Samsung SDI to supply battery packs to power Volvo electric trucks South Korean battery maker Samsung SDI Co. has entered a strategic partnership to supply power for electric trucks under Swedish automaker Volvo Group. The two companies announced Thursday they will..

Korea’s Celltrion launches biopharma JV in Shanghai South Korea’s leading biopharmaceutical company Celltrion Inc. has set up a joint venture in China to directly produce and sell biosimilars in the world’s second-largest drug market. Celltrion said ..

Hyundai Motor labor union agrees to add extra line for popular SUV Palisade The union finally agreed to a ramp-up in output in Hyundai Motor Co.’s highly-sought big-sized sport utility vehicle (SUV) Palisade, removing the stumbling block to a recovery in domestic sales by the..

Myeong-dong ranks top as most expensive commercial district in Korea Myeong-dong, one of the busiest shopping districts in central Seoul, ranked top in the price of monthly rent for commercial stores in the first quarter this year in South Korea. According to an analy..

Samsung Elec begins mass-production of 10-nm 12Gb LPDDR5 mobile DRAM Samsung Electronics Co. announced Thursday it has started mass production of the industry’s first 12-gigabit (Gb) low power double data rate 5 (LPDDR5) mobile DRAM chips on 10-nanometer class process,..

Korea makes box office record in H1 with half owing to home movies The South Korean box office drew 109.32 million moviegoers in the first half of this year, a record for the local cinema industry for that period, as this year’s calendar had blockbusters from the lon..

Kia’s new SUV Seltos officially arrives at showrooms across Korea Kia Motors’ Seltos, a mid-size and spec-rich sports utility vehicle customized for the global market, hit the showrooms in Korea on Thursday. The car rolled out in a ceremony in Gyeonggi Province to ..

Digital-only plastic from eBay and Hyundai Card creates a splash in online landscape Smile Card, a credit card that can solely be used for online purchases, launched jointly eBay Korea and Hyundai Card last year, has been creating a splash in Korea where online shopping and transactio..

Kyobo Life to back startups for new biz opportunities in healthcare Kyobo Life Insurance, Korea’s third largest life insurer, Wednesday announced it will foster startups in the healthcare sector as part of its open innovation strategy dubbed Innostage to find new busi..

Korea’s Shilla Duty Free leaps to No. 3 after Lotte in global sales Two Korean names made the global top three tax-free ranking after Shilla Duty Free, a unit of Korea’s largest conglomerate Samsung Group, freshly joined its bigger peer and longstanding No. 2 Lotte Du..

LG Electronics rolls out LG Pay for its phone users in the U.S. LG Electronics smartphone phone users including the latest 5G-backed V50 ThinkQ device will be able to access LG Pay mobile, digital payment system, in the United States. According to multiple indust..

Korean chipmakers try out various options to find replacement for Japanese materials South Korean chip and display makers are reportedly trying out various options against Japanese curbs on key materials by exploring new supply base in China or incorporating Korean produces on wafer f..

eBay Korea to add parcel pickup lockers at gas stations and grocery stores Korea’s top online shopping platform eBay Korea will expand its Smile Boxes service, parcel delivery lockers enabling shoppers to pick up their purchases at more flexible hours, to gas stations and gr..

Korean duty-free shops post near $10 bn sales H1 thanks to big Chinese spenders Korean duty-free shops performed their best in the first half of this year on big spending by Chinese merchants. According to Korea Duty Free Shops Association on Wednesday, the combined revenue of K..

Korea’s exports of eco-friendly cars up 33% annually over last six years South Korea’s exports of eco-friendly cars gained an average 33 percent per annum over the past six years despite overall sluggishness of Korean brands, a local report showed on Tuesday. According t..

SKT users eligible to free 5G roaming service in Switzerland South Korea’s top mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. has joined hands with Swisscom Ltd., the largest wireless communications services provider in Switzerland, to roll out world’s first fifth-generation (5..

LG Elec releases capsule-based beer maker HomeBrew in Korea LG Electronics Inc. released on Tuesday the world’s first capsule-based beer maker that allows users to make their own home craft beer with the push of a button. Similar to the capsule coffee machin..

Netflix nearly triples paid subscriber count in Korea in a year The global streaming giant Netflix nearly tripled its paid subscription base in South Korea in just a year, a study showed. The number of paid Netflix subscribers in Korea last month totaled 1.84 mi..

Korea overwhelms Japan in oil refining capacity for first time South Korean oil refiners beat their Japanese counterparts in combined crude oil refining capacity for the first time in history last year, claiming the fifth spot in the global market. According to d..

App spending in S. Korea reaches record high in Q2 Consumer spending in mobile apps in South Korea reached an all-time high of $102.34 million in the second quarter ended June, with high spending on messenger and streaming apps. According to data rel..

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..

SKT to boost data transfer rate on trains by 10 times to 100Gbps South Korea’s SK Telecom said on Thursday its consortium has signed a 6.8 billion won ($5.8 million) deal with the Korea Rail Network Authority to install Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM)..

SK Telink offers Korea’s first GX satellite service for shippers SK Telink, international wireless services division of South Korea’s SK Telecom, announced on Wednesday it has started offering the country’s first high-speed mobile broadband connectivity on the Inma..

Samsung up funding in chip, display material R&D amid Japan export curb Samsung Electronics said on Tuesday it has selected 15 research projects including innovative semiconductor material development under its research funding and incubation for future technology program..

Korean internet giants race for leadership in blockchain ecosystem Korean internet platform leaders Naver Corp. and Kakao Corp. are accelerating their move to build a blockchain ecosystem with their own digital tokens, jumping on the global blockchain bandwagon. Mo..

Hanmi Pharm shares crash 27% on another out-licensing setback Hanmi Pharm shares crashed more than 27 percent Thursday on panicky selling after it disclosed that Janssen Pharmaceuticals had called off and returned out-licensing deal to the Korean drug maker on i..

Korean authority officially cancels license for gene therapy drug Invossa South Korea`s health authorities Wednesday finalized its revocation of Kolon Life Science’s gene therapy drug Invossa for mislabeling and false reporting of an ingredient used.The Ministry of Food and..

Korea debuts energy-saving high-rise apartment with BEMS technology A high-rise using half of the energy of a typical residential apartment building joined Songdo, a new district in Incheon, near the gateway to the capital in Korea. The Hillstate Lake Songdo accommod..

Yuhan inks $870 mn out-licensing deal with Boehringer Ingelheim South Korea’s Yuhan Corporation said in a regulatory filing on Monday that it has signed a deal worth up to $870 million with Germany’s Boehringer Ingelheim over its therapy to treat nonalcoholic stea..

LG Uplus and KDDI team up in 5G-backed drone business South Korea’s telecom carrier LG Uplus and Japan’s counterpart KDDI have agreed to partner up in drone technology development to save costs by sharing their drone and platform technologies. The two c..

Huons Global launches Korea’s fourth commercial botulinum toxin in Korea South Korea’s beauty and healthcare product maker Huons Global said on Wednesday its independently developed botulinum toxin (BTX) has been launched in Korea under the marketing name of Liztox. The pr..

SK Hynix rolls out world’s first 128-layer 4D NAND chips in terabit storage SK Hynix Inc., the world’s second-largest memory chipmaker, on Wednesday claimed it has migrated to terabit (Tb) digital storage dimension by commercializing flash memory chips on 128-layer 4D (four-d..

Posco opens new battery materials research center to enhance its prowess South Korea`s top steel maker Posco has established a research center dedicated to developing battery materials with group-wide support, upping its commitment to boosting competitiveness by seeking ne..

Naver to complete precision map for autonomous driving in Seoul this year Naver Labs, the R&D arm of South Korean internet giant Naver Corporation, has unveiled its A-CITY project to make a precision roadmap, refine localization technology and other solutions to support sel..

Korea’s KB Financial Group posts best-ever quarterly net profit in Q2 Korea’s KB Financial Group Inc. reported its best-ever quarterly net income for the April-June period, largely helped by recovery of bad debts. The holding company in a regulatory filing on Thursday..

Korea’s H2 M&A calendar packed with big names from LG, Asiana to smaller Coway, Talim South Korea’s merger and acquisition (M&A) calendar is packed in the second half with several near $1 billion deals in the pipeline in diverse category from IT, packaging to rentals and airliners. St..

Gold and debt prices rally in Korea after surprise rate cut The surprise cut in benchmark rate as well as this year’s growth estimate to the lowest in 10 years gave another impetus to a rush towards safe assets in Korea, sending gold prices to fresh record hig..

Korean brokerage houses move to set up alternative trading system in Korea South Korea’s six major securities firms have joined forces to deploy an alternative trading system (ATS), inter-market or broker-dealer electronic platform that can lower the costs from trading on th..

Moody’s warns of rating downgrade for KCC after spinoff plan Moody’s Investors Service on Wednesday was skeptical of Korea’s building and industrial materials company KCC Corp. and its reorganization plan, warning it could downgrade its debt rating below the in..

Merrill Lynch fined by Seoul authority for profiteering from spoofing South Korea’s stock exchange authority Korea Exchange (KRX) slapped a fine of 175 million won ($148,242) on U.S. brokerage Bank of America Merrill Lynch for violating domestic rules and distorting mar..

Korea’s NHIS rakes in $1.7 bn in investment return over 5 years South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) aims to diversify its investment portfolio after raking in over 2 trillion won ($1.7 billion) in returns over the past five years from its invest..

Bond experts in Korea forecast BOK’s rate freeze for July this week Seven out of 10 bond experts in South Korea project the Bank of Korea won’t move to lower the benchmark rate this week in order to wait until the U.S. lowers its first. According to a survey conducte..

Korea’s corporate bond issuance in July surge on yield curve inversion Corporate bond issuance in Korea sharply surged to top 3 trillion won ($2.5 billion) as of July 15 as companies rushed to raise debt while the bond market was on a heated rally. According to finance ..

New stock issues on the Korean bourse plunges 58% on year in H1 Fund-raising through new stock issues plunged 58 percent amid bearishness in the Korean market, data showed.According to data released by the Korea Securities Depository on Tuesday, companies listed o..

Foreigners stay long on Korean debt despite profit-taking ahead of policy week Foreign investors stayed long in Korean debt last month amid signs of profit-taking after a bull run for the last few months on growing expectation that the Bank of Korea will wait out until next mont..

Korea Asset Investment to make the first brokerage IPO in Korea in 12 yrs Korea Asset Investment Securities Co. is readying to go public on the secondary Kosdaq bourse to be the 12th securities company in Korea to publicly trade.The company said Monday it has submitted an a..

Stks of Korean chip makers gain, Japanese material vendors lose on export curbs The row over historic issues spilling over to the economic front has been denting shares of Japanese high-tech material vendors as they could lose one of their biggest and most reliable clients –..

Foreigners’ holdings of S. Korean gov’t bonds near $85 bn Foreigners own near 100 trillion won ($85 billion) in South Korean government bonds, with more than half held by central banks and sovereign funds for long-term investment. According to the Korea Exc..

Korean securities consortium buys Hilton Hotel in Vienna at $375 mn A consortium from Korea - Hana Financial Investment Co., NH Investment & Securities Co., and Meritz Securities Co. - acquired Hilton Vienna hotel in Austria for $375 million, an investment expected to..

Asiana Airlines tender to start July 22, with aim to complete sale by year-end The tender for Asiana Airlines Inc., Korea’s No. 2 full-service carrier, will be posted next week with its parent Kumho Group aiming to complete the stake sale within the year even if the airliner has..

Net asset value in Korean funds top $515 bn in June Total net asset value of funds in Korea rose 2.2 percent in June to top 620 trillion won ($525 billion) amid recovery in stock markets at home and abroad and robust appetite for bonds on expectations ..

Japanese names trading on Seoul bourses battered by anti-Japan sentiment Japanese stocks trading on the Korean markets have taken toll from the diplomatic row between Seoul and Tokyo that has spilled over to the economic front and fueled negative public sentiment towards J..

Nexon founder formally suspends search for buyer The founder of Nexon Co. informed potential bidders he was cancelling his offer to sell his ownership stake in the holding entity of Korea’s top game publisher, signaling a halt to the first-generatio..

NPS ups stakes in fashion, game, entertainment stocks South Korea’s largest institutional investor National Pension Service (NPS) has recently increased stakes in garment, game and entertainment stocks on bets on their growth potential due to spending by..

Korea’s producer prices soften in June on easing in oil prices on top of sluggish demand South Korea’s producer prices softened in June, reversing from a five-month strengthening streak due to easing in oil and farming goods prices. According to data released by the Bank of Korea on Fri..

UPDATE: BOK cuts rate for the 1st time in 3 yrs, GDP outlook to 10-year low of 2.2% The South Korean central bank delivered its first rate cut in more than three years on Thursday as it warned Asia’s fourth-largest economy was headed towards its lowest growth in a decade this year du..

Net assets of S. Korean household averaged $347,183 in 2018 An average household in South Korea had net assets worth 410 million won ($347,183) last year, with greater share of real estate properties under protracted low-interest environment, , government data..

Young Koreans spend almost 11 months searching for first job: data College graduates in Korea on average must seek jobs for an average 11 months, underscoring the gravity of the youth job market. According to data released by Statistics Korea on Tuesday, it took 10...

Korea’s foreign-currency deposits increase jump in June on stronger USD Foreign-currency deposits held by South Korean banks increased by the biggest margin in seven months in June as companies held onto U.S. dollars on appreciation in the greenback. According to data rel..

Korean Pres apologizes for the stall in minimum wage policy amid strike threat South Korean President Moon Jae-in reiterated his plea for union understanding of stalling his campaign pledge of achieving hourly statutory minimum wage of 10,000 won ($8.48) within the first three y..

Korean manufacturers’ pessimism about biz outlook deepens for 3Q South Korean manufacturers’ pessimism about business deepened in the third quarter as headwinds built up for the export-reliant economy after Japan launched trade protectionism against Korea on top of..

Korean eco in slump for 4 straight months on poor exports, investment The South Korean government found the local economy mired in doldrums for the fourth month with worsened external conditions hurting exports and investment. “The nation’s exports and investment conti..

Korea’s export-import prices turned lower in June on weaker USD, oil prices Both Korean export and import prices turned lower in June on weaker U.S. dollar rate and oil prices on top of subdued prices of export mainstay memory chips. According to Bank of Korea data release..

Jan-June foreign direct investment in Korea nearly halved from a year ago Foreign direct investment (FDI) in South Korea nearly halved in the first six months of this year from previous year amid uncertainties in the global market due to protracted trade war between the Uni..

Korea’s household loans growth halved from a year ago in H1 The growth in household loans significantly eased in the first half from a year ago under stricter loan regulation and sluggish housing market. According to data released by Financial Services Commis..

Korean retailers’ biz confidence improves marginally Q3, but still pessimistic The retail business in Korea remains subdued for the fourth year, with recovery in outlook restricted to e-commerce. According to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Thursday, the r..

S. Korea exports in July 1-10 down 2.6% amid chip slump South Korean exports slid 2.6 percent in the first 10 days of July on year, with deepening chip woes likely to extend the country`s double-digit losing streak. Outbound shipments totaled $13.6 billi..

Tit-for-tat retaliation can hurt Korea more than Japan, experts Tit-for-tat economic retaliation against Japan’s export curb would do more harm than good for both Korean and Japanese economies, with the expanded trade conflict dealing a heavier blow to the Korean ..

Foreign net purchase of Korean securities hits 17-month high South Korean equity and bond markets drew a net $4.78 billion from foreigners in June, the largest net inflow in 17 months on stock market recovery and still-robust bond appetite. According to the B..

S&P cuts Korea’s economic growth outlook for 2019 from 2.4% to 2.0% Global credit rating agency Standard and Poor’s (S&P) revised down South Korea’s economic growth outlook this year to 2.0 percent from 2.4 percent, becoming the latest in turning more negative about A..

S. Korea adds jobs at fastest rate in 17 months in June South Korea added jobs at the fastest rate in 17 months in June on heavy government spending to create public-sector jobs that mostly went to retirees. But employment in the 40s as well as the manufac..

Korea’s fiscal deficit widens as tax revenue falls behind 2018 levels Korea’s fiscal deficit has stretched to fresh highs amid a distinctive slowdown in tax revenue collection due to expanded fiscal spending in the face of a worsening economy. The country collected 13..

Korean govt to enter 3rd trade talks with Mercosur nations this week The South Korean government will initiate the third trade agreement (TA) talks with four member nations of South American trade bloc Mercosur on Friday (local time) in Montevideo, Uruguay, to seek way..

Moody’s maintains Korea’s rating at Aa2 with stable outlook Moody’s Investor Service on Monday reaffirmed South Korea’s credit rating at Aa2 with a stable outlook in a show of confidence in the country’s strong economic and fiscal fundamentals despite the esca..

Seoul hints of walking away from military information deal with Tokyo South Korea could walk away from the military intelligence sharing agreement with Japan if the neighboring country pushes on with its trade protectionism against Korea, a senior security adviser sugge..

Korea’s FSC chief abruptly offers to resign The chairman of South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) has offered to step down ahead of the reshuffle the Blue House is readying later this month. Choi Jong-ku, the chief of the country’..

Illegal aliens up 11.9% in South Korea to number 195,000, 91% Thai in Korea illegal The number of foreigners staying in South Korea illegally without a valid visa increased by nearly 12 percent last year from a year ago to tally 195,000, government data showed Thursday. According to..

Seoul clashes with Tokyo at EAS venue ahead of next week WTO council meeting Seoul played up trade diplomacy in hopes to sway international support on its bid to overturn Tokyo’s export controls that can impair manufacturing of high-tech exports crucial to Korean economy. Th..

Japanese car dealers begin to feel the pinch of Korean boycott on Made-in-Japan The consumer boycott building up in South Korea against Japanese brands after Tokyo began restricting exports to Korea due to a row over wartime issues has begun to affect the most popular product fro..

KCCI chairman calls for unity in Korean politics in trade fight with Japan Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chairman Park Yong-maan urged national unity in the face of rising tensions between Korea and Japan, expressing concerns over the deepening political div..

US offers to help resolve Korea-Japan trade spat A senior U.S. diplomat told South Korea and Japan that the United States would “do what it can” to help resolve the heightening diplomatic and economic dispute between its two biggest Asian allies. ..

Disney’s The Lion King remake set to hit box-office records in Korea Walt Disney’s highly-anticipated remake of “The Lion King” is set to smash box-office records in South Korea, with more than 330,000 tickets sold as of the first day of screening on Wednesday. Accor..

Korea’s biggest shopping extravaganza set for Nov. Korea Sale Festa (KSF), South Korea’s equivalent of Black Friday, will take place in November this year, falling in the same calendar of major year-end discount extravaganzas in other countries like B..

US startup future mobility firms explore partnership with Korean supply chain U.S. auto companies with future mobility technologies have come to Korea to tap South Korean supply chain and seek areas of cooperation. The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) said on W..

Seoul challenges Tokyo to comply with intl probe on NK sanction breach South Korea’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki challenged Tokyo to comply with Seoul’s proposal to invite a third-party investigation to examine whether any of the two government..

PLAYWITH under probe for offering Porsche car for reward on Rohan M match Seoul-based game publisher PLAYWITH has come under probe by Korean authorities for its elaborate reward event of offering 100 million won ($84,695) worth brand new luxury car for the first full-level ..

Korea to legalize ride-hailing and other mobility platform services Ride-hailing and other app-based mobility services will finally become legitimate in Korea after years of delays and overturns due to strong opposition from the taxi industry. The Ministry of Land,..

Japan has “much to lose” in trade dispute with Korea: Fitch report Global credit rating agency Fitch Ratings predicted that Japan’s export restrictions on core materials for semiconductors and displays bound for Korea could be self-inflicting on the Japanese industry..

Workplace anti-bullying law takes effect in S. Korea New legislation has come into effect in South Korea to prevent workplace bullying, bringing the country’s widespread abuse by those in power, or ‘gabjil’, into the legal domain. Under the new law eff..

Health insurance goes mandatory for foreigners residing over 6 months in Korea Foreign nationals residing in South Korea for six months or longer are obligated to enroll in the country`s health insurance program beginning Tuesday. Those who fail to pay on time will face uncovere..

Seoul mulls cutting surtax for owner family inheriting large business The South Korean government is mulling to lower the surtax on the inheritance tax for the largest shareholder amid criticism that family businesses cannot last long in Korea because of the world’s hea..

Korean President Moon suggests hard-line action versus Japan`s export curbs South Korean President Moon Jae-in indicated the country won’t shy away from a head-on clash with Japan by criticizing its “unwise” move of using economic muscles to solve past historic issues. The “..

Koreans find adults failing calm wailing babies most annoying during flight Koreans find parents failing to calm wailing infants most annoying during flight, according to a local budget airline’s survey on Monday. Four out of 10 traveling on domestic flights cited parents f..

Israeli president urges fast conclusion of FTA with S. Korea South Korea and Israel must speed up the conclusion of their free trade agreement in order to maximize the synergy from Korea’s manufacturing power and Israel’s innovation strength for leadership in f..

Petronas considers investing in renewable energy Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) is considering investing in renewable energy such as solar, wind and biomass at a commercial scale, its top executive said. Petronas president and group chief exec..

VN apparel industry suffers due to lack of competitive dyeing, fabric segments Lopsided development of its various segments and dependence on imports have weakened the textile industry`s competitiveness and creativeness, experts said. Nguyen Van Tuan, chairman of the Viet Nam..

Myanmar, Japan revive talks on building Hanthawaddy airport Myanmar and Japan will form a joint venture and sign an agreement next year to kickstart the long postponed Hanthawaddy International Airport project located 80km north of Yangon near Bago. Accordi..

S&P`s rating demonstrates confidence in Malaysia`s economic outlook The affirmation of Malaysia`s credit rating by Standard and Poor`s (S&P) last week demonstrates its confidence in Malaysia`s positive economic outlook, strong institutional profile, sound economic fun..

Viet Nam treasures ties with Switzerland: Vice President Viet Nam wants to boost its ties with Switzerland, Vice President đang Thi Ngoc Thinh said while meeting with Swiss President Ueli Maurer in Bern on Wednesday. Expressing her delight over sound rel..

Malaysia supports deal to reduce oil production until March 31, 2020 Malaysia supports the proposal for the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) to be extended by nine months to March 31, 2020, at the current agreed production levels to ensure the smooth continuation of th..

Top legislator, EU trade commissioner talk about EVFTA Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom exchanged ideas related to the signing and ratification of the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agre..

First commercial solar power plant launched in Myanmar State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi last week launched the first phase of Myanmar`s first commercial solar-power plant in Minbu, Magwe Region, adding 40MW of power to the national grid. The Minb..

Thai e-commerce to hit $13bn by 2025 Thailand`s e-commerce market value is expected to surge to US$13 billion by 2025 from last year`s $3 billion on the back of strong global demand for Thai products. The country`s e-commerce sector h..

VN fails to make MSCI watchlist for status upgrade Viet Nam has once again missed the chance to break into Morgan Stanley Capital International`s watchlist of potential reclassification for a status upgrade. The US-based global provider of equity, ..

Ministry rejects Vietnam request to export pigs into Kingdom The Minister of Agriculture has rejected a request from a Vietnamese company for Cambodia to allow it to export pigs into the Kingdom, while Vietnam continues to suffer a serious outbreak of African s..

IMF chief praises Malaysia`s efforts to rebuild buffers, fight corruption THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) is impressed with Malaysia`s economic development and resolve to strengthen fiscal discipline, as reflected in the measures being undertaken in the 2019 Budget. ..

VN stocks predicted to progress slowly ahead of China-US talks at G20 summit With the outcome of the US-China trade talks in focus this week, the Vietnamese stock market may move between positive and negative sessions while investors remain guarded. After having gained stro..

Myanmar to export recycled plastic pellets Myanmar will be exporting recycled plastic pellets to China under a new agreement, according to an industry body. Arrangements are underway to export the plastic pellets, which are made from melting ..

Vietnamese securities catch the eye of South Korean investors The Vietnamese stock market now has many South Korean-owned securities companies following a series of acquisitions in recent years. In March Korean Investment Management bought a 5.08 per cent sta..

US looks for Thai 5G entry point The US Commerce Department is exploring business opportunities and cooperation to promote US-based tech firms to expand investment in Thailand`s telecom sector, especially for 5G wireless broadband te..

Myanmar, Thailand sign agreement to facilitate overland trade Overland cross-border trade between Myanmar and Thailand will officially commence at the end of July following an agreement to allow vehicles from both sides across the border to facilitate the transp..

Japan to invest further in Malaysia`s infrastructure assets Japan government is keen to invest more in Malaysia, following its maiden investment here in Tasco-Yusen Gold Cold Sdn Bhd (TYGC), a unit of Tasco Bhd, which is listed on Bursa Malaysia. Japan Over..

Viet Nam becomes second largest exporter of lychees Viet Nam has become the second largest exporter of lychees in the world, accounting for 19 per cent of the global market share, according to the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS)...

Populism hits plan to rein in fiscal red ink (Thailand) The Finance Ministry is likely to delay its balanced budget goal if the new government strictly pursues populist campaign promises, says a senior official at the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO). Even if t..

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 ..

Netmarble’s “BTS World” tops Apple App Store in 33 countries “BTS World”, a new mobile game in which the game user manages the career of South Korean boy group BTS that has raised Beatles-like syndrome around the world, is poised to become an instant global hit..

K-drama superstar Song-Song couple files for divorce Korea’s most famous couple Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo is separating after less than two years of marriage, with their split dominating headlines at home and across Asia.Lee & Ko, the law firm repr..

BTS to release 3rd movie “Bring the Soul” in Aug, joins Guinness record in sales The world’s hottest boyband BTS will release their third documentary film “Bring the Soul: The Movie” in select countries on August 7, out to conquer not only the music charts but also the box office...

BTS joins other K-pop stars in Lotte Family Concert due to open in Aug Lotte Family Concert, annual music festival hosted by Korea’s leading travel retailer Lotte Duty Free, will open in Seoul in August, packed with performances by K-pop superstar BTS and much more. Ce..

Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite also crowned at Sydney Film Festival South Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s dark comedy “Parasite” on Sunday gained another prestige by scoring highest at the Sydney Film Festival in just weeks after winning the prestigious Palme d’Or at t..

Hopes high for the team Korea if golden boy Lee Kang-in joins Son Heung-min Hopes have been raised for the team Korea in future football championships after discovery of stunning young player Lee Kang-in who has become the first South Korean to bring home the best player trop..

S. Korea beats Ecuador 1-0, reaches U-20 World Cup final for 1st time Young South Korean players have added a new chapter to the country`s soccer history as they reached the championship final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland on Tuesday with a 1-0 victory over Ecuad..

CJ ENM to create a Hollywood studio park in Paju, Gyeonggi province CJ ENM, the entertainment unit of South Korean conglomerate CJ Group, is building a Korean version of Hollywood in Paju, 27.6 kilometers northwest from Seoul. CJ ENM and the Paju City will sign a de..

BTS enthralls 230,000 fans in London, Paris with “Beatles” like phenomenon K-pop sensation BTS performed for 230,000 fans in Europe during its “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself,” tour in Europe, giving them “Beatles”-like magic. The septet’s producer Big Hit Entertainment on ..

CJ LiveCity, AEG to build K-pop concert arena in Goyang, Korea CJ LiveCity Corp., subsidiary of Korean food and entertainment giant CJ Group, together with global live entertainment company Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) will build an arena in Goyang City, no..

Cannes-winning Parasite surpasses 5 mn viewers in Korean box office The top prize winner at this year’s Cannes Film Festival “Parasite” by director Bong Joon-ho topped 5 million attendances on the eighth day of its release on Friday, according to the Korean Film Counc..