SK Group, the country's second-largest conglomerate by asset, is speeding up efforts to carry out a comprehensive overhaul of some 200 affiliates and business portfolios, starting with selling its affiliates and pushing for mergers. SK Networks announced Thursday that it is selling 100 percent of its share of SK Rent-a-Car, its rental car service, to Affinity Equity Partners, a Hong Kong-based private equity fund, for 820 billion won ($600 million). The move comes as the company intends to

Industry June 20, 2024

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won’s high-profile divorce from his estranged wife Roh Soh-young took an unexpected twist after the Seoul high court made a rare rectification of a mistake in its ruling that ordered the chaebol chief to pay $1 billion in property division to the wife. On Monday, the appellate court corrected numerical errors in its written judgment for the divorce settlement of Chey and Roh, but upheld its overall ruling involving the record-high divorce settlement. Earlier in t

Industry June 19, 2024

As the Paris 2024 Olympics is set to hold its opening ceremony outside the confines of a stadium for the very first time, Samsung Electronics will install its flagship Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphones inside the city to broadcast the iconic event, the tech giant said Tuesday. Samsung, an official partner for the Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic events, announced that it will install more than 200 units of its most up-to-date smartphone at the bow and sides of each of the 85 vessels that will be carr

Industry June 18, 2024

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won issued an apology Monday for raising public concerns with his high-profile divorce settlement but made it clear that he will appeal to the Supreme Court because a “flagrant error” was found in the court ruling that now threatens his grip on the telecom-to-chips conglomerate. Last month, the Seoul High Court ruled in favor of Chey's estranged wife Roh Soh-young in their divorce settlement and ordered the SK chief to pay 1.38 trillion won ($1 billion

Industry June 17, 2024

Top conglomerates in Korea are set to hold their strategic meetings this month to navigate the ongoing economic slowdown and geopolitical uncertainties according to industry sources on Sunday. Samsung Electronics, the country's No. 1 conglomerate in terms of assets, will kick off its series of strategic meetings from Tuesday to Thursday. Top executives are expected to convene to discuss the company’s global strategies in key technology sectors, including artificial intelligence, which touc

Industry June 16, 2024

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong held consecutive meetings with the chiefs of global tech giants including Meta, Amazon and Qualcomm, in an effort to strengthen ties and boost collaboration during his two-week trip to the US, the company said on Thursday. Lee shared insights and prospects over advanced technology markets with the tech leaders and also checked on the company's business operations, the company said. In his meeting with Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon on Monday, Lee discu

Industry June 13, 2024

SK Group, the country’s second-largest conglomerate in terms of assets, will hold its biannual business management strategy meeting June 28-29 to comprehensively review the group’s plans and renew commitment to "go back to basics," according to industry sources Wednesday. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and other members of the founding family, including SK Innovation Vice Chairman Chey Jae-won and SK Supex Council Chairman Chey Chang-won are expected to join the meeting, al

Industry June 12, 2024

Months after Samsung Electronics launched the world's first artificial intelligence smartphone equipped with its original Galaxy AI, its archrival Apple debuted its own Apple Intelligence, only to show it lacks any kind of overwhelming advantage to differentiate itself. At the Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, Apple presented Apple Intelligence, its AI system that will be incorporated across products from iPhones to Macbooks. “Our unique approach combines generative AI with a

Industry June 11, 2024

The existence of oil and gas reserve in the East Sea is "highly prospective" as seismic data show the examined wells contain all four key elements of a petroleum system, Vitor Abreu, the owner and adviser of the US geoscience research firm Act-Geo said Friday. Act-Geo is the company that suggested substantial oil and natural gas deposits may be buried in the deep sea near Pohang's Yeongil Bay. "So to summarize ... the basin is highly prospective," Abreu said during a pre

Industry June 7, 2024

SK Chairman Chey Tae-won and TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei agreed to boost collaboration on the development of advanced artificial intelligence chips, including the High Bandwidth Memory chips high in demand, on Thursday. Chey traveled to Taiwan to meet with Wei and other IT leaders in the country, as part of the effort to strengthen SK's network and gain a competitive edge in the burgeoning global AI market. “Together, let’s open the door to the era of artificial intelligence that ben

Industry June 7, 2024

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong took off for the US on a trip tightly packed with business meetings with tech leaders and government officials there, with the goal of strengthening existing partnerships for the company's future development, the tech giant said on Thursday. Lee will participate in some 30 meetings scheduled "minute by minute" with heads of major technology firms, and lawmakers and government officials across the US until mid-June, Samsung said. The places

Industry June 6, 2024

LG Electronics introduced AlphaWare, its suite of software solutions for software-defined vehicles, at AutoTech: Detroit 2024, revamping its commitment to expanding business in the automotive market. According to the tech giant on Thursday, it joined the global automotive tech show for the first time to share its insights on software-defined vehicles and discuss the challenges and future prospects. During LG’s presentation dubbed, "Beyond the Road: Navigating the SDV Transition,"

Industry June 6, 2024

Jusung Engineering, the first-generation chipmaking equipment firm in Korea, has decided to spin off its lucrative semiconductor equipment business into a new entity with hopes of elevating its undervalued market cap. Noting how the company has been suffering from undervaluation, Hwang Chul-ju, the founder and chairman, said the latest decision will boost the value of its chip business, the No. 1 at home. “The company is just way too undervalued when it has proprietary technologies used in

Industry June 5, 2024

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won issued an apology on Monday after his high-profile divorce settlement ruling -- ordering him to pay a record 1.38 trillion won ($1 billion) to his ex-wife -- raised concerns for the company's employees and stakeholders. Taking part in an extraordinary meeting held by the SK Supex Council, the conglomerate's top decision-making body, Chey also vowed to do his best to make sure his personal affairs do not have negative impacts on the company’s busines

Industry June 3, 2024

South Korea has been seeking to bolster ties with Africa, with its vibrant economies, young population and abundant natural resources. Tanzania, among others, is emerging as a key partner at a time when countries around the world are competing to secure high-value natural resources amid fast-reshaping supply chains for key industrial sectors. Korea has also been working to elevate economic ties with Tanzania, home to 633 million people – Africa's fifth-largest nation by population. Th

Industry June 2, 2024