October 25, 2024

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EDITOR'S PICKS

• Markets 
  

  [Contribution] Future-oriented partnership between Korea, Singapore

  By Lee Seong-woo, Vice president of Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Living up to its reputation as a “small but mighty” country, Singapore has been an economic hub of Asia and is home to the Asian headquarters of many global companies. Its business-friendly investment environment, talented workforce and strategic location have made it a center of the Asian economy. The government of Singapore offers nondiscriminatory investment incentives to both local and foreign companies,

• Companies 
  

  [From the scene] How a Mercedes plant is turning dead EV batteries into fresh materials

  KEPPENHEIM, Germany -- A two-hour drive southwest of Mercedes-Benz’s Stuttgart headquarters, a new facility in the small town of Kuppenheim is poised to play a big role in the auto giant’s sustainability efforts. On Monday, brightly lit tanks, each glowing with a different hue, lined the walls of the 6,800-square-meter space, labeled with symbols for essential elements: lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese. This is not a scene from a sci-fi movie, but a staged media presentation

• Markets 
  

  Korea's economic growth slows in Q3 on weaker exports

  South Korea’s economy has grown by 0.1 percent in the third quarter from the prior quarter, undershooting forecasts by big margins due to unexpectedly slowed exports, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea on Thursday. The country's real gross domestic product -- a key measure of economic growth -- expanded 0.1 percent on-quarter in the July-September period, missing the forecast 0.5 increase by the central bank in August. This is a red flag for Asia’s fourth-largest

• Companies 
  

  SK Innovation replaces heads of key subsidiaries

  SK Innovation said Thursday that three of its key subsidiaries -- SK Energy, SK Geocentric and SK IE Technology -- have appointed new company heads with technological expertise to tackle business uncertainties and strengthen core competitiveness. The announcement comes eight days before the mega-merger of SK Innovation and SK E&S, two major energy affiliates of SK Group, which will create Korea’s largest energy giant with combined assets of 100 trillion won ($723.6 billion). The ne

• Markets 
  

  Korea Zinc shares soar 30% amid prolonged ownership fight

  Shares of Korea Zinc, the world’s largest zinc smelter, jumped almost 30 percent on Thursday amid speculation that the prolonged power struggle between the current management and the MBK Partners-Young Poong coalition could push the share price up further in the coming weeks. As of 3 p.m., the shares were trading at 1.13 million won, up 29.91 percent from the previous closing price, hitting the upper circuit limit. The uptick comes after the tender offer of the current management closed

• Tech 
  

  Samsung mobile chief upbeat on Galaxy S24 sales

  Samsung Electronics's mobile business chief Roh Tae-moon has pinned high hopes on the latest flagship Galaxy S24 series to drive up the company's smartphone business this year overall. Speaking to the employees in a regular town hall meeting on Wednesday, Roh reiterated the company's goal of creating an "ecosystem of Galaxy AI" to introduce the artificial intelligence model to all of its mobile devices, according to industry sources. "Galaxy has led the way into the mobile AI er

• Companies 
  

  Hyundai Motor's Q3 profit misss estimates

  Hyundai Motor Company reported 3.58 trillion won ($2.5 billion) in third-quarter operating profit Thursday, down 6.5 percent from the same quarter last year and missing the market consensus of 3.9 trillion won. The automaker explained in a conference call that a proactive warranty extension for the North American Grand Santa Fe, a sport utility vehicle, caused a provision of about 320 billion won and affected the lower-than-expected operating profit for the July to Sept. period. Despite the

• Companies 
  

  Hyundai Glovis adopts fire control system for safer EV shipping

  Hyundai Glovis, Hyundai Motor Group's logistics and distribution subsidiary, said Thursday that it has equipped its automobile carriers with a fire suppression system to prevent potential incidents while delivering electric vehicles. The EV-Drill Lance system is designed to quench electric vehicle fires. High-pressure water flowing from a fire hydrant spins turbines, enabling the drill to pierce to the bottom of a car. Water can then flow into the battery pack and fully extinguish the fire wi

• Companies 
  

  Why ex-Elliott activist fund is building stake in SK

  London-based hedge fund Palliser Capital was recently found to have held a stake of more than 1 percent in SK Square, the investment arm of SK Group, for years, triggering speculation about another round of activist campaigns against the nation’s second-largest conglomerate. According to industry sources on Thursday, the fund -- founded by Chief Investment Officer James Smith, who previously worked at Elliott Investment Management -- held several meetings with SK Square executives recen

• Companies 
  

  Doosan Enerbility to support Kazakhstan's energy modernization

  Doosan Enerbility has signed an agreement with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy to help modernize the country’s power infrastructure, the Korean nuclear power plant builder announced Thursday. The memorandum of understanding was formalized during a Wednesday visit by Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister Almassadam Satkaliyev to Doosan’s headquarters in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. Accompanying the minister were senior officials, including the heads of Kazakhstan’s n

• Companies 
  

  [KH Explains] Tesla’s vague robotaxi vision may let Hyundai-Waymo narrow gap

  Tesla’s recent unveiling of its Robotaxi prototype has generated some buzz, but the absence of critical details leaves room for competitors -- such as Hyundai Motor Group -- to potentially make up ground in the race toward autonomous vehicles. While Tesla remains a dominant force in electric vehicles and self-driving technology, its latest announcement raises as many questions as it does excitement. At the Tesla event named "We, Robot," held at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, C

• Companies 
  

  [From the Scene] S-Oil’s Shaheen project on track for 2026 completion

  ULSAN -- The construction site of S-Oil’s Shaheen project at its Onsan plant in Ulsan showed little to no activity Tuesday afternoon. Although the day’s workflow had seemingly stopped due to heavy downpours in the morning, the officials from S-Oil and Hyundai Engineering & Construction said the building process of the Shaheen project had already reached 40 percent completion.“Four major construction firms -- Hyundai E&C, Hyundai Engineering, Lotte E&C and DL E&

• Companies 
  

  Samsung SDI showcases next-gen battery lineup at mobility show

  Samsung SDI said Wednesday it has showcased its battery lineup, ranging from the prismatic battery P6 to the next-generation all-solid-state battery, at the Daegu International Future Auto & Mobility Expo. The company’s all-solid-state battery for electric vehicles boasts an energy density of 900 watt-hours per liter with a cathode-free structure. It is known to be theoretically safer than conventional lithium-ion batteries that use flammable liquid electrolytes. It sent samples to

• Companies 
  

  SK’s flu vaccine spreading across Asia

  South Korean pharmaceutical company SK Bioscience said Wednesday that its SKYCellflu has become the first influenza vaccine from Korea approved by the Food and Drug Agency of Indonesia. Indonesia’s pharmaceutical market has been growing significantly. According to market tracker Insights10, the country’s flu vaccine market is expected to increase from $38.5 million in 2022 to $69.1 million by 2030. Due to its geography spanning both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, Indonesi

• Companies 
  

  Gochujang heats up US as Americans seek out ‘swicy’ food

  As the new trend of spicy-sweet -- "swicy" -- flavors has been gaining ground in the US restaurant scene, Korean gochujang (red chile pepper paste) is gaining popularity. According to a Tuesday report from CNBC, more Americans are seeking bold flavors, and gochujang has become one of the key ingredients fueling this movement. “Common menu items have paired fruity flavors with chili powder or used sauces like hot honey and gochujang, a red chile (pepper) paste that’s a p

• Companies 
  

  SPC invited to Macron’s exclusive dinner in Paris

  South Korean bakery giant SPC Group said Wednesday that President Hur Jin-su attended a dinner banquet hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at Elysee Palace in Paris earlier this week. He was the only Korean business leader to be invited to the exclusive event marking the 60th anniversary of SIAL Paris, one of the world’s largest food trade fairs. The dinner brought together around 40 global business leaders from major food and distribution companies, including the Netherlands&rsquo