[Thailand Forum] Korea, Thailand push to fast-track CEPA talks

BANGKOK — South Korea and Thailand signaled fresh momentum behind their Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations on Monday, presenting the deal as a strategic upgrade that both economies now see as necessary amid a shifting global environment. “The multilateral system we once depended on no longer functions as it should, and protectionism and unilateralism continue to spread,” Kwon Hye-jin, South Korea’s deputy minister for trade negotiations of the Ministry of Trade, Industry a

Nov. 20, 2025

[Thailand Forum] 'Korea, Thailand can shape Asia’s next growth engine'

BANGKOK — South Korean National Assembly Deputy Speaker Lee Hack-young framed the Ignite Thailand–Korea Business Forum as a renewed platform for partnership between the two countries as they move toward their shared goal of sustainable growth. In a keynote speech in Bangkok on Monday, Lee thanked Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul for his recent visit to Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, earlier this month for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. “Thanks to the leadership and wa

Nov. 20, 2025

[Thailand Forum] Thai finance chief calls for 'ignited' Korea-Thailand partnership

BANGKOK — Thailand cast its economic future as increasingly intertwined with South Korea’s, with Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas saying shared priorities and complementary strengths point to broader cooperation across manufacturing, energy, health care, tourism and culture. “The two countries show a very high resemblance in politics, strategy, economy and culture,” Ekniti said in his keynote address at the Ignite Thailand-Korea Business Forum on Monday, calling K

Nov. 20, 2025

[Thailand Forum] Bangkok forum ignites new momentum in Korea-Thailand business ties

BANGKOK — South Korea and Thailand signaled fresh momentum in their economic partnership on Monday, as the Ignite Thailand-Korea Business Forum in Bangkok brought government officials and corporate leaders together to push for deeper cooperation and new business opportunities. Jointly organized by Herald Media Group — publisher of The Korea Herald and The Herald Business — together with the Embassy of Thailand in South Korea and the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, the forum drew roughly

Nov. 20, 2025

Seoul pushes coordinated offshore tax crackdown

Korea’s National Tax Service Commissioner Lim Kwang-hyun called for cross-border cooperation on tax enforcement at the OECD Forum on Tax Administration in Cape Town this week, urging global tax chiefs to deepen joint efforts on delinquent tax collection and support companies expanding overseas. The three-day meeting held Tuesday to Thursday gathered tax commissioners from 54 jurisdictions and representatives from the International Monetary Fund, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Developm

Nov. 20, 2025

How Korea overturned Lone Star ruling — and what happens next

The South Korean government scored a rare and significant victory in its decadelong arbitration dispute with US private equity firm Lone Star, overturning a multimillion-dollar payout order after successfully arguing that the original tribunal violated fundamental procedural rules. Seoul officials announced Tuesday that the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes — a World Bank arbitration body — has annulled its 2022 ruling ordering Korea to pay Lone Star $216.5 million in da

Nov. 19, 2025

Indian biz tycoon to discuss network, AI ties with Samsung head: sources

The head of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries plans to visit South Korea next week to discuss cooperation in network and artificial intelligence industries with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, sources said Wednesday. According to the sources, Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, plans to pay a two-day visit to South Korea starting Tuesday for a meeting with Lee, with the two business groups set to discuss cooperation in a wide array of areas. Reliance Industries is a

Nov. 19, 2025

Space agency in final checks ahead of next week's Nuri rocket launch

South Korea's space agency is undertaking final inspections for the fourth launch of the country's homegrown Nuri space rocket scheduled for next week, a senior official said Wednesday. Park Jong-chan, director of the Korean Launch Vehicle Enhancement Program at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, told Yonhap News Agency all inspections will be completed by Monday. The Nuri, formally the Korea Space Launch Vehicle II, is set for launch from the Naro Space Center in the southern coastal villa

Nov. 19, 2025

Finance chief says economic recovery becoming 'more pronounced'

Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said Wednesday that South Korea's economic recovery is becoming "more pronounced," citing active fiscal spending and strengthened policy management. Speaking at a meeting of economy-related ministers in Sejong, Koo said consumer spending is rebounding, aided by government programs, such as "consumption coupons," while exports are also showing solid improvement. "Our economy's recovery is becoming more pronounced," Koo said. Koo emphasized that the government will w

Nov. 19, 2025

Samsung Electronics tops corporate donations through Sept.: report

Samsung Electronics Co. has topped the list of corporate donations made over the first nine months of 2025, although the volume of its donations declined from a year earlier, a report showed Wednesday. The South Korean tech giant donated 110.4 billion won ($75.5 million) over the January-September period, down 22 percent from the previous year, according to data released by industry tracker CEO Score. The state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. followed next with 109.2 billion won in donations, and

Nov. 19, 2025

Amkor Technology to expand chip manufacturing capacity in S. Korea

Amkor Technology, a US-based chip packaging and testing company, will expand its production capacity in South Korea, a move expected to strengthen the competitiveness of the country's semiconductor ecosystem, the industry ministry said Wednesday. Amkor plans to construct three new production lines and install additional semiconductor testing equipment at its factory in Incheon, about 40 kilometers west of Seoul, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said. The company also plans to broade

Nov. 19, 2025

Seoul to start publishing report on trade barriers akin to USTR's annual NTE report from 2026

The trade ministry said Tuesday it will issue regular reports on foreign trade barriers starting next year to better respond to foreign policies adversely affecting South Korean companies. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources unveiled the plan at a public-private conference on trade barrier response, attended by government officials and business associations from various industries, including battery, steel and biopharmaceuticals. The report is expected to be similar to the National Tra

Nov. 18, 2025

'Korea must look beyond the US,' economist says

Countries like South Korea should strengthen economic ties with Southeast Asia to prepare for a global trading order that increasingly sidelines the US, according to Danny Quah, professor of economics at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. “Korea has no shortage of countries that want to deal with it on coequal terms,” Quah said in a group interview in Seoul on Monday, during a visit for a joint conference hosted by the KDI School of Public Policy and its Singaporean counterpart. “Countrie

Nov. 17, 2025

Intl. body adds 'kimchi cabbage' as official name of main ingredient of kimchi

An international foods-standards body has added "kimchi cabbage" to the international standard name for cabbage used for making kimchi, as proposed by South Korea, government officials said Monday, noting that the decision will help Korea solidify its status as the home and originator of the dish. Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish typically made from cabbage, but the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which sets international standards for foodstuffs, had only recognized the name "Chinese cab

Nov. 17, 2025

Container shipping costs to major export destinations dip in October

Container shipping costs from South Korea to major economies, including the United States, the European Union and China, dropped from a month earlier in October, the customs agency said Monday, amid trade uncertainties largely stemming from US tariff policies. The average shipping cost for a 40-foot container from South Korea to the U.S. east coast decreased 2.8 percent on-month to 5.34 million won ($3,674) in October, making the fourth consecutive month of decline, according to data from the Ko

Nov. 17, 2025