Hanwha, SK develop world’s 1st non-flammable ESS for ships

Hanwha Aerospace and SK Enmove announced Tuesday that they have developed the world’s first non-flammable energy storage system, or ESS, seeking to secure the lead in the eco-friendly maritime solution sector. The two companies under two of Korea’s largest conglomerates -- Hanwha Group and SK Group -- showcased the liquid immersion cooling ESS technology and how it fills up a lithium-ion battery module with thermal fluids to reduce the chances of a fire to zero. “Safety is a pr

Sept. 10, 2024

Samsung SDI to sell polarizing film biz to China’s Wuxi for W1.1tr

Samsung SDI has decided to sell its polarizing film business to China’s Wuxi Hengxin Optoelectronic Materials for 1.12 trillion won ($833.3 million) as the company aims to focus on honing the competitiveness of its electronic materials unit, the Korean battery maker said Tuesday. Polarizing films, optical films that allow displays to show an image by controlling the amount of light, affect the image quality of the screen. According to the company’s regulatory filing, Samsung SDI&rsqu

Sept. 10, 2024

Minister pushes for inheritance tax overhaul

The South Korean government is stepping up efforts to overhaul its inheritance tax system next year, with the Finance Ministry preparing a bill to tax the inheritors instead of the estate that is being inherited. "To enhance fairness and ensure consistency in taxation, as well as align with global trends, the government plans to shift to an inheritance acquisition tax system," Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok said Monday in a meeting with journalists at the gove

Sept. 10, 2024

Hyundai-Kia EV powertrains named in best engines of 2024

Hyundai-Kia’s electric powertrains, featured in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and Kia EV9 GT-Line, have been recognized by US automotive publication WardsAuto as two of the 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems for 2024. This also is the third straight year that Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP electric vehicle platform, has earned this prestigious recognition. WardsAuto has been holding automotive powertrain awards since 1995. Expanded in 2019 to include electric propulsion systems, the award

Sept. 10, 2024

HMM to bolster global alliance, invest W23tr by 2030

South Korea’s leading container shipper HMM said Tuesday it has created a five-year cooperative body, dubbed Premier Alliance, together with two global partners Japan’s ONE and Taiwan’s Yang Ming, to further expand its vessel route network. Separate from the new alliance, the firm has also signed an agreement with MSC, the world’s top shipper based in Switzerland, to share freight space on Northern European and Mediterranean routes for four years, the company added. Wit

Sept. 10, 2024

Taihan completes Kuwait’s first fiber optic cable plant

South Korean electric wire maker Taihan Cable & Solution announced Tuesday that it has completed Kuwait’s first fiber optic cable factory, as the company aims to localize production and tap into the Middle East’s growing demand for 5G network infrastructure. The factory, a joint venture with Kuwaiti construction and trade company Rank, held its grand opening on Monday local time in the Mina Abdulla industrial area. Equipped with advanced production and testing facilities, the 5,0

Sept. 10, 2024

[Photo News] Charitable giving in trusts

Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Jin Ok-dong (left) poses with Community Chest of Korea Chairman Kim Byong-joon after signing an agreement to make a joint effort to spread a culture of philanthropy harnessing will-substitute trusts at the charity's headquarters in Seoul Monday. Shinhan will encourage its customers who have signed up for its will-substitute trust program to donate a portion of their wealth to the nonprofit Community Chest of Korea when inheriting assets in the future. (Shinh

Sept. 10, 2024

Finance minister calls for scrapping financial investment income tax

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok has said the government needs to scrap a financial investment income tax and review various tax schemes regarding stock trading in an effort to ease market uncertainty and help boost the stock market. Under the investment income tax scheme, set to take effect next year, capital gains of over 50 million won ($38,000) from stock investments will be subject to a 20 percent tax, while earnings exceeding 300 million won will be subject to a 25 percent tax. "The sch

Sept. 10, 2024

AliExpress vows to step up marketing blitz in S. Korea

Alibaba Group's AliExpress said Tuesday it will step up marketing campaigns in South Korea with an aim of securing more than half of online shopping platform users in South Korea within three to five years. In a press conference held in Hangzhou, AliExpress Korea Chief Executive Ray Zhang announced the target for the Korean market, which is dominated by local e-commerce giant Coupang Inc. The Chinese e-commerce retail platform has aggressively promoted about 150 million products at competit

Sept. 10, 2024

Seoul shares open lower despite US gains

South Korean stocks started lower Tuesday despite overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) opened slightly higher but lost 0.48 percent, or 12.09 points, to 2,523.84 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, major US indices closed higher after the previous week's big losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.2 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 1.16 percent. In Seoul, market heavyweights led the weak opening. Top-ca

Sept. 10, 2024

Yogiyo begins robot delivery service for 1st time as food delivery app

Yogiyo, a South Korean food delivery app, officially launched the country's first robot delivery service, the company said Monday. The service was introduced in the Songdo district of Incheon, about 40 kilometers west of Seoul, with plans for nationwide expansion in the future, according to Yogiyo. It is the first robot delivery service by a South Korean food delivery app. The self-driving delivery robots will operate within a 1.2-kilometer radius from participating restaurants, delivering

Sept. 9, 2024

Young Koreans with bad credit surge

The number of young South Koreans with delinquent loans has rapidly increased in the past three years, data by the state-run financial watchdog showed Monday. As of July, 65,887 people in their 20s have been registered at the Korea Credit Information Services as "delinquent borrowers," referring to people who are disadvantaged in financial transactions due to long-standing credit card or bank debt. This figure marked a 25.3 percent increase from the 52,580 delinquent borrowers in the s

Sept. 9, 2024

HD Hyundai, Hanwha on edge as KDDX probe nears conclusion

South Korea’s shipbuilding industry is bracing for the conclusion of a high-profile police investigation into alleged corruption surrounding the Korea Destroyer Next Generation (KDDX) project, with results expected as early as mid-September. The outcome could determine whether the delayed selection process for the multi-billion-dollar naval project finally moves forward. The National Office of Investigation, part of the National Police Agency, is set to finalize its probe into allegations

Sept. 9, 2024

Seoul shares dip for 5th day on dim prospects over Fed's big cut

Seoul shares ended lower Monday to extend their losing streak to a fifth day amid concerns that the US Federal Reserve may not cut its rate by a large margin. The Korean won traded sharply lower against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 8.35 points, or 0.33 percent, to close at 2,535.93. Trading volume was moderate at 262.46 million shares worth 7.3 trillion won ($5.4 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 502 to 371. Foreigners sold a net 540 billion won wo

Sept. 9, 2024

Korea’s hostility to short selling may scare global investors away

While South Korean regulators maintain a wary eye against short selling, the prolonged ban and imposing stricter guidelines on the practice could drive foreign investors away from the local equity market, experts said. Following heavy market fluctuations, local regulators enforced a complete ban on short selling in November. Short selling is a trading strategy that involves borrowing and selling stocks expected to decline in price. The halt, initially set to last until June, has been prolonged

Sept. 9, 2024

[2024 IFA] LG Electronics CEO committed to elevating corporate value

BERLIN -- LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan promised to actively engage with global investors as part of the company’s value-up drive. “LG Electronics is committed to enhancing its corporate value these days,” Cho said during a meeting with a group of Korean reporters held on the sidelines of the IFA trade show in Berlin on Friday. His comments came ahead of his visit to London to meet with institutional investors for a non-deal roadshow on Saturday. This marks the first time the

Sept. 9, 2024

Celltrion eyes new production plant, aims for W5tr in sales

Celltrion Group Founder and Chairman Seo Jung-jin has announced plans to expand the company's pharmaceutical production facilities either in South Korea or abroad as part of its strategy to enter the contract development and manufacturing organization sector. The biosimilar giant also aims to commercialize a total of six new drug pipelines by the end of 2029. "Expanding manufacturing facilities is crucial for securing production capacity and ensuring a sustainable future," Seo rep

Sept. 9, 2024

[2024 IFA] Samsung eyes bigger presence in ad-supported streaming market

BERLIN -- As TVs evolve into platforms offering limitless content-based enjoyment, Samsung Electronics has revealed its ambition to lead the free ad-supported television market, or FAST, by providing distinctive services and diverse content. “In line with the AI era, we will actively explore and implement measures to become the optimal platform by advancing and enhancing basic AI usability,” Kim Yong-su, head of the global service business team of the visual display division at Samsu

Sept. 9, 2024

LS Cable CEO vows to hit W10tr sales by 2030

LS Cable & System CEO Koo Bon-kyu has pledged to achieve 10 trillion won ($7.5 billion) in sales by 2030 by accelerating business expansion abroad. “Joining hands with (our subsidiary) LS Eco Energy, we will set up our global production bases in Europe, Asia and North America,” Koo said during a press conference in Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. “With LS Marine Solution, the company aims to strengthen its business portfolio for cable supply, installation and maintenance using t

Sept. 9, 2024

HD Hyundai to showcase uncrewed vessel at REAIM conference

HD Hyundai said Monday that it is participating in the REAIM Summit, a global military conference, held at the Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, central Seoul, this week. REAIM Summit 2024 is an international multilateral event where 90 countries are presenting their uncrewed vessel technologies and discussing responsible military use of artificial intelligence. HD Hyundai will showcase a model of Tenebris, an uncrewed surface vehicle co-developed with US-based big data analytics firm Palantir Technologie

Sept. 9, 2024