The latest companies to cross South Korea’s $1 billion valuation threshold have less in common with Silicon Valley software startups than with celebrity agencies and cosmetics brands.For much of the past decade, Korea’s startup boom was defined by platform companies c
In the race to build autonomous AI agents, memory rather than raw computing power will define the performance of AI chips as the industry's shift from training to inference makes advances in memory architecture increasingly critical, said KAIST electrical engineering professor Ki
South Korea's LigaChem Biosciences Inc. plans to begin clinical development next year of what it says would be the world's first antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) built on a dual-antibody platform targeting both CD20 and CD22 – a major step beyond conventional ADC technologies.
South Korea's privacy watchdog on Thursday imposed a record 624.7 billion won ($409 million) penalty on the country’s largest e-commerce platform, owned by US-listed Coupang Inc., after concluding that the company leaked personal information belonging to 37.5 million people and unlawfully collected users' online activity data.The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) said it approved the sanctions at a plenary meeting held the p
The South Korean government has begun scaling back a support scheme that guarantees revenues for hydrogen fuel cell power producers, raising concerns that the country's broader hydrogen ecosystem will be undermined.The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said on Tuesday that this year's general hydrogen power auction market will be reduced to 930 gigawatt-hours (GWh), down 30% from last year.Officials said procurement volumes beyond 2027
The foreign sell-off of Korean stocks has been blamed as a main driver of the Korean won's slide. Now, South Korean authorities are looking into whether foreign banks also played a role in its decline.The Bank of Korea (BOK) and the Financial Supervisory Service began a joint inspection on Wednesday of the Korean branches of major foreign banks through both document-based and on‑site examinations, the Ministry of Finance and Economy said.It was
The Carlyle Group Inc. has decided not to pursue an acquisition of IGIS Asset Management Co. after concluding that the valuation sought for South Korea's largest real estate asset manager was difficult to justify, people familiar with the matter said.Carlyle's exit leaves Singapo
South Korean shipbuilders are narrowing China’s lead in global vessel orders, helped by strong demand for high-value gas carriers and offshore facilities that play to Korea’s strengths in complex shipbuilding.HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., Samsu
While office towers across the US and Europe grapple with plunging valuations, rising vacancies and refinancing distress, Seoul’s commercial pro
In some large supermarkets across the US and Southeast Asia, bottles of Korea’s intensely spicy buldak sauce now sit beside the instant noodles
Investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure is emerging as a key tailwind for global equity markets, with US, emerging Asian and Japanese stocks seen as major beneficiaries, according to strategists at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.Speaking a
South Korea's government is considering legislation that would require companies to obtain shareholder approval before adopting compensation schemes tied to a fixed percentage of operating profit, as officials seek to contain a growing debate over pr
When Korean fashion label Mardi Mercredi appeared on a one-hour livestream commerce broadcast in China, it immediately sold several hundred million won worth of clothing, underscoring how Chinese social media platforms are becoming powerful sales cha
Capital Group, a leading US investment management company, has raised its stake in KT&G Corp., just weeks after disclosing a sizeable holding in the South Korean tobacco maker.In a regulatory filing on Tuesday, KT&G said Capital Group now own
Kayne Anderson Real Estate, the real estate investment arm of Kayne Anderson, expects significant capital rotation into US alternative real estate sectors, such as medical office and seniors housing, driven by increasing demand for these properties.E
Shares of SK Eternix Co. hit their daily limit on Wednesday after news that KKR & Co. was close to signing a deal to acquire parts of SK Group’s renewable energy portfolio, raising expectations for a consolidation of the conglomerate’
Capital companies have emerged as one of the most sought-after assets in South Korea’s financial sector mergers and acquisitions market, drawing interest from insurers, securities firms and internet banks eager to strengthen their investment-ba
The Carlyle Group Inc. is poised to take over Chungho Nais Co. for more than 1 trillion won ($644 million), according to people familiar with the matter, giving the US private equity firm control of South Korea's fifth-largest water purifier maker af
Orix Group has put OSB Savings Bank back on the market, six years after a previous attempt collapsed over valuation, as the Japanese financial services conglomerate seeks to exit South Korea’s 20th-largest savings bank.Orix hired Samil PwC as t
South Korea's two largest exchange-traded fund (ETF) managers – Samsung Asset Management Co. and Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. – are entering a new growth phase as both firms reach landmark asset milestones.Samsung Asset Management s
UBS Group AG has joined South Korean securities firms to advise on the planned listing of Upstage Co., as the artificial intelligence startup seeks to draw more foreign investors for an IPO that could value the company at up to 5 trillion won ($3.3 b
South Korean securities firms are piling into the corporate bond market, taking advantage of stronger earnings and rating upgrades to lock in longer-term funding while conditions remain favorable.Brokerages are expected to use the proceeds to refinan
Hana Financial Group Inc. is taking over a 6.55% stake in Dunamu Inc., the operator of South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, betting more than 1 trillion won ($667.5 million) on the future of digital assets.The board of Hana Bank
South Korea’s nominal economic growth surged to its fastest pace in half a century in the first quarter, powered by a global AI boom that has driven a sharp rebound in semiconductor shipments and export prices, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said on Tuesday.Nominal gross domestic product (GDP), or economic output before inflation adjustment, rose 10
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Monday that hasty moves to redistribute excess corporate profits could discourage foreigners from investing in the country, even while acknowledging that the issue is becoming an unavoidable topic in the global debate over economic inequality.Speaking at a press conference marking the first anniversary o
Not long ago, South Koreans were lining up outside wine shops and liquor stores for rare bottles of whiskey, premium wine and limited-edition drinks made with celebrities and breweries.Those scenes are becoming harder to find.Koreans are spending les
For years, South Korea has sold the world its pop music, dramas and beauty products. Now it is trying to turn the global fascination with Korean skincare and cosmetic treatments into something more lucrative: a high-spending tourism industry built ar
Foreign tourists in South Korea are no longer spending only in Seoul’s beauty chains, duty-free stores and palace districts. Increasingly, they are swiping cards at pharmacies and traveling to cities and towns beyond the capital.Card spending b
