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Cryptocurrencies RedotPay lands in Seoul with crypto cards

RedotPay, a Hong Kong-based blockchain fintech company, has arrived in South Korea with its cryptocurrency-based payment cards and is poised to disr...

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...

Central bank BOK stands pat; rate cut likely within 3 months as economic growth slows

The Bank of Korea (BOK) left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.75% on Thursday, with Governor Rhee Chang-yong warning that a surge in globa...

Economy S&P reaffirms South Korea’s AA credit rating with stable outlook

S&P Global Ratings has reaffirmed South Korea’s sovereign credit rating at AA with a stable outlook, citing the country’s resilient ...

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...

Real estate Asia Property to buy WeWork building in Seoul

Seoul-based real estate investment firm Asia Property has been picked as the sole preferred bidder for an office building currently occupied by cowo...

Mergers & Acquisitions Hahn & Co. acquires SK Specialty for $1.8 billion

Hahn & Co., South Korea’s largest private equity firm, has finalized the acquisition of SK Specialty Co., the world’s leading produc...

Batteries SK On to supply 100 GWh of EV batteries to Nissan

SK On Co. has landed a deal to supply nearly 100 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electric vehicle batteries to Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor Co., which cou...

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, ...

Korean Investors Samsung to invest $10 million in US-based C2N Diagnostics

Samsung Group companies will jointly invest $10 million in C2N Diagnostics LLC, a U.S.-based company specializing in blood-based Alzheimer’s d...

Future mobility Hyundai, Avride join hands to develop autonomous robotaxis

Hyundai Motor Co. has agreed to partner with Avride, an autonomous driving technology startup, to develop driverless robotaxis based on all-electric...

Pension funds S.Korea’s pension fund NPS posts record return in 2024 on US stock rally

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

Economy South Korea welcomes more babies after downward birth rate spiral

South Korea’s fertility rate bounced back last year for the first time in nearly a decade following a surge in marriages, raising hopes for a ...

Central bank Bank of Korea cuts rates, growth forecast on Trump tariff policy

South Korea’s central bank on Tuesday cut interest rates while sharply reducing its economic growth forecast as lingering political turmoil fo...

Electronics LG Innotek ventures into automotive AP module market

LG Innotek Co., a major South Korean electronics parts developer, has forayed into the automotive application processor (AP) module market, poised f...

Economy S.Korea’s default risk dips below pre-martial law levels

South Korea’s financial market has stabilized with a sharp fall in the country’s default risk and some recovery of its currency value ag...

Food & Beverage Korean bakery giant SPC to build $160 mn US plant as tariff war escalates

SPC Group, the operator of South Korea’s largest bakery chain Paris Baguette as well as Paris Croissant, SPL, Dunkin and SPC GFS, is building ...

Bio & Pharma Partners Investment, GordonMD eye $150 mn biotech fund launch

South Korean venture capital firm Partners Investment said on Thursday it will raise up to 215.5 billion won ($150 million) in a biotech fund jointl...

Economy S.Korea’s economy grows 2.0% in 2024; Q4 GDP below forecast

South Korea’s economy expanded 2.0% last year, falling short of the central bank’s forecast on weaker-than-expected growth in the fourth...

Regulations South Korea to tighten delisting rules to remove ailing firms

South Korea will sharply raise the threshold for listed companies to remain trading on the domestic stock market to facilitate the delisting of fina...

Central bank BOK lowers growth forecasts to bolster rate cut expectations

South Korea’s central bank slashed its economic growth forecasts on Monday, adding to views that the monetary authority will cut interest rate...

Robotics LG CNS, Bear Robotics to co-develop autonomous robots

LG CNS Co., a South Korean information technology service company, said on Monday it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Bear Robotics...

Private equity Korea’s Hwasung Cosmetics shines with Affirma Capital’s Midas touch

Singapore-based private equity firm Affirma Capital has turned Hwasung Cosmetics into an emerging original design manufacturer (ODM) for global beau...

Carbon neutrality KG Mobility, Phinia to co-work for hydrogen engine

South Korea's automaker KG Mobility Corp. said on Thursday it partnered with the global car aftermarket solutions company Phinia to develop hydrogen...

ESG Korea Investment Holdings’ MSCI ESG rating upgraded to A

Korea Investment Holdings Co. said on Thursday it was upgraded by three notches from B to A in the MSCI ESG rating this year.The MSCI ESG rating is ...

Robotics Lotte Duty Free unveils robot bartender in Gimpo Int'l Airport

South Korea's Lotte Duty Free said on Thursday it placed its AI-based robot bartenders in Gimpo International Airport.Lotte Duty Free offers robot...

Central bank Bank of Korea seen cutting interest rates by 25 bps in January

The Bank of Korea (BOK) is widely expected to cut interest rates by 25 basis points on Thursday amid the nation's softening economy and moderating i...

Artificial intelligence Naver D2SF invests in N.American AI startup

South Korea's online giant Naver Corp.'s startup nurturing organization D2SF (D2 Startup Factory) invested in North American AI ad tech startup Remb...

Korean Innovators at CES 2025 LG Electronics bets big on humanoid robots: CEO Cho

LAS VEGAS – South Korea’s top home appliance maker LG Electronics Inc. has thrown down the gauntlet to frontrunners in the AI robot race...

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...