A vehicle component unit under South Korea’s LG Electronics has established its new base in the United Kingdom to expand its automotive business with car manufacturers in the fast growing European market.The tech giant has opened a research and development center at the University of Warwick Science Park in the city of Coventry, and is registered as a tenant in the academia-industrial cluster, based on information provided by market insiders exclusively to The Korea Herald. The center marks LG’s

Mobility Oct. 24, 2017

Samsung Electronics is set to announce next week a three-year plan to buy back shares, which is anticipated to be the largest backed by the tech giant’s thriving chip business.The tech giant will also announce its third-quarter profit and plans for cash dividends for 2018-2020. (Photo by Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)Last year, the company said it would spend 50 percent of its net profits to increase its share value and return the benefits to its investors. Of the 22.4 trillion won of net profi

Industry Oct. 23, 2017

A plan by SsangYong Motor to build its first overseas plant in China could go back to square one due to growing anti-Korean sentiment in China over the Korean government’s decision to deploy an anti-missile system here, the company’s chief executive said Friday.At a meeting with Korean reporters, SsangYong President and CEO Choi Johng-sik said the plan that involves Shaanxi Automobile Group as a joint venture partner has been making slow progress since a diplomatic dispute between Seoul and Beij

Mobility Oct. 22, 2017

GS Group Chairman Huh Chang-soo urged CEOs and executives of the group’s affiliates to create an organization that responds flexibly to fast market changes at a quarterly meeting in Seoul, officials said Thursday.Huh referred to Thomas Friedman’s 2016 book “Thank You for Being Late” to explain that the group is facing challenges arising from market uncertainties in “the age of accelerations,” which is the reason why it needs to secure “strategic flexibility” to efficiently allocate assets and ma

Industry Oct. 19, 2017

A Seoul court on Thursday rejected a request by Ilsung Pharmaceuticals to nullify a merger between two Samsung affiliates in 2015, ruling that the merger was “valid.” The Seoul Central District Court was dismissing a case filed by the local drugmaker, which held a 2.11 percent stake in Samsung C&T before the merger. Ilsung claimed that Cheil Industries’ takeover of the former Samsung C&T was “unfair” for shareholders.But the court said no illegality was found during the merger process, despite i

Industry Oct. 19, 2017

Posco Chairman Kwon Oh-joon was appointed the vice chairman of the World Steel Association, which represents the interests of 160 steelmakers around the world, at the organization’s annual board meeting held in Brussels, officials in Seoul said Wednesday.Kwon is the fourth Posco chairman named to serve the post. According to the organization’s protocol, Kwon will become the chairman next year and spend another year as the vice chairman in his third year. Posco Chairman Kwon Oh-joon (left) and Ni

Mobility Oct. 18, 2017

The United Kingdom has been enjoying rapid market growth and demand on British cars in recent years. But at the same time, the rise of future technology, particularly on green cars, has been a big concern. Based on its long history and heritage, the UK has been a major producer of internal combustion engines, making 2.5 million engines a year, which is higher than the 2 million vehicles that the country manufactures annually.But in fear of losing that proportion of petrol engines to electric bat

Mobility Oct. 18, 2017

A group of customers who bought Audi and Volkswagen vehicles involved in a diesel emissions scandal has filed a complaint against South Korea’s Environment Ministry over its approval of the German carmakers’ recall plan.In August, the ministry approved the plan to carry out a software update on a total of 82,291 units of Volkswagen and Audi models equipped with the emissions-cheating 2.0-liter EA189 diesel engine. However, the planned software update is insufficient to curb emissions and is not

Mobility Oct. 17, 2017

A joint venture between SK Innovation and Sinopec of China has decided to invest 740 billion won ($653.8 million) to expand its production capacity by some 36 percent, officials in Seoul said Tuesday.The Sinopec-SK Wuhan Petrochemical joint venture was established in 2013 with the two companies investing 3.3 trillion won. SK Global Chemical, a subsidiary of SK Innovation, holds a 35 percent stake in the venture. (Yonhap)The plant under the joint venture has an annual production capacity of 2.2 m

Industry Oct. 17, 2017

With the resignation of Samsung Electronics’ practical commander in chief Kwon Oh-hyun on Friday signaling a large-scale personnel reshuffle, eyes are zeroing in on the group’s jailed heir Lee Jae-yong and how possible it would be for him to strategize, control and direct future steps from his cell.According to experts who have studied Samsung and South Korean chaebol closely for years, there were cases of so-called “in-prison management” in the recent past, and it is highly likely for the 49-ye

Industry Oct. 16, 2017

Daesung Group Chairman Younghoon David Kim is hosting an executive assembly of the World Energy Council, a group of energy leaders around the world, in Lisbon, officials said Monday.As the chairman of WEC, Kim will preside over summits and conferences scheduled to be held for the four-day gathering. The assembly runs through Thursday, they added. Daesung Group Chairman Younghoon David Kim (World Energy Council)Kim will also deliver an opening speech to stress the role of the energy sector in tra

Industry Oct. 16, 2017

Kumho Tire, the nation‘s second-largest tiremaker, has released new tires designed for safer driving in the winter, the company said Sunday.The Wintercraft WP72 and WS71 are the sequels to Kumho’s signature winter tire products Wintercraft KW27 and I’Zen RV KC15, with the tiremaker having strengthened design elements and improved functionality. Kumho Tire's new Wintercraft WP72 and WS71 are presented. (Kumho Tire)Wintercraft WP 72 is a premium winter tire set for sedans that makes less noise, bu

Industry Oct. 15, 2017

A surprise farewell announcement by a Samsung Electronics chief executive officer on the day the tech giant paraded another record-quarterly profit last week signals a generational shift within the tech giant leadership and also a change into a technology-focused, business-to-business company from a copycat appliance maker, experts in Seoul said Sunday.Kwon Oh-hyun, who led Samsung Electronics’ thriving chip business and has recently emerged as the public face of the tech giant, said Friday that

Industry Oct. 15, 2017

GM Korea is set to celebrate its 15th anniversary of operations in South Korea on Monday. 　However, instead of being a festive occasion to mark the milestone, the US carmaker is laying low, as it is burdened by low sales and a growing deficit on the back of the slowing domestic market.　Coincidentally, its anniversary overlaps with the expiration of the South Korean government’s right to veto GM’s decision to leave the country, further fanning speculations on what the company’s next strategic mov

Mobility Oct. 12, 2017

An affiliate of SK Innovation has signed a deal to purchase a chemical unit under Dow Chemical to expand its packaging product businesses, the company said Wednesday.The deal is the second transaction between SK Global Chemical and the US chemical company. The SK affiliate bought Dow Chemical’s ethylene acrylic acid business for $370 million earlier this year. (Yonhap)The sale price of Dow’s polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) business is not revealed as the company has no obligation to make a public

Industry Oct. 11, 2017