-
Korea Zinc chair eyes buyback of Bain Capital stake amid control battle
Korea Zinc Chairman Choi Yun-beom is reportedly exploring ways to buy back the stake in the smelter held by private equity firm Bain Capital, a move that could strengthen his position in the ongoing control battle with Young Poong and MBK Partners. According to industry sources Friday, Choi’s camp has recently been seeking financing options to acquire Bain Capital’s 2.01 percent stake in Korea Zinc. Possible approaches include a direct buyback or bringing in new financial partners to take over t
March 13, 2026 -
Korea's Araon brings emissions-cutting tech to India in CSR push
Araon, a South Korean startup specializing in vehicle emissions reduction technology, said Friday it is promoting a project in India that combines Korean environmental technology with corporate social responsibility initiatives by Korean firms operating in the country. The project aims to reduce vehicle emissions and improve fuel efficiency in major Indian cities by installing Araon’s emissions-control devices on corporate and public vehicles. This project is being carried out in cooperation wit
March 13, 2026 -
AmCham, Korea's privacy chief discuss cross-border data rules for AI era
The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea hosted a policy dialogue Friday with Personal Information Protection Commission Chairperson Song Kyung-hee to discuss Korea’s data protection policies and the evolving role of trusted data use in the artificial intelligence era. The session, held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, brought together about 80 representatives from AmCham member companies and the broader business community. During the event, Song outlined the government’s policy direction for Korea’s
March 13, 2026 -
Celltrion to accelerate biosimilar pipeline on eased US regulations
Celltrion said Friday it will immediately apply newly eased US biosimilar development rules to its pipeline, a move expected to cut development costs and shorten timelines. The decision follows the recent release of the fourth revision of the biosimilar development Q&A guidelines by the US Food and Drug Administration, which simplifies pharmacokinetic testing requirements for biosimilars. A key change in the revision relaxes the criteria for reference drugs used in clinical comparisons. Previous
March 13, 2026 -
Posco Future M, Sila partner on next-generation battery materials
Posco Future M said Friday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with US battery materials firm Sila to jointly develop next-generation battery materials aimed at extending battery lifespan. The agreement was signed Wednesday in Seoul, with Hong Young-jun, head of Posco Future M’s R&D center, and Gleb Yushin, founder and chief technology officer of Sila, attending the ceremony. Under the partnership, Posco Future M will combine its expertise in cathode, anode and carbon materials with Sila
March 13, 2026 -
Orion’s Ojingeo Peanut turns 50 with fresh new packaging
Orion Corp. on Friday unveiled a redesigned package for its iconic snack Ojingeo Peanut to celebrate the product’s 50th anniversary, marking half a century of one of Korea’s most beloved treats. The new design highlights the phrase “50 Years of the Original,” proudly emphasizing the snack’s heritage and long-standing popularity across generations of Korean consumers. First introduced in 1976, Ojingeo Peanut has remained a staple snack thanks to its distinctive texture and flavor. The product is
March 13, 2026 -
Coupang CEO joins early-morning delivery shift
Coupang CEO Harold Rogers conducted an overnight visit to a logistics site and joined early-morning deliveries, according to industry sources on Friday. Rogers visited a delivery camp near Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province late Thursday night and helped deliver early-morning orders alongside logistics workers in the area. The visit became known after photos believed to show Rogers at the site were posted on an online community by a person identified as a warehouse worker. Coupang confirmed that Roge
March 13, 2026 -
South Korea to require approval for hiring foreign, dual-national staff at defense firms
Defense companies in South Korea will be required to obtain government approval when appointing foreign nationals or dual nationals to executive posts or positions handling defense technologies, according to sources Friday. The requirement is part of revisions to the Defense Acquisition Program Act and the Defense Industry Technology Protection Act, which were recently approved at a Cabinet meeting, sources familiar with the matter said. The move comes amid growing concerns that appointing forei
March 13, 2026 -
Korean Air to buy back catering unit from Hahn & Co. for W750b
Hahn & Co. is selling back Korean Air’s in-flight catering and duty-free retail business to the airline for 750 billion won ($503 million), more than five years after acquiring the unit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The private equity firm said Thursday it has signed definitive agreements to sell its 80 percent stake in Korean Air Catering & Duty Free Service (Korean Air C&D) to the flag carrier. The deal covers 5.01 million shares and is expected to close for about 750 billion won. Once complet
March 13, 2026 -
From space to seabed: Kim Dong-kwan’s global gambit for Hanwha
Ever since Kim Dong-kwan formally debuted at Hanwha Group in 2010, his every move has been under watchful eyes. Industry analysts have long questioned whether the young heir is merely another silver-spoon scion or a leader capable of steering the 70-year-old defense-to-energy giant into its next chapter. Kim, the eldest son of Hanwha Group Chair Kim Seung-youn, spent the past 16 years beating back industry-wide cynicism through performance. Since stepping into a managerial role at Hanwha at age
March 13, 2026 -
Canada plant powers LG Energy Solution growth amid EV slowdown
LG Energy Solution’s Canadian battery plant is emerging as a bright spot for the company as the global electric vehicle market slows, offsetting weaker performance at some of its European and US facilities. According to the company’s audit report released Thursday, NextStar Energy, LG Energy Solution’s battery plant in Windsor, Ontario, posted revenue of 362.4 billion won ($268 million) last year, up 22.4 percent from a year earlier. Operating profit reached 53 billion won, surging nearly fivefo
March 13, 2026 -
KG Mobility ramps up Southeast Asia push with Vietnam KD plant
KG Mobility said Friday it is accelerating its push into Southeast Asia by strengthening cooperation with its Vietnamese knock-down (KD) production partner. The Korean automaker said Chairman Kwak Jae-sun visited Vietnam this week to review production preparations and discuss expanding collaboration with local partner FUTA Group ahead of the company’s market entry. During the visit, Kwak met with FUTA Group Chairman Nguyen Huu Luan at the group’s headquarters in Da Nang to discuss ways to deepen
March 13, 2026 -
Youngone Holdings lifts dividend 23% on strong earnings
Youngone Holdings said Friday it has significantly increased dividends for shareholders, supported by solid earnings growth despite uncertainties in the global fashion industry. The holding company of outdoor apparel manufacturer Youngone Corp. approved a year-end dividend of 4,176 won ($3.09) per share at a recent board meeting. Including interim payouts, the total dividend for 2025 reached 6,576 won per share, up 23 percent from 5,350 won a year earlier. The total dividend payout amounts to 76
March 13, 2026 -
Starbucks takes spending crown, Mega Coffee leads visits in Korea
Starbucks ranked as the food and beverage retail brand with the highest total spending by Korean consumers, while budget coffee chain Mega Coffee recorded the most transactions, according to data released Friday by market analytics firm Wiseapp Retail. Based on a sample analysis of Korean credit and debit card payments, Starbucks topped the list of food and beverage retail brands by total payment value over the six months from September 2025 to February 2026. When Starbucks’ spending was indexed
March 13, 2026 -
LS Group rides power supercycle to record earnings
LS Group said Wednesday it posted record revenue and operating profit in 2025, driven by strong demand for power infrastructure during the global “electricity supercycle.” The Korean industrial group reported consolidated revenue of 45.7 trillion won ($31.4 billion) and operating profit of 1.49 trillion won last year, marking the highest figures since its establishment in 2003. Revenue and operating profit rose 9.1 percent and 23.1 percent year-on-year, respectively. LS attributed the strong per
March 13, 2026