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Shinsegae faces showdown with investors over SSG.com's delayed IPO
Korean retail giant Shinsegae Group's e-commerce unit SSG.com faces mounting pressure from investors to recoup the 1 trillion won ($727 million) investment made between 2019 and 2022 amid its delayed market debut hit by lukewarm sales in recent years. According to industry sources on Tuesday, Shinsegae is in last-minute discussions with Affinity Equity Partners and BlueRun Ventures, the two private equity funds that are reportedly considering exercising a put option to sell back their stakes i
Samsung chip business back on track, logs W1.9tr operating profit in Q1
After logging losses for five consecutive quarters, Samsung Electronics' chip business returned to the black in the first quarter this year, thanks to rising demand for high-end chips and a surge in chip prices. In its earnings report for the January-March period on Tuesday, Samsung said its chip division reported 23.1 trillion won ($16.7 billion) in sales and 1.91 trillion won in operating profits. The profit comes after the company suffered operating losses for five consecutive quarters. In
Marking 10 years, KB accelerator nurtures 255 startups
More than 250 startup companies have joined KB Financial Group’s accelerator program over the past 10 years to scale up businesses into unicorns in the fintech industry. KB Financial Group held an event on Tuesday marking the 10th anniversary of the KB Innovation HUB Center, the first organization dedicated to fostering and supporting startups in the financial sector. Since KB Innovation HUB Center’s inception in 2015, the group launched its startup accelerator program, KB Starter
Financial groups maintain capital adequacy despite ELS risk
Korean banking groups maintained solid capital adequacy despite significant payouts for consumer compensation due to misselling equity-linked securities tracking a Hong Kong index. Industry sources reported that the average capital adequacy ratio, or Common Equity Tier 1, among five major Korean financial groups -- KB, Shinhan, Hana, Woori, and NongHyup -- was 12.8 percent in the first quarter of this year, a slight decline from 13 percent in the previous term and 12.9 percent from the same pe
Naver, Intel, KAIST join forces to set up AI lab in Korea
Naver, Intel and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology will set up a joint lab in Korea to lead the new global ecosystem for artificial intelligence semiconductors, KAIST announced Tuesday. The joint lab called NIK AI Research Center will be established on the KAIST campus in Daejeon in the first half of this year and begin research in July. KAIST said that the joint research center will be run for three years, adding that its operation can be extended depending on research ac
Ministry launches special team to end dog meat consumption by 2027
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Tuesday launched a special commission dedicated to ending dog meat consumption in the country by 2027. Earlier on Jan. 22, the ministry had introduced a task force to iron out the details of implementing a government plan to end the practice, with a revision to the related law taking effect Tuesday. The task force has become an official entity under the ministry, comprising 13 members, including officials from the Ministry of Interior and
Hyundai Motor launches internship program for foreign students
Hyundai Motor Company announced Tuesday its commitment to cultivating global talent through a summer internship program designated for international students in Korea, fostering the company’s cultural inclusivity and global market presence. This marks the first time Hyundai Motor has openly recruited international students studying in Korea as interns. The flagship unit of Hyundai Motor Group, the world's third-largest carmaker, aims to blend diverse international perspectives into its
SKT to launch telecom-specific LLM in June
SK Telecom, Korea's largest wireless carrier by the number of subscribers, said Tuesday it aims to introduce a large language model specializing in telecom-related terms as early as June. The upcoming telecom-specific LLM is developed from general-purpose LLMs such as ChatGPT and Claude. SK Telecom joined hands with global Big Tech firms including OpenAI and Anthropic to develop the LLM. Telco-specific LLMs are more adjusted to the telecommunications domain and better at understanding user in
GS E&C secures W600b LNG terminal project
South Korean construction giant GS Engineering & Construction announced Tuesday that it has won a contract worth 600 billion won ($435 million) to build a new liquefied natural gas terminal in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. The Northeast Asia LNG Hub Terminal Project aims to establish a large-scale energy storage facility in the southwestern city of Yeosu. Expected to take about 42 months, the project will involve the construction of two LNG storage tanks, each with a capacity of 200,000 k
Celltion’s Zymfentra gets preference in top US formulary
Korean biosimilar giant Celltrion said Monday that its Zymfentra, the world’s first subcutaneous formulation of infliximab called Ramsima SC outside the US, has been included in the preferred formulary of Express Scripts, one of the top three pharmacy benefit managers or PMBs in the US. In the US, PBMs act as negotiating entities in the prescription drug supply chain. Insurers work with PBMs as third-party contractors that manage their prescription drug benefits. PBMs create and update f
China outpaces Korea in smaller OLED shipments for 1st time
China outpaced Korea in the shipment of organic light-emitting display panels for IT gadgets for the first time in the first quarter of this year, stirring concerns that Korean manufacturers could eventually be pushed out of the market by Chinese rivals. According to Chinese market tracker Cinno Research on Monday, China's OLED shipments for IT gadgets including smartphones and tablet PCs accounted for 53.4 percent of the total in the January-March period, ahead of Korea’s 46.6 percent.
Korean franchises eye Japan, riding high on K-food trend
Korean food and beverage companies are increasingly entering the Japanese market in pursuit of broader opportunities, largely driven by a saturated market at home and to capitalize on the rising popularity of Korean cuisine in the neighboring country. As of 2023, Japan saw a total of 19 Korean food franchises operating a combined 133 branches nationwide. According to the state-run Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. (aT), Japan was the fourth most popular destination for Korean franchi
[Herald Interview] Mom’s Touch seeks to replicate success in Japan
Renowned for its signature spicy thigh patty burgers, Mom’s Touch has established itself as a dominant player in South Korea’s fast-food landscape, with the highest number of branches here, despite its relatively late entry to the market. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the fast-food chain has ventured into the Japanese market with the opening of its inaugural branch in Tokyo's Shibuya district on April 16. Mom’s Touch CEO Kim Dong-jeon revealed that the decision
Hanwha Systems breaks ground on satellite center in Jeju
Hanwha Systems, a defense electronics and ICT solutions provider under the Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group, broke ground on a space center in Jeju on Monday. Named the Jeju Hanwha Space Center, the new facility will be capable of developing and manufacturing satellites. Hanwha Systems plans to complete the construction by the end of next year. “The Jeju Hanwha Space Center will create innovative technology and economic value as a birthplace for satellite development and manufacturing,&
BNEF names Hyosung Heavy as top ESS supplier
South Korea’s Hyosung Heavy Industries announced Monday that it has been recognized as a tier-1 supplier of energy storage systems by BNEF or Bloomberg New Energy Finance, a market research firm specializing in the renewable energy sector. The firm has now been included in the top-tier list for two consecutive quarters. “It is meaningful that a Korean firm has won the industrial recognition in the global ESS market that is dominated by Chinese rivals,” said a Hyosung Heavy o
KT explores synergy between AI, media
South Korean telecom carrier KT Corp. said Monday it is expanding its advanced artificial intelligence technology to the group’s entire media business, from content investment and production to marketing and control, to accelerate innovation. "The media business is one of KT's three core businesses, along with communications and AI,” Kim Hoon-bae, executive vice president of the media platform business unit at KT, said in a press conference held earlier in the day in Seoul. &l
CJ's Tous Les Jours debuts in Cambodia
CJ Foodville said Monday it has opened two new Tous Les Jours branches in Cambodia, as part of efforts to broaden its foothold in Southeast Asia. The two new branches, which opened Friday in Kam Puchea Kroum and Toul Tom Poung in the country’s capital, Phnom Penh, mark the first locations for CJ Foodville to showcase the Tous Les Jours brand in the country. According to the company, both of the new branches feature a hybrid concept of cafe and bakery elements, boasting a selection of ov