Hyundai E&C’s Hillstate Gaya draws interest ahead of Oceans Ministry relocation

As the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries prepares to relocate to Busan, Hyundai Engineering & Construction’s Hillstate Gaya complex is gaining attention due to its proximity to the ministry’s temporary headquarters, the company said Friday. Hillstate Gaya, located in central Busan, will comprise two complexes with a total of 487 units. All units are 84 square meters or smaller, as compact sizes remain in high demand. The site is within walking distance of Dongui University Station on Busan Subway

Nov. 28, 2025

Samsung founding family in rare appearance as Lee's son joins Navy

Founding family members of the Samsung Group gathered on Friday to witness the commissioning of Lee Ji-ho, the eldest son of Samsung Electronics Chair Lee Jae-yong, as a Navy officer following his completion of an 11-week officer candidate course. The commissioning ceremony was attended by Chair Lee, his mother, Hong Ra-hee; the honorary director of Samsung’s Leeum Museum of Art; and his sister Lee Seo-hyun, the president of Samsung C&T. Lee Ji-ho’s mother and Chair Lee’s ex-wife, Lim Se-ryung,

Nov. 28, 2025

Biotech shares in Korea rise on buzz over local Mounjaro production

Rising speculation that Eli Lilly could produce its blockbuster weight-loss drug Mounjaro in Korea drove sharp gains in Kosdaq-listed biotech firm Peptron and drew renewed attention to SK Pharmteco on Friday, though the SK subsidiary declined to confirm. Mounjaro is a treatment for Type 2 diabetes, which is also known to be effective for weight loss. If confirmed, it would mark the first time a Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 agent is produced here. Peptron closed at 340,000 won ($231) on Friday, surgin

Nov. 28, 2025

Nexon breaks ¥3.1tr market cap on broad IP development

Game developer Nexon announced Friday that its Tokyo-listed shares have climbed to a new all-time high, pushing its market capitalization above 3.1 trillion yen ($19.8 billion). On Thursday, Nexon’s stock closed at 3,768 yen, continuing its upward trend to an unprecedented level, fueled by a dual growth strategy of launching new titles and enhancing its existing flagship games. Since the company reported its third-quarter performance on Nov. 11, the stock has hovered at around 3,700 yen — the hi

Nov. 28, 2025

Hanwha Aerospace secures W705b deal for Korea’s top-tier air defense system

Korea’s leading defense company Hanwha Aerospace said Friday it has secured a 705.4 billion won ($481 million) contract to supply its long-range surface-to-air missile system (L-SAM) to the Korean government. According to the company, it will deliver the anti-ballistic missiles and launch platforms to the Korean military by 2030, raising Korea’s indigenous air defense coverage to altitudes above 40 kilometers. Together with the L-SAM multifunction radar supplied under a separate 357.3 billion wo

Nov. 28, 2025

Authorities suspect North Korea behind W45b Upbit hack

Lazarus Group, North Korea’s state-backed hacking unit, is being floated as a strong suspect behind the roughly 45 billion won ($30.7 million) cryptocurrency hacking incident at Upbit, South Korea’s top virtual asset exchange. Authorities said Friday they are currently conducting an on-site inspection of Upbit, and strongly suspect that Lazarus Group played a part in the heist. Upbit suffered a massive hacking attack Thursday, resulting in an estimated loss of 44.5 billion won in Solana-based as

Nov. 28, 2025

Samsung overhauls memory unit to reclaim edge in HBM race

Samsung Electronics has undertaken a sweeping organizational overhaul of its memory business, industry sources said Friday, in a bid to sharpen its edge in the race for next-generation memory chips. Under the reshuffle, the tech giant has launched a new memory development unit that consolidates its key research functions, including its high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, development team. The newly created unit will be led by Hwang Sang-joon, who currently oversees the DRAM product and technology tea

Nov. 28, 2025

LGE earmarks W200b for shareholder returns, plans to retire all treasury shares

LG Electronics said Friday it will commit a total of 200 billion won ($143 million) to shareholder returns over the next two years, and retire all remaining treasury shares after approval at next year’s annual general shareholders' meeting. The announcement came as part of the company’s disclosure on the progress of its value enhancement plan unveiled last year. LG said the update is intended to keep the market informed of how the plan is being executed. Under the new commitment, the company sai

Nov. 28, 2025

LG revamps leadership to drive AI, bio, cleantech growth

LG Group announced a sweeping executive reshuffle on Thursday, naming new chief executive officers at major affiliates, including LG Electronics and LG Chem, in a generational shift designed to strengthen the conglomerate’s future-focused management strategy. Approved at year-end board meetings across affiliates, the 2026 personnel changes highlight LG’s continued emphasis on field-driven leadership and the recruitment of top research and development talent to power its next growth engines. LG E

Nov. 27, 2025

Hahn & Co. awarded W66b for Namyang Dairy deal delay

Seoul-based private equity firm Hahn & Co. has won its damages suit against former Namyang Dairy Products Chair Hong Won-sik, with a Seoul court ordering Hong to pay 66 billion won ($45 million) for delaying the company’s acquisition. The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday ruled partly in favor of Hahn & Co., ordering Hong to compensate the firm for losses stemming from his refusal to honor a 2021 share purchase agreement, plus interest for delayed payment. The court dismissed all other cl

Nov. 27, 2025

[Finance Awards] Kakao Bank bets big on AI to shape future of digital finance

Internet-only lender Kakao Bank is accelerating its artificial intelligence push as it reshapes its service model around what it calls “AI-native banking,” aiming to make financial services simpler, more intuitive and increasingly conversational. At the start of the year, the bank declared that AI would form the core of its operating infrastructure, spanning everything from customer-facing services to internal processes and global expansion strategies. CEO Yun Ho-young underscored the urgency of

Nov. 27, 2025

[Finance Awards] Toss marks 10 years with bold pivot beyond finance, deeper platform ecosystem

Viva Republica, operator of the all-in-one finance platform Toss, has emerged as one of South Korea’s most influential fintech players, redefining consumer expectations through a user-first model and an expanding ecosystem of bundled services. Since launching in 2015 as a simple money transfer app, Toss has grown into a comprehensive financial platform used by tens of millions. It introduced conveniences that quickly set new industry standards, including one-touch banking transactions, simplifie

Nov. 27, 2025

[Finance Awards] Mirae Asset Global Investments hits W480tr milestone on global surge

Mirae Asset Global Investments crossed 480 trillion won ($326 billion) in assets under management this year as the Korean asset manager accelerates global expansion and artificial intelligence-powered innovation. The achievement reflects balanced growth across all core businesses — exchange-traded funds, pensions, outsourced investment management services and real estate — and underscores the company’s ambition to shape the future financial market through data and AI. Mirae Asset became the firs

Nov. 27, 2025

[Finance Awards] NH Nonghyup Bank ramps up rural, family-friendly initiatives

NH Nonghyup Bank is stepping up its social contribution efforts with a dual strategy targeting two of Korea’s most urgent challenges: revitalizing declining rural communities and easing the nation’s low birth rate crisis. The initiatives reflect the bank’s broader ESG vision — strengthening regional infrastructure while fostering a family-friendly culture to support long-term demographic sustainability. NH Nonghyup Bank recently expanded its flagship rural development program, the “Green Ladder

Nov. 27, 2025

[Finance Awards] Shinhan Financial widens lead over global rivals in Vietnam

Shinhan Financial Group has reinforced its standing as Vietnam’s top foreign financial institution, posting rapid gains in assets and profitability even as competition intensifies among global banking heavyweights. Shinhan’s local subsidiary, Shinhan Vietnam Bank, continues to expand its presence across both northern and southern regions, outperforming major rivals such as HSBC, ANZ and Standard Chartered in retail banking, corporate lending and foreign exchange services. Its financial ascent ha

Nov. 27, 2025