LG Chem wins 3.76 tln-won EV cathode material supply deal from US

LG Chem Ltd., South Korea's leading chemical company, said Thursday it has won a major electric vehicle battery cathode material supply deal from the United States. The contract is valued at 3.76 trillion won ($2.57 billion) and covers the period from Saturday through July 31, 2029, the company said in a regulatory filing. It did not disclose the buyer, citing confidentiality. The contract marks one of the largest such deals for the company despite a temporary slowdown in global EV demand. LG Ch

Nov. 13, 2025

Seoul shares up for 4th day on end to US govt. shutdown

Seoul shares closed higher Thursday, extending their winning streak to a fourth session, after US President Donald Trump signed a funding bill to end the record-long US government shutdown. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 20.24 points, or 0.49 percent, to close at 4,170.63. Trading volume was moderate at 421.75 million shares worth 17.36 trillion won ($11.8 billion), with gainers outnumbering decliners 475 to 383. Foreign investors

Nov. 13, 2025

S-Oil CEO wins top industrial honor for petrochem project

Korea awarded S-Oil CEO Anwar A. Al-Hejazi the nation’s highest industrial medal on Thursday, a recognition that spotlights the foreign executive’s role in advancing the 9.3 trillion won ($6.37 billion) Shaheen Project — one of the country’s most consequential petrochemical investments. CEO Al-Hejazi received the "Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit" at the 2025 Foreign Company Day ceremony at the Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas on Thursday, recognizing his contribution to the natio

Nov. 13, 2025

German Innovation Days aim to boost Korea ties

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Seoul, in cooperation with the Herald Media Group, will host German Innovation Days 2025, a monthlong series of events from Monday to Dec. 16 aimed at promoting Germany’s innovative capabilities and deepening bilateral cooperation with Korea. The initiative will bring together German and Korean experts from diverse sectors — including science, technology, business, academia and culture — to foster dialogue on pressing global challenges and emergi

Nov. 13, 2025

Korea logs second-biggest fiscal deficit as stimulus weigh on budget

Korea’s fiscal deficit exceeded 100 trillion won ($73 billion) in the first nine months of the year, the second-largest shortfall on record for the period, as heavy spending tied to two supplementary budgets outpaced gains in tax revenue, government data showed Thursday. The Finance Ministry’s November fiscal report showed the managed fiscal balance, a key gauge that strips out the four major social security funds, posted a 102.4 trillion-won deficit through September. The shortfall is second on

Nov. 13, 2025

LG, Mercedes-Benz chiefs agree to bolster collaboration on next-gen auto parts

Top executives of LG Group's key affiliates met with Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius in Seoul on Thursday, agreeing to expand collaboration in EV components and software-defined vehicle (SDV) technologies, and build on LG's combined battery, display and automotive electronics capabilities. LG Electronics said Kallenius held talks with LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan, LG Display CEO Jeong Cheol-dong, LG Energy Solution CEO Kim Dong-myung and LG Innotek CEO Moon Hyuk-soo at the group’s Twin Tower i

Nov. 13, 2025

HD Hyundai chief seeks stronger ties with India

HD Hyundai is stepping up efforts to strengthen ties with India, as the Korean shipbuilder looks to bolster global partnerships. According to the Korean shipbuilder on Thursday, HD Hyundai Chair Chung Ki-sun met with India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation at HD Hyundai’s global research and development center in Gyeonggi Province. The HD Hyundai chief presented the firm's shipbuilding design and technological capabilities, as we

Nov. 13, 2025

HBM4 bets propel Samsung on new bullish run

With Samsung Electronics shares now trading above 100,000 won ($68), investors are questioning whether the tech behemoth can sustain its upward trajectory to hit the 150,000 won level that several brokerages now predict, citing accelerating demand for the high-bandwidth memory chips critical for artificial intelligence. Local brokerages rushed to lift targets after Samsung posted stronger-than-expected third-quarter earnings on Oct. 30 and AI giant Nvidia unveiled plans to provide GPUs to Samsun

Nov. 13, 2025

Korea steps up investment banking by tapping first IMA operators

South Korea is boosting the investment-banking capacity of major securities firms through its new Investment Management Account regime, open to brokerages with at least 8 trillion won ($5.5 billion) in capital. Industry reports said Thursday that the Securities and Futures Commission under the Financial Services Commission approved the designation of Korea Investment & Securities and Mirae Asset Securities as the nation’s first IMA operators. In essence, the IMA system lets firms pool and manage

Nov. 13, 2025

LG Uplus unveils ixi-O AI call assistant powered by Google

LG Uplus, one of Korea’s three major telecommunications companies, introduced on Thursday its upgraded real-time AI call assistant, ixi-O, powered by Google Cloud’s latest large language model. The launch marks a new phase in the evolution of personalized voice-based AI services. “The ixi-O AI assistant integrates Google's cutting-edge LLM, Gemini 2.5 Flash Live,” said Lee Jae-won, executive vice president of consumer company at LG Uplus, during a press briefing held in Seoul. “It is the first t

Nov. 13, 2025

Will Hyundai’s fuel-cell buses accelerate hydrogen mobility?

Hyundai Motor Group is pushing ahead with hydrogen buses as a core pillar of its mobility strategy, betting that commercial fleets will give the technology a clearer path to scale than passenger cars. Despite high costs and slow global infrastructure rollout, experts say buses are better suited to showcase hydrogen’s advantages, especially for heavy loads and long-distance operation. While hydrogen is viewed as a potential replacement for diesel in commercial transport, high prices and the slugg

Nov. 13, 2025

[Contribution] Oh Value, where art thou?

By Daniel Lam In our global asset allocation, we are overweight equities and underweight bonds. The US and China are in a trade truce. The Fed is supporting the economy via rate cuts, and we now see a 60 percent probability of a soft landing in the US economy, up from 55 percent at the end of September. The earnings season in the US has been solid, both in terms of numbers and guidance. This environment means it is easier to find opportunities in equities, but there are still areas of interest i

Nov. 13, 2025

Kendall Jenner spotted at Medicube's pop-up store in New York

Korean beauty tech firm APR said Thursday its flagship brand Medicube wrapped up a pop-up store on Broadway in New York, drawing more than 12,000 visitors from Oct. 24 to Nov. 2. Under the theme “Glow Mode On,” the pop-up showcased Medicube’s skin care lineup and its popular AGE-R beauty devices, which have gained global attention for their at-home skincare technology. Notably, American fashion model Kendall Jenner, well known to be a frequent user of Medicube products, made a surprise visit to

Nov. 13, 2025

As Korean youth exit restaurant jobs, foreign students step in — and grow essential

As young Koreans increasingly avoid part-time service jobs, international students are filling the gap, working in restaurants across South Korea to keep kitchens running and dining rooms staffed. Despite wages that can reach 15,000 won per hour ($10.20), employers say it’s harder than ever to hire local workers for roles like waiting tables or assisting in kitchens. Instead, part-time job listings are drawing students from abroad, many of whom are juggling their studies with shifts in cafes, ea

Nov. 13, 2025

CU opens first US store in Hawaii as K-culture hub

CU, South Korea’s largest convenience store chain run by BGF Retail, has opened its first US store in Honolulu, Hawaii, aiming to serve as a K-culture platform abroad, the company said Thursday. It is the first Korean convenience store brand to enter the American market. The launch follows a master franchise agreement signed in May with CU Hawaii LLC, a newly formed entity established by local firm WKF. Under the agreement, BGF Retail grants its local partner the authority to use the CU brand, e

Nov. 13, 2025