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K-pop concerts drive record traffic to Nol World
Nol Universe said Tuesday that its global travel and entertainment booking platform Nol World recorded a record 2.64 million monthly active users in January, driven by an influx of Chinese tourists during the Lunar New Year holiday and K-pop concert ticketing. The figure represents roughly a 33-fold increase from the same period last year and marks the highest monthly user count since the platform’s launch. Membership also grew rapidly, with about 300,000 new users joining in January to bring th
March 10, 2026 -
LS Eco Energy secures first cable supply contract in Japan
LS Eco Energy said Tuesday its Vietnamese subsidiary LS-VINA has signed an annual supply contract for 6.6-kilovolt CVT distribution cables with Kitanihon Electric Wire, marking the company’s first entry into Japan’s power infrastructure market. Kitanihon Electric Wire is a subsidiary of Tohoku Electric Power and supplies distribution cables to major electric utilities in Japan. Japan’s power infrastructure market is widely considered difficult to enter due to its unique technical standards and s
March 10, 2026 -
Cosmax Indonesia partners with BRIN on skin microbiome research
Cosmax’s Indonesian unit said Tuesday it has signed a research agreement with the National Research and Innovation Agency to build the “Nusantara Skin Microbiome Map,” expanding microbiome research tailored to local skin characteristics. BRIN, a research institution directly overseen by the Indonesian president, is responsible for managing the country’s national research and development strategy and related research budgets. The agency also conducts research in bio and health sciences and works
March 10, 2026 -
Innometry to unveil next-generation inspection solutions at InterBattery
Innometry said Tuesday it will participate in InterBattery 2026, set to be held at Coex in Seoul this week, where it will showcase next-generation nondestructive inspection technologies for secondary batteries and other advanced industries. At the exhibition, the company will operate a booth highlighting its core technologies based on X-ray and 3D CT solutions. Innometry will divide its showcase into two sectors — secondary batteries and advanced industries — presenting inspection technologies t
March 10, 2026 -
CJ Olive Young takes K-beauty festival global
CJ Olive Young said Tuesday it would expand its signature beauty event, Olive Young Festa, to global markets this year, holding events sequentially in Japan and the United States. Launched as Korea’s first large-scale beauty festival, Olive Young Festa has served as an experiential platform where participating brands introduce their products directly to consumers, leveraging Olive Young’s product curation and beauty trend insights. This year’s Olive Young Festa 2026 will retain the event’s origi
March 10, 2026 -
Kospi rebounds 5% as Middle East tensions ease
South Korea’s benchmark Kospi surged more than 5 percent in early trading Tuesday, rebounding from the previous day’s steep sell-off as expectations grew for an early end to the conflict in the Middle East. After US President Donald Trump said Monday that the war with Iran “is very complete,” oil prices slipped below $90 per barrel, lifting global stock markets, including those in Korea. The Kospi opened sharply higher at 5,523.21, up 5.17 percent from the previous session. The index extended it
March 10, 2026 -
Korean won rebounds sharply after dropping to 17-yr low amid Middle East crisis
The South Korean currency gained sharply against the US dollar Tuesday, rebounding from a steep drop the previous day, after US President Donald Trump hinted that the war in the Middle East could end soon. The won opened at 1,470.8 per dollar, up 24.7 won from the previous session's 1,496.5 won. Monday's figure marked the weakest level since March 12, 2009, when the country was reeling from the global financial crisis. The won has weakened sharply since last week in line with a broad dollar rall
March 10, 2026 -
S. Korean economy grows 1 pct in 2025; Q4 GDP contracts 0.2 pct: BOK
The South Korean economy expanded 1 percent in 2025 amid strong exports but posted negative growth in the fourth quarter, central bank data showed Tuesday. The country's real gross domestic product -- a key measure of economic growth -- contracted 0.2 percent from the previous quarter in the October-December period, compared with its earlier estimate of a 0.3 percent contraction, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea. It marked the country's first quarterly contraction since t
March 10, 2026 -
Seoul shares open over 5 pct higher as Trump hints Iran war nearing end
South Korean stocks started sharply higher Tuesday, a day after a sharp decline, as US President Donald Trump hinted the US-Iran war "is very complete." The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 271.34 points, or 5.17 percent, to 5,523.21 at the opening bell. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.5 percent, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.38 percent, and the S&P 500 increased 0.83 percent. The KOPSI fell 5.96 percent Monday. During an interview with CBS News,
March 10, 2026 -
Kia unveils upgraded Niro hybrid, discontinues EV version
Kia unveiled an upgraded version of its eco-friendly crossover Niro, offering the model exclusively as a hybrid while discontinuing the Niro EV as part of its shift toward dedicated electric vehicles. The South Korean carmaker said it will begin taking orders for the mildly face-lifted Niro model on Tuesday in South Korea. The refreshed model comes four years after the second-generation Niro was launched in January 2022. The upgraded Niro is offered in a hybrid version that delivers a combined f
March 10, 2026 -
Lee Se-dol returns to build with AI, not battle it
Ten years after his historic game against Google DeepMind’s AlphaGo transformed global perceptions of artificial intelligence, Go legend Lee Se-dol returned to the same venue. This time, the encounter was not a contest between human and machine but a demonstration of how the two might work together. The event held at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul in central Seoul was organized by Korean AI startup Enhans, which showcased a system designed to coordinate multiple AI “agents” to carry out complex ta
March 9, 2026 -
Pablo Air aims higher with AI drone swarms
For Kim Young-joon, the 36-year-old founder and chair of Pablo Air, volunteering for South Korea’s Army special forces was an easy decision. “I don’t really like doing what others usually do,” Kim said in an interview with The Korea Herald at the company’s office in Incheon last week. While Korean men typically complete their mandatory military service through conscription, Kim chose the more demanding route of volunteering as an officer in the special forces. “I like adventures, so I was lookin
March 9, 2026 -
Seoul shares sink nearly 6 pct amid Iran crisis, crude price hike; won sharply down
South Korean stocks fell nearly 6 percent Monday, with the main bourse operator temporarily suspending trading during the morning amid extreme market volatility caused by US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran. The local currency fell sharply against the greenback. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index surrendered 333 points, or 5.96 percent, to close at 5,251.87. In the morning, the Korea Exchange activated a circuit breaker, suspending all trading on the main bourse for 20 minutes after the main index
March 9, 2026 -
How Boston Dynamics IPO could unlock Hyundai Motor Group’s ownership overhaul
Hyundai Motor Group’s decadeslong effort to streamline its complex ownership structure could finally gain momentum. The catalyst is not a new SUV, but the company behind the back-flipping humanoid robot Atlas. Boston Dynamics, the auto-to-steel conglomerate’s US robotics unit, will work toward a long-anticipated initial public offering on the Nasdaq this year, according to sources. With a potential listing as early as 2027, the company is expected to select underwriters and file for a preliminar
March 9, 2026 -
KCCI launches recruitment platform for USFK veterans
The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry said Monday it has launched a recruitment platform designed to connect former US military personnel who served in South Korea with Korean companies operating in the United States. The KCCI said it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea-US Alliance Foundation and participating companies to operate the job-matching platform, targeting American service members completing their assignments with US Forces Korea. The platform, accessible at www.U
March 9, 2026