6% in Q1 despite weak sentiment

Despite mounting economic headwinds and heightened investor caution, the prime office market in Seoul posted a modest recovery in the first quarter,...

Cryptocurrencies S.Korea's crypto market doubles to $77.5 bn with 20% of population trading

South Korea’s cryptocurrency market surged to nearly 108 trillion won ($77.5 billion) in the second half of last year, fueled by growing retai...

Infrastructure KIC discusses post-US tariff infrastructure strategy with pension funds

The Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) on Tuesday discussed infrastructure investment opportunities and risks in the wake of the US government&rsquo...