LG Electronics said Thursday it has forged a strategic alliance with Clearbrook, a global investment advisory and asset management, to collaborate on a venture capital fund targeting more than $100 million. The venture capital fund, dubbed Nova Prime Fund, is aimed at fostering companies advancing innovations to build a better future, and will be investing in those participating in the Mission for the Future Program sponsored by LG Electronics' North America Center for Innovation, LG said.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Thursday it will launch full-fledged safety checks into buildings constructed using flat slab methods, following revelations that some 16.5 percent of apartment complexes built under the state-run Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH) are missing critical structural components. The Ministry of Land said it will conduct investigations of 293 apartment complexes built by private companies that used flat slab methods starting next week, through th

Kakao, the operator of South Korea’s No. 1 messenger app KakaoTalk, said Thursday that it plans to introduce a new artificial intelligence foundation model to balance performance and cost efficiency, as well as services integrated to the model after October this year. Kakao CEO Hong Eun-taek said at the company’s earnings conference that he believes that a sole hyperscale model would not be suitable for providing every service under the most optimized conditions. “Many AI model

Carmaker to co-develop AI chips for self-driving cars, robotics and advanced air mobility

GS Retail, the operator of Korea’s convenience store franchise GS25, holds the largest number of stores in the southern regions of Vietnam among its five foreign peers, the company said Thursday. According to self-reported data as of last month, a total of 211 GS25 outlets are spread across these regions, edging out the number of stores operated by foreign competitors such as Circle K and Family Mart in the same areas. The southern regions encompass Ho Chi Minh City and its surrounding p

A pilot is testing a navigation system developed by Incheon Airport that provides real-time, three dimension information on ground traffic and runway routes of the airport, in June. Incheon Airport said Thursday it completed the development of the system, which is expected to help prevent aircraft entering the wrong runways and significantly reduce planes' ground travel time. The airport aims to operate the system in the airport starting 2024. (Incheon International Airport)

Korean fried chicken franchise Genesis BBQ said Thursday that it has recently opened its second restaurant in Panama, in a move to accelerate its expansion into the Central American market. The opening ceremony was held at Albrook Mall, in Panama City on Wednesday, with top executives including Genesis BBQ Group Chairman Yoon Hong-geun in attendance. The Albrook Mall, where BBQ’s Albrook branch is located, is the largest shopping complex in the Central and South American region. Located

The government and the ruling People Power Party agreed Wednesday to push for granting prospective residents of poorly constructed apartments developed by the state-run Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH) the right to cancel their contracts. During an emergency high-level policy coordination meeting, they also promised to provide sufficient compensation to current residents of LH apartments affected by construction deficiencies. A land ministry inspection has found that not enough reinforcing ro

Despite losses, KB Kookmin Bank confident Indonesian subsidiary will see turnaround by 2025

Strong dollar, oil price spike led to the decline, BOK says

Samsung's biopharma unit unveils interchangeability study results of Humira biosimilar

Harley-Davidson Korea said Wednesday that a total of 40 riders and company staff completed its US tour held July 12-27, the first tour in four years since the COVID-19 outbreak. Riding on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the participants crossed Route 66, one of the US' first highways, which connects eight states from Chicago to Los Angeles. (Harley-Davidson)

SK hynix, the world's second-largest memory chip maker, is expected to offer financial incentives of 1.2 million won ($926) to each of its employees to boost morale, as the company has been struggling from consecutive losses in quarterly earnings, according to industry sources, Wednesday. SK hynix's labor union held a staff briefing session recently to explain it has come to an agreement with the company management for the company to provide the incentive to employees, according to sou

Hyundai Mobis, the car parts manufacturer affiliated with Hyundai Motor Group, said Wednesday it has supplied newly developed glove compartments inspired by airplane overhead bins to Kia’s three-row family electric car, the EV9. The parabolic motion glove compartment refers to its design that opens and closes following a parabolic trajectory similar to overhead airplane luggage compartments. Unlike typical glove compartments with covers or rotational pull handles, it gradually slides open

SK Inc. C&C, the IT solutions unit of SK Group, said Wednesday that it will build South Korea’s first alternative trading system, scheduled to launch in the latter half of next year. The IT service provider will construct a comprehensive operation and management system to support the trading, brokerage, solicitation and agency services for listed securities and depositary receipts that Nextrade will carry out with its official authorization in the following year. Nextrade is an alter