SEOUL, April 1(Korea Bizwire) — The number of executives at South Korea’s top 30 conglomerates declined last year amid an economic slowdown, while that of employees increased, a market tracker said Tuesday. According to an analysis of 2024 business results released by 235 affiliates of the 30 conglomerates, the number of executives at the 235 [...]
SEOUL, April 1(Korea Bizwire) — South Korean industries stayed vigilant Tuesday over a wave of U.S. tariffs set to take effect this week, fueling concerns over the potential impact on the country’s export-driven economy, industry observers noted. On Wednesday (U.S. time), Washington is set to unveil its reciprocal tariffs, taking into account each country’s tariff [...]
SEOUL, April 1(Korea Bizwire) — The country’s financial watchdog on Tuesday raised questions over the circumstances surrounding Homeplus Co.’s debt sale and filing for court rehabilitation and called on private equity firm MBK Partners Ltd. to be more responsible for the retailer’s fiasco. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has been inspecting MBK Partners, which controls [...]
SEOUL, April 1 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s water industry has surpassed a significant milestone, with total revenue reaching ₩50.997 trillion in 2024, accounting for 2.1 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product, according to new government data released Sunday by the Ministry of Environment. This marks the first time since data collection began in 2011 [...]
SEOUL, April 1 (Korea Bizwire) — For the first time, a majority of South Korea’s top 100 publicly listed non-financial companies are paying their employees an average annual salary of over ₩100 million, signaling a sharp rise in corporate pay and deepening the wage gap between large conglomerates and smaller businesses. A comprehensive review of [...]
SEOUL, April 1 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s publicly listed startup firms are increasingly embracing dividend payouts, signaling a strategic shift from a growth-at-all-costs mindset to one more attuned to shareholder value and corporate transparency. Traditionally, young companies have reinvested profits to fund expansion, often overlooking dividends. But amid a rising chorus of retail investor demands [...]
SEOUL, March 31 (Korea Bizwire) — The government of South Korea faces mounting pressure from the United States to commit to purchasing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Alaska, a move that could carry significant economic and geopolitical consequences for Seoul. But despite a visit by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy last week and growing American expectations, South [...]
SEOUL, March 31 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s quick commerce (or “Q-commerce”) market—defined by delivery times under an hour—is rapidly expanding as major players including Emart, Naver, and Daiso aggressively enter the fray, intensifying competition in the nation’s retail and e-commerce sectors. Emart, the country’s largest hypermarket chain, has quietly rejoined the Q-commerce arena after [...]
SEOUL, March 31 (Korea Bizwire) — Passengers on all express bus routes in South Korea will be able to access free onboard Wi-Fi internet connection starting this week, the transport ministry said Monday. According to the ministry, free Wi-Fi will be available on all 240 express bus routes and 1,724 buses operated by eight major [...]
SEOUL, March 31 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean pharmaceutical and biotech companies that surpassed 1 trillion won in annual revenue showed stark differences in operating efficiency, with employee productivity varying by as much as 19 times among industry leaders. According to industry data released March 30, nine companies joined the “trillion-won club” in 2024: Samsung Biologics, [...]