Naver signs joint venture deal with Saudi housing agency

SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - Korean tech firm Naver signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Saudi Arabia's National Housing Company (NHC) to establish a joint venture, the company said on Monday. The agreement, signed during the Cityscape Global 2024 event in Riyadh, will focus on operating digital twin platforms within Saudi Arabia. The National Housing Company (NHC), which handles 70 percent of Saudi Arabia's real estate transactions, will partner with Naver to

November 18, 2024

LG Display plans $1 billion additional investment in OLED plant in Viet Nam

SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - LG Display received approval from Viet Nam's Haiphong city authorities on Thursday to invest an additional 1.39 trillion won ($1 billion) over the next five years in its OLED module factory, bringing the company's total investment in Viet Nam to 7.88 trillion won ($5.65 billion). The investment aims to stabilize OLED production operations at the company's Haiphong facility, which was completed in 2017, and strengthen its OLED business competi

November 18, 2024

LG Energy Solution to supply batteries to Silicon Valley-based robot company

SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - South Korea's LG Energy Solution will supply cylindrical batteries to Bear Robotics, a Silicon Valley-based AI-powered service robot company. LG Energy Solution announced on Monday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Bear Robotics regarding a battery cell supply agreement and technological collaboration. Starting in 2025, LG Energy Solution will be the sole supplier of cylindrical "2170" lithium-ion batteries, com

November 18, 2024

South Korea's business chamber sends delegation to COP29 climate talks

SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - South Korea's business lobby Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) announced on Monday it has dispatched a delegation to the United Nations climate conference COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The delegation includes representatives from major South Korean conglomerates SK Group, LG Group, and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., who will participate in discussions through Nov. 23 at the conference attended by about 40,000 participa

November 18, 2024

Samsung to buy back shares worth 10 trillion won to boost shareholder value

SEOUL, November 15 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics announced Friday it will buy back shares worth 10 trillion won (US$7.16 billion) to enhance shareholder value following a recent decline in its stock price. The repurchase will be carried out in installments over a one-year period, the Korean company said in a regulatory filing after a board meeting. The surprise announcement came a day after Samsung's shares fell below 50,000 won for the first time in four and a half years, am

November 15, 2024

Expo highlights growth, innovation of South Korean small firms

SEOUL, November 15 (AJP) - An event designed to highlight the growth and achievements of South Korean SMEs took place in the southeastern port city of Ulsan, the Korea Management Innovation Association for Small and Medium Businesses (MainBiz Association) said Friday. The two-day "2024 SME Technology and Management Innovation Expo," which began on Thursday, aimed to inspire innovation through awards for contributors, innovation-focused conferences, and presentations on gro

November 15, 2024

Samsung, LG win big at CES 2025

SEOUL, November 15 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics received numerous innovation awards at CES 2025, one of the world’s largest electronics show, the Consumer Technology Association announced Thursday. Samsung secured 29 awards — 16 in video displays, four in home appliances, five in mobile devices, three in semiconductors and one for Harman International. They included four Best Innovation Awards. The company's C-Lab startups garnered an additional

November 15, 2024

Hyundai Motor names first foreign CEO

SEOUL, November 15 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Co. appointed Jose Munoz as its new chief executive officer on Friday, marking the first time a foreign national has led South Korea's largest automaker since its establishment in 1967. Munoz, who joined Hyundai in 2019 as president of the North American operations, has been serving as the Global Chief Operating Officer. The Spanish-born executive's term will begin at the start of next year. He will succeed Chang Jae-hoon, who has

November 15, 2024

Korean firms face increased pressure from U.S. policy shifts

SEOUL, November 15 (AJP) - South Korean industries are growing increasingly anxious as U.S. policies, including the potential abolition of EV subsidies and re-designation of Korea as a currency manipulation watchlist country, threaten to intensify economic and trade pressures. The U.S. Department of the Treasury added seven countries -- China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam and Germany -- to its semiannual list of currency manipulators under observation on Thursday, signal

November 15, 2024

Samsung Electronics plunges on Trump policies, AI chip woes

SEOUL, November 14 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics shares fell below 50,000 won ($38) for the first time in four and a half years on Thursday, amid concerns about its artificial intelligence chip business and uncertainties surrounding U.S. policies under a second Trump administration. The stock closed at 49,900 won, down 1.38 percent from the previous day, marking its lowest level since June 15, 2020. The plunge pushed the tech giant's market value to 297.89 trillion won. Foreign

November 14, 2024