Most Popular
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Exports to US reach all-time high, widen gap with China
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Trump rekindles criticism: US forces defending 'wealthy' S. Korea 'free of charge'
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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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S. Korea discussed possible participation in AUKUS Pillar 2 with Australia: defense minister
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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Seoul Metro to seek legal action against malicious complaints
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On May Day, labor unions blast Yoon's foreign nanny proposal
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Illit, mired in controversy, remains on Billboard charts for 5th week
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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[KH Explains] Will alternative trading platform shake up Korean stock market?
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Samsung to pour W240tr into chips, bio and 6G for 3 years
Samsung Electronics will invest a total of 240 trillion won ($206 billion) in the fields of semiconductors, biopharmaceuticals, next-generation telecommunications and other new technologies for the next three years, the South Korean tech giant announced Tuesday. Of the total, some 180 trillion won will be spent on expanding facilities and employment here, not overseas, the company stressed. It did not unveil a breakdown of the investment plan. The announcement came 11 days after the conglome
Aug. 24, 2021
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Is Korean IPO market losing steam?
After retail investors’ strong appetite for IPO shares early on, 2021 looked to be a record year, with a series of companies seeking to go public. But most blockbuster IPOs have fallen short of market expectations amid growing concerns over companies being overvalued. Of mega IPOs that made debuts this year, only SK Bioscience opened trading at double its IPO price, as determined between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. in the first trading session. The stock was also the only one that surged by
Aug. 24, 2021
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Citibank Korea postpones decision on exit plan for second time
Citibank Korea has decided for the second time to delay confirming its retail business exit plan, after apparently failing to agree on sales terms with potential buyers, industry sources said Tuesday. Following Citigroup’s decision in April to exit the consumer banking business in 13 global markets, including South Korea, local subsidiary Citibank Korea initially planned to confirm the exit plan in July. The firm then postponed the confirmation until a board meeting scheduled for Tuesday
Aug. 24, 2021
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Robots to fry chicken at Kyochon
Kyochon F&B, the firm behind South Korea’s biggest fried chicken franchise Kyochon Chicken, is deploying chicken-frying robots, the company said Tuesday. According to Kyochon, the first such machine has started work at one of its franchise stores in Songdo, Incheon. Kyochon double fries its chicken to create a unique crisp texture, and the robots will take charge of the second act, the firm said. Developed jointly with Doosan Robotics, the machine is a cooperative robot that can
Aug. 24, 2021
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Tax agency launches probes into suspected tax evasion
South Korea's tax agency said Tuesday it has launched probes into suspected tax evasion by 59 people who allegedly pocketed illegal profits or increased wealth in an improper manner. Of them, 29 people earned money in an illegal or dishonest fashion while misusing corporate funds to buy luxury goods, according to the National Tax Service (NTS). The agency also cracked down on people and entities that gave damage to pandemic-hit merchants and individuals to increase their assets. Since last ye
Aug. 24, 2021
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Conditional approval given to KT Skylife's takeover of cable TV operator
South Korea's antitrust regulator said Tuesday it has granted conditional approval for a deal by KT Skylife Co. to buy cable TV operator Hyundai HCN Co. on concerns that the takeover could partially hamper market competition. In October last year, KT Skylife Co., a satellite broadcasting affiliate of local telecom giant KT Corp., signed a deal to acquire Hyundai HCN Co.'s broadcasting business for 491.1 billion won ($420 million). The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) said it has given the gr
Aug. 24, 2021
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Household credit growth accelerates in Q2
South Korea's household credit grew at a faster pace in the second quarter as non-banking financial firms increased loans, central bank data showed Tuesday. Household credit reached a record high of 1,805.9 trillion won ($1.54 trillion) as of June, up 41.2 trillion won from three months earlier, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). Household credit refers to credit purchases and loans for households that have been extended by financial institutions, including commercial lenders
Aug. 24, 2021
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No. of employed people rise in 2nd-tier cities amid economic recovery
The number of employed people in minor cities and counties in South Korea rose in April from a year earlier as slumps in the job market eased amid the economic recovery, data showed Tuesday. The number of employed people for 77 smaller cities in nine provinces reached 13.1 million as of end-April, up 3.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The corresponding number for 77 counties across the nation grew 1.4 percent on-year to 2.07 million, the data s
Aug. 24, 2021
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Samsung, LG to showcase advanced OLED display tech at IMID 2021
South Korea's two largest display makers -- Samsung Display Co. and LG Display Co. -- on Tuesday said they will showcase their latest innovations at the country's leading exhibition for display panels this week. The two companies will take part in the International Meeting on Information Display (IMID) 2021, which runs from Wednesday to Friday in Seoul. Samsung Display, the world's top mobile display panel maker, said its exhibitions will focus on OLED technologies used in Samsung Electronics
Aug. 24, 2021
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Preorders for Samsung's new foldable smartphones top 800,000 units
Preorders for Samsung Electronics Co.'s new foldable smartphones have topped 800,000 units in South Korea, industry sources Tuesday, as the tech giant eyes to mainstream the foldable category with lower prices. An estimated 600,000 units of the Galaxy Z Fold3 and the Galaxy Z Flip3 were preordered through local mobile carriers, while some 200,000 units of unlocked third-generation Galaxy Z foldable devices were purchased by consumers during the one-week preorder period that ended Monday, the s
Aug. 24, 2021
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Seoul stocks open steeply higher on US stock rally
South Korean stocks opened steeply higher Tuesday, tracking overnight rallies on Wall Street that stemmed from optimism over the upcoming US tapering discussions in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 32.7 points, or 1.06 percent, to trade at 3,122.91 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. The KOSPI got off to a bullish start on tech gains, taking a cue from its US peers. Overnight, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite jumped 1.55 percent, and
Aug. 24, 2021
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S. Korea's ready-to-drink coffee market grows 5.9% in H1
South Korea's market for convenient coffee beverages expanded nearly 6 percent in the first half of the year amid the coronavirus pandemic, a market tracker said Tuesday. The size of the local ready-to-drink coffee market stood at 672.9 billion won ($574 million) in the January-June period, up 5.9 percent from a year earlier, according to Nielsen Koreanclick. Canned coffee accounted for the largest portion at 258.6 billion won, followed by cup coffee with 217.5 billion won and bottled coffee w
Aug. 24, 2021
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Samsung expands lead in DRAM market in Q2: report
Samsung Electronics Co. expanded its dominance in the global DRAM market in the second quarter of the year, a report showed Tuesday, thanks to bullish demand and chip price hikes. The South Korean tech giant registered a 43.6 percent share of the global DRAM flash market in terms of revenue in the April-June period, up 1.6 percentage points from a quarter earlier, according to market tracker TrendForce. Samsung's revenue came to $10.51 billion in the second quarter, up 30.2 percent from a qua
Aug. 24, 2021
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Citibank Korea again delays decision on exit plan
Citibank Korea Inc. has again postponed a decision on the exit plan for its retail banking unit amid differences over sale terms, industry sources said Tuesday. Citibank Korea, the South Korean unit of Citigroup Inc., had originally planned to hold a board meeting on Aug. 26 to determine how to sell the retail banking division. But the lender has decided not to put its exit plan on the meeting's agenda, putting off its decision until September, according to the sources. It marks the second p
Aug. 24, 2021
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Consumer sentiment dips in August over surge in COVID-19 infections
South Korea's consumer sentiment dipped in August over a spike in COVID-19 infections, marking the second consecutive monthly decline, central bank data showed Tuesday. The composite consumer sentiment index (CCSI) came in at 102.5 for August, down 0.7 point from the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). A reading above 100 means optimists outnumber pessimists. The latest reading marks the second monthly decline since June, when the index stood at 110.3. The
Aug. 24, 2021
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[Herald Interview] Korea Forest Service on keeping the country green
Forestry body chief talks multiple green projects and goals during his tenure Amid the prolonged coronavirus pandemic, more South Koreans are rediscovering the joy of immersing themselves in nature, heading out to rugged mountains away from crowded cities. With some 63 percent of its land covered in forest, as opposed to the global average of 30 percent, Korea is indeed a country for hikers, with mountaineering being one of the favorite hobbies of many. While more people are reconnecting
Aug. 24, 2021
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Corporate direct financing falls 3% in July
South Korea's corporate direct financing fell 3 percent on month in July due to a decline in sales of bonds, data showed Tuesday. Local companies raised a combined 21 trillion won ($17.9 billion) by selling stocks and bonds in July, down 657.6 billion won from a month ago, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). Corporate stock sales soared 73.3 percent to 4.05 trillion won, with the value of initial public offerings jumping to 3.08 trillion won. Local businesses
Aug. 24, 2021
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[Newsmaker] HMM workers vote for strike; governments drawing up measures
The South Korean government said Monday that it was taking measures to cope with any potential disruptions in maritime shipping as a labor strike loomed at the country’s largest shipper, HMM. Earlier in the day, nearly 88 percent of the 453 unionized longshore workers at HMM voted in favor of the collective action, as their wage negotiations with the company management remained deadlocked. If realized, it would be the first labor strike at the company. It is unclear when the union pl
Aug. 23, 2021
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China surpasses Korea in major economic figures: FKI
China has been outperforming South Korea in several competitiveness rankings, a report published by the Federation of Korea Industries showed Monday, having already overtaken its neighbor in several other measures. In the 2021 IMD Competitiveness Ranking. South Korea rose nine ranks from 32nd place in 1994 to 23rd in 2021, while China shot up from 34th in 1994 to 16th this year. In the Competitive Industrial Performance list, created by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization
Aug. 23, 2021
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Forestry agency earns carbon credits from overseas efforts
As climate change requires attention both locally and globally, green and healthy forests have proven to be beneficial not just in the immediate areas where they are located, but also entire regions and across the whole planet. The Korea Forest Service’s work, therefore, goes beyond the country’s borders. It has for years been making efforts to enhance sustainable management of forests in developing countries, the state-run agency said Monday. Such efforts are in line with the
Aug. 23, 2021