South Korea's beer exports more than halved in the first nine months of the year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, data showed Monday. Overseas shipments of Korean beer stood at $54.1 million in the January-September period, about 46 percent of last year's $117.3 million, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. Exports to China fell by a third to $20.3 million from $67.6 million over the cited period. Shipments to Hong Kong sank 27.3 percent, and those to the United

South Korea and Britain agreed Monday to maintain their trade ties after the scheduled end of the transition period of London's departure from the European Union and to form a deeper bond to overcome the economic jitters caused by the pandemic. Seoul's Industry Minister Sung Yun-mo met Alok Sharma, Britain's secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy, in Seoul to discuss the two countries' post-pandemic cooperation, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

South Koreans in their 20s are overburdened with bank overdrafts and loans from credit card companies amid a jobs crunch sparked by a protracted economic slump, data showed Monday. Outstanding overdrafts and card loans extended to local 20-somethings came to some 2.15 trillion won ($1.91 billion) as of the end of June this year, according to the data that the Financial Supervisory Service prepared for an annual parliamentary audit. The amount is up from 2.08 trillion won from the end of last y

South Korea and China on Monday launched the ninth round of talks with China to bolster ties in the service and investment fields as part of their bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), which went into effect five years ago. South Korean and Chinese trade officials will hold a virtual meeting that will run through Friday, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The two countries launched the first FTA follow-up meeting in 2018. "During the meeting, we plan to set more det

Won-dollar rate stands in average range of 10-year data

Lee Kun-hee, the late chief of South Korea's top conglomerate Samsung Group, was the wealthiest man in the country, data showed Sunday. The total value of stocks held by Lee, who died at a Seoul hospital after being bedridden following a heart attack in 2014, stood at 18.2 trillion won ($16.1 billion) as of Friday, according to the Korea Exchange data. By company, Lee held a 4.18 percent stake in the conglomerate's crown jewel, Samsung Electronics Co., worth 15 trillion won, 20.76 percent in S

As Samsung chief Lee Kun-hee passed away, his heirs, including his only son, Jae-yong, and his sisters will shoulder a record high amount of inheritance tax, industry sources said Sunday. Lee Kun-hee, who led South Korea's top family-controlled conglomerate Samsung Group, died at a hospital in Seoul on Sunday at age 78, leaving behind stock assets of some 18 trillion won ($15.9 billion). The senior Lee is survived by his wife, Hong Ra-hee, and only son, Jae-yong, and two daughters -- Boo-jin a

The market capitalization of Samsung Group, South Korea's largest conglomerate, rose 348 times under the leadership of now deceased group chief Lee Kun-hee, data showed Sunday. The conglomerate, which includes crown jewel Samsung Electronics Co. and construction company Samsung C&T Corp., sprawled under his management, with its market capitalization reaching 318.7 trillion won ($282.4 billion) in 2014 from just 900 billion won in 1987, when Lee rose to the conglomerate's top position, accor

Lee Kun-hee, chief of South Korea's top conglomerate, Samsung Group, died at a hospital in Seoul on Sunday at age 78. The following are the major events during the life of the late business tycoon in chronological order. 1942 - born in Daegu as third son of Samsung Group founder Lee Byung-chull 1953 - heads to Japan for education 1965 - graduates from Waseda University with business major 1966 - finishes George Washington University's MBA program, joins Samsung-affiliated Tongyang Broadcasti

South Korea said Sunday it will launch a special probe into the working environment for foreign crewmen working on local fishing boats to root out possible human rights violations by their employers. The country plans to look deeper into the working conditions of foreign workers on local fishing boats sized 20 tons and above during the four-week period that will run through Nov. 20, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. "Foreign workers are crucial for the country's fishery i

South Korea saw its sales of luxury imported cars rise sharply over the first nine months of the year despite the new coronavirus pandemic straining the economy, data showed Sunday. The combined sales of imported automobiles with a price tag of more than 100 million won ($88,600) surpassed 30,000 units over the January-September period, marking the first time that annual sales have surpassed the threshold, according to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association. The figure,

South Korea's combined trade volume dropped 18.3 percent in the second quarter of 2020 from a year earlier amid the new coronavirus pandemic, data showed Sunday. Asia's No. 4 economy saw its exports and imports reach $109 billion over the April-June period, falling $24 billion from the previous year, according to the data compiled by Rep. Yang Kyung-sook of the ruling Democratic Party. It marked a further drop compared with the 1.8 percent on-year decrease reported over the first quarter. The

Hyundai Glovis Co. on Friday reported its third-quarter net profit of 162.2 billion won ($143.1 million), up 257.5 percent from a year earlier. The company said in a regulatory filing that it posted 161.4 billion won in operating profit for the quarter, compared with 260.6 billion won a year ago. Revenue fell 22.8 percent to 3.66 trillion won. The operating profit was 2.1 percent lower than the average estimate, according to the survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data firm of Yonhap News

Major South Korean lender Shinhan Bank said Friday it will issue 200 billion won ($176 million) worth of hybrid bonds in November to bolster its financial health. The envisioned debt sale will be conducted on Nov. 5 and the amount could rise to 300 billion won depending on the outcome of next week's demand forecasting, the lender said. Hybrid bonds, which combine both debt and equity features, help a bank raise its capital ratio. A call option gives the issuer the right of termination before m

SEJONG -- Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Friday there is a need to cut the maximum interest rate that private lenders can charge as part of efforts to ease financial burdens on low-income people. In a parliamentary audit meeting, Hong said the government has reviewed a plan to cut the maximum legal lending rate. In 2018, the government lowered the maximum legal lending rate to 24 percent from 27.9 percent. Hong said the government will review market interest rates and other economic facto