LG Electronics’ potential plan to discontinue the smartphone business would have ripple effects on jobs in its overseas production bases, persons working for LG outside Korea said. 　 According to workers assembling LG phones at the company’s Brazil factory, local employees are paying keen attention to the circulating rumors about the Korean vendor’s plans for the struggling phone business. “The latest reports about LG’s sale of its smartphone business have made u

South Korean automaking giant Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday it has earned the most Top Safety Pick awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Hyundai Motor Co., Hyundai's independent brand Genesis and affiliate Kia Corp. received 12 Top Safety Pick (TSP) and five Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) ratings from the IIHS in its latest round of crash-testing evaluations, a Hyundai spokesman said. Hyundai's Palisade SUV and Nexo hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle, Kia's K5 sedan and

Retail sales in South Korea rose 6 percent in January from a year earlier as more consumers purchased daily necessities from online stores, with the demand for gift items ahead of the Lunar New Year's holiday also bolstering the sales, data showed Thursday. The combined sales of 26 major offline and online retailers reached 12.5 trillion won ($11.2 billion) last month, up from 11.7 trillion won a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Online

　Samsung Electronics remained the world’s second-largest chip buyer behind US tech titan Apple last year, a report showed, while manufacturers’ spending on semiconductors increased due to the pandemic-induced stay-at-home economy. 　Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone and TV maker, accounted for 8.1 percent of global semiconductor spending in 2020 after purchasing $36.4 billion worth of chips, up 20.4 percent from a year earlier, according to preliminary results from m

Oriental Brewery unveiled its new beer “Hanmac” late last month, boasting it as “Korea’s representative lager project.” As the label suggests, the company, famous for its pale lager Cass, set the bar high for itself. ”Some lagers are more than just beers and represent their regions as they do in Germany, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. We hope that ‘Hanmac’ will captivate consumers with its refreshing flavor of Korean rice and become a true &ls

South Korean conglomerate GS Group said Wednesday it had launched an environmental council consisting of its chief governance officers in an effort to strengthen the group’s ESG approach. The council will serve as the group’s top decision maker on matters such as pursuing new environmentally friendly business projects and anything ESG -- investments that prioritize environmental, social and governance issues. The decision to form the council comes as taking an ESG approach is being

Transport Ministry says defective batteries probably caused fires; LG Energy Solution disagrees

Coupang boasted the highest customer satisfaction rate among e-commerce platforms providing early morning delivery, according to a new survey by the Korea Consumer Agency. The e-commerce giant, famous for its subscription-based Rocket Delivery service, had a score of 3.81 and was followed by SSG.com, another online marketplace owned by Shinsegae Group, and grocery delivery firm Market Kurly, whose scores were 3.76 and 3.72, respectively, the agency said Wednesday. The online survey asked a sam

Operator of Incheon Airport also pledges support to keep struggling duty-free businesses afloat

South Korea on Wednesday launched a new regulatory agency dedicated to accelerating the utilization of carbon materials in five core industries, including future mobility. The Korea Carbon Industry Promotion Agency, which will be overseen by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, aims to provide regulatory support for the carbon industry and spearhead economic feasibility tests of carbon materials to accelerate their commercialization in the market. The government appointed Bang Yun-hyuk

Samsung Electronics Co.'s market share in the global foundry industry is expected to increase in the first quarter of the year from the previous three months, a report showed Wednesday, though its growth was projected to be lower than the industry average amid high demand for chips. Samsung's foundry business was estimated to log a market share of 18 percent with revenue of $4.05 billion in the January-March period, up 11 percent from a year earlier, according to a report from industry tracker

Apple will open its second Apple Store in South Korea this Friday in a move to expand its presence in the main turf of archrival Samsung Electronics. Called Apple Yeouido, the second Apple Store is located on the L1 floor of IFC Mall in Yeouido, western Seoul, which is the epicenter of finance, politics and broadcasting. It is about the same size as the company’s first store, in Garosugil in southern Seoul, which opened in January 2018 and has become a must-visit spot for Apple fans

South Korean biosimilar maker Samsung Bioepis’ CEO Christopher Ko on Wednesday carried out his first public event as the new chairperson of the Korea Bio Association. Korea Bio is an association representing more than 300 biologics companies in Korea. Ko was made its seventh chief on Jan. 28. He succeeded Macrogen Chairman Seo Jung-sun, who retired from the post after serving five terms. Speaking to reporters online, Ko said that Korea Bio will actively seek to raise homegrown bio compa

Precision magnetic resonance imaging like ‘taking the blindfolds off of surgeons’

Ssangyong Cement, a South Korean cement producer, will change its company name to SsangYong C&E, the company said Wednesday. The new name, in which SsangYong C&E takes the first letters of cement and environment, reflects the company’s desire to promote environment friendly values, the company said. The change will be finalized at a regular shareholders meeting slated for March 25. “For the past 60 years, we have led Korea’s cement industry and contributed to coun