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What's up with Koreans waiting hours for Chipotle?
At lunchtime in southern Seoul's Gangnam, the line for a burrito bowl stretched down the block. Nearly a week after Chipotle opened its first Asian location in Seoul on Sept. 2, customers were still being told to expect waits of up to two or three hours. On Sunday, some 150 people were counted in line by 11 a.m., stretching more than 50 meters. For some of those waiting, however, the food was only part of the point. "We've got to keep up with what's trending," said university student Kim Min-ju,
Sept. 10, 2026 -
FosterBridge aligning with Qazaq Creative to drive growth in creative industries
FosterBridge, a Korea-based global startup growth platform, will join forces with Qazaq Creative, a digital platform for discovering and connecting startups and individuals in creative industries, according to FosterBridge on Sept. 2. Qazaq Creative was launched by the Republic of Kazakhstan under its government-financed fund named “Creative Industries Development Fund.” "We have witnessed startups forging global opportunities not because they lack the expertise or technological prowess, but bec
Sept. 10, 2026 -
SKT's chief participates in global mobile industry event in Malaysia
SK Telecom Co.'s Chief Executive Officer Jeong Jai-hun participated in a regional event hosted by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this week and met with industry officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the South Korean telecom operator said Thursday. Discussions centered on pressing industry issues in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), including AI sovereignty and ways to establish trustworthy telecom networks, acc
Sept. 10, 2026 -
Why Apple’s first foldable may be its most Korea-dependent iPhone yet
Apple spent years waiting for foldable phones to become good enough for an iPhone. When it finally moved, however, it reportedly put the part that makes the phone fold in the hands of a single supplier: Samsung Display. That gives iPhone Duo, unveiled Wednesday at a starting price of $1,999, an unusual supply-chain profile. Apple still sources major components from around the world. But the part most closely tied to its new form factor is also one of the hardest to replace outside Korea. "With t
Sept. 10, 2026 -
PM orders preemptive securing of crude amid rekindled Middle East tensions
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook instructed economic officials Thursday to preemptively secure crude supplies for the coming months, citing rekindled tensions in the Middle East. Han said during an emergency economic meeting that enough crude has been secured through the end of October -- at levels exceeding 90 percent of last year's -- but more efforts should be made to secure supplies for thereafter in case the Middle East tensions are prolonged. She also asked officials to closely monitor the si
Sept. 10, 2026 -
Cho Hyun-joon’s early US bet powers Hyosung’s grid expansion
Hyosung Heavy Industries is strengthening its position in the US power equipment market, as early investments in local manufacturing begin to pay off amid surging electricity demand from artificial intelligence data centers and grid modernization. The company has established US production capabilities for both 765-kilovolt transformers and circuit breakers rated at up to 800 kV, allowing it to supply core equipment for ultrahigh-voltage transmission networks. Hyosung Heavy currently commands nea
Sept. 10, 2026 -
Hyosung scales up US factories for AI power boom
Hyosung Heavy Industries is expanding its US manufacturing footprint as surging electricity demand from AI data centers and an aging power grid fuels orders for ultrahigh-voltage equipment. The company has established local production capabilities for 765-kilovolt transformers and circuit breakers rated at up to 800 kV, strengthening its position in the US power equipment market. At the center of the expansion is its transformer plant in Memphis, Tennessee — the only US facility capable of produ
Sept. 10, 2026 -
Seoul shares open lower amid escalating Mideast tensions, rising oil prices
Seoul shares opened lower Thursday, tracking Wall Street losses, as surging oil prices caused by intensifying tensions in the Middle East fueled inflation concerns ahead of key US inflation data. After opening 0.18 percent lower, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) extended losses, trading down 20.11 points, or 0.29 percent, to 7,031.53 as of 9:15 a.m. Overnight, US stocks ended lower amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and rising oil prices. The Dow Jones Industrial
Sept. 10, 2026 -
S. Korea showing clearer signs of economic recovery: finance minister
South Korea is showing clearer signs of economic recovery, with its gross national income (GNI) per capita on course to exceed $40,000 this year, the finance minister said Thursday. Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol made the remarks during a meeting of economy-related ministers, noting nominal gross domestic product (GDP) in Asia's No. 4 economy grew at its fastest pace in 47 years in the second quarter. GDP measures production within a country, while GNI refers to the total income earned by its re
Sept. 10, 2026 -
Samsung chief Lee to buy W1.94tr stake from his mother
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong plans to buy 7.19 million shares in the chipmaker from his mother, Hong Ra-hee, in a 1.94 trillion won ($1.45 billion) off-market transaction that will increase his direct stake in the company. According to a Samsung Electronics regulatory filing Wednesday, Lee is scheduled to acquire 7,188,793 common shares from Hong, honorary director of the Leeum Museum of Art, on Oct. 12. The planned price is 269,500 won per share, based on Samsung Electronics' Sept.
Sept. 9, 2026 -
SK chairman to accept 700 bln won in divorce settlement, dispute rest at top court
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won will accept 700 billion won ($523.9 million) of the 944 billion-won property division ordered by a court for his former wife, while disputing the remaining amount at the Supreme Court, legal sources said Wednesday. In July, the Seoul High Court ordered Chey to pay 944 billion won in property division to his former wife, Roh Soh-yeong, in a high-profile case. Chey appealed the ruling last month. In a document submitted to the Supreme Court on Aug. 31, Chey's legal t
Sept. 9, 2026 -
Seoul shares end higher on chip gains despite Middle East tensions
Seoul shares ended higher Wednesday as major chipmakers rallied on continued optimism over artificial intelligence, outweighing concerns over escalating tensions in the Middle East. The Korean won strengthened against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 97.12 points, or 1.4 percent, to 7,051.64. Overnight, the Philadelphia semiconductor index increased 1.3 percent despite declines on Wall Street's three main indexes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. Glo
Sept. 9, 2026 -
‘Slow and steady’ will win Korea’s race for global capital
South Korea’s capital market needs consistent reforms, greater stability and broader sources of growth to attract global investors for the long term, market experts said at The Korea Herald’s HIT Forum in Seoul on Tuesday. Held under the theme “What Will Make Global Capital Stay?” the panel brought together Alexander Treves, managing director at JPMorgan Asset Management; Frank Benzimra, head of Asia equity strategy at Societe Generale; Park Jeong-woo, Nomura’s senior economist for Korea and Tai
Sept. 9, 2026 -
Beyond the rally: Can Korea build a lasting premium?
After an unprecedented rally put South Korea’s stock market back on global investors’ radar, the market is facing a new test. A correction has brought volatility back to the forefront, turning attention to the semiconductor heavyweights that fueled much of the rally and raising questions over how long the momentum can continue. Yet for policymakers and investors, the bigger question goes beyond the next semiconductor cycle: Has Korea simply enjoyed another cyclical upswing, or is its capital mar
Sept. 9, 2026 -
Coupang payments, users rebound past prebreach levels
Coupang’s estimated card payments topped 5 trillion won ($3.74 billion) in July for the first time since its November 2025 data breach, while its user base climbed above prebreach levels in August, data showed Wednesday. Mobile Index, a data analytics service operated by IGAWorks, estimated Coupang’s credit- and debit-card payments at 5.09 trillion won in July, up 5.4 percent from 4.83 trillion won in June. The figure was the highest monthly total since the breach. The estimates are calculated f
Sept. 9, 2026