KH Explains In series
Major issues broken down to the basics.
#Explained
# Issues
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KH Explains In series
Major issues broken down to the basics.
Would you like to subscribe?
Visa clash overshadows Korean role in building American factories, creating new jobs
Last week’s immigration raid by US authorities at the construction site of Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution’s joint battery venture HL-GA in Georgia set off alarms for Korean companies already investing billions of dollars to establish manufacturing footholds in America. Although 316 Korean nationals were in the process of being released from detention to come back home on a chartered flight on Friday, the aftermath of the unprecedented mass arrests has sent shock waves through not only affe
Sept. 11, 2025 - 15:51:39
Scrapping treasury stocks: Will boost for investors pose risk to Korea Inc.?
South Korea's ruling Democratic Party is seeking to push for a third round of amendments to the Commercial Act, requiring listed companies to cancel treasury shares within a set timeframe. The proposal, expected to put forward in the parliamentary session this month, has triggered debate between minority shareholders, who consider it an essential reform and corporate leaders, who view it as a fundamental threat to corporate control. The move follows two waves of corporate governance reforms pass
Sept. 7, 2025 - 14:23:02
Even old, inactive batteries can start fires. Here's how to throw them out safely
A recent string of battery fires in South Korea has forced evacuations from subways, airplanes and even apartment buildings, making the simple act of properly throwing out an old power bank or handheld fan a matter of public safety. On Monday, trains on Seoul Subway Line Nos. 2 and 6 skipped Hapjeong Station for more than 30 minutes after smoke poured from a passenger’s motorcycle battery, according to Seoul Metro and the Mapo Fire Station. Just five days earlier, a power bank caught fire on a L
Sept. 6, 2025 - 16:00:04
Korea’s burger market sizzles as global, local chains go full grill
Korea’s craving for burgers shows no sign of abating, with the once-occasional indulgence now a regular part of many consumers’ weekly diet. According to market research firm Euromonitor, Korea’s burger market has climbed steadily from 2.1 trillion won ($1.51 billion) in 2014 to a projected 5 trillion won this year, up from 4.2 trillion won in 2024. Riding this swift rise, global players are digging deeper into localization, whereas local brands look outward to grow. McDonald’s Korea is marking
Aug. 18, 2025 - 13:14:54
From BTS glory to boardroom battles: Bang Si-hyuk under siege
Hybe founder and Chair Bang Si-hyuk, once celebrated as the trailblazer of the K-pop industry with the unprecedented success of BTS, now finds himself under intense legal scrutiny, putting Hybe’s roughly 12 trillion won ($8.65 billion) market valuation to the test. According to the allegations, Bang deliberately misled investors in 2019 by suggesting that the public listing of Hybe — then Big Hit Entertainment — would be unlikely, while the company was preparing to go public as planned in the ba
Aug. 17, 2025 - 15:41:43
Hyundai Motor braces for overhaul as US tariffs reshape export strategy
The 15 percent tariff agreement between South Korea and the US is sending shock waves through Hyundai Motor Group, which heavily relies on exports to the world’s second-largest car market. The impact seems particularly challenging for the Korean auto giant, forcing a fundamental overhaul of its US strategy, including price adjustments and relocation of production for key vehicle models from Korea to the US. The newly imposed 15 percent levy ― though lower than the previously threatened 25 percen
Aug. 6, 2025 - 14:39:45
Korea, US strike last-minute tariff deal, but tough talks lie ahead
A very last-minute tariff deal between South Korea and the US brought some relief to Asia’s fourth-largest economy last week, lowering threatened import duties on Korean products from 25 percent to 15 percent just before the Aug. 1 deadline. However, the deal is widely regarded as a framework, with many specifics yet to be ironed out. There also remain discrepancies between the two sides, particularly in nontariff barriers in the digital and agricultural sectors. These details will need to be re
Aug. 5, 2025 - 14:51:52
Korean drug firms step up race to take on Wegovy, Mounjaro
Korean pharmaceutical companies are rushing to develop their own alternatives to blockbuster weight-loss drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, accelerating efforts to enter the booming obesity treatment market with competitively priced medications, improved tolerability and innovative delivery methods. Hanmi Pharmaceutical appears to be leading the race, having completed Phase 3 clinical trials of Efpeglenatide — a once-weekly injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 or GLP-1 drug
Aug. 4, 2025 - 15:33:23
Can LG break into AI chips game with hybrid bonder?
LG Electronics is eyeing a bold expansion in its semiconductor equipment operations, developing critical machinery for manufacturing the high-bandwidth memory chips that power AI innovation. The South Korean tech giant said it has kicked off development of a hybrid bonder at its in-house R&D unit, the Production Engineering Research Institute. A hybrid bonder is a kind of chip packaging machine, and LG wants to develop one for use in the HBM chips used in AI. The confirmation comes after a recen
July 28, 2025 - 18:02:01
Why Korea’s stock market dances to foreign tunes
South Korea’s leading chipmaker SK hynix saw its stock rally come to an abrupt halt last week following a bearish forecast from global banking giant Goldman Sachs. The sudden turn underscored the outsized influence of foreign perspectives on the domestic stock market. On July 17, shares of Kospi-listed SK hynix plunged nearly 9 percent to 269,500 won ($195) as of closing after Goldman Sachs downgraded its investment rating on the memory chip giant to “neutral” from “buy,” citing expectations of
July 23, 2025 - 15:08:20
CATL’s ‘salt battery’: Cheaper EVs or chemistry compromise?
CATL, the Chinese battery behemoth, is poised to shake up the electric vehicle landscape with sodium-ion batteries, or “salt batteries,” with mass production for mainstream EVs scheduled within this year. These cells are expected to offer an even greater cost advantage over CATL’s current lithium iron phosphate offerings, further pressuring South Korean battery rivals already struggling to challenge China’s dominance in the electrified vehicle sector. Contrary to projections from Korean companie
July 23, 2025 - 12:07:33
Korea ends phone subsidy law: Are cheaper smartphones coming?
South Korea is to officially repeal its decade-old handset subsidy law on Tuesday, opening the door to bigger discounts and potentially cheaper smartphones — just in time for the launch of Samsung Electronics' new Galaxy Z Flip7 and Fold7 later this month and Apple’s iPhone 17 in the fall. Industry insiders say a “subsidy war” is likely to break out, as mobile carriers rush to regain market share with aggressive pricing and subsidies. SK Telecom, in particular, is expected to take bold action af
July 20, 2025 - 13:27:44
Why Korea is suddenly talking about Arctic shipping route
Amid intensifying climate shifts, geopolitical tensions and a scramble for new trade corridors, the Arctic shipping route is quickly emerging as a key part of South Korea’s maritime strategy — touted as both a paradigm-shifting opportunity and a logistical gamble. Once effectively impassable, climate change has melted the sea ice enough for the Arctic passage to be a prospective sea-route between Europe and Asia. President Lee Jae Myung and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea have made it a pil
July 20, 2025 - 12:54:01
Power, politics, performance: Korea’s financial leaders face reappointment test
The chiefs of top financial service providers of South Korea are to see their terms expire as early as the first half of next year, with efforts toward securing reappointment expected to begin soon Hana Financial Group, Woori Financial Group, KB Financial Group and Shinhan Financial Group are the country's top four financial service providers. Although primarily known for their banking operations, these groups are managed and controlled through their respective financial holding companies, under
July 16, 2025 - 15:26:54
Understanding 'Yellow Envelope' bill: Labor reform or threat to business?
A contentious labor bill championed by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea is barreling toward passage. The business community, however, warns that the revision could throw the country’s industrial relations into disarray. Commonly known as the “Yellow Envelope" bill, the proposed amendment to the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act would broaden labor protections across all employment types while restricting companies’ ability to sue for financial damages resulting from industrial a
July 16, 2025 - 11:29:25
