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With new US duties on solar imports, Hanwha, OCI eye bigger market share
Korean energy companies, namely Hanwha Qcells and OCI Holdings, are expected to benefit from the United States’ decision to impose tariffs of up to 3,500 percent on solar energy imports from Southeast Asia. Earlier this week, the US Department of Commerce released the final tariff amounts planned for solar cells from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The antidumping and countervailing duties seek to protect American solar panel manufacturing. The decision came after the American Alliance
April 23, 2025 -
South Korea seeks tariff relief in high-level trade talks with US
South Korea's finance and trade ministers are set to hold high-level talks with their counterparts in the US' Trump administration on Thursday, aiming to ease tariff-related tensions and address broader trade concerns. Upon arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport on Tuesday (local time), Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said the talks would focus on promoting mutual understanding. "I plan to actively explain Korea's position while listening to the concerns of
April 23, 2025 -
Kakao Bank CEO pledges AI leadership at Thai fintech forum
Kakao Bank CEO Yun Ho-young underscored the pivotal role of artificial intelligence in shaping the future of finance during a keynote speech at Money 20/20 Asia, positioning the digital lender as a front-runner in fintech innovation. Speaking Tuesday at one of Asia’s largest fintech forums, Yun highlighted Kakao Bank’s commitment to technological advancement, drawing on insights from his years at the helm of South Korea’s largest internet-only bank. “An AI-optimized user interface and user exper
April 23, 2025 -
The Asia Group launches Seoul office, citing Korea’s global strategic role
The Asia Group, a US-based strategic and investment advisory firm, launched a new office in Seoul this week to serve the growing number of high-potential clients with investment power in Korea. “Establishing a strong on-the-ground presence in Seoul underscores TAG’s long-term strategic commitment to the region,” said TAG Chairman and Co-Founder Kurt Campbell, who visited Seoul from Tuesday to Wednesday. “South Korea’s role as a global innovation leader and strategic player in Northeast Asia make
April 23, 2025 -
Who owns AI art? AI-generated Ghibli selfies spark legal debate
What began as a nostalgic craze — turning selfies into illustrations styled after Japan's much beloved Studio Ghibli — quickly went viral, drawing millions of users to ChatGPT’s new image generation feature. With a simple photo upload and a text prompt like “turn this selfie into a Ghibli-style image,” OpenAI’s GPT-4o model can transform the image into one that mimics the studio’s distinctive works within seconds, based on the vast variety of image styles it has been trained on. But behind the c
April 23, 2025 -
LG Chem highlights customer-focused success stories
LG Chem said Tuesday it was working to strengthen a company-wide culture focused on customer needs by sharing internal examples of customer-oriented practices. Since 2021, the company has been collecting case studies that highlight how its employees across various departments have worked with customers to address their business challenges. The cases are shared with employees on a monthly basis and are recognized through an annual award program, which includes a top prize of up to 30 million won
April 23, 2025 -
1 in cardiac arrest, another wounded in stabbing rampage in Seoul
Two people were wounded Tuesday after a man went on a stabbing rampage in Seoul, authorities said. The victims were taken to nearby hospitals after being injured in the attack at a supermarket near Seoul's Mia Station. One of them was reportedly in cardiac arrest. Police apprehended the suspect, who was reportedly wearing a hospital gown at the time of being detained, the authorities said. Other details are not immediately available.
April 22, 2025 -
Global shares mixed amid investor worries after Wall Street tumble
Global shares were trading mixed Tuesday amid global skepticism about US investments and President Donald Trump’s trade war. France's CAC 40 dipped 0.8 percent in early trading to 7,225.85, while the German DAX declined 0.4 percent to 21,119.56. Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.2 percent to 8,295.82. US futures were set to drift higher with Dow futures up 0.8 percent at 38,647.00. S&P 500 futures rose 0.9 percent to 5,231.50. Trading was cautious in Asia, where the benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 0.2 percen
April 22, 2025 -
Chinese youth delegation visits S. Korea for 1st time in 6 yrs for exchange program
A Chinese youth delegation has visited South Korea for the first time in six years as part of a bilateral exchange program, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday. A 53-member delegation arrived in South Korea on Monday for a six-day stay, during which they were to participate in various cultural exchange programs in Seoul and on the southern resort island of Jeju, according to the ministry. It marks the first visit by a Chinese youth delegation since 2019, following a hiatus caused by the COVID-
April 22, 2025 -
Samsung Fire says future of insurance lies in 'lifelong care'
Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co., South Korea’s largest non-life insurer, is positioning itself at the forefront of industry reform with a personalized, lifelong care model designed to meet the needs of a rapidly aging population and growing single-person households. The company on Tuesday held a conference at the Samsung Finance Campus in Seoul’s Seocho District, unveiling its new product — dubbed the “coverage account” — alongside its broader vision for the future of insurance. “The insuran
April 22, 2025 -
Samsung, Hyundai, Hanwha gave big to Trump's inauguration
South Korea’s major conglomerates, Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group and Hanwha Group, made sizable donations to US President Donald Trump’s inaugural festivities, in a move widely seen as an effort to bolster ties with the administration amid trade uncertainties. Data disclosed Sunday by the US Federal Election Commission showed Hyundai Motor and Hanwha donated $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural committee, which is in charge of organizing and funding the balls, galas and many other ina
April 22, 2025 -
SK Telecom systems breached in cyberattack
SK Telecom, the country’s largest telecommunication firm, confirmed Tuesday that its internal systems had been breached by a hacking attack, indicating a possible data leak involving USIM cards. The company said it had reported the case to the Korea Internet & Security Agency, adding that there have been no confirmed cases of the leaked information being misused. The mobile carrier detected suspicious activity around 11 p.m. on Saturday, indicating that hackers had infiltrated its internal syste
April 22, 2025 -
Korea, Thailand resume EPA talks to boost trade ties
South Korea and Thailand are holding their fifth round of negotiations this week to finalize the Economic Partnership Agreement aimed at deepening bilateral trade and investment ties, Seoul's Trade Ministry said Tuesday. Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said the talks will take place from Tuesday to Friday in Bangkok. The EPA is a form of trade pact similar to a free trade agreement, but it goes further by incorporating a broader cooperation framework in addition to tariff reductio
April 22, 2025 -
Chinese submarine cables arrive at S. Korea’s largest offshore wind project
A batch of Chinese submarine cables has arrived at Korea’s largest single offshore wind farm project under construction in the West Sea, according to sources familiar with the matter, raising concerns about a potential breach of Korea’s maritime security. According to the sources, the Chinese submarine cables manufactured by Hengtong Optic-Electric Co., China’s biggest cable company, were delivered to the island of Songido, where construction is due to start Tuesday on an onshore substation for
April 22, 2025 -
HD Hyundai to design Korea’s first AI-powered uncrewed naval vessel
Korea’s leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai announced Tuesday that its largest shipyard, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, has secured a conceptual design project from the South Korean Navy for an uncrewed surface combat vessel. Under the project, HD HHI will outline the vessel’s conceptual framework, including the required performance and technologies, as well as strategies for acquiring those capabilities. The design phase is scheduled for completion by December. According to the company, the future ves
April 22, 2025