Seoul shares open lower on Wall Street losses

South Korean stocks opened lower Wednesday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street ahead of the Jackson Hole meeting later this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) dropped 5.28 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,691.35 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, major US indexes lost ground to take a breather from a recent rally, with AI chip giant Nvidia down more than 2 percent. Investors' eyes are on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech at the upcomi

Aug. 21, 2024

KG Mobility to sell new Actyon SUV on Naver shopping platform

Korean sport utility vehicle dark horse KG Mobility (KGM) unveiled a refreshed brand strategy Tuesday as it launched its new SUV Actyon, with eyes set on expanding its presence in the global market. “KG Mobility has a history that always pursued being the first during its 70-year-long history, including the launch of the Korando and Musso -- the beginnings of traditional SUVs -- and the Chairman, Korea’s first luxury sedan,” said KGM Chairman Kwak Jea-sun during a media event a

Aug. 20, 2024

Why Korean Air, Asiana Airlines in rush to shed unused mileage points

South Korea's top two airlines, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, are recently ramping up efforts to encourage their passengers to use up their mileage in an apparent move to ease financial burdens ahead of their planned merger later this year. Korean Air recently announced a strategic partnership with GS Retail, a local retailer operating GS25 convenience stores, to allow customers to use their Korean Air points at GS25 outlets. Asiana Airlines also plans to launch an online shopping site ex

Aug. 20, 2024

Percentage of younger employees drops at major Korean companies: report

Major South Korean companies are seeing an increase in the percentage of employees aged 50 or older, while that of employees in their 20s is declining, a recent report by corporate analysis firm Leaders Index showed Tuesday. The firm analyzed 2021-23 data of 141 companies among the top 500 in the country in terms of sales, compiling the report on 123 companies that also revealed the ages of their employees. The total number of employees at those companies went from 1.38 million in 2021 to 1.42 m

Aug. 20, 2024

Seoul shares rebound ahead of Fed chief's speech this week

South Korean stocks rebounded on Tuesday following a rally in the US market ahead of this week's Jackson Hole symposium. The local currency gained against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 22.27 points, or 0.83 percent, to close at 2,696.63. Trade volume was moderate at 473 million shares worth 8.69 trillion won ($6.52 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 644 to 245. Foreigners bought a net 254.2 billion won worth of shares, while individuals offload

Aug. 20, 2024

SK in talks to sell specialty gas unit

SK Group, the country's chip-to-energy conglomerate, is considering the sale of its gas supplier SK Specialty, amid the massive reshuffle across its affiliates to focus on future growth drivers. The company is "considering diverse strategies, including the sale of a stake in SK specialty" but "nothing has been decided in detail yet," SK Inc. said through a regulatory filing made Tuesday. SK Inc., the holdings company behind SK Group, owns a 100 percent stake in the gas u

Aug. 20, 2024

As Daum sinks in search, experts doubt AI is solution

Daum, once solidly the No. 2 player in the online search market in Korea, has lost ground to foreign rivals here. Its parent company Kakao is betting heavily on artificial intelligence to revive the ailing portal site, but industry watchers remain skeptical of its strategy, which has yet to be made public. According to web log analysis site Internet Trend on Tuesday, Daum ranked No. 4 in the domestic web search market as of Friday, with its market share falling from 4.41 percent a year ago to 3.

Aug. 20, 2024

[Herald Interview] Jeep Avenger looks to repeat European success in Korea

Jeep is launching its first all-electric vehicle, the Avenger, in Korea next month. “The Avenger was the first Jeep nameplate offered with an all-electric power train. It marks the Jeep’s brand entrance in the (battery electric vehicle) arena in Korea,” said Matt Nyquist, vice president of global product planning at the Jeep brand, in an online interview with a group of reporters Tuesday. The Jeep official pointed out that the country’s sports utility vehicle segment was

Aug. 20, 2024

Qxpress to split from cash-strapped Qoo10

Singapore-based logistics company Qxpress is set to separate from its financially troubled parent, Qoo10 Group. According to the local investment industry Tuesday, private equity firms that have invested in Qxpress are reportedly gearing up to convert their holdings of exchangeable bonds and convertible bonds into common stock on a large scale, initiating the procedure to take over management control of the logistics subsidiary from Qoo10 to restore normal operations. Investments totaling approx

Aug. 20, 2024

Nexon founder's family sells W670b stakes to settle tax burden

The family of Nexon's late founder, Kim Jung-ju, has sold a significant portion of their shares in the company's holding firm, NXC, to help cover the hefty inheritance taxes following his death. On Monday, NXC announced it had bought back shares from Kim’s widow, Yoo Jeong-hyun, who chairs NXC’s board, and their two children. The family sold a total of 125,288 shares -- 649.9 billion won worth (approximately $488 million). Additionally, NXC purchased 3,122 shares in Wisekid

Aug. 20, 2024

LG Energy Solution targets 2028 for full rollout of cost-saving dry electrode process

LG Energy Solution said Tuesday that it is on track to complete a pilot line for its advanced dry electrode process at its Ochang Energy Plant by the end of this year, with the goal of scaling to full production by 2028. The dry electrode process is a cutting-edge method of making batteries that could transform the way they’re produced. Traditionally, most batteries are made using a wet process. This involves mixing active materials with organic solvents to create a slurry, which is then c

Aug. 20, 2024

Amorepacific's Hera debuts in Thailand

South Korean cosmetic giant Amorepacific announced Tuesday that its high-end beauty brand Hera has entered the Thai market. Hera opened its first store in Central Chidlom, a stylish 7-story department store in Bangkok, earlier this month. Over 200 guests, including media representatives and influencers, were invited to celebrate the debut at an event that also introduced the brand’s signature makeup and beauty routines. Alongside the store opening, Hera hosted a pop-up event at Central Chi

Aug. 20, 2024

Daewoo E&C builds good management-labor relationship

Daewoo Engineering & Construction and its labor union have joined hands in the effort to create positive, amicable workplace culture for all workers and break through market challenges together. According to the South Korean builder on Tuesday, the management and union reached an agreement earlier this month to reform the company's personnel management systems. The plan includes simplifying the ranking system and upgrading personnel evaluation and wage schemes. They also completed this

Aug. 20, 2024

Seoul shares open sharply higher on Wall Street gains

South Korean stocks opened sharply higher on Tuesday on overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shot up 26.07 points, or 0.97 percent, to 2,700.43 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.58 percent higher, with the S&P 500 advancing 0.97 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite finished 1.39 percent higher as well. The Wall Street gains were powered by eased concerns about a potential recession in the Un

Aug. 20, 2024

Buyout firms build appetite for waste managers in Korea

Overseas private equity firms are increasingly eyeing to acquire a stake in waste management companies here, in an attempt to expand their footprint in the environmental sector. Swedish investment company EQT announced Friday that it is set to acquire the local plastic recycler KJ Environment and its affiliates through a stock purchase agreement. EQT is a Stockholm-based buyout firm with 246 billion euros ($272 billion) in total assets under management. The deal, reportedly worth around 1 trilli

Aug. 19, 2024

[KH Explains] Why Korean metro operators are selling station names

South Korea's subway operators are raising billions of won by selling station co-naming rights to corporations, allowing them to place their names alongside the well-known station names, to make up for substantial operating losses. Seoul Metro, the operator of Subway Line Nos. 1 through 9 within the capital, announced Aug. 12 that it had sold the co-naming rights for several subway stations, including Seongsu Station, Gangnam Station, Yeouinaru Station and Sangbong Station, through a biddin

Aug. 19, 2024

Honeywell taps strategy expert to lead Korean office

Honeywell, a multinational integrated operating conglomerate, on Monday announced that it has appointed Dean Park as the head of its Korean office as it looks to bolster growth here. According to Honeywell, Park will oversee the delivery of tailored products and solutions designed to meet the local needs of Korea’s key industries that align with the three megatrends -- automation, the future of aviation and energy transition -- shaping Honeywell’s portfolio. The new Korea chief will

Aug. 19, 2024

Samsung tops global TV sales, closely chased by Chinese rivals

While Samsung Electronics maintained its No. 1 position as a TV-maker in the first half of this year, Chinese rivals seem to be ramping up their game to close the gap. Market tracker Counterpoint Research said Monday that global TV shipments grew in the April-June period for the first time in four quarters, fueled by an Olympics spending spree. It reached 56 million units in the second quarter this year, up 3 percent on-year. Samsung took the largest share of 15 percent of total shipments, but i

Aug. 19, 2024

SK's top executives convene to discuss AI at Icheon Forum

SK Group kicked off its annual Icheon forum -- one of the biggest gatherings of its top executives -- in Seoul on Monday to explore strategies for expanding the artificial intelligence ecosystem and reinforcing the value of SK Management Systems, the group’s unique philosophy introduced by former SK Chairman Chey Jong-hyun about half a century ago. About 100 guests and speakers from both Korea and abroad, together with Chairman Chey Tae-won, Executive Vice Chairman Chey Jae-won and SK Supe

Aug. 19, 2024

Bankers better paid than Samsung, Hyundai Motor workers

The average earnings of bankers at South Korea's four major banks in the first half of this year amounted to 60.5 million won ($45,300), surpassing the pay at some of the country's largest companies. According to recent public disclosures reported by the banks to the Financial Supervisory Service, Hana Bank led the pack, offering 67 million won on average to its employees over the first six months. KB Kookmin Bank and Woori Bank followed at 60 million won each, while Shinhan Bank provi

Aug. 19, 2024