Apple Inc. will begin selling a white model of the iPhone 4 in the next few weeks after a 10- month delay, according to three people familiar with the plans. The new version will be available from AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless by the end of April, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t public. The release was stalled as Apple resolved manufacturing challen

Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Mong-koo (right) greets Banca Sandanter’s chairman Emilio Botin at the carmaker’s office in Seoul on Wednesday. (Hyundai Motor Group)Hyundai Motor Group will set up auto-financing firms in Brazil and the U.K. in collaboration with Spain-based Banco Santander.Banco Santader is Europe’s largest commercial bank with more than 86 million customers. Hyundai Motor chai

IMF predicts 4.5% prices growth, BOK expects stability in oil pricesThe Bank of Korea on Wednesday revised its projection for this year’s consumer inflation to a three-year high of 3.9 percent while maintaining its growth outlook at 4.5 percent. Oil and vegetable prices, the main drivers of inflation, are expected to ease during the third quarter, but the underlying upward trend will continue into

HONG KONG (Yonhap News) ― Hyundai Motor Co., Korea’s No. 1 auto maker, has established a research center in Beijing in an effort to expand its business in China, company officials said Wednesday.The recent launch of the “Hyundai Motor Research Institute for the China Management” comes after China replaced Korea as the largest market for Hyundai Motor last year. The Korean company sold 700,000 cars

Financial regulators on Wednesday launched an inquiry into the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, also called Nonghyup or NH Bank, which suffered a significant problem with in its online transaction systems.Nonghyup has seen its network systems, including Internet banking and automated teller machines, break down since around 5 p.m. Tuesday.The bank had to make an official apology as it

Online retailer Tryst boasts price competitiveness but has yet to overcome credibility issuesA fresh online luxury retail channel is eying a slice of the pie in the conglomerate-dominated local market with price competitiveness and quality service.The launch of flash sale site Tryst on Wednesday, the first of its kind here, may be intriguing news for savvy Korean shoppers. The website can be descr

The introduction of new online retail channels is expected to expand the size of the local luxury retail industry appealing to an increasing number of younger shoppers with affordable price and convenience, industry watchers said. Yet they face fierce competition from the market-dominant retail giants and are to overcome credibility concerns typically associated with e-commerce in the country. Wit

Korea’s biggest conglomerate issues public pledge aiming to prop up partner firmsSamsung Group on Wednesday pledged a number of measures including a 610 billion won ($558.7 million) fund, patent rights and improved payment systems to help promote growth in its smaller vendors and suppliers. Samsung signed an agreement at its Seocho headquarters outlining these and other efforts to become the secon

'Oil prices above $100 hurt global economy, demand outlook stable'The International Energy Agency maintained its outlook for global oil demand in 2011, while warning that prices above $100 a barrel are starting to hurt the global economy. Worldwide oil consumption will increase by 1.4 million barrels a day, or 1.6 percent, this year to average 89.4 million a day, the Paris-based adviser said Tuesd