monthly consumer spending rankings

Korean food CJ CheilJedang to open $72 million dumpling plant in Japan

South Korea’s largest food company, CJ CheilJedang Corp., is shifting into high gear in its global expansion with a 100 billion won ($72 milli...

Culture & Trends S.Korea’s medical tourism thrives on weak currency

Foreign visitors to South Korea jumped nearly 20% early this year, largely driven by a sharp depreciation in the country’s currency value agai...

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...

Retail Koreans cut spending in March, except on health, education

South Korean consumers exhibited recessionary spending behavior in March, cutting expenditures across nearly all sectors, except healthcare and educ...

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...

Retail Koreans cut spending in March, except on health, education

South Korean consumers exhibited recessionary spending behavior in March, cutting expenditures across nearly all sectors, except healthcare and educ...

Korean chipmakers SK chairman in Taiwan to deepen ties with TSMC

Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, the parent of SK Hynix Inc., is visiting Taiwan amid the threat of escalating US tariff threats, suggesting the ...

Beauty & Cosmetics K-beauty exports to China rebound after 4-month slump

South Korea’s beauty industry is showing signs of recovery in China, with exports rebounding after four months of decline.The turnaround follo...

Mergers & Acquisitions Aekyung Industrial up for sale as group struggles to ease liquidity crunch

South Korea’s Aekyung Group has put its flagship subsidiary, Aekyung Industrial Co., up for sale as part of broader restructuring efforts to s...

Automobiles Hyundai’s new American dream comes with new plant, more spending

ELLABELL, Georgia – When Hyundai Motor Group Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-koo opened the South Korean automaker’s first US plant in Alab...

Corporate strategy Hankook Tire seeks to evolve beyond tires, auto parts

Hankook & Company Co., the holding company of Hankook Tire & Technology Co., will ramp up battery production for energy storage systems and ...

Food & Beverage Korean snacks mesmerize global consumers amid K-pop popularity

South Korea’s snack exports soared to a record high in February, surpassing $40 million for the first time, as global demand surged amid the s...

Business & Politics Asia’s defense stocks climb on hopes of more European arms spending

Defense stocks in key Asian markets jumped on Tuesday, buoyed by expectations that European nations will boost security spending amid fears that the...

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...

Automobiles Hyundai CEO Muñoz named MotorTrend Person of the Year

South Korea’s top carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer José Muñoz was picked as the most powerful figure in the in...

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 ...

Korean stock market South Korean stock trading volume at 8-month high

Trading volume in South Korean stock market has surged to its highest level in eight months, with investors piling into defense, nuclear energy, shi...

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...

Webtoons Piccoma tops consumer spending ranking in Japan

Kakao Piccoma, a Japanese digital comics app subsidiary of South Korean mobile giant Kakao Corp., topped the consumer spending ranking in the Japane...

Korean stock market Foreign investors sells $3.86 bn in S.Korean stock market

The Bank of Korea (BOK) said on Wednesday that the foreign investors' net selling in the South Korean stock market was $3.86 billion in December las...

Korean startups DOR sets sights on TikTok-like virtual world for gamers  

South Korean startup DOR Corporation has thrown down the gauntlet to Discord, a popular global social platform for gamers, with its TikTok-like soci...

Automobiles Hyundai Motor vows record investment of $16.7 bn in South Korea

Hyundai Motor Group will invest 24.3 trillion won ($16.7 billion) this year in South Korea, the largest-ever annual investment in its home country, ...

Beauty & Cosmetics Korean cosmetics beat Chanel, Lancôme to rank top in US, Japan

South Korea’s cosmetics products, also known as K-beauty, have gained global renown, overtaking French brands such as Chanel and Lancôme...

Logistics Hanjin expands GDC at Incheon Airport

South Korea's Hanjin Transportation said on Monday it expanded its global distribution center (GDC) at Incheon International Airport to meet the dem...

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...

Automobiles S.Korea's personal mobilities firm GCoo enters Africa

South Korean personal mobility (PM) company Gbike, the operator of PM sharing service platform Gcoo, said on Wednesday it started the electric kick ...

Tech, Media & Telecom Google unveils Android XR platform to launch on Samsung headset

SILICON VALLEY/SEOUL -- Global tech giant Google LLC on Thursday introduced a new operating system for extended reality (XR) devices to be installed...

Korean startups Language learning app Speakeasy joins ranks of unicorn startups

Speakeasy Labs Inc., a South Korea-focused language learning app operator, has joined the ranks of unicorn startups after raising $78 million at a v...

Private equity Affinity to transform top Korean car rental firms into mobility service providers

Affinity Equity Partners aims to develop leading South Korean car rental companies into mobility service providers to create additional profitabilit...

Economy S.Korea’s inflation stays at 1% level for 3rd straight month

South Korea’s consumer prices remained steady at the 1% level for the third straight month in November thanks to a drop in oil prices. But eco...