Most Popular
-
1
Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
-
2
Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
-
3
[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
-
4
Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
-
5
Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
-
6
Samsung chief bolsters ties with Germany’s Zeiss
-
7
NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
-
8
Med schools expect 1,500+ new admission slots next year
-
9
Nominee for chief of anti-corruption body pledges 'independence, effectiveness'
-
10
[Grace Kao] Hybe vs. Ador: Inspiration, imitation and plagiarism
-
Social commerce sites to attract consumers with unique ideas
As social commerce expands rapidly as a mainstream online shopping channel in South Korea, a number of social commerce service providers are adopting fresh marketing strategies to lure more customers.Ticketmonster, one of the nation’s major social commerce companies, provides an instant coupon service which allows customers to purchase and use their coupons on the spot. The service aims to satisfy the increased needs of consumers who want to use their discount coupons instantly instead of waitin
TechnologyFeb. 14, 2013
-
Seoul shares up 0.13 pct in late-morning trade
South Korean stocks traded 0.13 percent higher late Thursday morning, buoyed by gains in steelmakers and tech shares, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 2.51 points to 1,978.58 as of 11:20 a.m.Leading steelmaker POSCO moved up 1.3 percent, with tech behemoth Samsung Electronics rising 0.07 percent. But telecom shares continued to trend downward from the previous session, with top mobile carrier SK Telecom dipping 1.7 percent. The local currency was changi
Feb. 14, 2013
-
Samsung chief Lee's stock value tops 12 tln won
Lee Kun-hee, chairman of South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co., has retained his position as the wealthiest shareholder in the country thanks to a surge in share prices of the company and a key affiliate, industry data showed Thursday.Lee held 12 trillion won (US$11 billion) worth of shares as of Wednesday, up 31.2 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Chaebul.com, which tracks the country's conglomerates.The researcher said the rise came as shares of Samsung E
IndustryFeb. 14, 2013
-
Mirae Asset to underwrite Boo-Kang Tech for KOSDAQ listing
Boo-Kang Tech, an environmental tech company, is seeking to list on the tech-heavy KOSDAQ possibly in the first half of this year with Mirae Asset Securities as its lead underwriter, a BKT official said.BKT is looking to raise around 30 to 40 billion won via an initial public offering. The IPO proceeds will be used to finance environment and energy plant engineering projects both at home and abroad.Also, the stock floatation will help the company secure funding from banks for further project inv
Feb. 14, 2013
-
BOK freezes key rate at 2.75%
The Bank of Korea kept its key base rate unchanged at 2.75 percent for four consecutive months on Thursday as various economic indices show signs of recovery both at home and abroad.The inflation rate in South Korea remained stable, and geopolitical risks from North Korea concerning its provocative weapons tests had very limited effect on the South’s economy.However, BOK Governor Kim Choong-soo said that uncertainties remain as the U.S. and eurozone, Korea’s two major export markets, are still g
Feb. 14, 2013
-
S. Korea's ranking in gold holdings jumps last year: report
South Korea's ranking in terms of gold holdings jumped last year as the country continued to invest in the precious metal as part of efforts to diversify its foreign reserve portfolios, a report showed Thursday.South Korea's gold holdings came to 84.4 tons last year, the 36th largest among 100 countries surveyed, according to the report by the World Gold Council. The ranking was up from 56th tallied in July 2011.The rise came as the country has kept purchasing gold, which is regarded as one of t
Feb. 14, 2013
-
Seoul shares open tad higher on auto, chemical shares
South Korean stocks began a tad higher Thursday on gains in tech and chemical shares, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 2.17 points, or 0.11 percent, to 1,978.24 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Foreigners snapped up a net 7.4 billion won (US$6.8 million) worth of local equities as of 9:15 a.m. Auto and chemical issues led the gain, with No. 1 carmaker Hyundai Motor rising 0.2 percent and industry leader LG Chem advancing 1 percent. Market behemoth
Feb. 14, 2013
-
Samsung Electronics most popular among jobseekers
Samsung Electronics was chosen for the fifth year in a row as the No. 1 company that college students and jobseekers wish to work in.Eighteen percent of the 2,644 people surveyed by online recruiting information provider Saram In picked Samsung Electronics, followed by Hyundai Motor (7.7 percent), Korea Electric Power Corp. (6.9 percent), POSCO (5.2 percent), CJ CheilJedang (4.1 percent), Korean Air (3 percent), SK Energy (1.9 percent) and LG Electronics (1.7 percent).High salary was the reason
IndustryFeb. 13, 2013
-
Seoul moves to avert sovereign rating cut
A government-led task force plans to seek close coordination with global rating agencies in a bid to prevent Korea’s credit status from being downgraded in the wake of North Korea’s nuclear test.The task force is drawing up contingency plans to effectively weather the North’s provocation and held an emergency meeting early on Wednesday.The task force is composed of senior officials from the Finance Ministry, the Financial Services Commission, the Financial Supervisory Service and the Bank of Kor
Feb. 13, 2013
-
Currency, monetary easing to top G20 meeting’s agenda
Currency devaluation and exit strategies for monetary easing are expected to top the agenda among financial policymakers at the upcoming G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bankers, Korean officials said Wednesday. The meeting is scheduled for Feb. 15-16 in Moscow.Korea’s Finance Minister Bahk Jae-wan and Bank of Korea Governor Kim Choong-soo will be attending the two-day meeting to share their views, especially on the global foreign exchange market, which has been prone to increased vo
Feb. 13, 2013
-
FSC chief offers to resign...for incoming government
Financial Services Commission chairman Kim Seok-dong has tendered his resignation to Cheong Wa Dae, the FSC said Wednesday. Kim’s decision to step down before his three-year term expires early next year reflects his philosophy that a new administration needs a new pool of people, an FSC official said. He had reportedly expressed his willingness to resign from his post before the presidential election in December.Since taking the helm of the FSC in January 2011, he has led the restructuring of tr
Feb. 13, 2013
-
Korean employment weakens further in January
Korea’s employment rate continued to drop for the third straight month, hitting a one-year low of 57.4 percent in January, according to Statistics Korea.Data released Wednesday showed that Korea’s employment rate is below the OECD-member average of 63 percent.January’s job rate was unchanged from the same period a year ago, and the youth unemployment rate continues to show no signs of improvement.The jobless rate for those aged between 15 and 29 reached 7.5 percent in January for the second mont
Feb. 13, 2013
-
Daewoo E&C-led group wins $765m order in Nigeria
Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co., one of South Korea’s leading builders, said Wednesday that its consortium has won a US$765 million order to build a fertilizer plant in Nigeria.Under the deal with Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals Ltd. on Tuesday, Daewoo E&C and its consortium partner Toyo Engineering Corp. will build the facility at Port Harcourt in southern Nigeria.Daewoo said it expects to complete the plant 34 months after starting construction but did not specify when the projec
IndustryFeb. 13, 2013
-
Samsung to bolster corporate compliance
Samsung Group, South Korea’s biggest family-owned conglomerate, plans to beef up compliance management at its affiliates as part of a group-wide strategy to better cope with risks and irregularities, an official said Wednesday.Samsung plans to adopt an index measuring compliance policies and chief executives’ efforts to put those plans into action, Samsung chief spokesman Rhee In-yong told reporters, citing the group’s chief compliance officer Kim Sang-kyun.The group will also introduce a system
Feb. 13, 2013
-
Hyundai Sonata tops J.D. Power quality survey
Hyundai Motor’s flagship Sonata sedan has recently topped the J.D. Power vehicle quality study in the midsize car segment, the carmaker said Wednesday. According to study results by the U.S. marketing firm J.D. Power and Associates, the Sonata model received the fewest complaints on reliability, outpacing its Japanese rivals such as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima. Hyundai’s Verna compact and the Soul box car of Hyundai’s affiliate Kia Motors came in third within their respectiv
IndustryFeb. 13, 2013
-
Market slump weighs down on local builders
Some local mid-sized construction companies are experiencing severe financial difficulties due to the protracted slump in the housing market, stoking concerns that they may be forced to undergo workout programs or get delisted from the local stock market.The financially troubled companies include Hanil Engineering and Construction, Ssangyong Engineering and Construction, Doosan Engineering and Construction, and Keangnam Enterprises Ltd.Market sources said Hanil, under a debt workout program, pos
IndustryFeb. 13, 2013
-
Apple seen showing signs of softening on war with Samsung
The complicated high-profile patent war between Samsung and Apple, the world’s leading electronics makers, may have turned a corner, at least for the Korean company.The most recent news on the issue is that Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook, who succeeded the iconic Steve Jobs, had been opposed to suing Samsung in the first place, according to reports citing people with knowledge of the matter.The main reason was because of the key role that Samsung plays as a major supplier of components for the
TechnologyFeb. 13, 2013
-
Panasonic CEO attacks sprawl in bid for profit
In its 95-year history, Panasonic Corp. has grown into a consumer-electronics giant producing everything from TVs to eyelash curlers. New President Kazuhiro Tsuga is deciding what it can’t afford to make any more. Next month, the head of the company that lost more than 1.3 trillion yen ($14.1 billion) since April 2011 will explain which products he wants consigned to Panasonic’s past. He plans to cut the number of business units by a third to focus on those offering the best profit margins, such
TechnologyFeb. 13, 2013
-
Global handset makers grab over 50% of Japanese market
Non-Japanese handset makers garnered over half of the Japanese market for the first time in the fourth quarter as consumers moved away from local manufacturers for a wider array of mobile devices, a report showed Wednesday.It marked the first time ever that foreign handset makers managed to surpass the 50-percent mark, with Apple Inc. leading the race with 16 percent in the October-December period, according to the report by Hong Kong-based researcher Counterpoint Technology Market Research. The
TechnologyFeb. 13, 2013
-
SPC branches into online music service market
By Kim So-hyunSPC Group, which runs bakery brand Paris Baguette, is jumping into the online music service business.“We have reviewed the business for a long time in a bid to find new sources of profit, and we will start the service soon,” an SPC official said on Wednesday, a week after new restrictions against bakery franchises were announced.SPC Networks, a subsidiary that manages membership service points from the franchised bakeries, will run the online music service named Helium.Members can
IndustryFeb. 13, 2013