Kia Motors Corp. on Monday unveiled the design of the all-new Sorento SUV ahead of its domestic launch next month as it strives to boost SUV sales further. The fourth-generation SUV adopts a new design concept, Borderless Gesture, which is defined by a combination of the "strong design heritage" of its predecessors and the "refined and delicate feel" of a sedan, the company said in a statement. The new Sorento's powertrain and other details will be released later, it said

　Retail sales in South Korea rose 4.8 percent last year on the back of brisk sales at online malls, while revenue from offline stores lost ground, data showed. 　The combined sales of 26 major offline and online retailers reached 132.9 trillion won ($113 billion) last year, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. 　Of the volume, 13 online stores accounted for roughly 54.7 trillion won, up 14.2 percent from a year earlier, amid a rising number of consumers

Hanwha Systems, the defense unit of Hanwha Group, said Sunday it would take part in an air taxi project by US personal air vehicle company Overair. On Friday, the opening ceremony of the US company -- recently spun off from aerospace-development firm Karem Aircraft -- was attended by CEO Ben Tigner and Hanwha Systems CEO Kim Yeon-chul. In December, the US Committee on Foreign Investment approved Hanwha Systems’ investment of $25 million in Overair. The Korean firm said it would contri

According to the trade industry, Korea’s demand for and exports of automobiles declined in January on-year. Car production decreased to 251,573 units last month, down 29 percent from the same month last year, due to the Lunar New Year holiday and partial strikes at some companies. Although sales of new cars from domestic brands, including the Hyundai Sonata, Kia K5, Kia Seltos and Genesis GV80, were strong, overall sales reached 98,755 units, down 15.9 percent on-year. (khnews@herald

South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission is set to report Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin to prosecutors for alleged violation of antitrust laws, officials said Sunday. The antitrust watchdog said Lee is accused of omitting 20 affiliates, including Line Friends and some of his own and relatives’ companies, when submitting data to the FTC in 2015. The company was also found to have omitted eight affiliates owned by executives of nonprofit companies wholly owned by Naver in 2017 and 2018. Ea

  Mercedes-Benz has consistently commanded the top position in the South Korean imported vehicles market. Last year alone, it sold 78,133 units, led by its flagship sedan series E-Class. Compared to sedans, the German luxury automaker’s sport utility vehicles had taken a back seat. To expand its clout in the promising SUV sector, the automaker began bolstering its SUV lineup early this year, bringing back a facelifted version of the GLC compact SUV after four years. The GLC is on

Kaist researcher’s systems approach shows promise in quest to stop cancer cells multiplying

Hyundai Motor is set to introduce two hydrogen-powered trucks in South Korea by 2023 and add 10 more in the following year in collaboration with a local port authority, the automaker said Sunday. The carmaker said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority on Friday to lay the foundation for hydrogen mobility and to vitalize the hydrogen economy at Gwangyang Port in South Jeolla Province. The region is home to petrochemical complexes that produce hydrogen as

The US’ International Trade Commission has made a default judgment in favor of LG Chem in its suit against SK Innovation, LG Chem said Sunday, hinting that the end is near in the legal tug-of-war between the two Korean battery makers. A default judgment occurs when a court rules in favor of the plaintiff in default following the defendant’s failure to fulfill due responsibility in a legal case. The US ITC might disclose the reason for its decision in the coming week. If the ITC

PALO ALTO, California -- After the Galaxy S20 and Z Flip phones were unveiled in San Francisco on Tuesday, aspiring tech leaders studying and working in Palo Alto, the heart of Silicon Valley, flocked to a Samsung shop in the area. Samsung Experience Store in Stanford Shopping Center saw its visitor traffic surge about 80 percent on the day of the “Unpacked” event compared with usual Tuesdays, owing to display shelves spruced up with new devices.  Opened in December, it is on

Carmakers in South Korea said Saturday some of their assembly lines are still short of auto components as parts suppliers in China partially resumed operations this week amid no signs of the new coronavirus slowing. Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp., the country's two biggest carmakers, restarted production at their domestic plants Tuesday, mainly using auto components shipped from Southeast Asia. "Some parts from Southeast Asia arrived at the plants Monday, which hel

South Korea's three major mobile carriers are beefing up their virtually reality (VR) content and related services, industry insiders said Saturday, as they aim to attract more customers amid their 5G expansion. The three -- SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. -- commercialized 5G telecommunication last year and have been focusing on securing more 5G subscribers. Taking advantage of 5G's high speed and low latency, they are now rolling out VR content for various sectors -- from entertai

A total of 17 Hyundai Motor Group car models received either Top Safety Pick+ or Top Safety Pick awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety this year. The US awards recognize the safety of vehicles in crashes. According to South Korea’s leading carmaker, the Genesis G80, Genesis G70 and Nexo were named Top Safety Pick+, with the latter two recognized for their “good-rating” headlights for all trims. Top Safety Pick went to eight models from Hyundai Motor -- El

Korean Air’s unionized workers on Friday warned against a coalition comprising a Korean Air heiress and activist fund Korea Corporate Governance Improvement.  In an apparent scheme to oust incumbent Chairman Cho Won-tae, former Korean Air Vice President Cho Hyun-ah and Hanjin Group’s largest and third-largest shareholders -- KCGI and Bando Construction -- said Thursday they are proposing eight figures, including former SK Group Vice Chairman Kim Shin-bae, as candidates for boar

Samsung Electronics’ foldable phone Galaxy Z Flip went on sale online and offline in Korea on Friday, with some online vendors selling out within 30 minutes. It started taking preorders for its new flagship smartphone series Galaxy S20 the same day. The Galaxy Z Flip is available at Samsung’s official website and branches of major mobile carriers SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus. Earlier in the day, LG Uplus said Z Flip models sold out 30 minutes after launching Friday. In the fir