Young Poong says no better offer for Korea Zinc

Amid the intensified dispute over the management of Korea Zinc, the world’s largest zinc smelter, a Young Poong executive stressed Friday that the company was placed in a “desperate” position as its decadeslong partnership with Korea Zinc fell through. “Young Poong was desperate enough to give away the title as the largest shareholder (of Korea Zinc) to MBK Partners," Young Poong President Kang Seong-doo said at a press conference. “(The alliance with MBK) is a

IndustrySept. 27, 2024

Seoul shares close lower on profit taking despite US gains

Seoul shares closed lower Friday as investors took profit following strong gains in recent sessions despite overnight success on Wall Street. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index slipped 0.82 percent, or 21.79 points, to 2,649.78. Trading volume was moderate at 402.1 million shares worth 11.4 trillion won ($8.65 billion), with losers outnumbering winners 457 to 414. Institutions dumped a net 421.6 billion won worth of local shares, while

MarketSept. 27, 2024

LG chairman urges to “aim higher” at CEO workshop

LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo convened a strategy meeting Wednesday to discuss mid- to long-term management directions with some 40 top executives at LG companies. The meeting, held at LG Inwhawon in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, began with a discussion on strategies to navigate and respond to the rapidly changing business environment. LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan introduced key examples of the tech giant’s customer-centric management system, which has been a core focus over the past three

IndustrySept. 27, 2024

LG Energy Solution wins battery quality award in China, beating CATL, BYD

LG Energy Solution has been recognized in China for delivering the most high-quality electric vehicle batteries by the 2024 China Automotive Quality Research Awards, surpassing local manufacturers CATL and BYD in this category. The award ceremony, held in Beijing on Tuesday, was organized by Chinese automotive media platform CheZhiWang and Car Research Consulting Beijing, a Chinese automotive think tank established in 2017. The awards were based on consumer surveys, evaluating 128 vehicle models

MobilitySept. 27, 2024

Posco Future M, GM push back timeline for Canadian battery materials plant

Posco Future M and General Motors have pushed back the completion of their cathode material plant in Canada, which is part of their joint venture, Ultium CAM. Originally scheduled to be finished by the end of this month, the plant’s completion has now been delayed to a yet-to-be-determined date. Posco Future M announced the delay on Friday, citing "local conditions" without providing specific details. The plant, located in Becancour, Quebec, is set to produce high-nickel cathode

MobilitySept. 27, 2024

Posco’s volunteer program fosters spirit of sharing

South Korean steel giant Posco Group said Friday that it hosted two work camps for university students in North Gyeongsang Province and South Jeolla Province from July to August. The company annually recruits university students for its volunteer group, called Beyond. This year, 50 students from 40 Korean universities worked in various voluntary activities to address environmental and social issues. In July, the volunteers planted 400 magnolia seedlings at Baekdudaegan National Arboretum, creati

IndustrySept. 27, 2024

Seoul court denies Elliott’s W26.7b claims over Samsung merger

A Seoul court on Friday rejected American hedge fund Elliott’s payment claims for its alleged losses in the 2015 merger between Samsung C&T Corp. and Cheil Industries. Elliott, then a minority stakeholder in Samsung C&T, opposed the merger deal and received 72.4 billion won ($54.9 million) in 2022 from the de facto holding unit of Samsung Group for not exercising its appraisal rights. In October last year, however, the activist fund filed a lawsuit claiming an additional 26.7 b

IndustrySept. 27, 2024

[Photo News] Kia's first EV-only plant

Hyundai Motor Company’s smaller affiliate Kia on Friday unveiled the carmaker's first electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province. Ramping up production of the compact EV3 sport utility vehicle, Kia plans to produce a mid-sized sedan model, the EV4, next year. The 401.6 billion won ($304.2 million) facility has an annual production capacity of 150,000 units. (Kia)

MobilitySept. 27, 2024

Seoul shares open tad higher on Wall Street gains

Seoul shares opened slightly higher Friday, as chip shares gained traction bolstered by overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 0.04 percent, or 1.03 points, to 2,672.6 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, major US indexes gained ground thanks to the surprise earnings result of Micron Technology lifting artificial intelligence-related shares. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.62 percent, the S&P 500 increased 0.4 percent, and the t

MarketSept. 27, 2024

Biz outlook down for 3rd month in September amid recession woes

South Korea's business sentiment dipped for the third consecutive month in August amid dim prospects for the US economy and other major economies, a central bank poll showed Friday. Local companies' business sentiment index (BSI) stood at 91.2 this month, down from 95.1 the previous month following the 92.5 in July, according to the survey by the Bank of Korea. The index measures corporate prospects for business conditions. A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists. The

EconomySept. 27, 2024

LG Display sells its China plant to TCL subsidiary for 2 tln won

LG Display Co., a major flat screen supplier, said Thursday it has sold its facilities in China to a subsidiary of Chinese tech giant TCL Group for 2 trillion won (US$1.5 billion) as part of its business reorganizing effort. In a regulatory filing, the company said it has signed an agreement to transfer its stake in its liquid-crystal display (LCD) panel and module factories in Guangzhou, China, to China Star Optoelectronics Technology, following approval from its board of directors. The deal is

IndustrySept. 26, 2024

SK On offers voluntary retirement amid losses

SK On, the battery manufacturing subsidiary of SK Group, has announced the launch of a voluntary retirement program as part of its efforts to enhance workforce efficiency and to turn a profit by the end of this year. In a statement released Thursday, SK On outlined two key initiatives: a special leave program aimed at fostering employee development and a voluntary departure program for workers considering early retirement. These measures come as the company navigates a slowdown in the EV industr

CompaniesSept. 26, 2024

Eximbank highlights ESG efforts for global expansion

The Export-Import Bank of Korea stressed the need for companies to comply with environmental, social and governance, or ESG, regulations when expanding overseas through a seminar held Thursday. The seminar was held to share the latest trends in ESG regulations and discuss Korean companies’ response to disruptions in the global supply chain, the policy lender explained. It was held in partnership with international consultancy firm Environmental Resources Management Korea and leading local

IndustrySept. 26, 2024

SK Broadband unveils AI-powered IPTV service

SK Broadband said Thursday it is introducing an internet protocol television service using artificial intelligence to offer more tailored content to users. The internet service provider's IPTV platform B tv newly applies SK Telecom's AI assistant service A., allowing users to easily find desired content beyond IPTV to include streaming services, YouTube and the web through voice controls. At Thursday’s event, SK unveiled the AI 4 vision, an AI set-top box equipped with the B tv A

IndustrySept. 26, 2024

Seoul shares spike nearly 3% on US rate cut hopes

Seoul shares ended nearly 3 percent higher Thursday as tech stocks advanced, with hopes for additional rate cuts by the Federal Reserve lifting investor sentiment. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index jumped 2.9 percent, or 75.25 points, to 2,571.57. Trading volume was moderate at 317.46 million shares worth 11.4 trillion won ($8.6 billion), with gainers far outnumbering winners 747 to 140. Overnight, US stocks ended mixed. The Dow Jones Indu

MarketSept. 26, 2024

SK hynix outpaces Samsung, Micron with more powerful AI chips

SK hynix, the world's second-largest memory chip-maker, said Thursday it has started mass production of the world’s first 12-layer high bandwidth memory chips, solidifying its competitive edge over its global rivals -- Samsung Electronics and Micron Technology. The new 36-gigabit 12-layer HBM3E chip will be supplied to its customers, including US AI chip giant Nvidia, within the year, about six months after delivering an 8-layer HBM3E product to customers for the first time in the ind

TechnologySept. 26, 2024

Korea to face another massive shortfall in tax revenue

The South Korean government is expected to see another significant shortfall in tax revenue this year, due mainly to the sluggish semiconductors industry and the real estate market slump, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance on Thursday. The government is forecast to collect 337.7 trillion won ($254 billion) this year, 29.6 trillion won -- 8.1 percent -- less than the ministry's earlier forecast when planning the 2024 budget. This year’s projection is 6.4 trillion won unde

EconomySept. 26, 2024

HanmiGlobal ranks 8th in global CM/PM sales

South Korean construction management firm HanmiGlobal said Thursday that it has been ranked 8th in Engineering New Record’s top construction management and project management firms of the year. This year marks the fourth consecutive year the firm has secured a spot in the top 10. The annual ranking is determined based on global sales in the previous year, including those from the US. In 2023, HanmiGlobal posted $244.8 million in construction management and project management sales. In last

CompaniesSept. 26, 2024

Egypt offers gateway for Korean businesses in emerging markets: ambassador

Egypt's Ambassador to Korea, Khaled Abdelrahman, highlighted the growing potential for collaboration between Egypt and South Korea, particularly in investment and tourism, during the second session of the Global Business Forum Wednesday. Hosted by The Korea Herald, the forum seeks to facilitate knowledge exchange and build networks among Korean business and academic leaders to address the challenges posed by technological advancements and societal shifts. The GBF commenced its sixth edition

EconomySept. 26, 2024

Hyundai Mobis wins cybersecurity certification in Europe

Hyundai Mobis has become the first automotive parts supplier in Asia to receive a cybersecurity certification from ENX Association, bolstering its chances of securing orders worldwide. According to the auto parts manufacturer under Hyundai Motor Group Thursday, it held a cybersecurity certification presentation ceremony at its technology research center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province with representatives from the European association in attendance. Members of the ENX Association include powerhouse

MobilitySept. 26, 2024