[THE INVESTOR] South Korean clothing maker Panko will establish a large fabric industry complex in Myanmar, local and Myanmar media reported Aug. 26. According to reports, Panko will collaborate with Myanmar Olympus Asia Development Group in establishing a 202-hectare fabric industry complex. The project is estimated to cost between US$30 million and US$50 million, with the two companies being equal partners, reports said. The companies are reported to be searching for a suitable site, and plan

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean insurance companies’ rick-based capital ratio increased for the second consecutive quarter, data showed Aug. 24.According to the Financial Supervisory Service, the average RBC ratio of local insurers came to 288 percent at the end of the second quarter, up 14.1 percent from the previous three-month period. The average RBC ratio of local insurers had been declining since September 2014, when it stood at 305.7 percent. However, the average began to pick up this year, ri

[THE INVESTOR] Hyundai Life Insurance and Heungkuk Fire & Marine Insurance have the lowest risk-based capital ratio among South Korean life and nonlife insurers, government data showed Aug. 24. According to the Financial Supervisory Service, Hyundai Life’s RBC ratio came in at 179 percent at the end of June. Although the figure is 5.3 percentage points higher than that recorded at the end of March, it was the lowest among the 25 life insurance companies operating in Korea.As for Heungkuk Fire an

[THE INVESTOR] South Korea trade deficit from intellectual property rights came to US$780 million in the first quarter of the year, down US$410 million from the previous quarter, Bank of Korea announced Aug. 24.The central bank’s tentative intellectual property trade balance showed that South Korean exports came to US$2.8 billion, while imports came to US$3.58 billion in the first three months of the year. By category, deficits regarding patents and utility model were the highest at US$630 milli

[THE INVESTOR] State-run electricity provider Korea Electric Power Corp..’s gasification joint venture has built up over 5.4 billion won (US$4.81 million) in operating loss since 2011, a National Assembly Budget Office report shows. According to the report, KEPCO-UHDE, a joint venture established with Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions, has posted annual operating losses ranging between 492 million won and 1.77 billion won. During the period, the company’s net deficit ranged from 277 mi

[THE INVESTOR] The operating profits of state-run power companies have increased 841 percent in two years, data showed on Aug. 24. The seven companies are Korea Electric Power Corp., Korea South-East Power, Korea Western Power, Korea East-West Power, Korea Midland Power, Korea Southern Power and KEPCO KPS. According to market researcher CEO Score, the seven state-run power companies’ first-half operating profits came to over 4.23 trillion won (US$3.77 billion) and net profits to 3.92 trillion wo

[THE INVESTOR] A government-private sector body for facilitating the spread of hydrogen energy was launched Aug. 24.State organizations taking part in the newly formed body include the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Ministry of Environment, and the governments of Ulsan, Gwangju and South Chungcheong Province. From the private sector, makers of hydrogen cars and parts and companies involved in hydrogen production and distribution have joined the organization. Those involved in the org