Most Popular
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[AtoZ into Korean mind] Humor in Korea: Navigating the line between what's funny and not
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[Exclusive] Korean military set to ban iPhones over 'security' concerns
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Yoon seeks rebound, taps 5-term lawmaker as chief of staff
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Korean, Romanian leaders discuss defense tech, nuclear energy
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Medical standoff deepens as doctors reject new med school plan, talks
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[Graphic News] 77% of young Koreans still financially dependent
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N. Korea sends economic delegation to Iran amid suspected military cooperation
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[Herald Interview] Why Toss invited hackers to penetrate its system
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S. Korea calls on Japan to confront history amid Yasukuni Shrine visit
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S. Korean envoys convene to navigate strategy amid Middle East tensions
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MMAA hires ex-Lotte insurance CIO
South Korean institutional investor Military Mutual Aid Association has named Lee Sang-hee, former top investor at Lotte Non-Life Insurance, as its new chief investment officer, the firm said Monday. Lee’s three-year term will start on Thursday, according to the institutional investor who manages 12.7 trillion won ($11.18 billion) in assets as of 2020. He will be responsible for overseeing 5 trillion-won worth of financial assets at MMAA -- including equities, fixed-income and alternative
May 17, 2021
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Climate response fund to be set up in 2022 to bolster renewable energy transition
The South Korean government will support the development and commercialization of clean energy technologies and set up a climate response fund next year to achieve the goal of going carbon neutral by 2050. Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Monday that preparation for the scenario to achieve net zero emissions is “in full swing,” while stressing the importance of a preemptive policy response related to climate cooperation. South Korea plans to bolster its original target of reduci
May 17, 2021
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Will Samsung’s $17b US investment be enough to survive chip race?
The race to outpace competitors with massive capacity expansions is intensifying among global chip manufacturers and the time for Samsung Electronics to announce its own investment plans is approaching. While South Korea is pinning its hopes on Samsung, the world’s No. 1 memory player, to announce massive investments as early as this week, the market is paying close attention to the size of its spending commitment and whether it will be enough for the Korean chipmaker to maintain its p
May 17, 2021
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[#WeFACE] Future can’t develop like past: Hanhwa CTO
The Korea Herald is publishing a series of interviews with executives of South Korea’s leading corporations on their response to environmental, social and corporate governance, or ESG, issues, which have become central factors globally in measuring the sustainability of an investment or business decision. -- Ed. Though expensive and difficult to make, green hydrogen is the call of the times, says Jeong Ji-won, chief technology officer at Hanwha Q Cells, a solar-to-hydrogen unit of
May 17, 2021
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ETRI develops non-explosive hybrid electrolytes for EV batteries
South Korea’s state-run Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute said Monday it has developed hybrid electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries that are free from explosions. Lithium-ion batteries are charged and discharged when lithium ions go back and forth between the positive side and the negative side. Lithium-ion batteries are filled with liquid called electrolytes, which help the ions travel. As liquid electrolytes are flammable, efforts have been made to develop solid
May 17, 2021
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Hanwha, KAIST to launch intersatellite-link project
Space Hub, an aerospace task force of Hanwha Group, will form a joint space research center with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology to launch an intersatellite-link project. Hanwha and KAIST will invest 10 billion won ($8.8 million) into the space research center, the largest one formed by a private company and a university, officials said Monday. The first project will involve the development of intersatellite-link technology, which enables data transmission by shooting las
May 17, 2021
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SK Chemicals buys 10% stake in Chinese recycled plastic firm
SK Chemicals said Monday that it acquired a 10 percent stake in Shuye, a Chinese firm that specializes in recycling plastic waste, to commercialize eco-friendly plastic called glycolmodified polyethylene terephthalate, or PETG. PETG is a plastic free of environmental hormone bisphenol A, an industrial chemical used to manufacture typical plastic. PETG offers the same transparency as glass but offers greater durability. PETG made by SK Chemicals is currently supplied to global cosmetics brand
May 17, 2021
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[Herald Interview] Time is ripe for Korean property investors to increase risk profiles
South Korean investors have relied on core assets overseas, such as fully-tenanted commercial buildings in prime locations, but market changes and a low-interest environment across the globe mean that it’s time to change tack from such risk-averse approaches, an expert said. “Safe bets are no longer safe but expensive and scarce. Price competition is intensifying surrounding core assets because they are seeing a higher demand at home and abroad,” said Kim Jong-min, head of ove
May 17, 2021
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KB Asset raises W1tr for AMP Capital’s infra debt funds
Seoul-based KB Asset Management said Monday it has fetched a total of 1 trillion won ($882.1 million) for infrastructure debt exposure in developed countries under a fund-of-funds scheme with Australia-based AMP Capital. The third-largest firm in Korea by the assets under management has raised a recent undisclosed amount of additional commitment from institutional clients for the private debt fund, reaching the milestone five years after it signed a memorandum of understanding with AMP Capital
May 17, 2021
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Seoul stocks dip amid virus woes in Asia
South Korean stocks closed lower Monday as investors took caution over rising coronavirus cases in parts of Asia and assessed China's latest economic data that partially missed expectations. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 18.80 points, or 0.6 percent, to 3,134.52 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 758.87 million shares worth some 14.33 trillion won ($12.6 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 587 to 277. Foreigner
May 17, 2021
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Fashion brand Juun.J unveils uniform for Hybe’s museum staff
South Korean fashion brand Junn.J has revealed the uniform for staff at entertainment giant Hybe’s new museum. The ensemble consisting of a white T-shirt and a black wide sleeve top and a pair of black cargo jogger pants will be worn by staff at Hybe Insight, which opened last week on the two basement floors of Hybe’s new headquarters in Yongsan, central Seoul. The design took on board Hybe Insight’s image, a venue where music can be experienced in various ways and Junn. J&rs
May 17, 2021
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Middle-income households see sharpest drop in spending
Responding to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea’s middle-income households turned out to have reduced private spending more sharply than those in the upper and bottom income brackets, state-run think tank Korea Development Institute said Monday. The nation’s middle class, which generally refers to households belonged to the third highest income quintile that earn 40 percent to 60 percent of the median income, saw its consumption expenditures shrink 6
May 17, 2021
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BOK faces policy decisions amid growing inflation signs
South Korea’s central bank faces decisions in whether to maintain or raise its key interest rate as a bigger-than-expected jump in global consumer prices have heightened inflation concerns. The Bank of Korea is scheduled to hold its fourth monetary policy meeting this year on May 27, in which they are expected to decide whether to keep the national interest rate anchored at a record-low of 0.5 percent or change course. While they may have smoothly maintained a dovish stance so far, ami
May 17, 2021
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Korea Airports Corp. ‘on course’ to lead airport expansion project in Laos
Korea Airports Corp. said on Monday that it is on course to lead a project worth 100 billion won ($88.2 million) to expand Luang Prabang International Airport in Laos. Once the ongoing deal is finalized, the move will see the public enterprise behind Gimpo and Jeju International Airports become a first in the country to pursue such a project in the Southeast Asian country. “Amid the prolonged coronavirus crisis and hardships surrounding it, we are honored to announce our foray into succe
May 17, 2021
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Air carriers to raise fuel surcharges on int'l routes in June
South Korean airlines will raise fuel surcharges on international routes next month amid rising jet fuel prices, industry sources said Monday. Starting June 1, the surcharge for one-way tickets on international routes will range from 3,600 won ($3.20) to 20,400 won depending on the routes, according to the sources. The amount is up one level from the band of 1,200 won to 9,600 won for this month. Rising jet fuel prices prompted local air carriers to begin imposing fuel surcharges in April af
May 17, 2021
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Samsung's US chip plant investment may be in offing: sources
Samsung Electronics Co. may unveil its plan later this month to build a new chip factory in the United States, industry sources said Monday, as the South Korean tech giant tries to cope with rivals' capacity expansions. Speculation has run high that Samsung would reveal its US investment upon the summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Joe Biden to be held in Washington on Friday (local time). Samsung, the world's largest memory chip producer and No. 2 foundry firm,
May 17, 2021
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SsangYong Motor Q1 net losses narrow on base effect
SsangYong Motor Co., the South Korean unit of Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said Monday its first-quarter net losses narrowed from a year earlier on a base effect. Net losses narrowed to 86.29 billion won ($76 million) in the January-March quarter from 193.54 billion won in the same period of last year, the company said in a statement. "In the first quarter of 2020, losses involving tangible assets were reflected, but there was no such one-off factor in the past quarter,&
May 17, 2021
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Number of firms with sales of over W1tr drops in 2020 amid pandemic
The number of South Korean firms with sales of 1 trillion won ($882 million) or more edged down in 2020 from a year earlier amid the coronavirus pandemic, a corporate tracker said Monday. A total of 204 local companies posted sales of 1 trillion won or more last year, down five from the previous year, according to the CXO Institute. It represents the first drop in the number in five years. The figure rose from 184 in 2016 to 187 in 2017, 199 in 2018 and 209 in 2019. Namyang Dairy Products Co.
May 17, 2021
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Residents' FX deposits rise for 3rd month in April amid robust exports
Foreign currency deposits at banks in South Korea rose for the third straight month in April as exporters increased dollar holdings amid brisk overseas shipments, central bank data showed Monday. Outstanding foreign currency-denominated deposits held by residents amounted to $94.83 billion as of end-April, up $2.13 billion from the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). The FX deposits rose for the third consecutive month in April after they declined for the first time in four m
May 17, 2021
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Banks' Q1 net profit jumps on KDB's one-off gains
South Korean banks saw their first-quarter earnings jump 71 percent from a year earlier due to one-off gains from state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), data showed Monday. The combined net profit stood at 5.5 trillion won ($4.8 billion) for the January-March period, compared with a profit of 3.2 trillion won a year earlier, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said in a statement. In the first quarter, the KDB reported an unusually high net profit of 1.4 trillion won, thanks to stock inv
May 17, 2021