Lotte pushes AI agents across workplace

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin took part in the group's "CEO AI Academy" earlier this month, building AI-powered services and developing an AI agent himself as the conglomerate accelerates its artificial intelligence transformation. The two-day program, held June 5-6, brought together the CEOs of 50 Lotte affiliates to review the group's AI transformation strategy and discuss future business applications of AI. During the training, Shin created AI services using vibe coding and developed an

2026-06-16 14:41:43:00

NH NongHyup Bank deepens ties with City of London

NH NongHyup Bank CEO Kang Tae-young met with Lady Mayor of the City of London Susan Langley and British Ambassador to South Korea Colin Crooks on Monday to discuss financial cooperation, digital assets and the bank's expansion in Europe. The meeting, held at NH NongHyup Bank's headquarters in Seoul, focused on ways to strengthen ties between Korean and British financial institutions, explore joint investment opportunities with the City of London and expand cooperation in emerging areas such as t

2026-06-16 13:14:06:00

SK Plasma breaks ground on Turkey plasma plant

SK Plasma said Monday it has begun construction of a plasma fractionation plant in Turkey, as the Korean biopharmaceutical company accelerates efforts to build a global manufacturing network. The facility, to be operated through a joint venture with the Turkish Red Crescent, will process up to 600,000 liters of plasma annually and produce key plasma-derived medicines including albumin, immunoglobulin and Factor VIII concentrate. The groundbreaking ceremony was held at the project site in Cubuk,

2026-06-15 13:45:31:00

Innocean, SBVA launch startup growth platform

Innocean, the advertising and marketing arm of Hyundai Motor Group, said Monday it is partnering with venture capital firm SBVA to launch UP 2026, a growth platform designed to foster collaboration with high-growth startups and identify new business opportunities. SBVA, formerly known as SoftBank Ventures Asia, is a global venture capital firm affiliated with SoftBank Group. The firm invests in more than 100 startups across sectors including artificial intelligence, internet of things, and robot

2026-06-15 13:33:36:00

Olive Young opens second US store in Los Angeles

CJ Olive Young said Sunday it has opened its second US store in Los Angeles, as the Korean beauty retailer accelerates efforts to expand its offline presence in one of its fastest-growing overseas markets. The new store, Olive Young Century City, is located at Westfield Century City mall, a major shopping destination in Los Angeles. According to the company, customers lined up outside the store ahead of its opening. Unlike its first US location in Pasadena, which primarily targeted consumers alr

2026-06-14 15:26:42:00

Hana chief eyes 'productive finance' beyond advanced industries

Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo said "productive finance" should extend beyond support for advanced industries to include traditional manufacturing and smaller businesses, arguing that industrial and financial policies must work more closely together as technological change reshapes the economy. Ham made the remarks at a joint seminar on productive finance — investments that focus on infrastructure and productive industries rather than speculative returns — hosted by the Hana Institu

2026-06-14 13:51:16:00

Hanwha Galleria extends talks to sell Five Guys stake

Hanwha Galleria has extended exclusive talks with private equity firm H&Q Equity Partners over the sale of its stake in Five Guys Korea, as the two sides continue negotiations on a potential deal. The retail arm of Hanwha Group renewed a memorandum of understanding with H&Q after the exclusivity period under their previous agreement, signed Dec. 17, 2025, was set to expire. The extension allows both parties additional time to complete due diligence and negotiate final terms. “We plan to sign a d

2026-06-14 10:31:51:00

Woori Bank to launch digital wallet service for foreign tourists

Woori Bank said Thursday it plans to launch a dedicated digital wallet for overseas tourists to South Korea in the second half of this year to simplify payments and improve access to local financial services. The bank said it signed a memorandum of understanding with fintech startup Crosshub on Wednesday to improve payments for foreign visitors and jointly develop financial services that address payment challenges commonly faced by those travelling to Korea. Under the partnership, the two compan

2026-06-11 14:01:29:00

HD Hyundai deepens Canada push with UBC partnership

HD Hyundai said Wednesday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of British Columbia to jointly develop next-generation shipbuilding technologies, including AI-powered autonomous navigation systems, digital ship design and advanced naval vessel platforms. The agreement was signed at the university's campus in Vancouver, with officials from HD Hyundai, UBC and the Korean Consulate in Vancouver in attendance. Under the partnership, HD Hyundai and UBC will collaborate on re

2026-06-10 14:43:32:00

Kolon Life Science wins Canadian patent for cancer virus production

Kolon Life Science said Wednesday that it has received a notice of allowance in Canada for a patent covering the manufacturing process of KLS-3021, its oncolytic virus candidate for solid tumors, strengthening the company's intellectual property portfolio and commercialization prospects in North America. The patent covers a large-scale production method for vaccinia-virus-based therapies using suspension-cultured HeLa S3 cells. The technology is designed to improve manufacturing efficiency and s

2026-06-10 11:00:55:00