national competitiveness

E-commerce Coupang’s Q1 revenue up; quarterly dip signals rising competition

Coupang Inc., South Korea’s largest e-commerce platform, extended its year-on-year sales growth with an 11.1% increase to post $7.9 billion in...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Business & Politics Korea eyes laws akin to US AMPC to offer subsidies for its battery makers

South Korea, home to global top battery makers such as LG Energy Solution Ltd., SK On Co. and Samsung SDI Co., is seeking to enact laws that would l...

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...

Upcoming IPOs Seoul Guarantee Insurance to raise $124 million from IPO

Seoul Guarantee Insurance Co. (SGI) will raise 181.5 billion won ($124.2 million) through an initial public offering later this month in its second ...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

Corporate restructuring NPS steps back from Doosan Robotics' Bobcat merger

The National Pension Service (NPS) appears to be stalling on a vote for Doosan Robotics Inc.'s merger with Doosan Bobcat Inc., with major proxy advi...

Venture capital S.Korean gov't eases restrictions on Korean investment in overseas startups

The companies founded by South Korean nationals abroad will be recognized as domestic companies if they contribute to the Korean economy, making it ...

Batteries South Korea approves Korea Zinc’s precursor as national core technology

South Korea has designated Korea Zinc Inc.'s precursor manufacturing process as a national core technology and advanced industrial technology, effec...

Electronics LG Electronics to conduct safety training using VR

South Korea's home appliance giant LG Electronics Inc. announced on Wednesday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Nation...

Korean startups Big Mobility, Hummingbirds win Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition

The Asan Nanum Foundation selected Big Mobility and Hummingbirds as the top winners of the 13th Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition demo day on Novemb...

Korean startups Jay-Z’s Roc Nation to invest $5 mn in S.Korea’s Musicow  

US entertainment tycoon Jay-Z’s Roc Nation is expected to invest about $5 million in Musicow Inc., South Korea’s music copyright trading...

Bio & Pharma Celltrion to establish CDMO subsidiary

Celltrion Inc., South Korea’s largest biosimilar maker, said on Friday it plans to establish a contract development and manufacturing organiza...

Automobiles Hyundai to develop unmanned robot for EV fire suppression

Hyundai Motor Group said on Thursday that it plans to jointly develop the unmanned firefighting robot vehicle with the South Korean National Fire Ag...

Korean startups Asan Nanum Foundation to hold startup competition in November

The Asan Nanum Foundation announced on Wednesday that it will hold a demo day for “The Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition” on Nov. 7 at C...

Electronics Samsung Display to build $1.8 billion OLED plant in Vietnam

Samsung Display Co., a leading South Korean display maker, will build a $1.8 billion organic light-emitting diode (OLED) line in Vietnam for small- ...

Automobiles Hyundai Motor, Kia win 12 awards at IDEA Design Awards

Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. announced on Friday that they won a total of 12 awards, including three Gold Awards, at the 2024 International Desig...

Culture & Trends Nation With Lowest Birthrate Is Rocked by Soaring Sales of Dog Strollers

SEOUL—After pushing a stroller to a park near her home in a Seoul suburb, Kang Seung-min plopped down on a bench. Then an elderly woman ap...

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...

Tech, Media & Telecom LG CNS, Seoul National Univ. to establish DX talent program

South Korea's LG CNS Co. signed an agreement with Seoul National University's Department of Industrial Engineering on Tuesday to develop talent in d...

Electronics Samsung to offer 7 years of free Tizen OS upgrade for AI TVs

Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s top smart TV maker, plans to offer seven years of a free upgrade to its open-source smart TV operating sy...

Corporate strategy AI-driven shifts will unlock opportunities: SK Chairman

Challenges are ahead but the artificial intelligence industry will eventually boom, opening new markets, said South Korea’s second-largest bus...