KSOE starts the year on strong note, netting $2.7 bn orders in Jan-Feb Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. (KSOE), parent of three shipbuilders including Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. has netted over 3 trillion won ($2.65 billion) in new orders in the first two ..

Korean sea carrier HMM’s outlook brightens further on strengthening freight rates South Korea’s sea flag carrier HMM Co. can be more buoyant about this year after reporting its first annual profit in a decade in 2020 thanks to surging cargo servicing rates for the United States and..

LG Energy, Hyundai Motor agree on 70:30 cost-sharing for $833 mn EV recall LG Energy Solution Co. will shoulder about 70 percent and Hyundai Motor Co. the rest 30 percent for around $833 billion global recall to replace battery systems of 81,701 electric Kona and other EVs s..

KAI, IAI to collaborate for manned/unmanned teaming systems Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have agreed to collaborate in manned and unmanned teaming solutions. Under the memorandum of understanding, Korea’s light armed ..

Kumho Petrochemical shares on rollercoaster ride amid owner family feud Shares of Kumho Petrochemical Co. are on a rollercoaster ride as the nephew ratcheted up proxy challenge against his uncle and chairman over management at the South Korean manufacturer of synthetic ru..

Posco-owned salt lake in Argentina contains 6-fold lithium worth nearly $32 bn A modest purchase of a salt lake in Argentina with lithium deposits turned out to be a gold mine for Korean steelmaker Posco Co. and its business push in secondary battery materials amid lithium rush ..

Hyundai Motor readies Genesis EV rollout by adding charging stations Hyundai Motor Group under new limelight with edge in rechargeable drive with its proprietary EV platform will drop its first EV model under luxury marque Genesis in June for rollout later in the year...

Hyundai Glovis enters strategic alliance with Changjiu via Polish venture South Korea’s Hyundai Glovis Co., a logistics unit of Hyundai Motor Group, enters into a strategic partnership with Chinese rival Changjiu Group to expand footprint in China and Europe. Hyundai Glo..

Samsung and family may donate late chair Lee Kun-hee’s $3 bn art collection Samsung Group is considering donating its late chairman Lee Kun-hee’s art collection with an estimated value of up to 3 trillion won ($2.7 billion) to Leeum Samsung Museum of Art and other national mu..

Hanwha Q Cells sells 81-MW solar power plant in Texas to Adapture Renewables Hanwha Q Cells Corp., a solar power unit of South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group, announced Wednesday it has sold its 81-megawatt solar power plant in Cooke County, Texas to U.S.-based solar energy ..

Naver’s early invest in Woowa Brothers returns in 10-fold profit South Korean internet giant Naver Corp. has reaped handsome returns from its early investment into startup Woowa Brothers, operator of top food delivery app Baedal Minjok, completing merger with Germa..

Naver, SoftBank JV to spend $4.7 bn to strengthen AI-based foray across Asia The integrated entity of Naver and SoftBank, the top IT names of South Korea and Japan, will leverage AI technology to broaden their market beyond the home turfs, starting with Southeast Asia. Z Hold..

Hyundai Heavy, Aramco team up for green biz based on hydrogen, ammonia South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries Group and Saudi Arabia’s Aramco will jointly launch hydrogen and ammonia businesses that span from producing and selling blue hydrogen and ammonia as green energ..

Korea’s LG Innotek develops automotive Wi-Fi 6E module for 2022 mass production LG Innotek Co. has developed the world`s first automotive Wi-Fi 6E module, which enables 3 times faster data transmission than existing Wi-Fi 5, the South Korean electronics parts maker announced on W..

S. Korea’s major biz groups pledge near $40 bn capex in hydrogen by 2030 South Korea’s state-backed concerted hydrogen drive picked up speed, with five business groups Hyundai Motor, SK Group, Posco, Hanwha, and Hyosung uniting to pool 43 trillion won ($38.3 billion) to es..

Korean car sales in growth Jan despite chip woes, choices restricted to big and small Korean major automakers kept up growth in car sales in January, while chip shortage battered the overall auto industry across the globe, with choices in the new buys centering either big or small whee..

Memory super cycle may last longer this time, given the rise in spot movements South Korean chip making giants may revisit the 2017-2018 memory boom cycle for a longer period, with some predicting the boon to last until 2025, given the sprawling demand for memory from handheld d..

Samsung C&T scores $2 bn LNG expansion contract from QP Samsung C&T Corp., a construction and trading unit of Samsung Group, has won $1.67 billion deal from Qatar Petroleum (QP) as part of its giant LNG expansion project, the company announced on Tuesday. ..

Hyundai Motor ties up with SK on hydrogen, initiates first overseas fuel cell project South Korea’s auto mogul Hyundai Motor Group has accelerated its hydrogen push for global leadership by forging a tie-up with battery-making SK Group and initiating its first overseas manufacturing pr..

Korea’s FTC to impose sanctions against SK Group over chairman’s plunder allegations South Korea’s third largest conglomerate SK Group may be fined by the country’s antitrust authority on charges of favoritism for Chairman Chey Tae-won over the 2017 buyout of LG Siltron. The Fair Trad..

Samsung tech names hounded by litigation pursuits from patent trolls Non-practicing entities (NPEs), also known as patent trolls sniffing around for quick buck through litigation settlement have been fiercely targeting Korean companies – mostly Samsung tech names..

Korea’s IT household rush to roll out remote schooling solutions Remote schooling solutions gained traction in the year of Covid-19, with big tech companies in Korea all rushing with rollouts to fend multinationals like Zoom and Google off. According to industry so..

Koreans can access super data speed of 5.23Gbps on double 4G-5G connectivity Koreans can download a full 2-hour length HD movie in just 6 seconds on their smartphones by leveraging on both 4G and 5G stations under a pioneering dual connectivity solution from Samsung Electronic..

Il-yang Pharm shares battered on two failed clinical trials Il-yang Pharm shares lost more than 30 percent of their value this week due to two consecutive failures in pivotal Phase 3 studies seeking new indications, including coronavirus treatment. On Thursday..

S. Korea vows $2 bn in national drug development projects by 2030 South Korea will invest a total of 2.17 trillion won ($1.92 billion) in national novel drug development projects over the next decade, with 1.47 trillion won from the government and 70 million won fro..

Korea’s indigenous coronavirus vaccine enters Phase 2a study South Korea’s Genexine Inc. has initiated a Phase 2a clinical trial of its investigational coronavirus vaccine GX-19N, marking the country’s first 2a milestone in the development of an indigenous jab ..

Samsung Bioepis commences clinical trial of its 10th biosimilar Samsung Bioepis Co. has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial of SB17, a biosimilar version of Stelara (ustekinumab), which marks the 10th biosimilar pipeline of the Korean biopharmaceutical company. A t..

Celltrion shares jump EMA starts rolling review of Covid-19 cure Rekirona Celltrion shares rose sharply Thursday after the Korean biotech company said the EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) started a rolling review of data on its monoclonal antibody Rekirona (regdanvima..

Yuhan posts 6.7-fold jump in OP driven by lung cancer drug license revenue Yuhan Corporation reported its operating profit expanded nearly seven-fold in 2020 against a year ago on license revenue growth and property sale.The Korean pharmaceutical company said in a Wednesday ..

CHA Biotech’s US subsidiary breaks ground for biologics plant South Korea’s CHA Biotech Co. said on Wednesday its USA subsidiary Matica Biotechnology has held a groundbreaking ceremony for CDMO (Contract Development Manufacturing Organization) production lines t..

Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V to be rolled out in Korea from next month Russia’s Sputnik V, one of the world’s early approved coronavirus vaccines, is ready for packaging and shipment next month from a Korean plant located in Chucheon, Gangwon Province, according to the v..

Hanmi Pharm’s NASH therapy wins tech export award Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. will collect a national export merit medal for the development of its innovative NASH (non-alcoholic fatty hepatitis) therapy which was successfully licensed out to MSD last y..

Hugel approved to sell its second botox dose in China South Korea`s biopharmaceutical company Hugel Inc. has received marketing authorization of its botulinum toxin type A Letybo 50 for aesthetic use in China, adding another dose to its botox portfolio f..

Hyundai Motor develops Group AI-based voice-recognition in-car solution Hyundai Motor Group has developed an advanced voice-recognition in-car system powered by artificial intelligence, allowing easier human-car interaction and voice-activated assistance while driving. T..

Brain engineering expert and entrepreneurship champion becomes the new KAIST head Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) appointed Lee Kwang-hyung, the institute’s professor emeritus of the bio and brain engineering department and the Moon Soul Graduate School o..

Genexine snags $1.1 bn deal to license out cancer drug GX-I7 to Indonesian firm South Korean biotech company Genexine Inc. has landed a massive deal worth up to $1.1 billion to license out GX-I7, which is being developed as a potential immunotherapy and Covid-19 cure, to an Indon..

Celltrion mulls Covid-19 vaccine development for national interest Celltrion Chairman Seo Jung-jin has hinted that the South Korea’s biosimilar power could explore vaccine development to ensure Korea’s sovereignty in cure and immunization strength versus novel corona..

Nibec licenses out gene therapy delivery system appliable mRNA vaccine Shares of South Korea’s Nibec Co. shot up after it entered a licensing deal with an unnamed global pharmaceutical company over the transfer of a drug delivery system that can be applied to mRNA and ot..

Huons claims inhaled asthma drug Zephirus effective vs Covid-19 Zephirus, an inhaled asthma medicine, has been proven effective against the novel coronavirus, South Korea’s healthcare product maker Huons Co. announced on Wednesday.Huons has exclusive marketing rig..

K-bio names in $1 bn sales club double over past 2 years Korean pharma names in the $1 billion sales club doubled in number to 12 from two years ago, underscoring the ascent of K-bio in the year of Covid-19. The 12 are Celltrion, Celltrion Healthcare, Yuha..

EastBridge and Affirma competes for T Map Mobility’s pre-IPO equity offering South Korea’s navigation solutions provider T Map Mobility has been making headway in pre-IPO fundraising with two private equity funds vying for investment after it entered an alliance for mobility b..

Bet is on for a trio win for SK Bioscience debut, lockup terms may define future price While vaccine maker SK Bioscience Co. is widely anticipated to be priced at the top end of its desired band for a $1 billion IPO after book-building ends on Friday, the market is closely watching inst..

SK Group embarks on IPO process on gas station-backed REIT in 2021 SK Group, South Korea’s third largest conglomerate, is readying to list a real estate investment trust (REIT) backed by its head office building and some 100 petroleum stations under its refining subs..

SK E&C rumored to ready IPO as it pushes green campaign and changes name Over-the-counter trading of SK Engineering & Construction Co. (SK E&C) shares has picked up amid rumors about an IPO possibly this year despite denial from the building arm of Korea’s third largest co..

Korean debt issues in ESG theme surge in line with state-led green initiative South Korean issuers have become active players in the green debt market in line with the state-led green initiative and greater investor attention to environment, society and governance (ESG) theme. ..

KT, LGU+ join SKT’s app market ONE Store in pre-IPO funding South Korea’s KT and LG Uplus joined their wireless rival SK Telecom’s open app market ONE Store via equity investment to back the reinforcement of a local app store against multinationals and its bid..

eBay Korea race draws high-profile names from IT, retail and PEF Big names from IT, retail and PEF jumped into the race after eBay Korea LLC,, among the top three e-commerce players in Korea, at a time market leader Coupang gains fresh ammunition of $3.6 billion an..

Korean chicken franchise Kyochon F&B adds Singapore as its 7th overseas market South Korea’s leading fried chicken franchise operator Kyochon F&B Co. has added Singapore as its seventh foreign market to meet its goal to boost overseas revenue to 10 percent of its total sales by ..

Korea’s semiconductor equipment stocks fly high on memory boom The household memory makers are not the sole winners in South Korea from the anticipated revival of a chip super cycle as dire shortage of memory is expected to feed a boom bout longer this round and ..

HHI forms underwriting syndicate to accelerate Kospi debut Global shipbuilding giant Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. (HHI) has completed forming the syndicate to underwrite its initial public offering at the Kospi market later this year. HHI named Mirae Asset Da..

Korea’s LCC newcomer Air Premia ready for takeoff under a new owner South Korea’s unfledged Air Premia has gotten a chance to take off in the battered budget airline market amidst yearlong impasse in the air travel due to pandemic after a consortium led by Hong Kong-b..

MagnaChip Semiconductor up for sale, stoking interest at home and abroad South Korean chipmaker MagnaChip Semiconductor trading on the New York Stock Exchange is up for sale, sparking heated interest from strategic and financial investors at home and abroad at a time when ..

NPS may have to exit by another $14 bn from local stock market this year The National Pension Service (NPS), South Korea’s largest institutional investor, has room to offload additional 16 trillion won ($14 billion) in the Kospi to taper off its dominance over the local bo..

Luxury bag producer Simone and beer crafter Jeju Beer to add IPO diversity Adding to the diversity to the Korean IPO pipeline, a luxury bag and craft beer names will join the Korean bourse. Simone Ltd., a globally leading original design manufacturer (ODM) of high-end handb..

Mirae Asset to retire 10 mn treasury shares, liquidate Brazil real estate fund South Korea’s leading asset manager Mirae Asset Financial Group delivered good and bad news to its investors by offering to retire 10 million treasury shares to enhance shareholder value while warning..

Kia shares boosted upon renewed hope for Apple collabo South Korea’s Kia Corp. made a select gainer amid broad losses on the Seoul bourse Friday as expectations of its part in the Apple EV project have not entirely fizzled out despite its formal denial am..

NH Investment finances Carlyle’s $2 bn deal to buy Siemens mechanical drives unit NH Investment & Securities Co., a brokerage unit of South Korea’s NongHyup Financial Group, has joined the financing syndicate behind Carlyle Group Inc.’s 2-billion-euro ($2.4 billion) deal to buy Sie..

Kakao saved from broad Kospi fall thanks to its 5:1 stock split scheme Shares of Kakao Corp., the operator of South Korea’s largest messenger app Kakao Talk, survived the broad rout on Friday as retailers welcomed the company’s plan to make its stock more accessible thro..

Foreign firms fined for naked short selling under toughened scrutiny in Seoul South Korea’s financial authority slapped a fine of near 700 million won ($630,744) on 10 foreign securities firms for engaging in outlawed naked short selling as it tightens supervision on illicit pr..

S. Korea’s NPS adds $65 bn profit from securities investments in 2020 South Korea’s biggest institutional investor and state-run pension fund National Pension Service (NPS) reaped 72.1 trillion won ($65 billion) through securities investments at home and abroad last yea..

S. Korea’s FX reserves at new high in Feb after dip in Jan Foreign currency deposits held by South Korea hit a fresh high of $447.6 billion in February due to U.S. dollar weakening, data showed. According to the Bank of Korea on Thursday, the outstanding ba..

Korea’s Feb CPI at pre-pandemic level of 1.1%, debt prices plunge on inflation jitters South Korea like the United States may come under inflation spook as prices and market yields run faster than expected despite subdued demand, with the inflation returning to pre-pandemic level of 1.1..

S. Korea’s Q4 GDP up 1.2%, revised from 1.1%, annual contract unchanged at 1.0% South Korea’s gross domestic product added 1.2 percent in the fourth quarter, revised up from 1.1 percent in preliminary estimate on stronger exports, while the annual contraction stayed unchanged at ..

Seoul packages $17 billion Covid-19 aid in first budgetary increase this year South Korea is packaging 15 trillion won ($13 billion) in supplementary budget in just the third month into the new year plus 4.5 trillion won dug out of reserves to finance the fourth round of Covid-..

S. Korea, Switzerland to extend $11 bn currency swap deal until 2026 South Korea and Switzerland will extend their currency swap deal for another five years in a preemptive move to ensure financial security amid lingering economic and financial uncertainties from protr..

Korea’s industrial output retreats in Jan, but consumption and capex strengthen South Korea’s factory output contracted in January on reduced activity at electronics component and transportation equipment lines after two-month strengthening, although domestic demand front showed ..

Korea’s Feb exports rise 9.5% on yr, extending gains for 4 straight mos South Korea’s exports grew by 9.5 percent on year in February, extending the winning streak for the fourth consecutive month thanks to strong demand for mainstay export items like automobiles and semi..

Young Koreans losing jobs at fast clip amid pandemic Labor payroll added nearly 370,000 jobs from June to August last year in South Korea, but as many as 150,000 jobs were lost for people under 30. The number of jobs for wage workers grew 369,000 or 2 ..

Seoul goes all out to back Samsung Elec non-memory sector, chip supply chain The South Korean government pledged administrative support to back Samsung Electronics Co.’s initiative to reinforce system chip power as big as its global dominance in memory through capex of 133 tri..

BOK holds rate at 0.5%, growth outlook at 3% citing lingering uncertainties (Updated with governor quotes and additional information) The Bank of Korea (BOK) on Thursday held policy rate on hold at the historic low of 0.50 percent Thursday and echoed the U.S. Federal Reserve..

Chip shortage looming over Korean auto lines Chip shortage has begun to affect No. 5 car-producing South Korea, with the disaster catching up with the country’s biggest carmakers Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. The flagships under Hyundai Moto..

Korea’s household credit at record high of $1.6 bn, loan gain largest-ever Q4 South Korea`s household debt reached a record high of 1,726.1 trillion won ($1.55 trillion) as of December last year, central bank data showed Tuesday, looming large as a potential risk to the economy..

BOK to keep rate accommodative of the economy regardless of rising market yields South Korea’s central bank will keep monetary policy accommodative in aiding the economy, Bank of Korea (BOK) governor Lee Ju-yeol reiterated, shrugging off market bets of a tightening down the road i..

Debt issues by Korean Inc. mostly in investment grade surges in Jan Korean securities issues stayed vigorous in January, mostly in investment-grade debt, to capitalize on cheap and ample liquidity market, amid signs of fizzling-out in retail stock fad. According to ..

Korea’s consumer confidence strengthens on vaccine expectations South Korea’s consumer sentiment strengthened for the second straight month in February despite the winter outbreak on bullish stock market and expectations for easing in the virus threat through roll..

S. Korea’s Feb. 1-20 exports up 17% on brisk chip, auto demand Recovery in Korean exports picked up steam, with shipments in the first 20 days of February gaining 17 percent on heated demand on semiconductors, automobiles and wireless equipments. The country’s o..

Korea faces recession-type inflation amid strengthening in prices from supply pressure Consumer prices are strengthening amid the jump in fresh food, oil, and poultry prices due to extreme climate conditions, hardening livelihood for Koreans grappling with reduced income and job losses ..

S. Korea’s income gap widens Q4 amid loss of low-income wage and self-employed Income disparities worsened in South Korea in the final quarter of pandemic-ridden 2020 as the bottom-income class survived on state handouts and relief amid double-digit fall in wages due to loss of ..

South Korea’s FX deposits slip for first time in 4 months in Jan The outstanding balance in foreign currency deposits held in South Korea thinned last month from a record high in December due to strengthening in the U.S. dollar, data showed. The balance in FX depo..

Korean car makers grip for emergency amid global chip shortage South Korean automakers too must brace up for production disruption amid worsening in global chip shortage condition. According to global industry tracker IHS Markit on Wednesday, shipments of as ma..

Shinhan Bank fined $2 mn for illicit solicitation to win safekeeping role for Seoul Shinhan Bank was slapped with a 2.1 billion won ($1.9 million) fine for unfair solicitation to procure safekeeping deal from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, according to the Financial Supervisory S..

US to look into impact of ITC’s ruling on SK Innovation, ITC publishes report The U.S. Transportation Department will study the impact of the latest electric vehicle (EV) battery trade ruling against SK Innovation Co. on the new U.S. administration’s green push, the department’..

S. Korea to expand “fight to nowhere” services, pursue travel bubbles The South Korean government will expand the so-called “flight to nowhere” services while seeking to sign travel bubble agreements or quarantine-free corridors with other countries to support the aviat..

Korean IT, game firms disgruntled with China’s restrictive measures Korean IT service and game companies are urging the government formally complain about multiple forms of discriminative barriers in China or take the issue with the World Trade Organization (WTO). Ch..

S. Korea’s $8 bn indigenous fighter program turns out its first byproduct KF-X jet South Korea will roll out the first prototype of its indigenously developed next-generation fighter jet known as the Korean Fighter eXperimental (KF-X) aircraft late next month, according to the Defen..

Disney forms new leadership in Korea amid burgeoning pay TV market The Walt Disney Company has launched a new Korean leadership team to drive penetration in the Korean video streaming and pay TV market that is currently dominated by Netflix and mushroomed with local ..

S. Korea kicks off Covid-19 inoculation across the nation South Korea has launched its long-awaited coronavirus vaccination program with the nation’s first vaccination beginning with AstraZeneca jabs Friday morning across the country.Trucks carrying the firs..

S. Korea-Central America FTA in full effect with joining of Panama South Korea’s free trade agreement (FTA) with a group of Central American nations goes into full effect on March 1 after Panama finally endorsed the pact signed in February 2018. According to the Min..

Bipartisan legislative moves to enact special law on Gadeok airport despite govt protest The bipartisan move to enact a special act to build a new airport in Gadeok Island off southern port city of Busan ahead of the mayoral by-election in April has been met with strong opposition from th..

Korea bans operations of all airlines’ B777 in line with emergency inspection order South Korea’s transportation authority on Wednesday issued an emergency order to inspect the PW4000 engines of all Boeing 777 jets operated by local airliners and ground the jets along with a ban on o..

Hyundai Motor to administer $900 mn recall on all EV produced over last 3 yrs Hyundai Motor Co. will conduct a voluntary recall to replace faulty battery systems in 81,701 electric vehicles globally, including 26,699 units in Korea due to fire risks, the Ministry of Land, Infra..

Korea’s population shrinks for the first time in 2020 on record low birth rate South Korea’s population has formally thinned from last year as the country’s fertility rate in zero range stagnated while deaths increased from pandemic crisis. According to preliminary census figu..

Medytox shares soar after it enters three-party botox settlement in US Shares of South Korea’s botulinum toxin maker Medytox Inc. Monday hit their daily ceiling after it resolved botox dispute in the United States by becoming the second largest shareholder of Evolus, a U..

Korea’s FTC embarks on punitive review on Google for antitrust violation South Korea’s antitrust watchdog will convene a full session in April to deliberate punitive action on Google for abuses of its dominant power such as forcing domestic smartphone makers such as Samsun..

S. Korea steps up EV push with govt, auto, battery industry going all out to lower cost South Korean government and automakers and battery supply chain are joining forces to lower the prices of EVs and accelerate phase-out from traditional fuel through leasing program on batteries that t..

BNK Capital becomes latest Korean lender to suspend biz in Myanmar South Korean BNK Financial Group’s subsidiary BNK Capital Myanmar Co. suspended its business in Myanmar amid social unrest after the country fell under military control following a coup against civili..

Average 40-something Korean is around $400,000 rich, of which 20% are loans A South Korean in 40s on average own 410 million won ($370,170) in asset and indebted by 80 million won, mostly to finance housing.According to a report by Hana Financial Group based on a survey of 1,..

Hyundai’s e-bus running on LG battery like Kona EVs catches fire Hyundai Motor Co.’s electric bus powered by battery cell from LG Energy Solution caught fire in South Korea following several fire incidents involving its Kona EV models that have been recalled by the..

Power output from nuclear plants sharply up but coal down in 2020 Nuclear fuel sourcing increased, while coal-powered electricity fell sharply in South Korea last year as it strives to meet carbon emission targets. According to the data released by state-run utilit..

Seoul to roll out Pfizer vaccine in April, Novavax in Q2 with output from SK Bioscience South Korea will start free Covid-19 vaccine administration with Pfizer’s vaccines in April, ahead of earlier planned third quarter, after securing additional doses for 3 million people from the U.S. ..

Arkhom rebuffs fiscal criticism The Finance Ministry has brushed off critics suggesting a near-bankruptcy status of the government`s fiscal position by citing Thailand`s economic fundamentals. The three indicators exemplifying the ..

EU firms optimistic about Việt Nam’s business climate in 2021 HCM CITY — The latest Business Climate Index (BCI) unveiled by the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) in Việt Nam on Wednesday indicated that EU companies in Việt Nam ended 2020..

BioThai slams wet market closures The government must not resort to preferential treatment when it comes to enforcing orders to close wet markets as part of Covid-19 containment measures, says the BioThai Foundation. BioThai (Biodive..

Banks to introduce domestic credit chip cards to promote cashless payments HÀ NỘI — The National Payment Corporation of Việt Nam (Napas) last week said it would work with seven banks to introduce domestic credit chip cards with unified standards to lim..

Indonesia Extends 14-Day Entry Ban on Foreign Arrivals Jakarta. Indonesia will extend the entry ban on foreign visitors for another 14 days. The announcement comes a few days ahead of its deadline. "President Joko `Jokowi` Widodo has agreed to extend th..

Labour sector reaches significant results in five years HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has created new jobs for more than eight million workers over the past five years and is one of 10 countries worldwide with the lowest unemployment rate. Mini..

Vietnamese billionaires’ net worth increases after battling headwinds of 2020 HÀ NỘI — 2020 was a difficult year for the global economy including Việt Nam, but some Vietnamese billionaires still saw their net asset value increase. According to Forbes, be..

YTB finalises plans to commercialise Covid-19 vaccine KUALA LUMPUR: Yong Tai Bhd (YTB) is finalising its plans to commercialise Covid-19 vaccine with Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co Ltd (SZKT) through its latest partnerships with Tiong Nam Logist..

Hà Nội maintains economic growth amidst COVID-19: top official HÀ NỘI — Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hà Nội has maintained its economic growth, with gross regional domestic product (GRPD) expanding by about 3.98 per cen..

SEC enlists tech for probes The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics to investigate false accounting information next year, following the implementation of rob..

Ministry conducts early bidding for 1,900 of next year`s construction projects The Public Works and Housing Ministry is conducting an early bidding process for thousands of projects for next year, as it strives to ramp up state spending to support economic recovery and boost the..

Retirement age to increase starting 2021 HÀ NỘI — Starting next year, the retirement age will be increased to 60 years and three months for men and 55 years and four months for women. This is part of Government Decree No..

Experts upbeat about VN’s post-pandemic economic recovery, urging firms to focus on new trends HÀ NỘI — Experts are upbeat about Việt Nam’s post-pandemic economy, urging enterprises to grasp opportunities arising from new trends, such as digital transformation, energy inf..

Metronic aims RM180 million profit from Covid-19 vaccine KUALA LUMPUR: Metronic Global Bhd (MGB) through its subsidiary Metronic Medicare Sdn Bhd (MMSB), has inked a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corporation (MVC), to distribu..

Vietnamese đồng to strengthen in 2021: VNDirect Securities HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese đồng will remain stable for the rest of the year but may appreciate by 0.5 per cent in 2021, VNDirect Securities Corp forecast. The State Bank of ViN..

Protesters slam charter vote Parliament`s rejection of the people`s constitution amendment draft has left anti-government protesters with no other choice but to press on with their street protests to achieve their goals, Jatupat ..

Bank of Thailand ‘has tools to handle strong baht’ Thailand`s central bank has the necessary policy tools to handle the strengthening of the baht, the finance minister said on Monday, as the currency hit its highest level in more than 10 months agains..

Property sales recovery to be derailed by CMCO: MIDF Research KUALA LUMPUR: The worsening Covid-19 situation in Malaysia will derail property sales recovery as economic outlook turns uncertain with the re-imposition of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMC..

Government considers additional support policies for industrial sector HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) said it had advised the Government to implement a number of policies to support Việt Nam`s industrial sector, especially t..

Bank Islam issues RM700mil sukuk under RM10bil sukuk Murabahah issuance KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd has today issued the third tranche of RM700 million subordinated sukuk under its RM10 billion Sukuk Murabahah programme. This is the second sukuk issuance by Ban..

Games of mid-tier publishers in Korea make big strides Game titles rolled out by mid-sized publishers and startups in South Korea have made big strides on charts in Korea, elbowing out Chinese labels. Npixel’s newly-launched title “Gran Saga” and Devsiste..

“Language of the heart” Minari goes after Oscar after picking up Golden Globe trophy South Korean names may once again hold up Oscars for the second straight year after “Minari,” a drama of a Korean-American family settling into rural Arkansas in the 1980s, won the Golden Globe for th..

Ex-MLB All-Star Choo Shin-soo chooses to play as a KBO rookie with fledgling team Veteran MLB player Choo Shin-soo will become a rookie to the Korean baseball league as he signed a $2.4 million contract with Shinsegae Group, the new owner of Incheon-based SK Wyverns. The novice b..

BTS label Big Hit and Universal Music to debut a global boy band South Korea’s Big Hit Entertainment, the label that built global chart-toppers BTS, has joined hands with the world’s leading music company Universal Music Group (UMG) to debut a new global K-pop boy ..

“Minari” picks up 2 Washington DC films critics trophies on its journey to the Oscars Korean American family drama “Minari” has kept up its stunning award-winning streak in Hollywood, picking up two more trophies from a group of film critics based in Washington D.C., the United States,..

K-pop tweets set new record of 6.7 billion globally in 2020 K-pop tweets hit fresh record high of 6.7 billion last year, gaining more than 600 million from a year ago, in line with the global music chart streak by BTS, according to release from Twitter Thursda..

Com2uS acquires 57% stake in local game developer Allm Kosdaq-listed mobile game publisher Com2uS Corp. has bulked up by acquiring a 57% stake plus management rights in local game developer Allm Corp. just months after it took over German sports game comp..

‘Minari’ Youn Yuh-jung dubbed as the frontrunner for the Oscars’ Best Supporting Actress The likelihood of Youn Yuh-jung, a South Korean actress from the film “Minari”, picking up the Oscars for the Best Supporting Actress, has escalated after she collected her 20th trophy from the Nation..

Korean game publishers go after massive-invested AAA games for bigger market South Korean game developers are actively seeking to develop AAA or Triple-A games, worldwide blockbuster games developed by massive investment to appeal to broader audiences that can be played on per..

BTS label Big Hit bulks up with fan platform partnership with Naver, YG BTS label Big Hit Entertainment gained major traction in its global drive through equity-backed partnership with South Korea’s internet major Naver Corp. and K-pop name YG Entertainment. Naver on Wed..

Shares of Korean media content creators ride high on streaming boom Shares of South Korean media content creators and producers riding high on the back of the digital streaming boom. Studio Dragon Corp. shares finished Monday at 108,500 won ($98.48), up nearly 18 per..

S. Korea’s mid-tier game developers rush to roll out new titles South Korea’s mid-tier game publishers are rolling out new titles to dominate the market at a time when their bigger rivals – Nexon, Netmarble and NCSoft – are taking a break after a slew ..

NCSoft’s K-pop fan community platform Universe opens Jan. 28, concert in Feb Global K-pop fans will be able to enjoy a variety of fun activities on a mobile fan community platform Universe upon the global launch due next Monday, South Korea’s gaming giant NCSoft announced Thur..

S. Korea’s Naver to buy global storytelling platform Wattpad for $600 mn South Korean internet giant Naver Corp., which runs the world’s largest webtoon platform, will acquire Wattpad Corp., a Toronto, Canada-based social storytelling platform, for $600 million, expanding ..

NCSoft to broaden its Asian presence with Lineage and K-pop content biz South Korea’s game giant NCSoft Corp. is seeking to expand its global presence in 2021 with its flagship title Lineage and new K-pop content platform Universe. The company attracted 1.2 million and 2..

Netmarble eyes $3 bn revenue with quarterly mobile game releases South Korea’s leading game developer Netmarble Corp. is expected to achieve near $3 billion in revenue this year with new mobile game titles lined up quarterly in the pipeline. Netmarble will likely..

Hanwha invests $63.5 bn in K-pop copyright sharing platform Musicow Hanwha Corp, the holding company of South Korea’s chemical-to-defense conglomerate, has invested nearly 7 billion won ($63.5 billion) in Seoul-based music copyright sharing platform Musicow to bet on ..

Blockchain crypto games gain traction but face regulatory hurdles Game publishers are eyeing blockchain-based crypto games as their new growth engine as value of digital currencies has continued to rise, but they are struggling to roll out the games in South Korea d..

Disney Plus’ ESPN to shake Korea’s sports broadcasting market South Korea’s video streaming wars spill over to the sports front as Disney Plus, armed with sports channel ESPN, is slated to enter the local market this year. Korean players are beefing up their o..

League of Legends Champions Korea to kick off on Jan. 13 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), the primary competition for League of Legends esports in South Korea, will kick off virtually on Jan. 13, with anticipation running high for last year’s LoL Wo..