Institute for Urban Strategies

Korean stock market NPS pours $3.9 bn to buttress Korean stock market

South Korea’s National Pension Service, the country’s largest institutional investor, has come to the rescue of the domestic stock marke...

Business & Politics Samsung, LG review strategies as Trump slaps Vietnam with steeper tariffs

South Korea’s two leading electronics makers – Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. – are being forced to reassess thei...

Asset management Strong momentum in non-US markets, digital real estate: Principal AM CEO

It is time to shift focus toward non-US markets after years of stellar performance of US assets driven by the robust world’s No. 1 economy, sa...

Pension funds S.Korea’s pension fund NPS to overhaul alternative investment strategy

The National Pension Service (NPS), South Korea’s state-run pension fund and the country’s largest institutional investor, plans to intr...

Automobiles Kia’s Chinese operations turn to profit after 8 years; Export strategy pays off

South Korea’s No. 2 automaker Kia Corp. saw its Chinese operations turn profitable in 2024 for the first time in eight years as brisk exports ...

Pension funds South Korea’s pension fund NPS risks massive loss from Homeplus fiasco

South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS), the nation’s biggest institutional investor, could lose more than 1 trillion won ($692 mil...

Private equity MBK-owned Homeplus files for corporate revamp with Seoul court

South Korea’s leading hypermarket operator Homeplus Co., wholly owned by North Asia-focused private equity firm MBK Partners, on Tuesday filed...

Electric vehicles Kia CEO stands firm on electrification strategy, premieres EV4 in Europe

TARRAGONA, Spain – Despite a temporary slowdown in electric vehicle demand and intensifying competition from Chinese automakers, Kia Corp. rem...

Alternative investments KIC explores Europe middle-market private equity opportunities

The Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) on Monday explored investment opportunities in Europe’s middle-market private equity sector with other ...

Automobiles Hyundai Motor launches future strategy division overseeing M&As

Hyundai Motor Group has created a future business strategy division that serves as a control tower for the automotive group’s expansion into n...

Bio & Pharma Celltrion’s Vegzelma: Most-prescribed cancer treatment in Europe

South Korea’s leading biosimilar drug developer Celltrion Inc.'s Vegzelma, a cancer drug referencing global biopharma Roche’s Avastin, h...

Economy Korean exports snap 15 months of gains in Jan despite higher chip sales

South Korea’s exports dropped in January on-year for the first time in 16 months due to more holiday days in the month, although overseas sale...

Corporate bonds Korea Inc. to face refunding risks with record corporate bond maturities

South Korean companies are expected to face refunding risks thanks to record corporate bond maturities in the first half of 2025, as fundraising con...

Korean chipmakers Samsung foundry ‘relief pitcher’ Han Jin-man vows to improve 2-nm yields

Samsung Electronics Co.'s new contract chipmaking business chief said on Monday he will go all-in to improve the company’s advanced 2-nanomete...

Pension funds NPS enjoys 9.2% return as of Q3 on bullish US stocks

The National Pension Service (NPS), South Korea’s largest institutional investor, reported a preliminary 9.18% return from investments, equiva...

Business & Politics Hyundai's new CEO Munoz vows to proactively respond to Trump policy

LOS ANGELES – José Muñoz, the incoming chief executive of South Korea's top automaker Hyundai Motor Co., said on Thursday the co...

Electronics Samsung Electronics, LG Uplus to jointly develop ixi-O AI smartphone

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. has joined forces with mobile carrier LG Uplus Corp. to unveil an AI smartphone embedded with a high...

Private equity US private equity giant Apollo opens Seoul office for APAC expansion

Apollo Global Management Inc., a US private equity powerhouse, said on Monday it has opened an office in Seoul to expand its business in the Asia Pa...

Economy State-run think tank KDI slashes GDP forecast, urges BOK to cut rates

The Korea Development Institute (KDI), South Korea’s state-run think tank, has slashed its forecasts for the country’s economic growth f...

Artificial intelligence Naver’s AI-powered search, online shopping services to go into full swing

South Korea’s Naver Corp. has been preparing for years to take its artificial intelligence-based services to the next level. The tech giant no...

Machinery Daedong opens autonomous robot subsidiary Daedong Robotics

Daedong Group, South Korea's leading agricultural machinery manufacturer, said on Monday it established Daedong Robotics, an intelligent autonomous ...

Electronics Samsung’s AI-powered robot vacuum cleaner takes on China’s Roborock

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co.'s AI-powered robot vacuum cleaners are rapidly catching up to Chinese products, which dominate the K...

Banking & Finance Samsung Asset releases KODEX India ETF Investment Guide

South Korea's Samsung Asset Management said on Monday it released its KODEX India ETF Investment Pocket Guide.The guide provides information on the ...

ASK 2024 Australia, Asia real estate whet Korean pension funds' appetite

South Korean pension funds and insurance companies are raising their bets on real estate as they diversify their US and Europe-focused portfolios in...

ASK 2024 Private debt remains attractive; NPLs rekindle interest

Private debt remains attractive for South Korean pension and big asset owners, although they may offer lower yields than before given recent interes...

Tech, Media & Telecom SK Broadband to launch nationwide dedicated line service in S.Korea

South Korea's SK Broadband said on Thursday that it will establish a nationwide network using Internet Protocol-Multi Protocol Label Switching (IP-M...

Retail Lotte Duty Free renews Tokyo Ginza Store

South Korea's Lotte Duty Free reopened its Tokyo Ginza Store in Tokyu Plaza Ginza on Wednesday after a complete renovation. This is the company's ...

Tech, Media & Telecom KT, KT SAT, Nara Space to launch satellite data biz

South Korea's KT Corp. said on Monday it will pursue a joint project utilizing satellite data with KT SAT and Nara Space Technology Inc.The plan is ...

Banking & Finance Korea Investment to publish emerging market investment guidebook

Korea Investment Management Co. said on Friday that it will publish an Emerging Market Guidebook on September 30, which will contain investment stra...

Electric vehicles Toyota chairman to visit Seoul, discuss hydrogen cars with Hyundai’s Chung

Akio Toyoda, chairman of Japan’s top automaker Toyota Motor Corp., will fly to Seoul in late October to meet with Hyundai Motor Group Chairman...