APR Critical Guidance Recognition

Beauty & Cosmetics Seoul-backed K-beauty brands set to make global mark

As Korean beauty products continue to captivate global consumers, five Seoul-based cosmetics and wellness companies are gearing up to penetrate deep...

Cryptocurrencies BlackRock sees digital assets at critical turning point

Digital assets are poised for robust structural growth – not just as investment vehicles but as strategic assets – fueled by growing ins...

Beauty & Cosmetics K-beauty shake-up: APR, Shinsegae rise as Aekyung declines

South Korea’s beauty industry is undergoing a major reshuffle, with new players rising to prominence while established giants face growing com...

Mergers & Acquisitions MBK Partners poised to acquire CJ Cheiljedang’s $3.5 billion bio business

North Asia-focused private equity firm MBK Partners is on the verge of clinching a major acquisition deal by offering a higher bid than other conten...

Tech, Media & Telecom Microsoft's quantum computing bet sparks controversy, again

In 2021, Microsoft Corp. faced significant scientific embarrassment when a landmark research paper it had sponsored was retracted.Published in the U...

IPOs Korean firms cut IPO prices, volumes amid bearish sentiment

South Korean companies are relaunching attempts to go public with lower valuations and fewer shares amid continued sour investor sentiment.CK Soluti...

Earnings Hyundai Motor logs record sales for two straight years on SUVs, hybrids

South Korea’s top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. on Thursday posted its largest-ever sales for a second consecutive year, driven by robust sales ...

Korean chipmakers SKC’s US affiliate Absolics receives $100 million in US R&D grants

Absolics Inc., the US glass substrate affiliate of South Korean chemical materials company SKC Ltd., has been selected to receive up to $100 million...

Automobiles IONIQ 9, EV9 GT named most anticipated new vehicles in US

Hyundai Motor Co. 's IONIQ 9 and Kia Corp. 's EV9 GT were selected as America’s Most Anticipated New Vehicles 2025 by Newsweek. This is t...

Earnings Kia eyes rosier 2024 after record-high Q3; Hyundai Mobis’ OP up 32%

Kia Corp., South Korea’s No. 2 carmaker after Hyundai Motor Co., presented a brighter outlook for this year after posting record-high operatin...

Earnings Hyundai Motor logs highest-ever Q3 revenue; margin drops

Hyundai Motor Co. on Thursday reported its worst quarterly profit margin for this year, despite delivering its highest-ever revenue for a third quar...

Artificial intelligence Naver Cloud launches AI meeting minutes service

Naver Cloud, the cloud subsidiary of South Korean online giant Naver Corp., said on Friday the launch of Naver Works Clova Note, an AI-based enterpr...

Banking & Finance India offers Korean firms detailed guidance for forays into India

India’s finance ministry, central bank and stock market operator outlined the country’s regulatory and investment environment for South ...

Beauty & Cosmetics APR enters UK cosmetics market

South Korea's cosmetic and clothing company APR said on Monday that it entered PureSeoul, a UK-based distributor specializing in K-beauty.PureSeoul ...

Tech, Media & Telecom Suprema wins security projects in African countries

South Korea’s Suprema Inc., an artificial intelligence (AI)-based security company, said on Monday it won a contract to supply its fingerprint...

Beauty & Cosmetics APR, TJX to co-work for Medicube products sale in N.Amerca

South Korea's cosmetic and clothing company APR said on Wednesday it signed a supply contract with TJX Companies, the North America-based global ret...

Pension funds NPS overweight in beauty, food; chases APR, Samwha higher

The National Pension Service (NPS) has raised its bets on South Korean beauty and food companies in the second quarter of this year on expectations ...

Leadership & Management Kyobo Life CEO’s ethical management earns global recognition

Kyobo Life Insurance Co.'s Chairman Shin Chang-jae is internationally recognized for setting the global standard for ethical management after two de...

Private debt Direct lending, a core allocation for investors: M&G Investments

Private credit continues to lure investors, not least within one of the largest areas of private credit, direct lending. Providing reliable income s...

Tech, Media & Telecom Facephi to supply ID verification solutions to Samsung Securities

South Korea's Hancom Inc. announced on Monday that Facephi, a Spain-based AI biometric recognition company in which Hancom had recently acquired equ...

Beauty & Cosmetics APR completes second factory in Pyeongtaek

South Korea's cosmetic and clothing company APR announced on Wednesday that it completed its second plant, the APR Factory Pyeongtaek 2 Campus. ...

Private debt Korea’s Kookmin Bank raises $600 mn in global senior debts

South Korea’s largest bank Kookmin Bank said on Tuesday it has issued $600 million worth of global senior secured bonds. The debts were oversu...

IPOs S.Korean companies line up for IPOs as market recovers

South Korean companies are gearing up for listings targeting billions of dollars in market capitalization as the local initial public offering (IPO)...

Corporate bonds Mirae Asset Securities raises $600 mn in foreign bonds

Mirae Asset Securities Co. on Monday issued $600 million worth of foreign currency bonds, marking the first foreign bond sale by a South Korean brok...

Debt financing SK Hynix raises $1.5 bn in foreign bonds amid high demand

SK Hynix Inc., the world’s second-largest memory chipmaker, has raised $1.5 billion in foreign currency bonds, with the debt offering four tim...

Artificial intelligence S-1 sees facial recognition AI as core trend in 2024

South Korea's system securities provider S-1 Corp. has forecasted a significant rise in the demand for AI-powered security solutions this year, pr...

Korean startups Naver’s resale platform Kream joins Korean unicorns

Kream Corp., the resale platform of South Korean online portal giant Naver Corp., has emerged as the latest Korean unicorn with a valuation exceedin...

Artificial intelligence POSCO DX develops AI-based roadkill prevention system

POSCO DX Co., the IT services subsidiary of South Korean steelmaker POSCO Holdings Inc. announced on Wednesday it developed an artificial intelligen...

Electric vehicles LG Innotek gains int'l licensor status for EV charging tech

South Korean electronic parts maker LG Innotek has received global recognition for its international standard patents for electric vehicle (EV) char...

Private equity Korea's STX denies rumors it is backed by Chinese fund

South Korean general trading company STX Corp. has said its largest shareholder is a local investment firm, refuting false reports swirling in the m...