Exports of Hyundai, Kia hybrid vehicles jump 35.2%

Exports of hybrid cars by Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Corp. jumped 35.2 percent on-year in the first seven months of this year, industry data showed Sunday. Hyundai Motor and Kia exported a total of 222,818 hybrid vehicles between January and July, compared with 164,851 units for the same period last year, according to data from the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association. Hyundai Motor, in particular, saw its exports of hybrid vehicles soar 58.3 percent on-year to 141,032 units.

MobilitySept. 1, 2024

Exports rise for 11th straight month in August on strong chip demand

South Korea's exports extended their on-year gains for the 11th straight month in August, driven by strong demand for semiconductors, data showed Sunday. Outbound shipments rose 11.4 percent on-year to $57.9 billion last month, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Imports increased 6 percent on-year to $54 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $3.83 billion. South Korea has maintained a trade surplus for 15 consecutive months. By sector, exports of ch

EconomySept. 1, 2024

Nearly 60% of major Korean companies have no immediate hiring plans in H2

Some 57.5 percent of major corporations in South Korea have either not set up plans to recruit new employees in the second half of this year or do not plan to hire at all, a survey showed Thursday. In a recent survey of the top 500 companies by sales, 40 percent said they do not yet have plans to hire college graduates while 17.5 percent said they are not looking for recruits. The poll was conducted on Aug. 5-19 by local pollster Research and Research, under the commission of the Federation of

EconomyAug. 31, 2024

HD Hyundai Oilbank ramps up R&D efforts for green growth

HD Hyundai Oilbank, one of the nation’s top refiners, is ramping up research and development efforts to spur growth as a sustainable energy company. Based on its business know-how accumulated in its core refinery and petrochemical businesses, the company is making a strategic shift to boost its new growth drivers, including eco-friendly chemicals, materials and energy infrastructure. Back in 2011, HD Hyundai Oilbank established a central technology institute by integrating R&D teams na

IndustryAug. 30, 2024

Seomjae joins MIT for AI-driven education collaboration

Seomjae Global, a South Korean company developing AI-powered education solutions, announced Friday that it has become the first Korean company to join the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Alliance. The official joining ceremony took place in Boston on Aug. 19, with Seomjae Global CEO Jason Shin and MIT CSAIL Director Glenn Wong in attendance. MIT CSAIL is the largest research laboratory at MIT and is recognized globally for its work in artificial intelligence and compu

CompaniesAug. 30, 2024

[Photo News] Incheon Airport takes off with green fuel

Incheon International Airport Corporation held a commemorative event Friday to mark the commencement of commercial operations of sustainable aviation fuel at its second passenger terminal. The event, attended by government officials, aviation industry leaders and representatives from oil refineries, was led by the Trade Ministry and Transport Ministry. Lee Hag-jae (right), president and CEO of Incheon International Airport Corp., emphasized the company's commitment to demonstrating "ec

IndustryAug. 30, 2024

Samsung-TSMC foundry rivalry renewed in German market

The top two global semiconductor foundries -- Samsung Electronics and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. -- are competing in the automotive semiconductor market in Germany, where major car manufacturers are located. Despite the recent contraction of the automotive semiconductor market due to a decline in demand for electric vehicles, the two companies’ efforts to prepare for future market demand seem actively underway. Samsung’s foundry division is set to hold a forum in Munich,

IndustryAug. 30, 2024

Hankook Tire makes cultural push to connect with younger customers

Hankook Tire has launched a series of cultural projects to connect with younger consumers and communicate the brand's value in a fresh way. This summer, the tire maker launched a 10-day pop-up event at Surfyy Beach in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, where visitors enjoyed tire-themed attractions like water activities with inflatable tubes as well as interactive photo zones and game areas. Hankook Tire also collaborated with brands like Pro-Specs to create unique products, including sneakers in

MobilityAug. 30, 2024

HDC stocks rally on credit rating upgrade, upbeat earnings

South Korean real estate developer and builder Hyundai Development Company said Friday that it has seen an almost 90 percent surge in its share prices on upbeat earnings and positive credit ratings this year. As of Aug. 26, the stock price closed at 26,700 won ($20), an 87.9 percent growth from the beginning of this year. During the same period, the benchmark Kospi fell 5.44 percent. Among the nation’s top 10 construction companies, the growth rate was the highest. Amid the recent rally of

IndustryAug. 30, 2024

HiteJinro sponsors leading UK music fest, boosts soju presence in Europe

South Korea's top soju maker HiteJinro is intensifying its efforts to penetrate the European market, where soju is rapidly gaining popularity and increasingly integrated into local cultural activities. The company announced on Friday that it served as an official sponsor for this year's All Points East, a prominent music festival in the UK held at London's Victoria Park, from Aug. 16 to 25. First held in 2018, APE features world-class musicians and attracts over 200,000 attendees

IndustryAug. 30, 2024

Mercedes-Benz Korea to lend free E-Class sedans for Incheon fire victims

Mercedes-Benz Korea will loan new E-Class sedans free of charge to residents of the apartment complex in Cheongna, Incheon, who lost their vehicles in an electric vehicle fire on Aug. 1. The fire, which occurred in the underground parking lot of the complex, destroyed approximately 70 vehicles. Mercedes-Benz Korea communicated details of the support program through the management office of the Cheongna apartment complex on Thursday. The company will provide one vehicle per affected household, sp

MobilityAug. 30, 2024

Seoul shares close higher on bargain hunting

South Korean shares finished higher Friday as investors picked up tech, energy and other blue chip bargains following losses the previous session. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 12.03 points, or 0.45 percent, to close at 2,674.31. Trade volume was moderate at 266.9 million shares worth 9.71 trillion won ($7.27 billion), with winners outnumbering losers 580 to 292. Institutions bought a net 47.8 billion won worth of shares, wh

MarketAug. 30, 2024

KFCC puts aside W1.4tr for risk management in H1

The Korean Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives, the nation's primary mutual financial institution, also known as Saemaul Geumgo, announced Friday it has set aside 1.4 trillion won ($1.05 billion) in reserve in the first half of 2024 to ensure the financial stability of the credit union. The allowance for bad debts, also called a bad debt reserve, is a provision made in a company’s accounts in recognition of debts that cannot be collected. Allocating the reserve leads to a loss

IndustryAug. 30, 2024

[Test Drive] Renault’s Grand Koleos delivers loaded tech at value-packed price

Renault Korea has been in a slump, with sales in Korea nosediving from nearly 100,000 units in 2020 to just 22,000 last year. Now, the company is pinning its hopes on the Grand Koleos, a new mid-size hybrid sport utility vehicle, to spark a comeback. With its debut marking Renault Korea’s most ambitious launch in four years, the big question is: Does the Grand Koleos have what it takes to turn things around? The Korea Herald reporter took it for a spin on a test drive in Busan last Tuesday

MobilityAug. 30, 2024

[Photo News] Hanjin's 'Dook'n Dook'n' brings Hallyu to Vietnam

To boost the global competitiveness of Korea's small business owners, the Small Enterprise & Market Service, the Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership and Hanjin Logistics held a launch ceremony on Thursday for Dook'n Dook'n, an offline store in Hanoi, Vietnam, showcasing Hallyu products. The event was attended by Oh Young-joo (center left), minister of SMEs and startups, SEMAS Chairman Park Sung-hyo (center right), Emily Cho (third from right), president of Hanjin Logist

IndustryAug. 30, 2024

Nokia denies report about mobile unit sales talks with Samsung

Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia on Friday denied a report that it is in talks with Samsung Electronics or any other potential bidders to sell its mobile network business. “Nokia has nothing to announce in relation to the speculations published in an article today, and no related insider project exists,” the company said in a statement, referring to a Bloomberg report earlier in the day. “Nokia is committed to the success of its mobile networks business, a highly strategic

IndustryAug. 30, 2024

Tax revenue falls 8.8 tr won through July on weak corporate earnings

South Korea's tax revenue fell 8.8 trillion won ($6.59 billion) from a year earlier over the first seven months of 2024, due to the lackluster corporate earnings, data showed Friday. The government collected 208.8 trillion won of taxes over the January-July period, down 4 percent from the same period last year, according to the data from the Ministry of Economy and Finance. In July alone, however, the country's total tax revenue increased 1.2 trillion won from a year earlier, reaching

EconomyAug. 30, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on bargain hunting

South Korean shares opened higher Friday as investors picked up tech, auto and other blue chip bargains following losses the previous session. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) gained 13.53 points, or 0.51 percent, to 2,675.81 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US stocks ended mixed after experiencing rollercoaster-like volatility amid differing views on Nvidia's earnings, with some expressing disappointment while others saw the results as alleviating uncer

MarketAug. 30, 2024

Industrial output falls 0.4% in July on weak demand for chips, cars

South Korea's industrial output fell for the third consecutive month in July due to sluggish production in the semiconductor and automobile sectors, data showed Friday. Industrial output decreased 0.4 percent on-month in July, following a 0.1 percent drop the previous month, according to data compiled by Statistics Korea. Compared with a year earlier, however, industrial output increased 2.7 percent in July, the data showed. "While industrial output has decreased for three consecutive

EconomyAug. 30, 2024

Combined net loss of savings banks widens in H1

Savings banks in South Korea saw their combined net loss widen in the first half from a year earlier, due largely to a sharp increase in loan-loss reserves set aside for real estate project financing (PF) loans, data showed Friday. The banks posted a combined net loss of 380.4 billion ($284.5 million) in the January-June period, sharply up from a net loss of 96.5 billion won over the same period last year, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service. Their interest income came t

EconomyAug. 30, 2024