CJ Foodville places bakery chain Tous Les Jours on market South Korean food distributor Foodville Co. is selling off the country’s second largest bakery label and franchise Tous Les Jours. CJ Group said Friday that it is exploring various ways to enhance co..

Posco to mass produce graphite free machining steel South Korea’s steel giant Posco will start mass production of green machine-friendly graphite steel, poised for rapid growth amid global efforts to shift to environment-friendly products. Posco said T..

Samsung Life stk swings on Q2 earnings, Samsung Elec unloading talk Shares of Samsung Life Insurance Co. have been on a roller coaster ride on Thursday and Friday as the insurance giant may have to sell a large part of holdings in Samsung Electronics Co. if a bill rev..

Hyundai Motor’s Kona Electric SUVs prove to drive over 621 miles on a single charge South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co. said on Friday that its compact Kona Electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) has set record driving range of over 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) in a single charge in a test..

SK Innovation denies it is on process of divesting some holdings in SK Innovation South Korea’s SK Innovation Co. Friday denied media reports that it was mulling divesture in some of its holdings in wholly-owned SK Lubricants Co. “Although we are seeking ways to improve financial..

Lotte Group reshuffles No. 2 chief, holding management amid slack mainstay businesses South Korea’s Lotte Group has replaced executives with younger faces as the fifth largest conglomerate fast needs to explore and groom new growth engines amid staggering mainstay operations in retail ..

KEPCO posts second consecutive quarterly profit in Q2 on low oil prices South Korea’s state-run utility company Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) has kept up a profit streak into the second quarter, benefiting from subdued oil prices and demand amid coronavirus outbreak...

Samsung Elec on track to overachieve 3-yr domestic investment target Samsung Electronics Co. is on track to overachieve its 130 trillion won ($109.6 billion) domestic spending target out of its 2018 pledge to invest a total of 180 trillion won through 2020.The South Ko..

Seegene and Celltrion Healthcare report surprising Q2 earnings Seegene Inc., South Korean developer of coronavirus test kits, on Thursday reported a sharp rise in second-quarter operating profit, driven by strong sales. Seegene said its April-June operating pr..

SK Biopharm narrows losses in Q2 on qtr, claims steady sale in products in US SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., the biotech unit under South Korea’s SK Group, managed to narrow losses in the second quarter from the previous quarter on reduced market expenses after it began to roll out..

Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering wins $374 mn order to build 2 LNG carriers South Korea’s largest shipbuilder Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. added 441.8 billion won ($373.7 million) worth order for two liquefied natural gas carriers from a domestic client. Th..

Doosan Heavy I&C wins $186 mn waste-to-energy plant project in Poland South Korea’s Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co. has won a 220 billion won ($185.8 million) waste-to-energy plant project in Poland, helping to expand its footprint in European energy market. ..

Korea’s Kia Motors enhance mobility services timed with release of new-gen Carnival South Korea’s Kia Motors Corp. beefed up subscription-based car lease service at home and expanded partnership with overseas mobility operators to enhance its future mobility portfolio. Song Ho-sung,..

Kumho, Asiana creditors willing to accept 4-wk fresh due diligence from HDC Hyundai The ball is back in the court of HDC Hyundai Development in deciding the fate of Asiana Airlines after full-service carrier’s parent Kumho Industrial and creditors compromised to allow four-week new d..

Hyundai and Kia targets young drivers with upscales in Avante and Stinger compact cars Among the first to be fielded in the second-half domestic game field from South Korean automaking group Hyundai Motor are elegantly upscaled versions in young favorite brands of Avante in Hyundai Moto..

Doosan Infracore links up with Unity to apply game simulator in tractor prototyping Doosan Infracore Co., the heavy equipment maker under South Korea’s Doosan Group, has joined hands with 3D-based global game engine developer Unity Technologies Korea to apply game simulating solution..

Korean game developers with focus on mobile, overseas market thrive in Q2 South Korean game publishers enjoyed a common boon from stay-at-home environment forced under virus pandemic, with mobile and global strength proving a winning strategy. Netmarble Corp. and Pearl Ab..

Hyundai Motor-Aptiv autonomous JV goes into motion under name “Motional” South Korea’s auto conglomerate Hyundai Motor Group and Ireland-based auto parts supplier Aptiv formerly put their joint venture on self-driving platform in motion by christening it Motional. The two..

NCSoft Q2 pales vs best Q1 amid thinning Lineage 2M sales South Korea’s top game publisher NCSoft Corp. stagnated in the second quarter against its best-ever first quarter as sales from mega-hit mobile game Lineage 2M began to fizzle out, but raised outlook ..

HMM returns to profit in Q2, first quarterly profit in over 5 years South Korea’s leading container carrier HMM Co. returned to profit in the second quarter, its first quarterly profit in 21 quarters, thanks to improved efficiency with the deployment of the world’s la..

LG Chem pushes bio pipeline starting with COVID-19 vaccine candidate: life science chief LG Chem, which has kept low profile while its rivals in Korean household corporate names Samsung and SK have made headlines in bio breakthroughs or expansion, aims to initiate a phase 1 human clinical..

SK Bioscience to produce antigen for US Novavax’s COVID-19 shot hopeful SK Bioscience, a vaccine house under SK Chemicals, said on Thursday it has signed a contract to produce antigen for Novavax`s coronavirus vaccine hopeful NVX-CoV2373 at its L-House vaccine facility in..

Samsung Elec introduces 3D IC packaging solution for high-performance chip design Samsung Electronics on Thursday announced it has begun mass-producing logic chips on 3D packaging technology on 7-nanometer to better meet high-performance and multi-tasking on 5G, AI and other smart ..

SCM Lifescience teams up with U.S. startup for stem cell therapy production South Korea’s SCM Lifescience has partnered with U.S. startup PBS Biotech to mass produce stem cell therapies on an innovative 3D bioreactor configuration with high-yield protein production. Accordi..

Celltrion lands COVID-19 antigen testing kit in US Celltrion has launched a rapid testing kit for SARS-CoV-2 in the U.S., which was jointly developed with its Korean IVD partner, adding a more accessible and affordable diagnostic option to the market ..

LG Uplus to release world’s first 5G AR glasses, open second AR studio LG Uplus, wireless carrier under LG Group, this week starts marketing the world’s first mass-market augmented-reality glasses supporting 5G in its first hardware empowerment to differentiate its 5G ne..

Hanmi starts patient recruitment for another NASH med trial in US Hanmi Pharmaceutical has launched patient recruitment in the United States for a phase 2b clinical trial of HM15211, an investigational fatty liver med, going full speed with commercial development of..

Korean petrochem giants tide over virus crisis with lucrative specialty materials Korea’s petrochemical majors rode out global slowdown from virus pandemic through high value-added portfolio.LG Chem stood out in second-quarter performance in the local petrochemical industry with an..

Samsung Biologics building 4th plant at $1.5 bn to double bioreactor capacity Samsung Biologics Co., already the world’s largest contract drug manufacturer, announced leapfrogging expansion plan to add a fourth plant in its campus at Songdo, Incheon, to nearly double its capaci..

Novel drug pipeline from Korea idled since 2018 with no breakthroughs this year The novel drug pipeline from South Korea remains dried up as financing and R&D plans have been disrupted by COVID-19 outbreak and engagement.Korea has kept up clinical achievements almost every year s..

Korea approves phase 1 study of Genexine’s potential COVID-19 cure Korean health authorities have approved a phase 1 study of Genexine’s investigational regimen to treat COVID-19 symptoms, bringing the number of potential pandemic-related treatments and vaccines in c..

FDA clears Enzychem’s IND to start phase 2 trial of COVID-19 treatment candidate South Korea’s Enzychem Lifesciences announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its investigational new drug application (IND) to commence a phase 2 clinical trial assessing nov..

Celltrion to start third Songdo plant construction in 2023 Celltrion has announced it will start construction of its proposed third biopharmaceutical plant in Songdo, Incheon from 2023, which will have an annual output capacity of up to 200,000 liters, more t..

Hanmi Pharm to test expectorant med as potential COVID-19 cure in China South Korea’s Hanmi Pharmaceutical said on Thursday its Chinese affiliate Beijing Hanmi Pharm will develop its new expectorant drug as a potential cure for COVID-19.The drug locally branded as ‘Yianpi..

Hanmi stock zooms to daily high after it pulls in MSD for NASH pipeline Shares of Hanmi Pharmaceutical opened Wednesday at their daily ceiling on overnight news that it drew in Merck & Co. referred MSD outside North America for an out-licensing deal on its investigational..

Korea’s JLK Inspection, Japan’s Doctor Net partner on AI-backed telemedicine solutions South Korea’s JLK Inspection has formed partnership with Japan’s largest teleradiolgy name Doctor Net to advance remote medical solutions through artificial intelligence (Ai) application.Under the agr..

Herzuma earns WHO Prequalification status, the 2nd biosimilar under Celltrion Herzuma, breast and stomach cancer treatment biosimilar developed by South Korea’s Celltrion Inc., has met World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification (PQ) standards, becoming the Korean drug mak..

Phase 1 study of Celltrion’s COVID-19 antibody med approved in UK South Korea’s Celltrion said on Thursday that the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved a phase 1 trial of its CT-P59, an investigational antibody treatment agai..

S. Korea laggard in the race to bring COVID-19 vaccine to market Despite a thumbs-up mention from Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, COVID-19 vaccine pipeline from South Korea has been laggard while U.S. and Chinese names are getting closer to marketing their products..

SK Chemicals accelerates expansion as PETG sales double amid COVID-19 pandemic SK Chemicals is accelerating expansion in the capacity of PETG, a key chemical compound used to make sterile, single use disposable containers for cosmetics and disinfectants, amid spike in demand for..

Jeju Air sells 90% of rights offering to shareholders, the rest offered to public Jeju Air Co.’s biggest and second biggest shareholders AK Holdings Inc. and the Jeju Special Self-Governing provincial government joined recapitalization scheme and took up 90.1 percent of rights offe..

Gamma Nu to resume trading after 2-yr hiatus upon final win over KRX delisting order South Korean antenna maker Gamma Nu Inc. will resume trading on the Kosdaq market after it won the final ruling challenging Korea Exchange’s delisting decision two years ago.The Supreme Court dismisse..

Seegene, Alteogen, Shinpoong Pharma newly join MSCI index The Morgan Stanley Capital International, the world’s largest index provider, has newly added three bio names from South Korea - Seegene, Alteogen and Shinpoong Pharmaceutical – in lieu of tradi..

Korea’s KB Kookmin Card sells $500 mn worth ABS abroad South Korea’s KB Kookmin Card has issued $500 million in asset backed securities (ABS) aboard for debt refinancing and operational expenses. The ABS is collateralized by KB Kookmin Card’s credit car..

KFCC-STLeaders PE consortium goes after Hyosung Capital A consortium of Korea Federation of Community Credit Cooperative (KFCC) and Seoul-based STLeaders Private Equity has been confirmed as one of the preferred bidders shortlisted for a controlling stake ..

Kospi projected to test 2,500 in 2020 on still-robust retail buying Brokerage houses are now betting the main Kospi to test the 2,500 level, given the unfazed retail zeal. Korea Investment & Securities in a report on Monday revised up its target for the Kospi index t..

NBT, business behind ‘Cash Slide’ ad platform, to go public on the Kosdaq South Korea’s NBT Inc., which is well known for its mobile lock screen ad platform, is seeking to go public to finance business foray to overseas markets starting with Japan and Southeast Asia.Accordi..

Near $1 bn valued EMC Holdings draws SK E&C, Goldman Sachs, other bidders The tender for a full stake in EMC Holdings Co., South Korea’s top waste water treatment company, has drawn multiple bidders from home and overseas, raising the likelihood of the deal matching the hop..

Foreigners shift to net buying in Korean shares, push up debt holdings new record July Foreigners snapped a five-month selling spree and netted up Korean shares in full force, registering a net purchase of near $500 million in July. According to the Financial Supervisory Service on Mon..

BTS label Big Hit on track for Seoul’s biggest IPO of the year Big Hit Entertainment Co., the South Korean label behind K-pop superstar BTS, gained the regulatory go-ahead for what would be the biggest initial public offering in Seoul this year. The preliminary ..

Sheraton Palace Hotel in Gangnam returns to sale block Sheraton Palace Hotel in Gangnam, located nearby the main bus terminal and shopping districts of Shinsegae Department Store in posh neighborhood of Gangnam in southern Seoul, returns to the sale block..

REIT shares lose appeal as Korean retailers chase stocks of double-digit gains Real estate investment trust (REIT) stocks that rushed with listings amid fervid real estate demand are being shunned by retailers on the Seoul bourse who now chase stocks that deliver at least double..

Memory module PCB maker Simmtech is red-hot, stock gaining 95% in a month South Korea’s leading printed circuit board (PCB) maker Simmtech Co. has become a red-hot stock, with its value doubled in just a month on multiple upsides – high-performance chip demand for gam..

Korean bellwether stocks gallop away in COVID environment in Q2 Top players in key Korean stock categories came out of the COVID-19 storm unscathed in the second quarter, whereas most in the pack suffered, data suggested. LG Household & Health Care Ltd, the coun..

Jeju Air’s loss widens in Q2, Jin Air to issue $92 mn worth new shares South Korea’s largest low-cost carrier (LCC) Jeju Air Co. on Wednesday reported poorer-than-expected results in the second quarter to paint a dismal picture for the entire LCC community whose players ..

SK Bioscience hastens IPO process while hype over SK bio names is still hot SK Bioscience, the vaccine developer and manufacture under SK Chemicals, is speeding up its IPO process to capitalize on the hype over its sibling’s debut and mention from Bill Gates on its potential ..

Korean Re partners with Carlyle Group to develop co-insurance solutions South Korea’s leading reinsurer Korean Reinsurance Co. (Korean Re) has formed a strategic alliance with U.S.-based global investment firm The Carlyle Group to jointly develop co-insurance products tai..

Hanmi Science shares rally on share purchase bets for hereditary succession Investors are piling into Hanmi Science Co., the holding company of South Korean major drugmaker Hanmi Pharmaceutical Group, smelling the need for share purchases from the owner family to ensure a smo..

Kakao Games to offer 16 million IPOs at around $20 apiece in its Sept Kosdaq debut Kakao Games Corp. next month becomes the first subsidiary of Korea’s household messenger platform Kakao Corp. to go public by offering 16 million initial shares in the band of 20,000 won to 24,000 won..

Shinhan Life to stretch issue in maiden hybrid debt upon overwhelming demand Shinhan Life Insurance Co. is mulling additional 100 billion won issue after tapping heated demand for its maiden hybrid debt offering of 200 billion won ($167.6 million). The life insurer attracted ..

Korea’s export, import prices down in July, boding ill for trade recovery South Korea’s export and import prices turned negative after two months of gains in July, darkening prospects for turnaround in exports. According to data announced by the Bank of Korea on Friday, t..

Korean banks’ combined net profit down 17.5% in H1 on higher loan loss reserves South Korean lenders saw their combined net profit plunge 17.5 percent on year to 6.9 trillion won ($5.8 billion) in the first six months of the year as greater loss reserves against the coronavirus f..

Mass layoffs feared after Korea’s job-retention program expires in Sept South Korea will extend the job-retention program for aviation, tourism and other “special protection” categories for another two months but cut off the lifeline for a majority of other businesses at ..

S. Korea’s credit loans up $3.1 bn in July amid soaring housing and rent prices South Korea’s household and corporate loans grew sharply in July amid low interest rate trend and economic slump triggered by coronavirus outbreak. Credit-backed personal loans, in particular, surged ..

Korea’s jobless rate hits 20-yr high in July, job losses extend to 5th month South Korea lost roughly 280,000 jobs in July, extending the decline for the fifth straight month as virus woes pushed the unemployment rate to a 20-year high for the month. The jobless rate rose 0.1..

OECD expects S. Korea to make mildest contraction this year among developed nations South Korea’s economic contraction this year will be milder than expected as its “fast and timely policy mix” has helped minimize the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic compared with other economie..

Korean households’ cash savings hit record high in Q1 amid coronavirus fears South Koreans hoarded cash to push up hard currency deposits to an all-time high of 90.1 trillion won ($75.9 billion) in the first quarter as they played by the centuries-old habit to stock physical m..

S. Korea’s export decline deepens, down 23.6% in Aug 1-10 South Korean exports dropped 23.6 percent in the first 10 days of August against a year earlier, dampening hopes of a recovery in the second half. Outbound shipments totaled $8.7 billion in the Augu..

S. Korea’s unemployment allowance hits fresh high of $1 bn in July The amount of state unemployment benefits hit a renewed record monthly high in July as the country’s manufacturing industry continued to suffer from massive job losses in a protracted slump from the C..

S. Korea’s nominal GDP ranking to rise to 9th this year: OECD South Korea’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP) ranking will likely rise to ninth this year even as it is set to record its first economic contraction in 22 years. Korea’s nominal GDP is expected..

Korea may let KEPCO generate power directly, but only from renewable sources South Korea’s state-run utility firm Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) may be able to generate power directly for the first time in 20 years, albeit restricted to renewable sources, under the governm..

Korea mulls 5-year tax break for companies bringing overseas operations home South Korea is fine-tuning a set of new tax incentives to make companies bring some manufacturing back home. The parliament has so far proposed 12 bills related to reshoring, such as stretching the d..

S. Korea’s current account surplus hits 8-month high in June South Korea’s current account surplus rose to an eight-month high in June as the pace of export decline eased and the gaping service deficit improved on reduced overseas travels. Korea reported a cu..

S. Korea’s net int’l investment position hits all-time high in 2019 South Korea’s external assets have been rapidly expanding, with its international investment position (NIIP) exceeding 30 percent of nominal gross domestic product for the first time last year, accord..

Korea’s FX reserves hit fresh record high of $416.53 billion in July South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves reached a new record high in July mainly due to the strengthening value of non-dollar assets against the U.S. dollar. The country’s forex reserves amounted t..

S. Korea lifts red tapes to promote LNG bunkering capacity and demand South Korea will promote bunkering of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for fueling vessels to meet environment goals at home and abroad. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Tuesday,..

Korea’s inflation in July crawls above zero on surging fresh food prices South Korea’s consumer prices crawled up in July after months of hovering below or around zero as fresh food prices jumped from the lengthy heat wave, while consumption remained subdued despite the co..

Korea’s pharma industry grows 3 times faster than manufacturing industry in 5 years Korea’s pharmaceutical industry has grown at an annual rate of 7.1 percent in the 2015-2019 period led by locally developed novel therapies and biosimilars, nearly three times faster than the manufact..

KEPCO successfully test Barakah nuclear power plant operation in UAE The first of four South Korean nuclear reactors committed in the 2009 Barakah plant project for $20 billion went into activity in Abu Dhabi for the first nuclear fuel production in the Middle East bas..

Korea’s June industrial output shows fastest rebound in 11 yrs South Korea’s industrial output in June made the fastest rebound in 11 years, helped by fiscal stimulus and relief actions against the coronavirus fallout. The seasonally adjusted mining and manufact..

Seoul city delivers COVID-19 safety kits to Brooklyn citizens COVID-19 safety kits containing diagnostic kits and face masks made by Korean brands were delivered to Brooklyn, New York under a Seoul city project to promote small local businesses. Chang Yong-seu..

WKF: Pharma and vaccine leaders to provide COVID-19 roadmap This year’s World Knowledge Forum will present a direct solution to the COVID-19 pandemic as business leaders in the biopharmaceutical industry and heads of international bodies gather together to dis..

WKF: Blackstone, BlackRock chiefs and other financial titans to join main podium Blackstone and BlackRock chief executives would be some of the Wall Street big shots contributing their views on the post-pandemic global economic order at the World Knowledge Forum in Seoul next mont..

WKF: AirAsia, Dassault, Philip Morris CEOs to give survial tip in uncertain era Global entrepreneurs will give tips and strategies that can help companies survive through the uncertain period amid the prolonged pandemic and continued trade and diplomatic rows between the world’s ..

WKF: Global bureaucrats, big-tech CEOs to share digitial vision Global big-tech entrepreneurs and policymakers will share their insights and visions on digital and big-tech, the buzzword in Korea under state-led Digital New Deal initiative and countries around the..

S. Korea’s fiscal deficit stretches to record $93.2 bn in H1 South Korea’s fiscal deficit widened to a record 110.5 trillion won ($93.2 billion) in the first six months of the year after the government sharply upped spending with three extra budgets on top of a..

S. Korea lifts entry ban on China’s Hubei province as virus conditions improve South Korea on Monday eased travel advisory level for China’s Hubei province, the epicenter of COVID-19 outbreak, and lifted suspension of visa validity and issuance as the virus situation in the prov..

Korean gov’t packaging 2021 budget close to this year’s record $463 bn spending South Korean government will keep up ultra-loose fiscal posture next year by packaging a budget close to this year’s record-high spending of near 550 trillion won ($463 billion) to pick the country up..

Korean imports of Japanese goods in double-digit fall as boycott stretches beyond 1 yr Japanese brands – mostly beers and automobiles, are still shunned in South Korea to suggest bitter sentiment stretching beyond a year since voluntary boycott took off last summer after Tokyo’s e..

Korea Resources looks for buyer for its stake in Madagascar mining JV Korea Resources Corporation is speeding up to sell its stake in a nickel mine in Madagascar to potential investors to tackle a years-long liquidity problem.The state-run resources explorer is in the m..

Administrative capital relocation needs bipartisan support: Prime Minister The relocation of the presidential Blue House and the National Assembly to make Sejong the new administrative capital instead of Seoul won’t be pursued unless it has broad national support, said Prime..

S. Korea needs to build command tower for systematic promotion of K-bio, experts South Korea must make most of the momentum of virus pandemic and establish a command to systematically promote bio sector as threat from infectious disease could be a fixture, experts agreed. Kwon Su..

S. Korean gov’t proposes dialogue as resident doctors ready walkout on Friday The South Korean government on Thursday called on doctors to reconsider their planned walkout on Friday in protest to the country’s healthcare reform proposal – mostly the stretch of enrollment ..

Samsung’s Hoam Science Awards expanded to incorporate basic science fields The Hoam Foundation, a non-profit organization under Samsung Group, said on Tuesday it will reorganize the existing Hoam Science Awards by separating them into the physics/mathematics category and che..

S. Korea eases regulations on custom built vehicles, auto tuning Car design on demand and individualistic car tuning will become easier in South Korea as the automotive sector has become the latest deregulation target to groom specialty vehicle field and create a n..

Korean wireless carriers’ contest in 5G expands to home delivery Home delivery has become the emerging playing field for South Korean wireless carriers boasting of fastest 5G networking in the world. SK Telecom Co. teamed up with Woowa Brothers, the operator of the..

Korean institute develops affordable module to draw hydrogen fuel from urban gas pipes State-run Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) has developed an onsite hydrogen production unit, a cost-effective module that can generate high-purity (more than 99.999 percent) hydrogen from exi..

WKF in Sept to provide investment solutions during COVID-19 volatility The new global order and challenges in the financial market under pandemic influence will be scrutinized, and investment strategies in the volatile and uncertain period explored at the upcoming 21st W..

Korea to stretch floor space, highrise height to add 132,000 housing units in Seoul The government will yield state-owned properties and make radical exemptions in building-to-floor ratio or height of highrise to add 132,000 residential units in Seoul and surrounding areas. Hong Nam..

Seoul postures for fresh attack from Tokyo as court free to seize Nippon Steel assets Seoul is readying various countermeasures against fresh retaliation from Tokyo as a Korean court is set to liquidate assets of incompliant Japanese companies to compensate Korean victims of wartime fo..

Business groups say omnibus bill could boost worker productivity With Indonesia’s low worker productivity standing as a barrier to investment, some businesspeople are expecting a proposed wage scheme in the government’s omnibus bill on job creation to help reverse ..

Indonesia records FDI decrease in second consecutive quarter Indonesia recorded a further decline in foreign direct investment (FDI) realization in the second quarter this year, as the COVID-19 pandemic batters both the national and global economy. The Investm..

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..

Console-like game experience becomes available on 5G-powered phones in Korea South Korean gamers would no longer have to consider getting a PlayStation or Xbox as the console game experience becomes available on smartphones through cloud gaming services on 5G networks. Cloud ..

CJ LiveCity project to create hotspot for K-pop and entertainment back on track CJ LiveCity, dubbed to become the primary host for K-pop concerts and extravaganza, is back on track after four years of delay. The Universal Studio-like K-pop experience park, nestled in Goyang, nor..

Korean labels, tech giants rush to scale up or digitalize K-pop to expand global fan base South Korean entertainment labels and tech giants are doubling down on efforts to scale up or digitalize K-pop to capture the attention of the homebound global audience amid the coronavirus pandemic. ..

NCSoft invites to the first siege of Lineage 2M at Dion Castle on Aug.16 NCSoft Corp. is hosting the first siege war on August 16 of Lineage 2M, the mobile version of its most popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Lineage, when it launches the 3rd..

Fireworks, cameras are set for a lavish birthday bash for BTS Jungkook by Chinese fans The southern coastal city of Busan is set to go on fireworks and celebration next month as enthusiastic Chinese fans of K-pop superstar BTS ready a birthday bash for Jungkook in unprecedented style. ..

WKF to offer live-stream, replay of all sessions, exclusive app coming out Aug The 21st World Knowledge Forum, Asia’s largest annual business agenda event hosted by South Korea’s Maekyung Media Group, will be live-streamed on a webinar platform to share lively discussions and br..

Emerging YouTubers in Korea: 70% male in their 20s to 30s Male Koreans in late 20s to mid 30s are most successful in YouTubing, a survey by Maeil Business Newspaper and Maekyung Biz showed. About 24.3 percent out of 244 YouTubers under survey had 100,000-30..

LG Uplus offers Black Desert via its cloud gaming platform GeForce NOW LG Uplus Corp. began servicing Pearl Abyss’ mega-hit title Black Desert on Wednesday via its cloud gaming platform GeForce NOW.Cloud gaming is an online gaming streaming service that enables users to ..

K-pop music license exchange gaining attraction as fandom monetization means Backing music of favorite K-pop artists and making money out of it is gaining attraction as a hybrid investment to monetize on K-pop fever and fandom. Seoul-based music copyright sharing platform Mu..

Nexon’s mobile MMORPG “The Kingdom of the Winds: Yeon” breaks 2.6 million downloads The Kingdom of the Winds: Yeon, Nexon Co.’s latest massively multiplayer online role-playing mobile game is on track to join blockbuster names with downloads topping 2.6 million in just two weeks sinc..

Korean dramatized e-game CrossFire creates a splash in China A Chinese drama series made by South Korea’s gaming company Smilegate based on its mega-hit first-person shooter (FPS) game CrossFire has created a splash in China, drawing more than 100 million views..

Korea’s Indie Craft K-Game Festival kicks off in virtual reality Korea’s Indie Craft Festival 2020 Wednesday kicked off its five-day run, a fully virtual gaming industry conference designed to give game development professionals a fun and immersive experience with ..

Asia’s biggest startup fair “Try Everything” holds inaugural event on Sep. 16-18 in Seoul Try Everything, dubbed to become Asia’s leading tech startup fair, will run Sep. 16 to 18 in Seoul, posing as a rare but safe hands-on gathering of tech startups and world’s top venture investors in C..

MBN’s Voice Trot tops Friday viewership amid trot music boom The latest TV program riding on the boom of trot, a Korean contemporary folk song genre, on the Maeil Broadcasting Network (MBN) became an instant Friday hit.According to Nielson Korea on Saturday, Vo..

Nexon’s MMORPG “The Kingdom of the Winds: Yeon” nets 1 million downloads on first day The Kingdom of the Winds: Yeon, mobile version of Nexon Co.’s blockbuster title, broke 1 million downloads in just one day of its release to signal another jackpot for the South Korean game developer ..

WeMade logs another win in IP lawsuit against Chinese firms over Mir2 label South Korean game publisher Wemade Co. won another lawsuit against two Chinese companies over intellectual property infringement of its MMORPG label “The Legend of Mir 2”.WeMade shares gained 2.26 per..

Kim Joo-hyung, the youngest to win Korean pro golf tour, raises hopes for super male rookie A super rookie may be on the rise from South Korea, a golf powerhouse owed largely to female achievements. But the fast ascension of Kim Joo-hyung, 18-year-old pro golfer, raises hopes for an impressi..

Webzen shares on winning streak ahead of MU Origin 2 release in China Shares of South Korean game developer Webzen Inc. have been boosted on the country’s secondary Kosdaq market on expectations of successful release of MU Origin 2 developed by Tencent based on intellec..

BlackPink’s ‘How You Like That’ becomes fastest YouTube music video to hit 100 mn views K-pop girl group BlackPink from YG Entertainment has set a new YouTube record with its new single “How You Like That” as the music video amassed more than 100 million views at the fastest pace on the ..

KartRider Rush+ ranks top by both player count, playing hours in May Kartrider Rush+, a new mobile racing game published by Nexon Co., became the most played mobile game in May in South Korea, beating mega-hit titles such as Lineage M and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds ..