Sunday Times

Automobiles BMW surpasses Mercedes in Korean sales for 1st time in 10 years

The top five imported car brands in South Korea underwent a major shake-up last year. BMW overtook Mercedes-Benz in sales for the first time in a de...

Entertainment Kakao Entertainment scraps IPO, seeks new buyer

Kakao Corp., South Korea’s largest mobile platform, is looking to sell a majority stake in Kakao Entertainment Corp., dropping a plan to take ...

Earnings Samsung’s Q1 profit beats expectations; Q2 outlook murky on tariff war

Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s largest memory chipmaker, posted stronger-than-expected first-quarter operating profit on Tuesday, booste...

Mergers & Acquisitions IMM consortium owns 100% of Hyundai LNG Shipping; Stake sale eyed

A consortium of IMM Private Equity Inc. and IMM Investment Corp. has secured full ownership of Hyundai LNG Shipping, South Korea’s top liquefi...

Private equity Red flags raised even before Homeplus crisis: Sales fall, credit ratings cut

Even before South Korea’s second-largest hypermarket chain Homeplus Co. was put under court receivership due to its worsening financial woes, ...

Automobiles Kia to release PV9 in 2029, retains CEO for 3 more years

Kia Corp. will release a new purpose-built vehicle (PBV) model every two years, with plans to launch the PV9 in 2029 and its first model, the PV5, t...

Business & Politics Trump says Korea interested in Alaska gas project; Korean firms skeptical

South Korea, Japan and other countries want to partner with the US in a $44 billion natural gas pipeline project in Alaska, President Donald Trump s...

Korean food China under spell of Korean spicy instant noodles; Samyang leads  

South Korea’s spicy instant noodles are poised to captivate China, the world’s largest ramen market, with their shipments to the neighbo...

Cryptocurrencies Dunamu slapped with 3-month business suspension order

Dunamu Inc., the operator of South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, has been hit with a three-month partial business suspension ...

Shipping & Shipbuilding HD Hyundai in talks to buy back Korean ship parts maker

HD Hyundai Co., the world’s second-largest shipbuilder, is in talks with a private equity firm to buy back a South Korean ship parts manufactu...

Business & Politics Yoon becomes first S.Korean sitting president to be formally arrested

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has become the country's first sitting president to be arrested on rebellion charges as part of a probe into hi...

Automobiles Hankook Tire gains edge over Chinese rivals under Trump tariffs

CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee -- Early this month at the Hankook Tire plant in Clarksville, construction workers were installing the steel framework of its...

Automobiles Hyundai Motor: First auto brand available for purchase on Amazon Autos

You can now buy a Hyundai on Amazon.You read that right. You can buy a vehicle on the same site where you purchase dinosaur balloons and roller skat...

Debt financing POSCO’s new bond sale seven times oversubscribed

South Korean steelmaker POSCO’s new bond issue for 500 billion won ($343 million) was seven times oversubscribed, which may encourage the comp...

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...

Electric vehicles Hyundai, Kia EVs qualify for US subsidies for first time

Five electric vehicle models from Hyundai Motor Group, encompassing Kia Corp., were included in the 25 EV models qualifying for US tax credits in 20...

Economy Korea’s 2024 exports hit all-time high, driven by chips, shipments to China

South Korea’s exports, the country’s main growth driver, reached an all-time high in 2024, buoyed by strong semiconductor exports and a ...

Energy KEPCO expects all-time high $207 mn in 2024 overseas investment returns

Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), the state-run utility company, expects to post its highest-ever overseas business performance this year, thanks ...

Electric vehicles Gensis launches motorsport team to race in high-performance segment

Hyundai Motor Co.'s premium brand Genesis on Wednesday launched a racing team and unveiled a motorsports prototype to raise its presence in the glob...

Economy Korea’s export growth at 14-month low, adds to BOK rate cut views

South Korea’s export growth fell to a 14-month low in November with shipments to the world’s two biggest markets the US and China down, ...

K-pop K-Pop group ATEEZ tops Billboard 200 for 2nd Time

K-pop group ATEEZ  has claimed their second No. 1 spot on Billboard's main album chart, the Billboard 200, with their latest mini-album, Golden...

Airlines Korean Air resumes Incheon-Kumamoto flights after 27 years

Korean Air Lines Co. said on Monday that it relaunched the Incheon–Kumamoto route on November 24, offering seven weekly services.The route, la...

Leadership & Management LG Group carries out modest management reshuffle

Cho Joo-wan will continue to lead LG Electronics Inc. as chief executive after its parent LG Group on Thursday carried out modest reshuffles in its ...

Mergers & Acquisitions Hanwha Life acquires US securities firm Velocity

South Korea's Hanwha Life Insurance said on Wednesday it signed a stock purchase agreement (SPA) to acquire a 75% stake in Velocity Clearing LLC, ...

Bio & Pharma Korea’s Lunit in AI-powered lung cancer diagnostics deal with AstraZeneca

Lunit Inc., a South Korean AI-powered cancer diagnostics company, has partnered with global biopharma giant AstraZeneca plc. to jointly enter the AI...

K-pop Rose’s music video ‘APT.’ surpasses 300 mn views on YouTube

The music video for “APT.”, featuring girl group Blackpink's Rose in a duet with pop star Bruno Mars, has surpassed 300 million views on...

Banking & Finance MBK Partners named as Time World's Best Companies

South Korea's private equity firm MBK Partners Ltd. said on Friday it was selected in the "2024 World’s Best Companies" list by international ...

Bio & Pharma SK Bioscience's SKYCellflu approved in Indonesia

SK Bioscience Co., a bio and pharmaceutical affiliate of South Korea's SK Group, said on Wednesday that The Indonesian Food and Drug Authority BPOM ...

Culture & Trends Seoul to light up Myeong-dong with LEDs like Times Square

Seoul will light up Myeong-dong, a bustling area with office workers and shoppers in the heart of the city, with 16 large outdoor digital billboards...

Batteries LG Elec builds EV chargers safety net for fire prevention

LG Electronics Inc. equipped its slow electric vehicle (EV) chargers with dual overcharge prevention technology to alleviate customer concerns and a...