Samsung heir discusses business opportunities with Saudi crown prince Jay Y. Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co. and de facto head of South Korea’s largest conglomerate Samsung Group, met with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia during his recent visit to the Mid..

Oracle to add second Korean data center in Chuncheon next year U.S. enterprise software giant Oracle will open its second data center in South Korea, betting on 40,000 enterprise customers here, as part of its ambition to bump up global data network to 36. Oracle..

Korea’s 19 big names keep up black figures since 2000, KT&G opt margin at 35.4% Korea’s tobacco monopoly KT&G kept up an operating margin rate of 35.4 percent over the last 20 years, topping the rare list of 19 Korean companies in the big category that have never tasted red figur..

Mirae Asset Daewoo makes DJSI list for 8th straight year South Korea’s leading brokerage house Mirae Asset Daewoo said Tuesday it was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World List for the eighth straight year. Created in 1999 by global ind..

Korean boutique house Boon the Shop opens 3rd shop in Harrods, London South Korea’s Shinsegae Department Store will open its multi-brand luxury fashion boutique Boon the Shop in Harrods in London, joining the third fashion city after New York and Paris in show of confid..

Galaxy Note 10 achieves 1 million sale milestone in Korea in shortest period Sales of Samsung Electronics’ latest flagship Galaxy Note 10 surpassed 1 million units in Korea as of Sept. 16 in just 25 days from its launch on Aug. 16, the fastest to achieve the milestone. The 1..

Korean companies’ Q2 profitability worsens amid sluggish exports South Korean companies reported deterioration in profitability and increase in debt in the second quarter as they struggled on the external front against slowed demand and tensions between the United ..

Asiana Airlines to test direct flights from Korea to Lisbon, Portugal Oct-March South Korea’s second largest full-service carrier Asiana Airlines Inc. will test out a direct flight from Incheon, Korea to Lisbon, Portugal for the first time among Korean carriers from October to Ma..

KCGI files damage lawsuit against Hanjin KAL for its short-term borrowing South Korea’s activist fund Korea Corporate Governance Improvement (KCGI) filed a damage lawsuit against incumbent and former directors of Hanjin KAL, the parent company of Korean Air Lines, claiming ..

LG Display names finance expert as new CEO, launches early retirement program South Korea’s LG Display Co. replaced its CEO with a financial expert and launched early retirement program for the second year as it grapples with snowballing losses in the face of heavy Chinese comp..

Hyundai Motor to invest additional $300 mn in Alabama plant in U.S. South Korea’s top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. will invest an additional $300 million in its Alabama plant in the United States to produce its newly developed smart stream engines as demand for its car..

Korea’s new LLC Air Premia keeps operating license after ownership change South Korea’s fledgling low-lost carrier Air Premia was able to hold onto its business license after teetering on the brink of losing it due to shift in ownership. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructu..

Hyundai Engineering wins $2.17 bn oil refinery order in Indonesia South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering said on Monday it has won a project to upgrade an oil refinery located in East Kalimantan Province, Indonesia’s planned new capital, from the country’s state-owned oi..

LG Chem, SK Innovation CEOs meet, but still far from out-of-court settlement The chief executives of South Korea’s two major battery makers LG Chem Ltd. and SK Innovation Co. – met for the first time on Monday since the two have been locked in lawsuits over technology th..

Korea’s Jeju Air launches three new Taiwan routes from October Korea’s leading budget carrier Jeju Air Co. has increased flights to Taiwan as it seeks alternatives to Japan after Koreans refrained from traveling to the neighboring country on soured relationship. ..

LG Uplus launches preliminary 5G roaming services in China South Korea’s No. 3 mobile carrier LG Uplus Corp. on Monday has started the preliminary 5G roaming mobile services for its 5G subscribers visiting China in partnership with the country’s state-run wir..

Samsung heir makes first visit to Saudi to seek new opportunities Jay Y. Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics and de facto head of Korea’s top conglomerate Samsung Group made his first visit to Saudi Arabia during the Chuseok, or mid-autumn festival, holiday la..

Hana Invest named preferred bidder for The Squaire near Frankfurt airport South Korea’s Hana Financial Investment Co. was named the preferred bidder for The Squaire, a commercial complex connected to the Frankfurt International Airport in Germany, offered at an estimated 1...

Samsung Galaxy Fold bumps up 2nd batch of preorders on roaring demand Samsung Electronics Co. has adjusted up the second batch of preorders for its foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold, on greater-than-expected demand. Samsung Electronics, whose maiden shipments went mostl..

Korea’s Daewoo E&C in consortium bags $4.3bn LNG project in Nigeria South Korea’s Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co (Daewoo E&C) in consortium with Italy’s Saipem and Japan’s Chiyoda has secured a $4.3 billion liquefied natural gas plant project in Nigeria.The cons..

Hyundai Motor to deploy self-developed center side airbag in new cars Hyundai Motor Group said on Wednesday new passenger vehicle releases will be equipped with self-developed center side airbag to separate the space between driver and passenger and prevent head injurie..

S. Korean research team develops novel kit for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s A group of researchers in South Korea has developed a novel kit designed to identify Alzheimer’s disease simply from a drop of blood sample, the government said on Monday. According to the Ministry o..

Samsung unveils its first 5G-integrated mobile processor Exynos 980 Samsung Electronics Co. Wednesday announced its mass production of 5G-intergrated mobile processor Exynos 980 powering 5G modem and intelligent processing performance in a single chip. The Exynos 980..

S. Korea to revise bill to enable gene therapy research using gene editing South Korea is seeking to ease legislative restrictions to allow research on breakthrough gene therapies using gene editing and other advanced gene correction tools. The Ministry of Health and Welfare..

Korean-made botox Nabota used in 23,000 cases in U.S. in first 45 days Daewoong Pharm said on Wednesday its botulinum toxin Nabota has been used on more than 20,000 cases across the U.S. in less than 45 days after it hit the American market. According to the South Kore..

Hyundai Mobis to apply self-driving car sensors to commercial vehicles Hyundai Mobis, South Korea’s largest auto parts maker under Hyundai Motor Group, said on Tuesday it will start to mass produce its advanced anti-collision sensors for trucks and other commercial vehic..

Daewoong Pharm’s investigational IPF drug granted orphan status in US South Korea’s Daewoong Pharmaceutical said it received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) orphan drug designation (ODD) for DWN12088, an investigational drug to treat patients with idiopathic pul..

SK Hynix’s new super-speed DRAM can process 124 full HD movies in a second SK Hynix, the world’s second-largest memory chip provider, has developed a chip with the industry’s highest data transfer rates, which can be an optimal memory solution for high-end graphic processing..

Samsung breaks 100 megapixel barrier in mobile photography for first time Samsung Electronics on Monday announced the launch of 108 million pixel ISOCELL Bright HMX, the industry’s first mobile image sensor that breaks the 100 megapixel barrier. With the latest addition, ..

Samsung BioLogics’ cell culture technique to cut production life by 30% South Korea’s Samsung BioLogics said on Monday its new plant in Songdo has successfully adopted advanced cell growth technology called N-1 perfusion, cutting production time by up to 30 percent.The ce..

Samsung starts mass production of high-performance SSD, high-density DRAM Samsung Electronics on Friday announced its commercial production of the PM1733 PCIe Gen4 Solid State Drive (SSD) and high density RDIMM1 and LRDIMM2 dynamic random access memory (DRAM) for the AMD’s ..

Korean Air completes first flight of unmanned helicopter Korean Air said Thursday it has successfully demonstrated the first flight of its 500MD unmanned helicopter, proving excellent performance and safety with plans to export the new versatile aircraft in..

Samsung Bioepis’ Hadlima cleared for marketing by U.S. FDA Samsung Bioepis has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell Hadlima, referencing AbbVie’s blockbuster autoimmune treatment Humira (adalimumab), in the world’s larges..

Hyundai develops world’s first active transmission technology for hybrid cars Hyundai Motor Group, South Korea`s biggest carmaker, on Friday announced the world’s first commercial development of active shift control (ASC) technology, which improves transmission efficiency in hy..

Boehringer signs to pick up IPF drug from Korean startup for up to $1.2 bn Germany-based Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) offered to pay maximum $1.2 billion for the rights in an investigational idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) drug under development by four-year-old Korean biot..

S. Korean researchers develop world’s first ternary semiconductor tech A South Korean research team has successfully demonstrated an energy-efficient ternary metal-oxide semiconductor on a large-sized wafer for the first time in the world, according to Samsung Electronic..

Doosan teams up with Ceres of UK to develop fuel cells to power buildings South Korea’s Doosan Corp. said on Tuesday it has signed an agreement with UK-based Ceres Power to jointly develop solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems to power commercial buildings. The two held si..

Google pledges $348,000 in Seoul National University to back AI research Korea’s top academic name Seoul National University has received a pledge of maximum $348,000 from Google to back its artificial intelligence research and development. The two institutions will sign a..

Hyundai Mobis develops new collision warning system for trucks Hyundai Mobis, South Korea`s largest auto parts maker, said Sunday that it will apply an advanced forward collision avoidance system to large commercial vehicles from 2021. The driver state warning (..

SK Innovation to upgrade pyrolysis-based waste plastic utilization for clean Jeju campaign SK Innovation, SK Group`s energy and electric vehicle (EV) battery unit, will back the campaign to make Jeju island cleaner by sourcing plastic wastes for power supply. It signed a memorandum of unde..

Sae-A Trading named preferred bidder for Tailim Packaging, Tailim Paper South Korea’s clothing manufacturer Sae-A Trading Co. was chosen over foreign names as the candidate to buy out the country’s top boxing paper producer Tailim Packaging and its subsidiary Tailim Paper..

Lotte sale of card and insurance units to be cleared next month Lotte Card Co. and Lotte Non-Life Insurance Co. will go under new owners as planned as Korean authorities are expected to give a go-ahead to their divorce from the country’s fifth-largest conglomerate..

Korea’s FX trade turnover up 16% in April from 3 yrs ago, 15th largest in the world South Korea’s foreign exchange market expanded by 15.7 percent over the last three years, but still took up a pitiful 0.7 percent of global trade, data showed on Tuesday. According to the Bank of Ko..

Robo-advisors deliver positive returns over the last year when Kospi fell 15% Robo-advisors were able to deliver stable returns over a year when Korean markets fell more than 10 percent, showing off their skills in a bearish market, an investment performance report showed. Ac..

Doosan Corp. stock on a roll ahead of demerger next month Shares of Doosan Corp., the holding entity of South Korea’s conglomerate Doosan Group, soared nearly 15 percent over the past month on expectation for the planned demerger of its fuel cell and organic..

Korea Inc. Q4 earnings likely to improve largely due to chip, FX recovery South Korea’s large-cap companies, mostly the country’s major exporters, are expected to see their earnings improve in the fourth quarter from a year ago largely due to a weak Korean won and improveme..

Korea’s securities trade goes digital from this week All stocks and bonds in South Korea would now be issued and registered electronically as the country’s stock exchange officially goes paperless. The country’s electronic securities system came into ..

Korean currency gains vs U.S dollar on eased U.S.-China trade tensions The Korean won opened the week on a buoyant note on multiple favorable news over the Sept. 12-15 Chuseok break. The Korean won rose nearly 1 percent against the U.S. dollar from the previous closing..

Bumper Korean debt market stays cold to small corporate issuers The Korean debt market is enjoying a bumper year as interest rates hover at historic low levels, but the frenzied appetite has been restricted to big corporate names, with smaller companies turning to..

Korean refiner shares up, airlines down after oil prices surge on attacks in Saudi Shares of Korean oil refiners jumped Monday on anticipation of strengthening in gasoline prices as the result of disruption in the world’s biggest petroleum supplier following Saturday’s drone attacks..

DJSI World includes 19 Korean companies this year Nineteen South Korean companies have made the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World, the list of world’s most sustainable companies, this year. DSJI, which is co-operated by global index provi..

Foreign capital outflow in Korean stocks near $2 bn in August, appetite for bonds revive Foreigners cashed out of Korean stocks in August as prospects for the second-half performance of the Korean Inc. turned murkier while renewing investment in bonds amid expectations for additional lowe..

SK Hynix`s first offshore debt offering in 12 yrs oversubscribed South Korea`s SK Hynix Inc. has scaled up issuance of its five-year offshore bonds after it drew overwhelming demand from investors, making a successful return to the foreign debt market after 12 year..

Korean stock markets buoyant before Chuseok break on positive data Positive job and export data uplifted sentiment in Korean bourses Wednesday as they break for the Chuseok holiday for the rest of the week.The main bourse Kospi stayed positive throughout the day, end..

KDB chairman proposes merger of state policy banks KDB and Korea Eximbank Lee Dong-gull, chairman of Korea Development Bank (KDB), proposed merging the two state lenders KDB and Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) to rationalize their overlapping areas of policy fu..

SK Siltron agrees to acquire DuPont’s carbide wafer division for $450mn SK Siltron, the semiconductor wafer unit of South Korea`s SK Group, will acquire a silicon carbide (SiC) wafer division from U.S. chemical giant DuPont for $450 million, a move that can further raise ..

Korean companies to see more credit-negative results over next year: Moody’s Moody’s Investors Service on Tuesday warned negative rating actions that could lead to downgrades would outnumber positive ones for Korean companies over the next year as unfavorable trade conditions ..

Korean real estate trust industry’s net profit falls in H1 for first time in 9 yrs South Korea’s real estate trust companies saw their combined net profit plunge 7.7 percent in the first half of this year from a year ago, marking the first fall in 9 years to reflect the subdued mark..

Korean brokerages deliver record net profit in H1 despite poor stock market South Korean brokerage houses posted a record net profit in the first half despite a sluggish stock market, though the pace of gains slowed in the second quarter from the previous three months. The ..

Polaris Shipping`s $67 mn debt undersubscribed, third in Korean B-tier group New BBB+ debt offering by Korean mid-sized shipper Polaris Shipping Co. was undersubscribed, raising alarm about a change in investors’ confidence in Korean debt and higher borrowing rates due to unce..

Korea’s export-import prices rise in August aided by weaker KRW South Korea’s export and import prices gained in August from the previous month on a weaker Korean won against the U.S. dollar, helping the chip export prices snap a 12-month losing streak. Accordin..

Korea’s auto exports turnover extends gains for 5th month on SUV, EV South Korea’s automobile exports turnover rose 4.6 percent on year in August despite softening in global demand, led by electric and sport utility vehicles. According to data from the Ministry of Tra..

S. Korea`s OECD leading indicator down for longest 26 mos The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)`s composite leading indicator (CLI) for South Korea fell to its lowest level in more than seven years in its longest losing streak, und..

Korea’s household debt growth fastest in 10 mos following rate cut Household loans extended by South Korean financial institutions rose by 7.4 trillion won ($6.2 billion) in August, the biggest gain in 10 months amid recovery in housing transactions in Seoul and dema..

Korea adds largest number of jobs in Aug in 29 months The number of newly employed Koreans in August rose at the fastest pace in 29 months, leading the employment rate to hit the highest in 22 years for August and unemployment rate the lowest in six year..

Korea’s exports up on yr early Sept, raising hope for recovery after 9-mo loss South Korea’s exports raised hopes for a turnaround after a losing streak throughout the year by showing a marginal recovery in the first 10 days of September. According to data released by the Korea..

Korea’s tax revenue slows, govt debt growth accelerates amid poor economy Korea’s tax income shriveled 800 billion won to 189.4 trillion won ($159 billion) as of July from a year ago amid slow economy whereas the growth in government debt accelerated to near 700 trillion wo..

S. Korea should focus on short-term fiscal stimulus measures: Krugman The South Korean government should introduce fiscal stimulus measures that would immediately resuscitate the economy, according to Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman.In a meeting with Korean D..

Korea “far underperforming” potential growth rate of 2.5% this year: BOK South Korea’s economic growth potential has sharply weakened to around 2.5 percent from around 3 percent and the economy has been performing “far below” the rate this year, according to the Bank of Ko..

Korea’s foreclosure auction price dips to 10-year low Aug, below half their fair value Foreclosure auction value has hit a 10-year low in Korea in another sign of the economy at its worst since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.The hammer ratio, or the ratio of sale price against fa..

Bank loans to SMEs in Korea surge on new rule to promote corporate loans Bank lending to small- and medium-sized enterprises in South Korea surged nearly 30 trillion won ($25 billion) over a year on new regulations aimed to increase funding for the smaller business sector ..

Korean think tanks cut growth estimates, warn of deflationary risks Local institutions moved to downgrade growth forecasts for the Korean economy this year as downsides increase on uncertainties on the external front and stubbornly lethargic demand invites deflationar..

S. Korea’s consumer price growth poised to hit record low level in 2019 South Korea’s consumer prices are poised to grow at a historically slow pace this year in an absence of catalysts that could immediately spark inflation, raising expectations for additional rate cuts ..

Number of beneficiaries of state unemployment allowances on surge in Korea Applicants for government cash compensations for dismissals from workplaces jumped despite improvements in job data in Korea, suggesting the job market remains gloomy regardless of recent additions fr..

Korea’s current account surplus hits 9-mo high in July on robust overseas investment South Korea’s current account surplus hit a nine-month high in July after a narrowing service deficit and surge in income from overseas investment more than offset deterioration in the goods surplus. ..

Factory utilization rate of large Korean manufacturers slip below 80% H1 Factories of Korea’s biggest manufacturers have been running more than 20 percent below their full capacity this year as the result of fizzling-out in chip boom cycle and softening in IT and electroni..

S. Korea’s Aug FX reserve dips to 12-mo low on stronger dollar South Korea’s foreign currency reserves fell to the lowest level in a year in August due to depreciation in non-U.S. assets versus strong greenback. According to data released by the Bank of Korea on..

Korea’s housing business sentiment takes a new hit in Sept after price cap measure Korea’s housing business sentiment slipped to a fresh annual low in September as fledgling market recovery was stamped out by the latest government price cap on pre-construction apartment offerings.Th..

Korea’s Q2 GDP growth revised dn to 1.0%, negative deflator worst since 2006 South Korea’s economy in the second quarter added 1.0 percent from the previous quarter, revised down from preliminary 1.1 percent upon reflecting small contribution from government spending and expor..

Korea faces first-ever deflation as CPI hits sub-zero in Aug In an alarming symptom of an economy headed for recession, South Korea’s inflation touched an unprecedented level of zero growth amid softening in volatile food and gas prices coupled with protracted ..

KEPCO envisions opening of its own science academy in 2022 South Korea’s state-run utility monopoly Wednesday proposed to launch a science academy in 2022 starting with 50 lecturing staff to gradually double the payroll by 2025 despite growing skepticism abou..

Korea to offer new visa, incentives for skilled foreign labors amid aging population The South Korean government will introduce incentives and new visa for proactive employment of foreign nationals to compensate for a thinning and graying population. The Ministry of Economy and Finan..

Second case of African swine fever confirmed in South Korea, pork prices surge Pork prices soared in Korea upon fears of an outbreak in the African swine fever after second case was identified in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Wednesday despite quick and highest quarantine act..

Korea to change classroom, military recruitment amid thinning population South Korea will revise classroom and military recruitment system and offer various incentives for employers keeping employees on payroll beyond their retirement age to meet rapidly thinning and aging..

Seoul argues against renewal of Chinese antidumping duties on Korean polysilicon The South Korean government made its defense case against China’s renewal of anti-dumping duties on Korean polysilicon, a key component of solar cells Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy ..

Two out of 10 under 30 are NEET in Korea, causing 3% losses to GDP Two out of 10 under-30 Koreans were neither in education nor in employment or training (NEET) as of 2017, doubling the average of developed economies and causing losses tantamount to near 3 percent of..

S. Korea’s direct purchases from foreign e-commerce sites up 42% on yr in H1 South Koreans’ direct purchases from overseas e-commerce sites surged more than 40 percent on year in the first half of this year in terms of volume on rising demand for Chinese electronics products a..

Seoul population to fall below 10 mn ’18, defined aged with elderly share at 14% The population in South Korea’s capital city Seoul is expected to drop below 10 million threshold next year amid fast aging, with the number of people aged over 65 accounting for more than 14 percent...

Korea drums up IAEA support against Japan’s plan to dump radioactive water in Pacific South Korea has set out to rally support from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) against Japan’s plan to dump contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific. “Discha..

Korean wireless carrier, broadcasters launch the country’s largest OTT platform Top wireless carrier and terrestrial broadcasters launches a joint video platform Wavve in Korea on Wednesday with an aim to fend off the fast encroachment by foreign names Netflix and YouTube through..

No Japanese hydrogen fluoride makes way into Korea in Aug after export curb No hydrogen fluoride, one of the three chemicals under strict export regulations by Japan, arrived in South Korea last month while imports jumped six-fold from Taiwan, data from customs office showed...

S. Korea raises highest alert after first case of African swine fever South Korea on Tuesday raised its epidemic action plan to the highest level after it identified the first case of African swine fever near the border with North Korea, which earlier reported the sprea..

Korea’s auto exports turnover extends gains for 5th month on SUV, EV South Korea’s automobile exports turnover rose 4.6 percent on year in August despite softening in global demand, led by electric and sport utility vehicles. According to data from the Ministry of Tra..

Korean imports of Japanese alcohol products plunge amid trade tensions Korean imports of Japanese traditional alcoholic drink Sake fell to their lowest in 11 years while Japanese names were pushed out of top 10 bestsellers in the imported beer market last month amid anti..

Korean legislative may seek action on copyright violation by YouTube and others Google-owned YouTube, the world`s largest video platform, has so far this year received more than 130,000 requests for correction of copyright violation from South Korean TV networks, according to dat..

Drive-thru catching on in fast food and coffee chains in Korea Drive-thru has become a common sight in Korea as more eateries add the pick-up service amid a surge in singles` life. McDonalds` Korea which introduced the first drive thru experience in Korea in 199..

Science R&D budget doubled as Seoul goes all out to accelerate IT self-sufficiency South Korea`s state funding for research and development in materials, components and equipment would be doubled next year as the government goes all out to build a self-sufficient value chain after t..

WTO appeals panel rules in favor of Korea over anti-dumping spat with Japan South Korea has effectively won its battle with Japan over its anti-dumping duties on Japanese pneumatic valves at the World Trade Organization (WTO).According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and E..

Korean workers get off earlier, increase leisure spending on shorter workweek South Korea’s new 52-hour workweek for workplaces employing 300 or more has already brought about sweeping changes to Korean night life, drawing office workers away from bars to gyms and fitness cente..

Korean businesses protest against labor law revisions to meet ILO mandates Korean employers raised their voices opposing to the government’s planned revision on labor law that further strengthens rights of labor unions in line with ratification of International Labor Organiz..

Cambodia Government unveils tourism masterplan to increase visitors The government is set to roll out the Four-Strategic Plan for Tourism Development aimed at reviving tourism in the Kingdom`s northern provinces, an inter-ministerial committee meeting has decided. ..

Malaysia eyes higher electricity output from renewable sources Plans for the development of solar and other renewables remain less well developed in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, accoridmng to The Economist Intelligence Unit. Indonesia and Malaysia ..

VN, Cuba seek to expand investment, trade ties Trade and investment ties between Viet Nam and Cuba are not commensurate with their potential and there is a lot of room for them to grow, a seminar on business co-operation opportunities between the ..

Viet Nam`s PMI falls to 51.4 in August The Vietnam Manufacturing Purchasing Managers` Index (PMI) posted 51.4 in August, remaining above the 50.0 no-change mark, but falling from 52.6 in July to signal a weaker overall improvement in busin..

Myanmar steps up on company director accountability Company directors in Myanmar now face legal repercussions if they fail in their corporate duties under the new Myanmar Companies Law, which came into force last August. Articles 165-172 of the Comp..

South Korea-Thai MoUs set for signing Thailand is scheduled to clinch six memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with South Korea on Monday on smart cities; Industry 4.0; education; water development; rail, transport and infrastructure devel..

CIMB Group targets up to 7.0 pct loan growth this year CIMB Group Holdings Bhd has targeted a six per cent to seven per cent loan growth this year. Group chief executive officer Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz said for the first six months of the year, C..

Viet Nam, Malaysia agree to deepen strategic partnership Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad agreed to further deepen the Viet Nam-Malaysia strategic partnership during their talks in Ha Noi on Tuesday. The talk..

Myanmar woos Thai investors in Bangkok Myanmar is participating in regional connectivity initiatives in efforts to improve bilateral ties with its neighbours and promote investment and trade. Myanmar has implemented a number of signific..

India, Philippine central banks to cut rate, Bank of Thailand waits Central banks in emerging Asia are poised to cut interest rates as they bolster their economies against a wave of global threats. India and the Philippines are expected to cut rates by 25 basis poi..

Cambodia Ministry: SMEs vital to economy, but 95% not registered Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are key factors in the Kingdom`s industrial sector growth, but around 95 per cent of Cambodia`s SMEs have not been properly registered, the Ministry of Industry and..

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia eyes export opportunities in other SEA countries Mercedes-Benz Malaysia is looking at opportunities to expand its market to other countries in the Southeast Asian region following its success in penetrating the Philippines market. President/chief..

Viet Nam, Cambodia look to foster partnership in 28 areas Viet Nam and Cambodia signed a cooperation agreement covering specific collaboration programmes in 28 areas following the 17th meeting of their Joint Committee on Cooperation in Economy, Culture, Scie..

Malaysia`s FDI rises 10.3 pct to RM667.5bil in Q2 Malaysia`s total stock of foreign direct investment (FDI) rose 10.3 per cent to RM667.5 billion in the second-quarter (Q2) of 2019, from RM605.1 billion a year ago, according to Department of Statisti..

Cambodia`s 2020 tax revenue collection set to rise once again Cambodia`s 2020 tax revenues are expected to continue to grow, while transparency is also set to improve as tax officials become more aware of anti-corruption laws, according to the director general o..

Malaysia`s economy to be driven by ongoing mega projects in 2H 2019 Malaysia`s economic growth for the second half of this year is set to be healthy and driven by the ongoing mega projects, despite the current global economic uncertainties, says Maybank Kim Eng Group ..

Yangon trials digital construction permit system Yangon City is introducing a new digitalised construction permit scheme in an effort to improve the ease of doing business. With the support of the International Finance Corporation, the Building C..

CIMB and Axiata Digital Capital lend money to 700,000 SMEs via Aspirasi CIMB Group entered into a partnership with Axiata Digital Capital (ADC), a fintech services provider under Axiata Digital, to provide financing solutions to potentially 700,000 small and medium enterp..

Viet Nam keeps goal of export value growth at 7.5% in 2019 The Ministry of Industry and Trade would not adjust its import and export goals despite current difficulties. Instead it would find the most effective solutions to achieve export growth of 7-7.5 per ..

Malaysia`s economy seen to grow 4.5pc to RM1.51 trillion Economists and analysts recently forecast Malaysia`s economy to grow at 4.5 per cent this year to RM1.51 trillion from 2018`s current price of RM1.45 trillion. "Since January until now, the FTSE Bu..

BTS producer Big Hit to go on a global search to debut a girl group in 2021 Big Hit Entertainment Co., South Korean agency behind K-pop superstar BTS, will go on a global search to put together a female version of the K-pop boy band BTS by 2021. Big Hit Entertainment said on..

MBN’s weekly drama “Graceful Family” gains huge popularity overseas “Graceful Family,” a new weekly drama series on Maeil Broadcasting Network (MBN), a general programming cable TV channel in South Korea, is gaining huge popularity overseas amid the booming K-drama in..

Korean film “Parasite” gets invitations from multiple film festivals in N. America Cannes-winning movie “Parasite” has received invitations from multiple film festivals held in North America ahead of the Korean film’s official debut in the region on Oct. 11, its distributor CJ Enter..

TWICE “Likey” MV draws 400 mn views on YouTube JYP label K-pop star girl group TWICE has set a new record with the video of its first album title “Likey” topping 400 million views on YouTube on Thursday. The music video for “Likey,” the main tra..

BTS creator Big Hit posts record-high H1 earnings, plans TV drama on BTS boys South Korea’s Big Hit Entertainment Co., an unlisted agency behind K-pop superstar BTS, will strengthen intellectual property (IP) business by enhancing artists’ brand value, the company founder and c..

KCON on global tour 2019 achieves 1 million accumulated viewers KCON, the world’s largest festival on Korean pop culture in its eighth year, has attracted an accumulated 1 million audience from all around the world this year, with the bulk coming from America, acc..

BTS gives last show at Lotte Family Concert before going into break K-pop superstar BTS ended its extraordinary two-year streak on global music charts and stages with an act on the finale of the three-day Lotte Duty Free Family Concert, an annual music festival reward..

Korean independence battle movie opens No.1 in box office amid anti-Japanese fervor A movie about the Korean independent militia’s biggest victory against Japanese forces during the Japanese rule topped the South Korean box office as its release came at a time when past issues hit a ..

Home movies set to be blockbusters hopes to revive Korean film winning streak “Exit” and “The Divine Fury” have opened the second-half Korean screen calendar in buoyant note to raise hopes for a bumper year for Korean movies. According to data compiled by the Korean Film Coun..

BlackPink’s “Kill This Love” MV tops 500 mn views for YouTube record K-pop star BlackPink has made another milestone achievement Thursday, with music video for “Kill This Love” topping 500 million views on YouTube in 111 days of release. Around 1:38 a.m. on Thursday,..

Actor Don Lee confirms to star Marvel Studios “The Eternals” Korea-born muscleman Don Lee, known as Ma Dong-seok in Korea, has been confirmed to star in Marvel Studios’ new ancient, super-powered humans film “The Eternals” set for November 2020. Lee will make..

BTS to hold solo concert in Saudi Arabia Women still must keep themselves hidden under full-length black robe when attempting outside in Saudi Arabia, but that cannot be a hinder to the chance to see K-pop superstar BTS perform for the first..

Actor Lee Min-ho, new face of Shinsegae Chosun Hotel South Korean actor Lee Min-ho is the new face of Shinsegae Chosun Hotel, hotel operating unit of the country’s retail conglomerate Shinsegae. The company announced Thursday it will launch marketing ..

GFriend, SM Entertainment featured on BBC documentary on K-pop Britain’s BBC network is making a documentary that explores K-pop entertainment industry and its fast success in depth. According to entertainment industry sources on Tuesday, BBC producers James Bal..

K-pop idol Kang Daniel to release solo debut album “Color on Me” on July 25 Kang Daniel, a 22-year-old singer who became a star overnight upon winning Korea’s hit television talent competition “Produce 101” will release his solo debut album “Color on Me” after months of a for..

K-pop groups take center stage at KCON 2019 at Madison Square Garden Tens of thousands of K-pop fans showed up at KCON, the world’s largest festival on Korean pop culture that has acted as global debut stage for new faces on the K-pop scene held at Madison Square Garde..

BTS’s latest “Map of the Soul: Persona” sold most in physical form in H1 in US K-pop sensation BTS sold the most physical albums in the first six months this year in the United States, achieving another milestone with “Map of the Soul: Persona” album released in March. Accordi..

K-pop sensation BTS tops Japan’s Oricon chart with new single “Lights/Boy With Luv” K-pop superstar BTS broke another record in Japan with its new single “Lights/Boy With Luv” topping the Oricon’s daily singles chart on Thursday. The boy band’s tenth Japanese single “Lights/Boy With..

Nexon draws 1 mn gamers to SINo ALICE, invests in Embark of Sweden Pre-orders for SINo ALICE, a smartphone RPG developed by Japan’s Pokelabo and Square Enix, exceeded 1 million, according to Nexon with distribution rights in the label beyond Japan and Greater China. ..

“Spring Day” MV beach is the first place BTS fans want to see in Korea A bus stop near Jumumjin Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province that was the setting for music video of Korean superstar BTS’s song “Spring Day” and covered the 2017 “You Never Walk Alone” album is the ..