South Korea and Japan held director-general level talks on a bilateral free trade agreement in Seoul on Monday.Monday’s meeting was the second to be held by director-general level officials from the two countries since the first round of talks held on Sept. 16 in Tokyo.At the latest talks, officials from the two countries discussed non-tariff barriers and other trade-related issues, and plans for

Company aims to earn W2tr from green chemicals businessSK Chemicals will aim to make 3 trillion won ($2.8 billion) in sales in 2015, chief executive Kim Chang-geun recently told his company, SK Chemicals said Monday.SK Chemicals is a pharmaceuticals and chemicals maker affiliated to the country’s third largest conglomerate, SK Group. The company currently holds the largest share of Korea’s market

POSCO, the world’s fourth-largest steelmaker, is stepping up efforts to expand into South America’s infrastructure and natural resource development projects.On Saturday, POSCO chief executive Chung Joon-yang, who was on a four-day tour of Chile, Ecuador and Honduras, signed a memorandum of understanding with Li3Energy to provide technological and financial collaboration. POSCO chief executive Chun

(Speaker Park Hee-tae (upper left) presides over the plenary session for the vote on the Korea-EU free trade agreement in the National Assembly on Wednesday. Yang Dong-chul/The Korea Herald)U.S. says images would inflame anti-U.S. sentiment, incite violenceThe free trade agreement with the European Union, ratified by South Korea’s National Assembly on Wednesday after months of rickety proceedings,

The value of the country’s automobile imports may exceed 10 percent of the value of exports for the first time this year.According to industry data, the value of automobiles imported into the country during the first quarter of the year came in at $1.15 billion while that of exports was tallied at $9.37 billion. The figures include passenger cars, buses and commercial vehicles.At the current rate,

STX Group is to set up internship programs for Saudi Arabian students, the conglomerate announced Wednesday.The group, the country’s 12th largest business group, signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the issue with the Saudi Arabian Culture Mission to Korea at the group’s office in Seoul.Under the agreement, the group will offer internship programs at its subsidiaries including STX Offsho

Hanwha Group will follow the principles of “challenge, dedication and integrity” as it seeks to innovate its operations in its drive to become a global player, the company announced Tuesday.Excluding state-run companies, Hanwha Group is the country’s 10th largest conglomerate. Hanwha Group chairman Kim Seung-youn (left) shakes hands with a representative of Hanwha employees at the ceremony declari

The Hana Tour International Travel Show will be held at the KINTEX exhibition center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province from May 20 to 22.The show, organized by the country’s top travel agency Hana Tour Services Inc., will have booths displaying travel options by region and theme, the company said. Visitors browse last year’s Hana Tour International Travel Show at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. (H