National Statistical Office (NSO)

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...

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,...

Real estate Greystar hires ex-Samsung SRA manager to launch Seoul office

Greystar Real Estate Partners, the largest housing investment firm in the US, has hired Kang Junghwan, former managing director and head of portfoli...

Real estate Half of Seoul offices now over 30 years old amid limited new supply

About half of the office buildings in Seoul’s major business districts are over 30 years old, falling short of demand for modern and high-end ...

Mergers & Acquisitions Korea’s top cinema chains seek merger to counter box office slump

South Korea’s two leading multiplex operators Lotte Culture Works Co. and Contentree JoongAng Corp. have tentatively agreed to merge in a bid ...

Korean chipmakers South Korea asks US for tailored approach to chip tariffs

South Korea has officially requested that the US take a distinct approach in its ongoing probe into foreign semiconductor technology and related dow...

Real estate Ritz-Carlton to return to Seoul, tapped by IGIS Asset for landmark project

IGIS Asset Management Co., South Korea’s leading real estate investment firm, has named The Ritz-Carlton the preferred hotel brand for its amb...

Leadership & Management Ex-US Congressman Drew Ferguson to head Hyundai's Washington office

Hyundai Motor Group has appointed former Republican Congressman Drew Ferguson as head of its Washington office, a strategic move designed to bolster...

Aerospace & Defense South Korean defense industry thriving on strong overseas demand

The South Korean defense industry's current heyday is expected to continue for a while as global demand for Korean-made weapons and combat systems h...

Real estate Mirae, Koramco, Hana shortlisted for Korea Post’s core real estate fund

Mirae Asset Global Investments Co., Koramco REITs Management and Trust Co. and Hana Alternative Asset Management Co. were shortlisted for the mandat...

Pension funds NPS gears up for investment overhaul with boost in risk assets

South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS), the country’s largest institutional investor, is set to overhaul its investment strategy w...

Shipping & Shipbuilding S.Korean shipbuilders rally as Trump hints at buying foreign ships

South Korean shipbuilding stocks soared on Friday on news that US President Donald Trump indicated that the world’s No. 1 economy may purchase...

Real estate IGIS taps Samjong KPMG, Cushman & Wakefiel, NAI for sale of AP Tower

IGIS Asset Management Co., a leading South Korean real estate investment firm, has chosen a consortium of Samjong KPMG Accounting Corp., Cushman &am...

Business & Politics S.Korean court to rule on impeached President Yoon’s fate April 4

South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Friday will give its ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached in December for declaring mart...

Pension funds CPPIB invests in Seoul office building for rental housing conversion

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and South Korean property developer MGRV have jointly acquired the headquarters of a domestic women...

Real estate Shinhan REITs picked as sole bidder for BNK Digital Tower

Shinhan REITs Management is expected to acquire BNK Digital Tower, an office building in the affluent neighborhood of Gangnam in southern Seoul, aft...

Business & Politics S.Korea wary of inclusion on US ‘Dirty 15’ nations list for reciprocal tariffs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The US government plans to unveil country-specific reciprocal tariffs on April 2, with particular attention to nations impo...

Real estate IGIS puts office tower, 2 nearby hotels on market in bundled sale

Prime office complex AP Tower and two adjacent hospitality properties in Seoul’s Gangnam Business District have been put up for sale in a bu...

Real estate Beauty giant CJ Olive Young to buy Seoul office building for $472 mn

CJ Olive Young Corp., South Korea’s top beauty store chain, has been given priority rights to buy an office building in Seoul for about 680 bi...

Shipping & Shipbuilding HD Hyundai, Hanwha to tap into $242 billion US Navy warship market

South Korea’s two warship builders – HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. and Hanwha Ocean Co., – are set to ride tailwinds in their bi...

Real estate Sale of Doosan Tower attracts bids from IGIS, Kiwoom, Korea Investment

The much-anticipated sale of Doosan Tower in Seoul’s central business district (CBD) has attracted bids from three interested parties – ...

Real estate NPS closes $1.6 bn Korean office deal; scientists pension eyes NCSOFT building

The National Pension Service (NPS) has completed the purchase of One Grove for 2.3 trillion won ($1.6 billion), its largest single real estate inves...

Business & Politics Samsung, LG consider moving electronics plants to US from Mexico

South Korea’s leading electronics companies such as Samsung and LG are considering moving their plants in Mexico to the US to respond to Presi...

Real estate Koramco seeks to sell Seoul prime office tower in $272 million deal

South Korea’s Koramco REITs Management & Trust Co. is poised sell a prime office building in Seoul in an estimated 400 billion won ($272 m...

Real estate NCSOFT’s NC Tower up for sale with its value estimated at $272 million

The sales of several office buildings along Teheran-ro in Seoul's upscale Gangnam Business District (GBD) are gaining momentum.The bidding for the...

Mergers & Acquisitions Korea Zinc, MBK-Young Poong alliance to fight over cumulative voting

The battle over Korea Zinc Inc.'s management control between Korea Zinc Chairman Choi Yun-birm and the Young Poong Corp.-MBK Partners alliance has n...

Real estate Seoul office sales rebound for first time in 4 years in 2024

The Seoul office market bounced back for the first time in four years in 2024, with transaction volume soaring 78.7% to 13.4 trillion won ($9.1 bill...

Food & Beverage S.Korea's exports of snack exceed $700 mn mark in 2024

South Korea's confectionery exports from January to November last year increased 16.5% year over year surpassing $700 million for the first time, ac...

Alternative investments Korean pension funds raise bets on infrastructure, global stocks

South Korean pension funds are raising their bets on infrastructure and global stocks, while reducing exposure to the domestic stock market on a dow...