WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (Korea Bizwire) — An American industry group has called on the U.S. government to craft new multilateral chip equipment export controls, claiming the current strict unilateral ones put U.S. firms at a disadvantage over their rivals from South Korea and other countries. The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) made the call in their [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 1 (Korea Bizwire) — The government on Thursday imposed an eight-month business suspension on GS Engineering & Construction Corp. over the collapse of a parking garage at an apartment construction site in Incheon last year. The land ministry said GS Engineering, along with four smaller consortium partner builders, will be subject to business [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 1 (Korea Bizwire) – A unified labor union encompassing four Samsung affiliates is poised for its official launch, signaling a significant development in the conglomerate’s labor relations. The integrated union held its first general assembly on January 31, marking an internal launch with the revision of regulations. The participating unions include employees from Samsung [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s output from the manufacturing sector fell by the most in 25 years in 2023 due mainly to weak demand for semiconductors amid an industry downcycle, data showed Wednesday. Retail sales and investment also tumbled last year amid high interest rates and inflationary pressure, and concerns linger over weak domestic [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Korea Bizwire) — Sales of cigarettes in South Korea inched down in 2023 for the first time in four years, but demand for electronic cigarettes logged a marked growth, the finance ministry said Wednesday. South Koreans purchased 3.61 billion 20-cigarette packs last year, down 0.6 percent from the previous year’s 3.63 billion [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Korea Bizwire) – In South Korea, a significant talent drought in cutting-edge industries has been exacerbated by an increasing number of students flocking to medical schools. Semiconductor industry analysts, in particular, have voiced concern that the shortage of skilled workers is reaching a critical level, endangering the very existence of some companies. The [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent survey has revealed that more than half of South Korean startups are concerned that the Platform Competition Promotion Act (PCPA), pushed forward by the Fair Trade Commission, could adversely affect the startup ecosystem. Startup Alliance, a non-profit organization, surveyed 106 founders and co-founders of domestic startups from January [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Korea Bizwire) – The landscape of South Korea’s job market has shifted dramatically over the last decade, with a significant decline in the number of sales and retail positions, largely due to the growing dominance of online shopping over traditional stores. This shift has led to a noticeable reduction in personnel within the [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 29 (Korea Bizwire) – Executives of export companies believe that family business succession is crucial for the sustainability and responsible management of their enterprises. However, a recent study reveals that due to heavy tax burdens and negative social perceptions, many are contemplating selling or shutting down their businesses. A report from the Korea International [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 29 (Korea Bizwire) – KT has announced a significant 26% increase in monthly active users (MAU) of its membership program, attributed to the in-app services launched last year. Membership now encompasses a variety of services within the KT app, including ‘Genie Music’ for music streaming, ‘Blice’ for webtoons and web novels, and ‘Giftishow’ for [...]