We know that a K-pop idol group is on the right track when they set the bar higher with every comeback. For quintet boy band CIX, the recent release of their first studio album “‘OK’ Prologue: Be OK” was more than enough to prove to the world and to themselves that they were heading the right way. One of K-pop’s up-and-coming boy bands, CIX made a splash with the 10-track album on Aug. 17, instantly placing five tracks on the top of Bugs’ real-time chart and

As for men, Korea ranks 18th, Japan 1st in Q2

Key of SHINee landed atop iTunes top albums charts in 32 regions with his first solo EP, “Bad Love,” which came out Monday. 　 The EP also topped a series of charts in Japan and China as well as at home. 　 The album consists of six tracks and he wrote the lyrics for two. “Hate That ...” featuring Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation was dropped in advance last month and topped iTunes top songs charts in 11 regions. 　 The title track was performed for the first time a day

Asia is projected to emerge as a destination for sustainability-driven investment, and integrating environmental, social and governance factors is key to discovering the less well-tapped investment opportunities in the region, a veteran investor said Tuesday. Spurred by rising secondary battery demand, combined with a projection of fast-paced electric vehicle adoption, Asian countries including South Korea are in a race to make good on their bid to achieve carbon neutrality and cultivate new e

The Korean Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives, the nation’s leading mutual financial institution, said Tuesday it has managed to post strong profits despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the leadership of President Park Cha-hoon and Ryu Hyuk, chief executive officer of Credit & Insurance -- the KFCC’s business unit responsible for building strategies for the group’s financial management as well as operating deduction services -- the cooperative logged a net profit

A local research team has developed a new snakeskin-like structure that contains battery cells, which can be potentially applied to soft robots and a wide range of wearable devices. The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials said Tuesday that a research team led by Jang Bong-kyun and Hyun Seung-min developed the material, inspired by the flexibility and structure of snake scales, that can be shaped without damaging rigid battery cells. The research team said the structure, which contains

South Korea’s chief economic policymaker vowed Tuesday to pursue environmental, social and governance-related policies with support, not regulations, to build a stronger cornerstone for the nation’s sustainable growth. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki, in his congratulatory speech at the second Korea Herald Finance and Investment Forum, said that the government will make various efforts such as helping industries establish a market-oriented system, creating ne

Korea’s highest-level discussion body on chips launched to deal with matters like US’ moves

The Korea Herald’s 2nd finance forum addresses hopes, realities of adopting ESG values in Asia’s 4th-largest economy

South Korean stocks fell more than 1 percent Tuesday as investors offloaded tech shares amid concerns of surging virus cases. The Korean won sharply fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) lost 35.72 points, or 1.14 percent, to close at 3,097.92 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 881.95 million shares worth 14.38 trillion won ($12.1 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 711 to 193. Institutions offloaded a net 555.2 billion won, while re

Seoul mayor pins hopes on city attracting global ESG investments under its new investment agency

Successful digital transformation requires not only technological change but also digital capabilities ranging from creating a strong customer experience to reinventing business models, the chief strategist for Shinhan Financial Group’s digitalization said Tuesday. “One of the key factors that causes setbacks is an unintegrated digital business transformation strategy that leads to an ambiguous vision and goal setting,” said Sunny Yi, chief digital officer of Shinhan Financial