Korea’s IT giant join forces to defend local cloud market South Korean IT giants have joined forces to defend the cloud market from foreign invasion amid surge in demand from COVID-19. NHN and Samsung SDS announced on Thursday they entered a memorandum of un..

Naver headquarters webtoon operation in US to accelerate global outreach South Korea’s internet giant Naver Corp. will reorganize the webtoon business by elevating its U.S.-based Webtoon Entertainment Inc. to global head office to accelerate outreach to English speaking re..

GS Caltex gas station in Seoul serves all fuel, including electric and hydrogen GS Caltex, the leading oil refiner in South Korea, has opened one-stop fuel supplying center in Gangdong District, eastern Seoul, on Thursday, where all fueling is possible. The first Energy Station i..

Digital ID market poses a new blue ocean in Korea after liberalization South Korea’s tech giants and financial firms are vying fiercely for a new market in digital ID after a longstanding monopoly has ended.The Electronic Signature Act passed the National Assembly last w..

Samsung Group heir makes public appearance in Hyundai Motor sedan Jay Y. Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co. and de-facto head of Samsung Group, drove into the prosecution office where he was summoned for questioning in Genesis G90, flagship luxury marquee..

Korea’s travel agency Hanatour to dissolve most operations to become app-based platform South Korea’s top travel agency Hanatour Service Inc. may dissolve most of its local operations after streamlining nearly all of its overseas businesses as it grapples with lengthy hiatus in internati..

LG Chem picked as battery supplier for Hyundai Motor electric cars South Korea’s largest battery maker LG Chem Ltd. has clinched a deal to power Hyundai Motor Group’s new electric vehicles due out in 2022, joining SK Innovation Co. that has already been picked as one..

Battle over control of Hanjin KAL resumes after eased liquidity woes A proxy battle over the management control of Hanjin KAL Corp., the parent company of Korean Air Lines Co., has immediately resumed after South Korea’s No. 1 full-service carrier has successfully secu..

Korean air carriers bump up long-haul flights to 51 locations from June Air flight timetable is slowly normalizing with 51 international routes being offered from South Korea starting next month, about 12.5 percent of 400 that had been available in December.Maeil Business..

LG Uplus has head start in the race in 5G game streaming market LG Uplus Corp. is rapidly expanding its presence in the 5G network-based cloud gaming market in partnership with Nvidia, the world’s leader in visual computing technology, at a time online game demand..

Hyundai, Kia together command 4th largest share in global EV market as of Mar South Korea’s largest automaker Hyundai Motor Co. and its sibling Kia Motors Corp. commanded fourth largest share in global electric vehicle market as of March, data showed. Hyundai Motor and Kia Mo..

Korea’s 3 wireless carriers chase cable TV channel Hyundai HCN in horserace over pay TV All three Korean wireless carriers whose latest battleground is pay TV have entered the race for cable TV operator Hyundai HCN Co. According to sources on Wednesday, the country’s top three telcos ..

LG Chem goes into stringent safety examinations on all facilities at home and abroad South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd. carries out safety checks on all 40 industrial sites at home and abroad until next month after a string of fatal accidents for comprehensive upgrade and repair or even closu..

Doosan sale of stakes in lucrative units hit snag over price differences Doosan Group has agreed to sell its stakes in lucrative units in return for state-led rescue loans to Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, but the sale process fails to pick up due to high price de..

HDC’s buyout of Asiana Airlines still up in the air, creditors brace for the worst HDC Hyundai Development Co.’s acquisition of Asiana Airlines Inc. may be headed for the long haul as it remains unclear when the clouds will clear up for the air travel industry. The merger review p..

Samsung heir questioned by prosecutors over 2015 merger, power succession Jay Y. Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co. and de-facto head of Samsung Group, on Tuesday revisited the prosecution for questioning over illegalities in the 2015 merger of two key affiliates..

Hyundai Rotem delivers first 8 cars for Cairo metro Line 3 Hyundai Rotem Co., locomotive and rolling stock unit of South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group, said on Tuesday that it has delivered 8 subway cars for Cairo metro Line 3 in Egypt, the first batch in the 2..

Samsung SDI eyes No. 3 in global EV battery market with new Gen 5 South Korea’s Samsung SDI Co. is pinning high hopes on its new Gen 5 battery to break into the top three in the global electric vehicle battery market. The battery-making unit of Samsung Group held ..

Doosan Infracore to plug off up to 10 days amid dwindled shipments Doosan Infracore Co., the heavy equipment maker under South Korea’s conglomerate Doosan Group, plugs off its factories in Gunsan and Incheon, Korea for maximum 10 days to adjust inventories from dwind..

Samsung, LG white goods sales surge in U.S. on stimulus check, normalized business South Korean electronics makers are enjoying a boon in home appliance sales in America thanks to a buying spree on washers and refrigerators amid coronavirus lockdowns with relief paychecks. Samsung E..

Korea’s first antibody test kit for COVID-19 closer to FDA’s nod with superiority data A new COVID-19 antibody test kit developed by Plexense Inc., a Korean immunoassay platform developer, has demonstrated superiority to already FDA-approved American and German comparators in sensitivit..

Nature Index brings spotlight to ‘K-quarantine’ technology, credits IT win The Nature Index has cast a spotlight on South Korea’s scientific power with its Nature Supplement on Thursday, crediting ICT technology and government’s R&D push behind the country’s success in the c..

AProgen doubles production scale in Korea to join top 3 in biosimilar capacity AProgen, a Korean biotherapeutics developer, has scaled up its production capacity to pose as a formidable challenge to global biosimilar names Samsung Biologics and Celltrion.The company said on Tues..

Celltrion’s blood cancer med Truxima garners WHO Prequalification South Korea’s biosimilar maker Celltrion Inc. announced Wednesday its blood cancer therapy Truxima has received the World Health Organization (WHO) Prequalification (PQ), making it the world’s first r..

Bioneer files for patent application of candidate COVID-19 therapeutics Bioneer Corporation, a Korean diagnostic equipment maker, has filed for patent application of its investigational compounds to treat COVID-19 under development with a local RNAi drug discovery company..

Medytox to jointly develop COVID-19 vaccine with Vaxine Pty Medytox Inc., South Korea’s top producer of botulinum toxin, has joined hands with an Australian biotechnology company Vaxine Pty Ltd. to develop a vaccine against COVID-19.According to Australian vac..

S. Korea ready to roll out COVID-19 test kit turning out result in 1 hr New COVID-19 test kits that can identify infection within an hour will soon be available in South Korea. According to industry sources on Monday, a few Korean vitro diagnostic companies, including S..

KT to come up with self-diagnosis app to detect virus infection within the year KT Corp. of South Korea backed by funding from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will turn out a self-diagnosis solution that can detect infectious disease infection and better respond to its spread usi..

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch cleared for ECG tracking in S. Korea Samsung Health Monitor, an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring app on Samsung’s latest smart watch, gained regulatory clearance to add Samsung wearable the feature of monitoring of key biosignals 24/7 ..

Seegene readying to bring a new test kit to address COVID-19 mutations Seegene, a leading developer of multiplex PCR technologies headquartered in South Korea, will soon file for marketing approval of its new COVID-19 test kit that is able to detect even mutations of the..

Samsung Biologics wins $231 million worth CMO deal from GSK Samsung Biologics Co., a biopharmaceutical business arm of South Korea’s Samsung Group, on Friday announced that it has signed a long-term contract manufacturing organization (CMO) deal worth $231 mil..

Naver’s LINE to add video medical counseling to its telehealth service in Japan South Korean internet giant Naver Corp. pushed its telemedicine experiment in Japan to a new level as remote doctor-patient care remains outlawed in Korea due to strong protests from medical society. ..

Sudden surge in global orders send Korean COVID-19 test makers scramble to hire Global orders continue to pour in as pandemic still ravages across the globe, keeping Korean production lines of COVID-19 test kits hectic to require extra hires that cannot easily come by. Exports o..

SK Holdings rallies on strong performance of two biotech subsidiaries SK Holdings’ share price gained nearly 3 percent Thursday afternoon on news its CMO arm SK Pharmteco will provide Virginia-based Phlow with active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) through Pharmteco’s..

Bioneer’s molecular diagnostic technology draws spotlight amid COVID-19 crisis South Korea’s Bioneer Corp. is expanding its presence and poised for further growth in the molecular diagnostic assay market, which has been traditionally dominated by large foreign companies. The com..

Green Cross Cell okayed by local authority to operate cell therapy manufacturing base South Korea’s Green Cross Cell Corp. said Wednesday its cell therapy manufacturing center has obtained good manufacturing practice (GMP) certification from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to star..

Korean biotech industry to form consortium to better respond to infectious disease Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association (KPBMA) announced on Tuesday the launch of Korea Innovative Medicine Consortium (KIMC), a joint public and private vehicle to build Korea’..

Korea grants first health insurance nod to wearable medical device A watch-type electrocardiogram device developed by a Korean startup has become the country’s first wearable medical device covered by health insurance and also the first case of telemedicine in Korea ..

Korea shares guidelines on lung cancer surgery in COVID-19 era A Korean medical doctor went live online to share his presentation on Asia’s standard guidelines on lung cancer surgery in the COVID-19 era during the 2020 STS (Society of Thoracic Surgeons) Global Su..

Demand for S. Korean antibiotics, propofol injections grow amid COVID-19 pandemic South Korea which has become the biggest exporter of test kits on COVID-19 is being chased by multiple countries for supplement meds to treat patients infected with the fatal disease whose cure is yet..

BTS label Big Hit Entertainment files for KOSPI IPO Big Hit Entertainment Co., the K-pop agency that is home to the boyband sensation BTS, has filed for an initial public offering in Seoul, on track with its plan to go public by the end of the year. ..

Hyundai Capital sells $650 mn ABS to three multinational banks Hyundai Capital Services Inc., an auto financing unit under South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor Group, announced Friday it sold total $650 million in securities backed by auto receivables privately ..

Hanjin heiress union presses with legal battle to invalidate Hanjin KAL chair The battle over the control of Hanjin KAL Corp., the parent company of Korean Air Lines Co., has entered a new round after a three-way alliance led by Hanjin Group heiress Cho Hyun-ah filed a civil su..

Doosan Group opts for open tender for the stake in Doosan Solus South Korea’s Doosan Group will auction off its controlling stake in Doosan Solus Co., a battery copper foil and OLED material making subsidiary, after it has failed to narrow price gap in a closed de..

S. Korean securities issues fall sharply in April amid freeze in capital market South Korean securities issuance fell sharply in April as capital market remained cold under pandemic scare despite massive state-led corporate bond purchase program. Stock and debt issues by compan..

IMM PE signs definitive deal to acquire Kolmar Korea Group assets South Korea’s leading private equity fund (PEF) IMM PE has finalized a contract to acquire Kolmar Korea’s pharmaceutical business unit and Kolmar Korea Holdings’ subsidiary Kolmar Pharma in a restruct..

BC Card to issue $81 mn bonds ahead of K-Bank stake acquisition in June BC Card Co. is returning to the debt market for the first time in 17 years with an offering of 100 billion won ($81 million) ahead of its plan to join the recapitalization scheme of K-Bank to command ..

BTS agency Big Hit may file for IPO as early as this week Big Hit Entertainment, the South Korean label behind the K-pop sensation BTS, could file for its initial public offering as early as this week. Big Hit applied for a pre-IPO consultation with the Ko..

Kospi rebounds 40% from COVID-19 ruin, likely to be boxed around 2000 Korea’s benchmark stock index Kospi has recovered from COVID-19 shock faster than the aftermath of past external crisis and held tougher than most other market indices. Kospi broke past 2,000 after ..

Kakao, Samsung Fire & Marine ditch plan to form joint digital insurer Kakao Corp. has severed its digital insurance partnership with South Korea’s largest non-life insurer Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co. after failing to reconcile business differences. The two com..

Kosdaq ecommerce name Cafe24 gains traction from partnership with Facebook Kosdaq-listed shares of ecommerce name Cafe24 have been galloping away for a week after it joined multinational platform Facebook. Cafe24 shares closed Tuesday up 3.2 percent at 63,800 won ($51.78) o..

KCC’s AA-rate bonds undersubscribed amid doubts about construction market The latest offering by AA-rated KCC Corp. was coldly received by institutions, drawing just 60 percent in bids, and may have to scale back its debt offering upon confirming skepticism about builders e..

Korean online fashion platform W Concept up for sale South Korea’s e-commerce fashion store W Concept with an annual gross merchandise volume (GMV) reaching 200 billion won ($161.8 million) is up for sale.According to sources from the investment banking..

COVID-19 shakes up top 100 market cap ranking, giving rise to bio names COVID-19 has shaken up the top 100 ranking by market capitalization in South Korea, giving rise to biopharmaceutical and tech names and fall to traditional manufacturers. Local market research firm ..

Korean financial firms eager to monetize big data on exchange platform Big data has joined the business portfolio of South Korean banks and other financial institutions amid data-related deregulations. Eight banks and the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation hav..

Kakao zooms past LG Household to rank 8th most valued stock on Kospi Kakao Corp., South Korea’s online giant operating the country’s leading messenger app Kakao Talk, is ascending fast on the market cap rank as the biggest winner from virus-dominated environment. Mar..

Korea’s financial majors Shinhan and Hana to make joint overseas foray South Korea’s financial majors Shinhan Financial Group and Hana Financial Group on Monday have declared partnership in global reach to save cost and unnecessary competition. Under the partnership, th..

Hanhwa Construction A-debt offering fails to be priced due to zero bids State-backed bond purchase program fails to warm up the debt market rated below investment grade as Hanhwa Construction was unable to price its A- papers worth 100 billion won ($81 million) after gath..

Hana Financial, Hahn & Co to create $1.5 bn fund to own Korea’s bulk carrier H-Line South Korea’s major financial group Hana Financial Group Inc. is set to become a joint owner of H-Line Shipping, a bulk carrier carved-out from now-defunct Hanjin Shipping, together with local private..

M&A calendar for Korean waste processors on schedule despite virus pall Virus pall has not spoiled the M&A calendar involving South Korea’s waste processing majors. Macquarie Korea Opportunities Management (Macquarie PE) administers a packaged tender on its 59 percent s..

Online shopping list in Korea expands to durable goods amid COVID-19 spread Online shopping list expanded to durable goods like furniture and electronic appliances in South Korea as COVID-19 outbreak fueled online purchasing power.According to data study by CJ OliveNetworks o..

Korean LCCs, Doosan Heavy could get additional public fund relief Public fund to defend South Korea’s key industries during COVID-19 hard times may inject additional relief into low-cost carriers, but won’t help out SsangYong Motor unless creditors ask first, said F..

Loan delinquency rate from lodging and dining sector shoots up in Korea Loan delinquency rate has been on surge in alarming rate from the hospitality and restaurant businesses in South Korea as the sector has been hard hit by coronavirus, raising alarm about chain bankrup..

Korea’s April industrial output and factory activity at worst in 11 years South Korea’s industrial output and factory inactivity was at their weakest in 11 years in April due to poor external demand from virus pandemic. According to Statistics Korea on Friday, the seasonal..

Korean auto, auto parts makers will have to lay down tools next month as well Finished car makers and auto parts suppliers based in South Korea will have to temporarily halt production at home next month as well amid no signs of recovery in overseas demand. They had idled for ..

Bank of Korea sees -0.2% growth this year, the first contraction in 22 yrs The Bank of Korea (BOK) on Thursday projected the country’s economy to shrink 0.2 percent this year, which would be the first contraction since 1998 in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. The do..

UPDATE: BOK cuts rate to new low of 0.50%, warns first GDP contraction in 22 yrs [Updated with quotes from BOK governor] South Korea’s central bank pushed the base rate to a new low of 0.50 percent and signaled the possibility of nonconventional policy tools after warning the co..

FTC fines $3.56 mn in fine on Mirae Asset Financial Group for unfair in-house deals South Korea’s antitrust agency slapped 4.39 billion won ($3.56 million) in fine on Mirae Asset Financial Group for unfair in-house business deals and issued corrective orders. Its founder and top exec..

Korea’s Eximbank packages $4.2 bn aid for shipbuilding industry State policy lender Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) will extend 5.2 trillion won ($4.2 billion) in financial aid to shipbuilders amid reduced orders from pandemic influence. The rescue share ..

Korean biz sentiment rebounds for June but at slow pace weak South Korean business sentiment outlook for June picked up, but at a slow pace as the prolonged pandemic has delayed a recovery in demand at home and abroad, taking a bigger toll to the manufacturing ..

Consumer spending is affected more by depreciation of home value: BOK study South Korean consumption won’t recover regardless of stimuli actions including relief paychecks if home value depreciates, central bank study found. The Economic Research Institute under Bank of Kore..

Korea’s consumer sentiment improves in May from an 11-year low in April South Korea’s consumer confidence improved in May after sinking to the lowest level since the 2008 financial crisis in the previous month on aggressive virus relief actions that included cash handouts..

Korean watchdog places 28 business groups under excess debt watch Twenty-eight business groups in South Korea have come under scrutiny by their creditors to excessive debt, data showed Monday. According to data released by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), 2..

Kia Motors extends shutdown despite fast normalization of global automaking activities South Korea’s second largest automaker Kia Motors will extend domestic shutdown as it grapples with slack demand even as race is heating up over global demand, with automaking activity more than 80 pe..

Maeil Business poll shows opinion divided on BOK’s rate action on Thursday Markets have priced in another interest rate cut for South Korea this week, but experts are mixed about the effectiveness of lower rates as uncertainties over the pandemic run high. A poll by Maeil ..

COVID-19 takes biggest toll on low-income households in S. Korea South Korea’s low-income households have been hit the hardest by the virus-driven economic fallout, with those in the bottom 20 percent of incomes mostly forced to reduce spending significantly withou..

S. Korea’s Q1 short-term external debt ratio hits 7-yr high, although below 40% South Korea’s short-term external debt ratio hit seven-year high in the first quarter, although remained at passable levels when compared to past crisis periods, according to authorities. According ..

Korea’s PPI extends loss for 3rd month in April due to petro produce slump South Korea’s producer prices contracted for the third straight month in April upon record crashes in coal and petroleum produces. According to Bank of Korea on Thursday, Korea’s producer price index..

Korean exports in May 1-20 extend 20% losses for second straight month South Korean exports plunged 20.3 percent in the first 20 days of May, extending the double-digit losses for the second straight month as overseas markets continued their battle with the pandemic. Th..

Household debt balance in Korea hit new high in Q1 South Korea’s household loans hit a fresh high at the end of March as Koreans turned mortgage and credit loans to survive the economic fallouts from COVID-19 outbreak. According to data released by ..

Hanjin’s asset sale plan hits snag due to Seoul’s park development decision A major property sale plan of Hanjin Group to raise own funding to meet state loan requirement for its flagship Korean Air Lines has hit a snag upon an development outline by the Seoul city government..

Nissan to exit Korean market this year amid global restructuring Japan`s Nissan Motor Co. will pull out of South Korea by December as part of its global downsizing plans after reporting its first loss in 11 years. The maker of Nissan and luxury brand Infiniti sai..

S. Korea brings back stricter virus restrictions after surge in new cases South Korea that has been praised for the successful containment of COVID-19 on Thursday announced to re-impose stricter COVID-19 prevention measures after the number of new coronavirus cases spiked t..

YouTube, Facebook, Kakao Talk subject to user compliance evaluation from Seoul YouTube and Facebook from this year will face a comprehensive review on user protection along with wireless carriers, internet companies and online platforms like Kakao Talk, according to Korea Commun..

Retail sales in Korea recover in April amid jump in online shopping South Korean retailers saw a 3.9 percent recovery in their combined revenue in April on brisk online sales amid social distancing under virus threats, government data showed. According to data relea..

S. Korea arranges a rare early summer blowout in June-July to spur consumption South Korea arranged a rare early summer blowout in national scale that would include all big and small retail stores for two weeks across June and July to spur consumption amid broad economic fallout..

COVID-19 cases spike in Korea in cluster business sites including warehouses South Korea reported 79 additional cases of new coronavirus on Thursday, the biggest jump in nearly two months due to infections linked to a logistics center operated by ecommerce firm Coupang. Accor..

Japanese fashion label Descente to close 47 kids wear shops in Korea Japanese sports fashion brand Descente will close down 47 independent outlets for kids wear in South Korea as sales remained sluggish amid lingering disapproval of Japanese brand since last year’s tra..

S. Korea sees the onset of quarterly population thinning South Korea reported official net population decline in the first quarter as deaths outnumbered births, data showed. According to Statistics Korea on Wednesday, the number of babies born in the first ..

COVID-19 outbreaks in fulfillment centers raise alert about deliveries in Korea Ecommerce operators fear setback to their business boon amid lingering COVID-19 risks as fulfillment centers emerged as potential new virus hotbed in South Korea. According to regular briefing by Cen..

S. Korea economy falls to 10th in 2019 nominal GDP: OECD South Korea’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP) ranking slipped to 10th last year, marking its first slide since the 2008 global financial crisis. Korea’s nominal GDP last year totaled $1.64 tril..

Korean duty-free biz sees halved sales in April, cuts payroll by 21% South Korea’s duty-free business turns from bad to worse, surviving on halved sales as air travel remains at standstill for the third month. Korean duty-free operators recorded 986.7 billion won in ..

S. Korean govt packages to export ‘K-quarantine’ model to fight infectious disease South Korea is working to package and market IT systems the country’s localized to track COVID-19 infections and respond to the virus effectively to multiple countries including South Africa, Colombia..

S. Korea bans 31 diabetes drugs for suspected cancer-causing chemical South Korea has banned the production and sale of 31 metformin-based diabetes drugs for the presence of a carcinogenic substance, even though they are not seriously harmful, according to national heal..

Sempio, Pulmuone stocks rally on hopes of soybean benefit from US-China tension Korean food companies relying on soybean imports have gained upside momentum on the stock market on expectations for greater supply for local market due to the renewed conflict between the United Stat..

Auto segment could be next recipient of Seoul’s virus bailout fund for key industries The automotive segment is expected to become the next beneficiary of a state-led bailout fund aimed at protecting Korea’s mainstay industries from the coronavirus setbacks. The Financial Services Co..

Korean govt mulls extended holiday in August around Liberation Day The South Korean government is mulling to add another extended holiday by enabling Koreans to take August 14, a day before the National Liberation Day that falls on August 15 on Saturday, off to spur ..

Masks compulsory on Korean buses and taxis, QR-based visitor log required at clubs Unmasked people cannot ride taxis, buses or planes across South Korea, and visitors to entertainment facilities like clubs and karaoke bars can only enter after digital verification as the country tig..

Hyundai Motor, BMW and 5 others to recall 550,000 vehicles in Korea Hyundai Motor, BMW and five other auto and bike names will recall about 550,000 vehicles from 126 models in South Korea. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said the recall was issued..

Tender and healthier Argentine beef cut despite less fat can appeal to Koreans: envoy Contrary to common belief, intramuscular fat, or marbling in beef does not define prime cut as leaner cows can prove to be both healthier and tastier, according to Alfredo Bascou, Argentinean Ambassad..

How Gojek’s technology provides hope and a sense of normalcy amid the COVID-19 outbreak During the COVID-19 outbreak, it is easy for people to feel a sense of despair because of uncertainty about the present and the future, especially regarding health and the economy. That is why Indone..

Prime Minister calls for more investment in key economic zones HÀ NỘI — Provinces and cities in key economic zones must take the lead in recovering economically after the COVID-19 pandemic by attracting investment from large corporations and tran..

Covid-19 has been a ‘roller-coaster ride’ for Asia’s food delivery business, says Foodpanda Asia CEO The Covid-19 pandemic has fuelled a new appetite for food deliveries in Asia and around the world as more people work from home but it has also brought urgent challenges for the industry, says the reg..

EU to boost garment industry in Myanmar The new phase of the European Union’s SMART Textile and Garments project will bring together brands, trade unions and business associations to boost social and environmental sustainability in Myanmar’..

Report: Wage growth sluggish for Msian youths, low-income households KUALA LUMPUR: Slowing income growth among lower-income households and younger workers has contributed to perceptions of Malaysians being “left behind”, reported the 1st edition of the World Bank’s Mal..

Japan Coast Guard to `eliminate` Chinese drones TOKYO -- The Japan Coast Guard plans to stop using and procuring Chinese-made drones in fiscal 2020 due to concerns over information security, Nikkei has learned. It will be the second case in which C..

Tesco may sell Thailand, Malaysia businesses LONDON: Britain`s biggest supermarket chain Tesco said on Sunday it had started a review of its businesses in Thailand and Malaysia, including looking at a possible sale. It said in a statement that ..

Baht concerns abound More than two decades ago, the baht suffered heavy devaluation as a result of speculation, forcing Thailand`s central bank to de-link the local currency from the US dollar and adopt a managed floating..

Singapore resident employment rate edges up but income growth slows: MOM SINGAPORE - The resident employment rate was slightly higher in June this year compared to the same month last year despite economic headwinds, according to an advance labour force report on Thursday ..

US promotes inclusive agriculture-led growth in Kachin State Myitkyina - US Ambassador Scot Marciel met with more than 60 members of the Kachin State agriculture sector in Myitkyina last Thursday, to discuss how the new US Agency for International Development (..

PM declares new tourism perks The government is set to revise the perks for investment in tourism and related services. Officials also pledge to introduce additional short-term measures to stimulate tourism during the high season..

Power shortages again in dry season, says prime minister Cambodia will face power shortages again from the end of this year throughout the dry season, Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Thursday. Speaking at the official launch of the National Strategic Develo..

Myanmar lags as ASEAN sees record FDI Foreign direct investment (FDI) into Myanmar still lags other countries in ASEAN, according to a report issued by the ASEAN Secretariat last week. The report ASEAN Investment Report 2019: FDI in Serv..

Foreign investors turned net buyers of Malaysia`s debt securities Foreign investors turned net buyers of Malaysia`s debt securities in September with total foreign holdings expanded to RM189.1 billion. This is after FTSE Russell decided to keep the country in the..

Viet Nam, Cambodia issue joint statement Viet Nam and Cambodia have issued a joint statement on the occasion of the Viet Nam visit by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen from October 4-5 at the invitation of h..

Myanmar, Thailand accelerate plans to link, electrify Dawei SEZ Myanmar and Thailand will speed up development of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and deep sea port at Dawei in Tanintharyi Region, officials said during the 9th Myanmar - Thailand Joint Coordinating Co..

BoT optimistic about Q3 growth on tourism, stimulus Thailand`s economic growth in the third quarter is likely to improve from the second quarter`s reading, mainly thanks to positive tourism growth and the government`s economic stimulus measures, says t..

Vietnam GDP in first three quarters climbs to 9-year high Local gross domestic product (GDP) climbed nearly 7 per cent in the first three quarters of 2019, reaching its highest level for the last nine years. Director General of the General Statistics Of..

Evergrande partners with global leading automotive firms to bolster new energy vehicle dev. China`s conglomerate China Evergrande Group has joined hands with the world`s five leading automotive engineering and technology enterprises to further optimize its industrial chain layout in the new ..

Myanmar launches workplace guide to respecting local culture Foreign executives and managers in Myanmar can now rely on a handbook about respecting the local culture in the workplace when it comes to defusing possible cross-cultural misunderstandings and potent..

Korean games gaining ground abroad as pastime favorite amid virus South Korean game labels are enjoying an atypical boon in springtime as stay-at-home pastime across the globe under virus pandemic. According to industry sources on Tuesday, mobile game “Summoners W..

BTS-featured hydrogen pitch from Hyundai Motor draws 100 mn views Hyundai Motor Co.’s ‘global hydrogen campaign’ video featuring K-pop superstar BTS achieved more than 100 million views on YouTube in just 27 days since its release, the South Korean auto giant said T..

Blade & Soul mobile hits Asia, FIFA Mobile readying release in June South Korea’s game giants Nexon and Netmarble are rushing with mobile title releases to capitalize on the gaming boom as pastime under virus impact. Nexon held an online showcase of EA SPORTS™ FIFA ..

World Knowledge Forum shares 300 videos of influential speakers on YouTube World Knowledge Forum (WKF) has uploaded more than 300 videos on its official YouTube channel, opening up some of its most insightful talks from world-renowned speakers. Launched in 2000, WKF is Asia’..

Korean baseball team NC Dinos gains fans in N. Carolina amid sports shutdown in US South Korean professional baseball club NC Dinos now has fans in North Carolina as American avid baseball lovers tuned into the opening games in Korea with envy as sports are still under shutdown in t..

Korean music apps go smart, personal with AI ahead of Spotify arrival South Korea’s music streaming platforms have reinforced personalized playlists based on artificial intelligence (AI) technology and big data analysis as they face the arrival of Sweden-based music str..

Korean game publishers turn eager on e-sports matches for bigger global reach South Korean game developers and publishers have turned eager to host e-sports tournaments to reach out to bigger global gamers. PUBG, renowned for survival shooter game PlayerUnknown’s Battleground, ..

2020 LoL Champions Korea spring finals finish with a live-stream watched by over 1 mn The League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) 2020 spring playoffs closed Sunday with the winner of SK Telecom’s esports team T1 at the LoL Park Arena in Seoul, watched by 1.07 million viewers worldwide..

NCSoft Lineage 2M to release update for cross-server dungeon on Apr 29 South Korea’s leading online game developer and publisher NCSoft Corp. will release an update for its popular mobile MMORPG title Lineage 2M to add a new cross-server dungeon for gamers worldwide on A..

Kakao’s comic app Piccoma makes big inroads in Japan South Korea’s top messenger operator Kakao Corp. has made meaningful inroads into the manga-obsessed nation of Japan with its comic app platform Piccoma. Kakao’s Japanese subsidiary Kakao Japan on S..

SK Telecom’s esports team T1 signs sponsorship deal with BMW SK Telecom Co.’s esports joint venture, T1 Entertainment & Sports, said Thursday it struck a sponsor partnership deal with BMW Group, making it the first Korean sports club to draw sponsorship from th..

SM Enter, Naver launch concert livestream service “Beyond LIVE” for overseas fans South Korean music label SM Entertainment has teamed up with the country’s internet giant Naver Corp. to reinforce K-pop platform for overseas fans. SM Entertainment announced Tuesday it has signed ..

New game pipeline from Korea packed in Q2 to dominate stay-at-home pastime South Korean game developers are speeding up launch of new titles in the second quarter to capitalize on the stay-at-home lifestyle across the globe under pandemic threat. The country’s leading game ..

Korea’s dalgona coffee creates sweet splash across the globe under stay-at-home order Making a sweet in the Korean style has emerged as a new universal pastime amid global stay-at-home lifestyle under virus threat.The recipe for the creamy latte drink is simple enough: instant coffee, ..

Korea, China to host online Asian version of Live Aid concert for COVID-19 Some of the biggest K-pop and Chinese pop names are coming together for a 2020 Live Aid concert to raise donations for coronavirus relief, with the event suggesting Beijing’s removal of restrictions o..

Netmarble ranks 6th in list of top mobile app publishers by sales: App Annie South Korea’s game giant Netmarble Corp. ranked sixth in the list of App Annie’s annual Top Publisher Award winners, making the top 10 list for five years in a row. App Annie, a provider of mobile da..

League of Legends’ Teamfight Tactics to be available on smartphones from Mar. 20 Teamfight Tactics (TFT) version of the massively popular League of Legends game will be available on smartphones from Friday. The game developer Riot Games announced earlier that gamers will be able..

Sister of BTS member to take her fashion brand global The older sister of J-Hope, a member of the South Korean superstar boyband BTS, has teamed up with media commerce platform KVLY to launch a new fashion brand for the global audience. KVLY said Wedne..

Netmarble pins high hopes on new releases to reclaim global status South Korea’s game developer Netmarble Corp. is expediting new mobile rollouts with an aim to enhance competitiveness of its core game business this year.According to industry sources on Sunday, Netma..

PUBG CEO to double as Krafton CEO amid Krafton IPO rumor The chief executive of South Korean game developer and publisher PUBG, renowned for its namesake hit survival shooter game PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG), will double as the head of its parent gr..