APR's Medicube seeks bigger footing in US, Canada

South Korean beauty tech company APR, known for its Medicube brand, announced Wednesday that it has signed a supply agreement with The TJX Companies, a global retail giant operating nearly 5,000 stores across nine countries, including the United States and Canada. With this agreement, Medicube's popular skin care products and AGE-R beauty devices will now be available in TJX-owned stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls, both well-established names in the North American retail landscape. The prod

CompaniesAug. 28, 2024

One Store goes global with Taiwan launch

Korean mobile app store operator One Store said Wednesday that it aims to expand globally with Taiwan being the first strategic market. “Our hyper localization strategy involves partnering with local companies globally to tailor services specifically for each region, aiming to compete with global monopolies on a global scale," CEO Chun Dong-jin said during a press conference in Seoul, earlier in the day. "One Store aims to become the most competitive app market globally by 2030.&

IndustryAug. 28, 2024

Woori to reenter insurance market after 11-year hiatus

Woori Financial Group has finalized a deal to acquire Tongyang Life Insurance and ABL Life Insurance, marking its reentry into the insurance sector after 11 years. The group announced Wednesday that its board of directors has resolved to incorporate Tongyang Life Insurance and ABL Life Insurance as subsidiaries and has signed the stock sale agreements. Woori will acquire a 75.34 percent stake in Tongyang Life for 1.28 trillion won ($958 million) and the entirety of ABL Life for 265.4 billion won

IndustryAug. 28, 2024

Shinhan Bank offers AI interpretation service for foreigners

Shinhan Bank, one of South Korea's five major commercial banks, is enhancing services for foreign customers with the introduction of a new speech-to-text interpretation service at its brick-and-mortar branches. On Wednesday, the bank announced the launch of its "Banking for Everyone" service, designed to assist foreign customers facing communication challenges due to language barriers or disabilities. The service converts spoken language into text for both bankers and customers vi

IndustryAug. 28, 2024

Govt. to provide record amount of foodstuffs, discount for Chuseok holiday

The government plans to supply a record amount of 170,000 tons of high-demand foodstuffs and provide a discount worth 70 billion won ($52.63 million) for the upcoming Chuseok holiday, the finance ministry said Wednesday. These measures are part of a broader effort to support the livelihoods of the people and curb inflation ahead of the major traditional holiday. The plan also includes providing financial support to small and midsized companies and micro-business owners. According to the plan, th

EconomyAug. 28, 2024

Seoul shares open tad higher on tech, auto gains

South Korean shares opened slightly higher Wednesday, led by gains in tech, autos, and other blue chips. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 1.38 points, or 0.05 percent, to 2,686.27 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Tech behemoth Samsung Electronics and chip rival SK hynix added 0.26 and 0.23 percent, respectively. Top automaker Hyundai Motor gained 1.21 percent, and its smaller affiliate Kia also rose 1.18 percent. Battery shares were mixed, with industry leader LG Energy So

MarketAug. 28, 2024

Seoul shares down for 3rd day on US tech slump

South Korean shares closed lower Tuesday to extend their losing streak to a third day, taking a cue from overnight losses on Wall Street. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) shed 8.76 points, or 0.32 percent, to close at 2,689.25. Trade volume was light at 259.7 million shares worth 7.95 trillion won ($5.97 billion). Winners, however, outnumbered losers 434 to 423. Institutions bought a net 36.9 billion won worth of shares, while

MarketAug. 27, 2024

Why Korea suffers record travel deficit despite K-culture boom

A growing number of foreign travelers are visiting Korea amid the global popularity of K-culture. But many more Korean nationals are traveling abroad, leading the nation’s travel deficit to a six-year record in the first six months of this year. According to a recent joint report by the Bank of Korea and the Korea Tourism Organization, the country recorded a travel deficit of $6.48 billion in the first half. The figure represents the largest deficit since the $8.74 billion recorded in 20

IndustryAug. 27, 2024

[Photo News] OLED brings art to life

LG Electronics is bringing the late ink wash master Suh Se-ok’s iconic work, reimagined by his son, artist Suh Do-ho, to life on billboards across Seoul, Incheon, New York and London ahead of Frieze Seoul 2024. The four-day event, starting Oct. 4 at Coex in Gangnam, Seoul, will feature Suh’s 1978 work "Walker” displayed on LG’s transparent OLED display. The tech giant also on Tuesday announced a three-year partnership with the National Museum of Modern and Contempora

CompaniesAug. 27, 2024

Westinghouse interrupts Korea's Czech nuclear deal

Korea’s multibillion-dollar deal to build nuclear plants in the Czech Republic has been put at risk with US-based Westinghouse Electric Co. filing an appeal with the Czech's antimonopoly watchdog Tuesday, challenging Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power's position as the preferred bidder. "KHNP’s APR1000 and APR1400 plant designs utilize Westinghouse-licensed Generation II System 80 technology," Westinghouse said in its press release. "KHNP neither owns the underlying

IndustryAug. 27, 2024

Trump presidency to boost Korea-US chip alliance: Heritage Foundation VP

Derrick Morgan, executive vice president of the US think tank Heritage Foundation, said he expected that economic cooperation between South Korea and the US would deepen, focusing on shipbuilding and semiconductors, if Donald Trump wins the 2024 US presidential race. “The US and the rest of the world is overly dependent on Taiwan for semiconductors. … The innovation coming out of Korea these days is amazing and should be applauded,” he said during an event hosted by the Kore

EconomyAug. 27, 2024

SK Innovation, E&S to merge into W100tr energy giant

SK Innovation and SK E&S, two major energy affiliates of the country's second-largest conglomerate SK Group, received shareholders’ approval for their merger on Monday, paving the way for the launch of an integrated entity with assets over 100 trillion won ($75 billion). Some 85.76 percent of the attendees at SK Innovation's extraordinary general shareholders meeting voted in favor of the merger. The merger was approved by SK E&S shareholders, too. SK Inc., the group&rsqu

IndustryAug. 27, 2024

80% of young Korean workers turn to AI for solutions: report

A recent report showed that artificial intelligence technology is a go-to tool in the workplace for an overwhelming majority of young adults in South Korea, who favor AI at a far greater rate than their counterparts in other countries. Samsung Electronics released "The 2024 AI-Preneur Effect" looking into how Gen Z is using cutting-edge technology to boost their careers, and it showed 80 percent of young people in Korea are dependent on AI as a go-to resource. Following the Koreans wer

TechnologyAug. 27, 2024

Fubon Hyundai Life solidifies foothold in Korea

Fubon Hyundai Life Insurance, the Korean unit of Taiwan's Fubon Financial Group, is making steady progress in solidifying its foothold in South Korea under the robust leadership of CEO Lee Jae-won. Establishing a presence in Korea is no easy task for a minor foreign insurer, yet Fubon Hyundai Life has been on an upward growth trajectory as it approaches its sixth anniversary next month. Notably, the company has effectively shifted from a sole focus on retirement pensions to offering more di

IndustryAug. 27, 2024

JB Financial Group's Kwangju Bank, Toss Bank launch joint loan product

Kwangu Bank, a South Korean bank affiliated with JB Financial Group, announced Tuesday the company has teamed up with Toss Bank, the internet-only lender, to launch the nation's first joint loan product. Kwangju Bank expects synergy by combining its know-how about private loans with Toss Bank’s extensive mobile platform. The new loan product, called Together Loan, also earned recognition as an innovative financial service from the Financial Services Commission in June. Customers can a

IndustryAug. 27, 2024

LG CNS to nurture DX talent in partnership with SNU

Korean IT service provider LG CNS said Tuesday the company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Seoul National University to nurture tech talents specialized in digital transformation or DX. Under the partnership, LG CNS will set up new talent training programs for SNU's master course in industrial engineering. The areas of study include mathematical optimization, artificial intelligence, big data and business consulting. The company will select top performers in the course next ye

IndustryAug. 27, 2024

[Photo News] Supporting Paralympians

From left: Boccia players from South Korea Kang Sun-hee and Jeong So-yeong, Kurt Busk, a wheelchair rugby player from Denmark, International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons and Jordan Luce, a wheelchair basketball player from France, pose for a photo at Samsung Electronics' pop-up zone at the Olympic and Paralympic Village in Paris ahead of the 2024 Paralympic Games that kick off Wednesday in the French capital. Samsung has been the official Olympic partner for 18 years. The t

IndustryAug. 27, 2024

Samsung, Qualcomm team up for car chips

Samsung Electronics, the world's No. 1 memory chipmaker, said Tuesday that it has partnered with US chip giant Qualcomm Technologies to produce advanced chips for diverse automotive solutions. The Korean tech giant said its latest automotive LPDDR4X memory has been successfully qualified for use with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis. The product is set to be applied in premium in-vehicle infotainment and advanced driver-assistance systems. Samsung’s automotive LPDDR4X quali

TechnologyAug. 27, 2024

[Photo News] Hana global workshop

Hana Financial Group hosted a two-day workshop starting Monday at the Hana Global Campus in Incheon, focusing on global strategies and corporate culture to enhance employee capabilities and reinforce the company's commitment to customer-centric service. The seminar was attended by 29 employees from 19 countries. The picture shows Hana Financial Group Vice President Lee Eun-hyung (center) with the global participants. (Hana Financial Group)

IndustryAug. 27, 2024

Another tight year ahead for Korea in 2025 with 3.2% budget increase

The Ministry of Economy and Finance has proposed a 677.4 trillion won ($509.2 billion) budget for next year, focusing on fiscal consolidation while bolstering public welfare and investing in strategic emerging industries. The budget, proposed by the finance ministry and endorsed by the Cabinet on Tuesday, represents a 3.2 percent hike from this year, reflecting the government's commitment to spending control and improved fiscal health. "Once known for its strong fiscal soundness, Korea

EconomyAug. 27, 2024